Box construction question

howie777

Hey,

Am I ok to build a box without having a table saw for really straight cuts? Or should I hunt down someone who does to at least cut out the pieces. (for SR104DVC sub)

Thanks

michael_w

If you have a router just cut the pieces oversized (don't have to be even close to straight) and just trim off the excess. You do, however, have to have at least a couple straight pieces... I'm not quite sure how well that would work. Can you bribe a neighbor with beer?

scottnbnj

if you've already got a good circular saw and blade, clamps like tru-grip (griset) or all in one (emerson) can help you make pretty good cuts. but, if you don't want to buy those you can get the same quality cut with a good straight edge and a couple of clamps, it's just a bit more work.

many lumber yards and home centers will cut for you relatively cheaply if you don't have the tools or you're not sure of your skills. accuracy might be hit or miss with them though, just double check before you hit the register.

)

howie777

OK, so a guy at work says, that is simple. Just buy a drywall square. (ruler with a t bar at one end). Clamp it to the MFD and then remove the T bar piece. Now you have a guide to run a circular saw against. So I'm going to give this a shot.

I do have a question though. For cutting out the whole for the sub, I have an article from a mag on how to do this. They show a "Perfect Circle" attachment for a router. Does anyone know where I can buy one? I can't find them anywhere that are called "perfect circle". It seems Jasper makes one but not the same as in this article (they had a picture in I think June 2007 of car audio and electronics, it was how to make circles with a router)

Thanks,

michael_w

Parts express sells one. Apparently they work very very well. If you're only cutting one or two holes you can always just make a quick jig for your router.

ShinAce

Be careful with a carpenter's square. It is a straight edge, but it's also flimsy. Your circular saw may end up going over or under the guide. Your best bet is to cut a piece of wood with a known straight edge. Clamp that as a guide.

Make note that by cutting wood with this method, you can end up with piece that have straight edges but are not square. You must take your time and be precise for good cuts.

For holes, either make your own jig or ensure the one you get can do the hole size required. A jigsaw and a freehand cut is often good for this.

BradimusMaximus

A square I think is definitely necessary. I use just a circle saw and a rotozip to cut the hole for the sub. I do it free hand but I have alot of practice. There are two things you must be sure of when your marking and cutting - assuming measurements are already correct - 1. when you mark and cut account for the thickness of the blade. If you cut inside of your line your panels won't fit! 2. Don't assume precut panels you get from the lumber yard are square. Always check with your square every corner before you cut. A crooked panel is a real waste of time and materials.
If you want to cut that hole out you can use a saber saw or any plunge cutting device (router or spiral cut saw). Just cut inside your line, you can always trim just a little more if you need and you'll have an air tight fit.

20hz

I built a few boxes by having the Hardware store cut the four sides from a sheet and when I got it home assembled the four sides and the other pieces were fit between the top and sides (so quality cuts were not as important) I usually glued a block all the way around for the panals to screw in, I sometimes sank the front in for the grille panal to snap in.
I think they charged me 50 cents a cut, all I had was a jigsaw and a drill .

Face

I've heard a lot of good things about this jig.
http://www.amazon.com/Jasper-200J-Circle-Cutting-Plunge/dp/B00009K77A/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1203957616&sr=8-1
I have a friend building me some new speaker cabinets and just picked one up. He'll be using it this weekend, I'll let you know how things go.

exalted512

That jig is really nice, I got mine, and another jasper jig for cutting smaller circles, at www.partsexpress.com
-Cody

20hz

I always wanted to buy a jasper template but thought they were kinda pricey, my router had mounts so got 2 pieces of 1/4" rod and built a adjustable end piece with a mount hole I have been sinking in all my drivers and cut the holes with it to , it may not be as conveniant to change a dimension (I gotta loose bolts and slide the arms or center ) .
But I build 1-2 speakers at a time , I have 2 sets one for 6-10" and another for up to 15"
Thats on the big bosch plunge router .

michael_w

Holy thread resurrection!

KaosTsoc

Are all your cuts going to be straight?? If so then go the home depot, and buy 3/4 MDF, and tell one of the guys that works there to cut the pieces for you. As long as they are all straight cuts they will do it for free. If not then I would follow what is being said here.

Thanks.

Face

I have HD cut 4x8 sheets of MDF into 2x4 sheets so they'll fit in my car and it's rare that they're perfectly straight. IIRC, only the first 3 or 4 cuts are free around here.

mole'

all of this DIY stuff is making me wanna build something now.

halo71

reported