Custom Sub Enclosure for the H3, part two
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Custom Sub Enclosure for the H3, part two - 1/17/2008 10:22:32 AM
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2007H3
Posts: 76
Score: 0
Joined: 6/15/2007
Status: offline
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 Here's the updated album...
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AbOWjFs4YsnKA¬ag=1
To bring you up to speed, a few minutes ago I went about the task of reinforcing the shell of the cabinet a second time with resin and fiberglass mat. Whew what a mess that stuff is. I have a few observations if you should decide to work with this stuff, as outlined below:
1. Fiberglass mat gets on everything. If I had hair, there would be some mat in it
2. If you are like me, you will have the misfortune to step in a drop of resin EVERY TIME YOU USE IT and then proceed to track it through various parts of your house...
3. Doing this project in your basement, most likely, will shorten your life by several years...maybe your marriage as well...
4. Buy enough material to do the job...I've been back to the store 2x for supplies, could have saved alot by buying larger quantities at once.
I have tried to add the most reinforcement to the largest "open" areas as I think they will be most likely to flex when the sound hits full force (keep in mind those Alpine subs will be peaking at 700w of input...so I figure preparing for flex is a smart move). The entire enclosure has received two complete layers of matting at this point. Later this afternoon, once it has cured from this round, my next plan is to resin the interior of the shell. I am going to use cardboard to build the back side of the cabinet and hopefully will get the first round of resin/mat applied to that before the day is out. I'm trying to figure the easiest way to join it to the interior panel...was originally going to use the panel as the "back" of the cabinet...but realized that it is probably too thin, and I had concerns that hitting a low bass note really hard might actually blow the cabinet off of the panel. So, I'm building a back that is contoured to the panel and completely sealing it up. Then I'm going to glass all of that onto the panel...hopefully that will resist all the pounding that's going on back there.
The more I do the more I have to do ! I'm glad I took some vacation time to get this done. Now I'm off to the store to get some wire and connectors that I need while it cures...
I have found several great references on the 'net that have helped out so far...if you guys are interested in having them, please feel free to email me.
L8tr.
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Mike O
2008 F150 XLT supercab, 4x4, rhino-lined and never driven!
2007 Honda Pilot (hers)
2007 Suzuki DR-Z250
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RE: Custom Sub Enclosure for the H3, part two - 1/17/2008 12:18:24 PM
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HummBob
Posts: 15973
Score: 0
Joined: 5/6/2006
Status: online
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Looking GOOD!!!
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2004 Black Hummer H2
2007 Black Escalade
 
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Printable Version
The album has actually been updated again. I just came up from my laboratory...and now I have formed the first coat of what will be the back of the cabinet. I used white tape to make the form on top of drop-cloth-grade plastic, and used a little cardboard here and there to form the large flat areas. I put on a liberal amount of resin and laid in the fiberglass mat. The nice thing is that this shape is relatively simple, so I was able to work with large pieces of matting rather than the little tiny ones it took to complete some of the shapes of the "towers" the subs will mount into. Boy is this a learning experience. I think the new timetable is to have the front and back halves of the cabinet joined tomorrow, and to get most of the wiring done in the truck. I just picked up a 4 gauge wiring kit which I think to be plenty for what I have in terms of amplifiers. I also got a power distribution block...geez is that stuff expensive! Right now with all the materials I have purchased to date I am right at a $1000 investment. I have an Alpine am/fm/cd with XM, iPod connectivity, all the OnStar interface stuff, and over 1000 watts of power through 8 speakers. It should rival some of the better systems I have ever had in a car at a far lower investment. I guess the proof will be seen soon enough! 
I took four days off from work to get this done, and I'm worried I will not finish it! I'm off to buy a table saw right now to make the amp rack... Had a bad batch of resin (okay, bad mix) that somehow didn't get mixed well enough with the hardener so it's still tacky. I have the heat at 80 degrees in my basement trying to force it dry. The back 1/2 of the enclosure is made and looks good...today I'm planning to wire most of the H, and try to join the two pieces together. I will scuff up my interior panel, too...and hope tomorrow to bond it all to the panel itself. My main concern is whether or not I will get the finishing done and the panel painted-I think at worst it will all be installed but I'll have to pull the panel out in the future to do the remaining body work. I'm hoping to complete the amp rack totally. Who knows...I may still get it all done...
