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Because we work on such a vast array of vehicles here we field requests aplenty for tutorials regarding how to undertake various aspects of installations. In response we've written many a tutorial hitherto for various forums, user groups and the like. However with the online world now moving away from these older community formats and onto newer ones like social media platforms we've also had to change our tack; for social media is extremely dynamic and we've found that any tutorial type posts tend to disappear from sight within minutes of them being posted on social media. Therefore we've started migrating the aforesaid tutorials over to this page to prolong their longevity.
Before we start there's a quick disclaimer regarding the word rudimentary in the heading. Like anything car audio related you can go to extreme lengths, especially where design is concerned. This is conducive to some of the timber enclosure designs we make here being extremely complex and costly. People often ask if they need to be complex and the answer is no they don't. Ironically we recommend just making a basic timber enclosure like this and instead spending more of the budget on the components instead. Even better news is that it's not too hard to actually do. So let's go!
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Before you start you’ll need a few tools beyond a simple pencil and rule. You’ll need a circular saw with a rail, preferably one that can tilt on an angle if you’re making a wedge enclosure. You’ll also require a router / trimmer. You can hire these from local tool hires places, or you can have your timber supplier cut them to size for you.
Material wise we recommend structural or marine grade plywood or birch, 18 mm or thicker. These as opposed to medium or high density fibreboard. For the former are far stronger, far lighter and are water resistant.
Quick note before the commencement of this step; always wear a certified respirator, for the fumes and dust are detrimental to your health. Also always wear certified safety glasses, as you only get one set of eyes.
When cutting and constructing your enclosure ensure you have tight tolerances on the materials as you cut them. All edge gaps must be under 1 mm, preferable zero. This is before you glue and screw it. For the mounting hole you can use your router with a straight bit and a circle jig. Just make sure both the portion you’re cutting out and the final piece around it are both solidly secured. We often use a CNC machine to make enclosures here, however taking your time and doing this all by hand carefully will still achieve just as good a result.
The next step is marking out and drilling all the holes. We drill them at equal distances around the perimeter of all sides to sate Marty’s OCD, however it’s not important so long as they’re plenty. We usually use eight gauge timber screws with pre-drilled 3 mm holes. These holes should be countersunk before the glue and screws are installed so the head of the screw sits just below the surface of the timber. This will later be filled and sanded flat.
Using your router / trimmer with a rebate bit and large bearing you cut a 3 mm x 3 mm groove around the perimeter of the end caps, adjacent to the inside edge. This is for the trim edges to go slot into. It’s a three-dimensional shape; alas the trim joins must go somewhere.
Next up you clamp it, glue it, screw it and internally seal it. Get plenty of glue in there, not only to fasten but also to make a very effective seal. Put the glue on the inner side of the middle so it squashes out internally. Then run your finger along the bead so it created a solid seal. With the enclosure constructed it should be strong enough to park a car on. Don’t ask how we know that…
Next step is to seal every internal surface, liberally coating them with multiple coats of a specially developed speaker cabinet acoustic coating; whatever it takes to achieve a thickness of around three millimetres once dry. Regarding curing time, we usually leave a good twenty-four hours between coats. Contrary to popular opinion this coating isn’t primarily for combating standing waves, for the peak-to-peak wavelength of subsonic frequencies are very lengthy. You’d need a sizable enclosure before standing waves become your primary concern. This coating is primarily used to enhance damping and remove the resonant ring of the enclosure. It dries with a firm rubbery like texture and works alongside fibrefill to deal with all those bothersome internal phenomena. Whilst these coats are drying is also a good time to apply some body filler to those screw holes too.
Trim your enclosure in whatever material tickles your fancy be it carpet, vinyl, leather, suede, Alcantara, minotaur fur or something more exotic. That said we do recommend you trim it to match the colour and style theme of your interior, so it doesn’t look out of place. To that end; a small badge or emblem from the car can add a neat little touch. If you’re not confident with trimming simply have your local auto trimmer do it.
With your enclosure trimmed it’s time to wire and install your subwoofer, paying careful attention to voice coil configurations and employing large gauge speaker cable. We recommend you use at least ten gauge screws to secure the subwoofer and absolutely do not forget to install a gasket between the subwoofer mounting face and the enclosure. Subwoofers can move a lot of air and lack of gasket will result in reduced performance and potential whistling as air escapes with each reciprocation. All done and dusted, install and securely fasten down the enclosure; ensuring it cannot move in the event of an accident. Thenceforth enjoy your newfound aural and kinetic subsonic bliss!
As aforementioned this is a simple timber enclosure. If you want to see alternative types of enclosures covering a whole gambit of different budgets please click here, for we’ve built many hundreds hitherto.