Make a Fiberglass Speaker Enclosure

This is an addition to my first instructable, it go's into much more detail about how to make the custom speaker box. This thing is a fully fiberglassed enclosure with 2 15" woofers, 5 tweeters and 1 mid range. Its powered by a deep cycle battery and is used with a dual lane 2400 watt amplifier located inside. It has a car stereo that controls the volume and the music. The backrest is covered in purple felt and lined with a rubber strip. There are 2 sets of lights on the back with a total of 50 leds each of blue and red lights with a controller box located under neath the speakers.

Step 1 First Get Supplies For Fiberglassing

Remember this is what i used for mine you have to judge how much you will need.
You will need:
Concert Speaker (Any will work)
2 Gallons of fiberglass polyester resin
6 Yards of fiberglass matting
3 yard of polyester
4 big tubs of Bondo
Particle Board
Speaker Wire
Optional:
Car Amplifier
Car Stereo
Tools I Used:
Staple Gun
Nail Gun
Reciprocating Saw
Spray on glue
Bondo Spreader
Lots of Gloves

Comments

[guitarman63mm]

Can you give a ballpark estimate of the cost for the bondo, resin, matting, and polyester, in the amounts you used? Thanks.

[apix]

the bondo was about 70$ i used alot more then i needed tho The matting was like 20$ i only used around 4-5 yards The 2 gallons of resin was 100$ The polyester was like 25$ total

[guitarman63mm]

Thanks man. I've been thinking about changing a curve on my car's body, although I'm not sure how well fiberglass fares in dents and such.

[apix]

Fiberglass is very hard expecialy when u use bondo on it and other people have done it so im sure it will work nice

[Mr.squiggles]

If you really want to change a bodyline nothing beats a hammer and a welder....bondo detaches from show cars all the time so be aware.

[cbray2010]

I've been making show cars for years. if you don't want to use straight fiber glass use a thing called dyna glass its stronger than bondo but weaker that fiber glass. it would be easier to weld a piece of metal for the basic curve than layer it. if you don't know how to use bondo i wouldn't recommend it.

[zeroemission]

there's a new technology using woven bamboo instead of fiberglass so you don't get skin irritation like working with fiberglass, and it uses less harsh chemicals too. as far as i know, it's only sold by a surfboard kit company.

the article i read on it in some magazine mostly about building robots made it sound alot nicer to work with than fiberglass. i thought the chemicals were expensive for it, but they look about the same as fiberglass now that i've seen this instructable.

would like to see more views of your completed project from the back & sides.

cool build

[zeroemission]

oh... i see the ghetto blaster trike thread in the margins now. looks wild!

[dawgz031]

can i replace the hardener with superglue or something???
i really cant find a good hardener at our place......it not because i miss used it,cause i tried 1:1 ration..and 1:2 or even 1:3 ..2 and 3 are the ratio of hardener....but it dosent work at all....even if i add some catalyst in it.....

can some one please help me.....any one???

[apix]

i do not think superglue would be a good substitute but all the bondo and resin came with a hardener made for it, you could try to order some offline but other then that i do not know

[Tombower1989]

it is the same person on the same day, i think he might have the right to steal his own pictures.....or does he

By the by obvious observational skills is obvious

[slopycootereater]

how much did the supplys cost you?

[Solitus3989]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-A-GhettoBlaster-Tricycle/?ALLSTEPS

Looks like you just took a few pictures from this instructable and rewrote them, with about half as much detail...

[hell_raiser_1]

Dude, the Make A GhettoBlaster Tricycle was already done before te contest was published, I mean, is a relly good project you just can't pass by, still ripping those nice speakers apart was really really heartless.

[apix]

(removed by author or community request)

[hell_raiser_1]

I definitely think this is the very same project!! Sorry dude, no offense, but i'm just trying to make it fair for those of us that are really creating a new project.

[apix]

its completly different, i didnt just throw a pair of ipod speakers on a bike

[lightingbug]

Great Job. That is pretty cool. I have a question about the fiberglassing process . Is the shaping of your item done by shaping with the fiberglass or is it done by how you sand the bondo. I want to make some fender flares for my truck and there will be convex and conclave curves on them I am planning. Not that I am trying to make it had on me for my first project of course. Since the flares are a little smaller scale than the speaker box, is there any problem if I use something like the dense insulation blue foam as the structure instead of a frame. Thanks.

[SYMMETRY]

I'm thinking the particle board should be replaced with card board.

[stallsworth]

DAMN U USED A HELL OF ALOT OF BONDO ALL IT IS FOR IS TO SILL THE LITTLE CRACKS AND HOLE IN THE FIBBER GLASS U DONT NEED TO COAT THE HOLE BOX BUT MABY A 1/8

[omnibot]

After gormly have argued his point to near perfection I apologize for calling you a troll.

[apix]

yea we used it because the fiberglass we put on was all bumby because of air pickets and we didnt want to sand it so we just added some bondo, in most places its really light like 1/16" but in some its like 1/4

[omnibot]

Troll detected.

[gormly]

omnibot says: Troll detected.

In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community

stallsworth is not being controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic, he is stating his own opinion about the subject at hand.

We have enough trollers yelling Troll every five minutes on the interwebs, take a break.. ok?

I happen to think this ROCKS!!

[omnibot]

Well .. stallsworth is shouting and beeing overly criticizing to provoke a response, imo trolling.

[gormly]

No... all it tell us is that perhaps stallsworth is ignorant in the use of CAPS and basic spelling which leads us to believe he is rather young or just internet inexperienced.
Your comment however, tells us a lot about you.

Let's deconstuct his comment oh grand internet protector, shall we?

First let's get this out of the way...
CAPS does not equal Confrontational

DAMN U USED A HELL OF ALOT OF BONDO

The author of the instructable DID use a lot of bondo and readily admitted it. So stallsworth is just reiterating and agreeing. DAMN can indicate multiple states of mind and attitude, it does not have to indicate provocation.

ALL IT IS FOR IS TO SILL THE LITTLE CRACKS AND HOLE IN THE FIBBER GLASS

This part of stallsworths statement is also true (considering the spelling errors) , there did not need to be so much bondo as normal circumstances might require, it is used to fill in the fiberglass, not to coat an entire piece.

U DONT NEED TO COAT THE HOLE BOX BUT MABY A 1/8

Again, going back to the last part of the statement, this is true, too much bondo is being used and stallsworth is pointing it out.

I think it is you who have trolled here, looking for a response, like maybe
"yea, tell 'em omnibot", or "whoa, you're so smart omnibot thanks for coming to the internets rescue" or even.. "I'm sorry Mr Omnibot for offending your sensibilities, please find in in your ever overcritical heart to forgive me"

In any case, you are in the wrong here, not stallsworth and I think you owe him an apology.

It's the right thing to do.

[omnibot]

I am impressed and swayed by your arguments, I retract my previous statement. On the whole your breakdown and analysis is well thought out and although I disagree with your satirical tone in the would-be responses in the last paragraph I must agree I have been to rash and have accidentally trolled. Thank you.

[kirnex]

Extremely cool. I want to make a series of outdoor speakers. I'm going to cheat and get some wireless speakers for the inside. I want to customize the outside to fit into my landscape. Any suggestions on waterproofing without compromising the sound quality? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. You're a true artiste (with an accent in there somewhere).

[apix]

I think that the fiberglass will be waterproof but as far as the speakers you should probably go with some marine speakers if you can because they are made to be near/in water. Ive never used marine speakers but im pretty sure they will work for what u want them for

[kirnex]

another excellent idea. I was just going to buy some outdoor speakers, but I hadn't considered going to a marine distributor for them. Thanks...again!

[Satweavers]

When sanding that stuff... even the Bondo, I'd use a full-on filter mask... a respirator with cartridge filters. You do NOT want any of that stuff in your lungs.

Remember... Bondo = Precision In A Can! ;)

[apix]

Yea i used this one http://www.amazon.com/HALF-FACE-RESPIRATOR-3M-LARGE/dp/B00079FOK0

[roosta]

2 15's!? wow... that thing must be heavy!

[apix]

The 15"s are only 3 pounds each

[Derin]

If it breaks you can get the fiberglass and mix some epoxy and glue it :) I think I actually have a large fiberglass water tank up in the attic!