Folding Speaker Enclosures

You may have seen these in the Make Blog. This is how to make your own.

Step 1: The Finished Speaker Box

This is the finished article. In this case the box is an 80mm cube but it could be any size you like just choose the card thickness to suite the size of the box.

Although this was made from card you could just as well use polypropylene as a harder wearing material, you can often buy stationary folders made from polypropylene that you can recycle.

Step 2: The Net for the Crash Lock Box

This is the net for the crash lock box. You can scale it up or down but keep the same proportions. The example Illustrate here fits onto an A4 sheet of card to give an 80mm box. Punch through the holes to let the sound out. The tab at the right hand side is fastened with a couple of brass paper rivets. The rest simply locks together. You may want to make other suitably sized holes if you need to fit a speaker jack socket.

Step 3: Cut Out and Speaker Fitted

The net has been cut out and the speaker fitted - I used hot glue on the rim of the speaker. The tab is attached to make up the basic box. The bottom crash lock is assembled and only the top has to be closed. To reduce cost I didn't bother with a speaker socket but ran wires directly to the speaker connections.

Step 4: Last Step

Closed the bottom and you are finished. The crash lock mechanism ensures the box stays closed until you need to fold them flat then you can pull the flaps out and fold the box flat. You can leave the speaker inside and as in the originals keep them in a plastic bag until required again. The surface can be painted or you can glue the wrapping paper from your last birthday present onto the box to jazz it up.

Even a simple test shows an improvement to the sound from a very small speaker. A bigger speaker will sound better.

Comments

[Lady Judy]

I like this Instructables.

[rickharris]

Thank you.

[Lady Judy]

Can you vote me in Egg Contest 2016?

[rickharris]

Sorry If your instructable is good and It has come to my notice then i will have voted for you anyway, if not then your unsolicited request isn't likely to make me vote.

[StasysK]

WTF is what ,how some one could understand how u connected speakers wires with something behind photo and with others things..,

[rickharris]

If you have a problem with soldering 2 wires to the speaker and to a plug I suggest you buy a pre made speaker lead with a suitable plug for your device on one end, strip the insulation off the wires at other end and solder the, possibly 2, wires in colored insulation to the 2 solder tags on the speaker. The braiding if there is any can be connected to the negative lead.

If this isn't clear I heartly reccomend you get someone to do it for you who is confident.

[rickharris]

If you have a problem with soldering 2 wires to the speaker and to a plug I suggest you buy a pre made speaker lead with a suitable plug for your device on one end, strip the insulation off the wires at other end and solder the, possibly 2, wires in colored insulation to the 2 solder tags on the speaker. The braiding if there is any can be connected to the negative lead.

If this isn't clear I heartly reccomend you get someone to do it for you who is confident.

[MairseyDotes]

By "net" would you perhaps mean "diagram?" And is there a PDF or other suitable file which might be printed directly on card stock for those who are happy with the size you've used?

[babele]

Hi Mairsey you can use this website www.pack.ly to download a die-cut template (you can generate the die-cute template in any size you need) of several boxes or you can also order a printed custom box. Hope this help :)

[rickharris]

OK - yes a net is the technical name for the outline you need to cut out to make something (usually 3D by folding) I am sorry I don't have a PDF for this picture but I have added a new picture with measurements on it. so you can draw it as I did. The measurements suited the speaker i had but you can alter them if you need to.The picture is A 3 in size so if you choose to print it out you need to double the size and get 2 A 4 pages. Hope this helps.

[angle of fire]

i dont get it???

[rickharris]

There was a review of a japanese version of this here a few weeks prior to this post - I simply showed how to o it - Cheap and easy speakers. i have one by my PC as I type.

[ubdussamad]

WELL!
I can't find any amplifier where it is??

[rickharris]

There isn't one- The instructable is to make the loud speaker enclosure.

In my case the amplifier is on my sound card in the PC.

[ubdussamad]

WELL!
I can't find any amplifier where it is??

[ThinkBeforeYouSpeak]

me neither...

[maslo]

Nice idea:) however I really don't like to hear their sound... Must be awfull...

[rickharris]

Have you made a pair?

80mm Speakers are limited anyway.

[acox]

Yes, but does it blend?

[russell3782]

hey, anyone know where I can source these in commercial quantities. I have attached an image i found on the web, but cannot track down the supplier/manufacturer ? any ideas ? THANKS