Spider Subwoofer Project Part 2

Okay, now we are getting somewhere.
I hollowed out all of the pieces (except the end plates, of course) this afternoon. Not an easy task since you have to gradually increase or decrease the area inside so you don't end up with a big hole from mating a full piece with a notched out piece. I ended up with several patterns for the same enclosure. But in the end, it was a perfect fit. I was able to start on the top piece (that mates with the fascia) but ran out of light.

I also discovered that I made a big blunder in my calculation when I said that I could put four 8" drivers in a 15" wide box. Duhh, 8+8=16. The good news is that I can run two 8" drivers, four 6 1/2" drivers, or one mighty 12" woofer or even a JL Audio 13". How cool would THAT be??
So, I'll finish the top part, sand everything down, then cut the speaker holes when a customer makes a deposit and tells me what speaker configuration they want.
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Looking good Buddy!

 

Now these pictures will make more sense.
I cut the shape of the bottom of the fascia out of the top piece, cut another one similar to it, glued these two pieces together, then started shaping. I applied super glue to the inside surface, making it hard as a brick. Then, I am free to shape the outer edges to follow the lines of the fascia, not worrying if the wood comes up to a thin edge at the top (as it has to to look right). I ran out of glue, but tomorrow when I apply to the outer edge, there will be no chance of anything breaking or cracking. Now all I have to do is to cut the speaker hole(s), finish sand and wrap in leather.
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Love that last picture; I can totally imagine it covered and looking completely factory.

 

Exactly! I may just get this one wrapped in saddle leather just to whet peoples' appetites...

 

Amazing work. I wish I had that kind of talent. One question: is there enough space between the top of the enclosure and the bottom of the fascia for the leather that will be wrapped around the enclosure?

 

I get this question a lot. A good question though. I "planed" the bottom of the enclosure and took off about 3/16" of wood in the process. It is perfect. I also push the enclosure with a lot of force against the firewall to ensure that the top piece does not rub against the lip of the fascia when installed.

My ebay ad has been revised to show what speaker options are available for the spider option:

Ferrari Custom Leather Subwoofer Enclosure 360 430 Challenge Stradale Scuderia | eBay

 

I come from a car audio background.

Just have a few comments

The enclosure when wrapped does look good but its really so unorthodox how you made it, in so far that you have glued the pieces against the laminated MDF. Making it very easy to split.

Maybe you should think of adding a layer of epoxy carbon to seal it properly and a ring for mounting the screws of the speaker or even better T-Nuts.

Just a thought.

Also what ever speaker your using have you checked the frequency response ?

 

The laminate is being sanded off of each piece before assembly.

I am already using sealing rings.

Why?

Of course.

 

I have never seen a MDF sub box made this way.

It is very easy to split along the endgrain of the MDF as opposed to the length.

Same goes for screwing the speaker in, it will just split.

 

That's part of the beauty of Mike's technique; it's original and creative.

MDF (medium density fiberboard) has no "end grain;" it is composed of wood particles compressed with a resin binder under high temperature and pressure. Screws designed for use in MDF are quite effective when used in pre-drilled holes of the correct size. The area of the speaker you are talking about is effectively a trim piece and has no structural role, and when installed is not exposed to any force capable of compromising that glue joint, which is stronger than the underlying material. Possibly if you went after it with a crowbar or a large screwdriver you could fracture it, but I'm not sure why you would want to do that.

Medium Density Fibreboard
Pro Woodworking Tips.com-Medium Density Fiberboard

I own one of Mike's speakers; the drivers are retained with high quality hex-head machine screws and Tee nuts. it is very well made, quite attractive and is more rigid and durable than as is needed for this application. The sound is deep, clean and accurate. Distortion levels are comparable to high-end home equipment and supplied with enough amplifier power will play louder than any rational person would want.

I've done a lot of woodworking myself, including many loudspeakers, so if you have an alternative construction method that meets all the requirements for this design I'd love to hear about it in detail.