Guest polarity Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 I have heard that there are a few people on hybridz that are really good with fiberglass.. Someone told me that one member does all his fiberglass work on aluminum? I'm trying to fiberglass some speaker boxes (holding 4 12" subs) and need to ask a few questions. anyone up to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest freakypainter Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 why would you want to fiberglass a speaker box when fiberglass absorbs bass? just a thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 I was going to say the same thing, but in a car I guess compromises must be made. You want something that doesn't resonate (definitely not fiberglass). The best material for a speaker box is medium density fiber board (i.e. particle board). But not always easy to do in the back of a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MegaShaft_2000 Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Originally posted by freakypainter:why would you want to fiberglass a speaker box when fiberglass absorbs bass? just a thought Don't get the 2 types of fiberglass confused. One is the soft pillowy stuff that they use for insulation in speakers, and the other is the rock hard material made from woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest polarity Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 my idea is for something like the alpine demo car.. i was told that they use fiberglass after to cover the box.. I will try and find some pictures.. http://www.dslextreme.com/users/esoedjono/images/ces2003/alpineback.jpg http://www.dslextreme.com/users/esoedjono/images/ces2003/alpineback2.jpg I thought that they built the boxes, then fiberglassed over them, and finally airbrushed.. i could be completely wrong and that could be some type of plastic shell that they paid out big $$$ to just have made.. any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Polarity.. I ran across a website on how to make custom fiberglass boxes in a car web page Very unique way to mold fiberglass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 What I have done and works very well is after you have the built the box, pour fiberglass resin on and brush it around. This will make a nice smooth non-porous finish. Then lightly sand it, prime and paint. I find a gloss finish looks the best. My buddy and I did this on a box for his truck. He had 4 10"'s in his '87 Dodge Dakota (sacrificed a lot of legroom) and we went a step further on his box. We resin'd the inside of the box as well and painted it the same color as his truck. We then put 3/4" plexiglass over the front and installed the speakers. Inside we installed hidden blue neon lights. This looked really trick! Also, MDF (medium density fiber board) and particle board are two different materials, but very similar. This is just me, but you can use 3/4" MDF (which is pretty heavy) or you can use 3/4" particle board and put a couple coats of fiberglass resin on the inside to help stiffen it up, then put some pillow stuffing inside. Any car audio guys please correct me if I am wrong in doing this. !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Matt, So your method was to cover the box with resin instead of laying layers of fiberglass (ie making the box itself out of fiberglass)? Any pix? Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest freakypainter Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 yes matt, your right. the MDF is the better of the 2 and is relativley inexpensive. also you dont have to use any one particular size. ive used everything from 1/4 to 3/4 depending on the application. back when i did stereos about 10 years ago we would build the box inside of the vehicle and if there was a need for special contours or a certain shape or design needed we would use bondo as a kind of sculpting clay and then cover it with either carpet or vinyl or sometimes even paint. if u want to get really creative and dont care about expense plexiglass is cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Owen, Yes I would make the box out of 3/4" particle board or MDF then pour resin on the box and brush it around. It will end up maybe 1/16" thick. This will adhere to the box just fine if you use particle board, because it's porous. There is not really any need for the glass fiber, unless you plan on making the layer of resin really thick for some reason. If you want the same effect on MDF, you should scuff up the surface some with 120 grit sandpaper. Sorry Owen no pictures to share . I should have took pictures of some of the setups I made. I was just happy to see the look on the persons face when they saw the work. Actually, I think I may have a picture of the setup I made for my CRX. I'll have to see if I can dig it up. Man was that thing tight, 2 10" subs and a 12" sub in that car. Man that thing THUMPED ! !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest polarity Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Ok, so you would build your box. Then do the fiberglass resein on top of the box. Shape and mold the fiberglass while pouring it.. then sand it and paint it (when painting, is it best to paint it black and then go over it with an airbrush (for some type of custom graphic)?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 "Shape and mold the fiberglass while pouring it" I think all you do is pour the fiberglass RESIN. Any shaping would have to be done first or on top of the resin after it has cured. As mentioned above, shaping would be done by laying bondo or glass mat, etc. and then pouring resin over it. Tho if you made a 3D curve and poured resin on it, it would naturally be thinner in some areas where the resin would run down. You'd have to be careful here when sanding. While we're on the subject...what kinda resin, marine use? Anyone know any suppliers in the So Cal area? Thanks, Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Guys, lately i have done quite a bit of fiberglass work, so i will share my experience. www.fibreglast.com is THE place to go on the internet for this type of tools, materials etc. Makes me laugh when i look at select products pricing now. The old way I used to do it was to make a "frame" out of wood, or whatever the hell i had lying around. I then wrapped the unit in fiberglass mat, or fleece (depending on whether it was a box or kick panels). Once you are happy with the contours of the piece, resin the thing. I tend to use a moderate amount of hardner for this stuff, i dont like to wait but also dont want the cure to be sacrificed. Finishing... I used to use body filler and sand away to my hearts content. This is long, tedious and pretty boring honestly. Use guide coats like when doing filler on a car, it will show you your mistakes etc.. THe way i do it now is with a fibreglast.com two part gel-coat gun. I really need that chopper too hope this helps, its not easy but more time consuming for the most part. Evan President, Sound and Speed, Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest polarity Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Evan I have never built a box before nor have I done fiberglass work. I'm taking on this project for 2 reason 1) I want to learn 2) I need a project that will keep my busy and not be expensive. So how would you go about this. I'm trying to make something that looks like the alpine show car pics I posted earlier. Am I going about it the right way? Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Cool, I've been to that site before and they have a lot of stuff! Billy, get that Competition Car Composites book or whatever it's called, there's a post today in another section. I have it and it's great for beginners and tells you how to do things as well as the difference in resins, cure times, types of glass mat, etc. Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest livewire23 Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 I've recently been thinking about the future of my cars, and I've figured out that fiberglass is probably going to be part of that future. The Z's rear bumper has a crack that desperately needs fixing. And my other car is going to get a new sound system and all new rear end. That means that I need to mold a new center console, and a subwoofer enclosure where the back seats used to go. I'll go to borders and grab a book on fiberglassing. Is there anything real important I need to know about glassin'? Or any good tips on working with the stuff? For part of the center console I can use the stock unit as a mold, but for the rear section I'm on my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Get "Competition Car Composites" by Simon McBeath. I saw it recomended by one of our members here and I have to say that it is a good investment for someone that doesn't know much about fiberglass. The book is written for the beginer, not the expert, but you might be an expert if you read the book . He writes it in such a way that you are not confused at all, very well written IMO. I had to have it ordered from Barnes and Noble, but was worth the 4 day wait. Here's the chapters in the book: -Materials Fibres, fabrics, resins, laminates, cores -Equipment and basic techniques Tools, workspace, basic wet lay-up moulding trials -Pattern making Materials, design and manufacture -Making moulds Requirements, split lines, lay-up reinforcement -Component manufacture Product design, laminating, stiffeners, woven glass fabrics -Material upgrades Carbon and Aramid (Kevlar) fabrics, epoxy resin, more core materials -Technology upgrades Pressure moulding, elevated temperature, vacuum consolidation -Pre-pregs Properties, mould deign, using pre-pregs honeycomb -The professionals Design, facilities, autoclaves, materials, testing -Motorsport applications From club racer to Formula 1, composites in action !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest livewire23 Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 borders has a combo deal going on competition car composites and Fiberglass & Composite Materials: An Enthusiast's Guide to High Performance Non-Metallic Materials for Automotive Racing and Marine Use for $41.24 Should I spring the extra dough and go ahead and get both books, or would competition car composites suffice for my needs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 I got Simon Mcbeaths book for something like $38, so I would say for a few extra bucks, why not? Doesn't hurt to have to much information. !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TABrinn Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 4 12" subs need a lot of support. Build the basic enclosure box from 3/4" MDF, seal it on the inside seams with a layer of resin and fleece, then you work on the asthetics. Remember you need to have the subs angled slightly from the back panel so the waves don't cancel out. To get the free formed look you can either use foam blocks cut to shape or add a 2-3" trim border around the edge of the box and stretch fleece down to the speaker cut-outs. You can also recess your amp with a trim border and fleece. After you achieve the look your after, brush on the resin (get quality stuff from a boating supply store not Walmart!), let fully dry, then apply the fiberglass mat and more resin. You should use like 4 layers of fiberglass. Sand it between the layers so the next layer goes on without air bubbles. To finish, sand everything even, apply bondo where needed, glazing putty (fills in all the little pin holes), more sanding, primer and paint. It's a lot of work but if you take your time to get everything just the way you like the results are spectacular! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.