Before deciding on a particular type of enclosure to use, you must first determine the amount of space you have available. This is a very important step to ensure you have the appropriate volume needed to provide proper performance of the subwoofer. For example, if you wish to build an enclosure for a 15" and you only have one cubic foot space available, it would be better to use a 10" because the volume is not large enough to allow the 15" to perform properly. The small enclosure would restrict the performance of the 15" not allowing it properly reproduce low frequencies.
Advantages: Easy to build, smaller enclosure size, lean tight sounding bass, better power handling vs. ported design and Linear low bass extension.
Disadvantage: Less efficient as compared to ported design.
Overall The box internal volume should be as close as possible to the recommended by the manufacturer. If a box is smaller than what it is supposed to be, the sound will be tighter, but more amplifier power will be required. If the box is too big, then the sound will be muddy.
Advantages: More output at the tuning frequency as compared to the same woofer in a sealed enclosure, higher efficiency.
Disadvantage: Larger enclosure size, Calculating enclosure and port dimensions more difficult,easy to blow woofer if power handling limit is exceeded.
Overall The box itself acts as an amplifier, yielding to more bass than a sealed enclosure (3 to 4 dB). Ported boxes do not have a linear frequency response. If the box is not built according to specifications, it will not sound good. The box design acts as a filter, cutting off lower frequencies.
I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee "limited" 1999 model.The 15"s already have a sealed enclosure but the box is not professional.It is sealed and has been built using nails and you can feel air leak.
Nails just does not hold well in mdf - drywall screws are what i use . Next time ur building any box use a product called LIQUID NAILS between each joint - that'll make it air tight & very strong ........
i was just watching overhauled the other day and was somewhat dissapointed. i always love the cars they make. but then they showed them using a nail gun to make the box for 2 subs in it, and as far as they showed, nothing else like liquid nails or anything... oh well....
a lot of people use nails... I believe woodlawn uses nails. the bonding agent (liquid nails) between the joints is what gives the box its structural integrity, not the screws. I prefer screws just because it makes me feel better, but I don't think they are actually necessary if the glue is given adequate time to cure.
"Screws will only be used in assembly applications to ensure certain joinery remain tight during and after fabrication of the enclosure.
Whether a Air Brad Nailer or Screws are used to assemble the parts of a subwoofer enclosure, there are advantages and dis-advantage using either method.
These fasteners when used act more as a clamping device to keep the parts together until the type of wood glue used fully cures." -Woodlawn Cabinetry
"i was just watching overhauled the other day and was somewhat dissapointed. i always love the cars they make. but then they showed them using a nail gun to make the box for 2 subs in it, and as far as they showed, nothing else like liquid nails or anything... oh well...."
Lol, yeah i was watching overhaulin, might have been the same one, and a guy at some high end custom stereo shop was building them a sealed box, using a nail gun, and no clamps or anything. And it was for 2 type S's. They really cheaped out on the stereo....anyways...
I'n my opinion, considering the amount extra screws cost, it's worth it. Even though if you use enough of the right glue, it will hold with nails, the screws pull everything together very tight. After the glue is dry, you don't really need the added strength of screws. But considering most people i see nailing their boxes together don't use bar clamps to make sure the joints are tight, screws will eliminate any chance of a poorly bonded joint. It amazes me how people will skimp on a few dollars or cents on fasteners or using lower density particle board after they've spent thousands on a stereo system.......
MrCabinetry
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Just to state some facts with regards to using air nailers vs screws for assembly purposes.
As Baseball pointed out, yet, did not include the following:
Enclosure's are assembled using a Air Finish Brad Nailer ( 18 gauge x 2" Nail ) and ProBond Woodworkers Glue.
Also, to clarify, I only use screws for certain purposes in enclosure fabrication. I don't wholly use screws in the fabrication of every enclosure since screws end to weaken the structural bond of MDF when screws are drilled into the material on edge because MDF will split even when it's pre-drilled on edge.
Also, using screws to pull part together will make the joint tight, however, you also squeeze a vast amount of glue out of the joint.
Basically, this is what's called " starving the glue line " which creates a weak joint. Same sitaution occurs when you use bar clamps if you over tighten them.
Using a brad nailer and pro bond wooodworkers for assembly purposes, I have yet to have a box joint fail because I am not using clamps or screws to pull the joint tight where by squeezing the glue out of that joint.
I could use various methods of joinery that don't entail using any type of fasteners to hold the joints together and just using bar clamps, after the glue dries, the joint of the joined parts would be just as strong because the glue does the job of keep the parts joined and tight.
As for liquid nails, I wouldn't use that crap to build a outhouse because the properties of the adhesive itself will soften in a hot environment like that of car trunk and the only thing holding that box together is the nails or screws.
Yes I agree that the glue alone will hold the joint after it has been dried, but you need the fasteners to hold it tight, and it does have to be tight. I work in a cabinetry also. I specifically make the cabinet doors, and we glue the joints, then put them in a pneumatic clamp at 60 psi. If we have to use bar clamps, we tighten them as hard as we can by hand, then tighten them futher with a hammer. This is on dense wood like maple and hickory. The wood will split apart before the bond ever breaks. Carpenter's glue can be easily scraped and chipped off wood, so you think that a loosly clamped joint is going to hold? If glue squeezes out of your joint, all that means is that you used too much glue. If glue does not sqeeze out, there is probably not total glue coverage on the joint. What you are suggesting is that by not sqeezing the glue out, there should actually be a gap between each piece of mdf that is just filled with glue. And since mdf is somewhat pourous, to tighten it a lot will force a small ammount of glue to be absorbed which means the mdf will split apart before the joint ever breaks. To have excessive glue still in the joint creating a barrier between the two pieces, they can be easily broken apart.