DIY Fiberglass/Carbon Fiber Sub enclosure

Essentially I'm making a stealth box for my 13W7, I'm nearly finnished just have to add a few layers of carbon fiber to reinforce it and then filler to smooth the surface out. When i'm finnished I have bought oem carpet to blend it with the rest of my truck. It will just look like a speaker built into the oem panel. the amp is a JL 1000/1 v2 Slash.












Measuring cubic feet

Wow, lookin good so far. Can't wait to see the completed product.

Damn... Makes me want to start fiberglassing..

nice step by step. I have always wondered how to do this.

How will you be attaching it or holding it down?

it fit super tight from the way its made. in order to get it in and out it has to be put in on an angle. once its in it's in and not budging. if you have odd shapes the fiberglass basically snaps into place, if you make it fit tight. it looks funky right now, but when its done it will look perfect.

Wow dude looks awsome. Great work. Keep us updated on it.

Using rope dipped in resin would add more strength than the CF and save some cash. Since your going to carpet it anyway..

looks great can't wait to see it done, i am starting my fiberglass boxes next week or so

lbjshaq2345 wrote:

Using rope dipped in resin would add more strength than the CF and save some cash. Since your going to carpet it anyway..

Rope is not stronger than carbon fiber, if that were true airplanes would be made of nylon. a top coat of carbon takes away the smallest amount of flex that the sub will give to regular fiberglass. Therefore, it makes it less boomy as traditional pure fiberglass box's are. think about it like this, carbon fiber are among the strongest fibers around. and when you weave them, the strentgh equals is stronger than steal. a few pieces of rope have only a uni-directional strength, they do not add a full scale strength in all directions. I've seen people use rope in their boxes before, it really doesnt do anything except add piece of mind if you dont know any beter. Trust me, I'm in school for architecture I know building materials real well.

You're right about it being cheaper though! I get about 40 Sq ft of high quality carbon for $100 shipped. I have some pieces from school that are carbon/kevlar weave 50/50 I'm going to add those just to say my box is bullet proof to some sort

And the noobie pwns the.......older noobie

Good info man. Well put.

You win, more pictures

Looks nice. I'm curious though.. What's the deal with the Baby Powder? I've done Fiberglassing before, but haven't used Baby Powder in the process... Is there something I don't know about? Does it help the initial mold to release from what you're molding to, or what's the deal?

Mav wrote:

Looks nice. I'm curious though.. What's the deal with the Baby Powder? I've done Fiberglassing before, but haven't used Baby Powder in the process... Is there something I don't know about? Does it help the initial mold to release from what you're molding to, or what's the deal?

I think it may help keep the fiberglass resin off your hands. That stuff is a pain to get off.


Good Job. *subscribed*

Radioflyer wrote:

Mav wrote: Looks nice. I'm curious though.. What's the deal with the Baby Powder? I've done Fiberglassing before, but haven't used Baby Powder in the process... Is there something I don't know about? Does it help the initial mold to release from what you're molding to, or what's the deal? I think it may help keep the fiberglass resin off your hands. That stuff is a pain to get off. Good Job. *subscribed*

exactly! I use rubber gloves as well as tyvek sleevs, but if you rub powder all over your arms and hands etc. it dows not allow the resin to stick to you and also if your sanding fiberglass, the shards of glass do not stick to you as much. If you need something for mold release, they make products that are called "Mold Release" for fiberglass molds, Meguiars makes it too.

As far as more pics go I have none, I took a break, its nearly 110 here daily and its too **** hot to be working with this crap. I'm going to resume again in a few days.

layed the cabon real quick just to finish the box off. Next I'll take resin mix it with Q-Cell to make a sandable resin. I'll spread it over the face to fill in all the gaps so everything is perfectly smooth. Small bumps and imperfections will show through carpet.

looks good. Care to share exactly how to do your own cf parts?

^^ Yes, exactly. I could do for a set of doors.

Heres a question:

Why are you using carbon fiber if you plan on laying factory color fabric over it? Doesn't that defeat some of the purpose of using it?

Sure it is strong, but I'm positive there is stuff that is the same strength as it?

I don't really get it either. Yeah it's a monster sub, but CF is a little overkill when 12-15 layers of good fiberglass and some rope could have accomplished the same thing at a lower cost...

2008 RangeRover-24inch RIms

JLW7

I don't think cost was a really huge issue here. Still cool and nice and sturdy.

lol good point....

CF is for the strength. I did not want to add 14 layers of freekin fiberglass, its not for looks. The more rigid that box is, the beter is will sound. Carbon fiber is not that expensive, if you're only making a box. depending on quality I can get it for as cheap as $70 for 40 Sq ft. (which is overkill) or for the primo **** its $100 for 40 Sq Ft. If you were to make a speaker box out of carbon you would only need 2 or 3 layers total. It cuts down on time, plus it is 100 times easie to work with. You can fold it over and it stays flush, it is just an overall beter material to work with. In addition, it takes way less resin to wet it. You cut down on a lot of supplies by using carbon for a larger box, so it ends up being close to equal. Why not go for the best results....?

Today I cut out the hole and sanded it back flush with the speaker ring... I can smell the finish line! I just have to smooth the facfe and make it flush against the oem trim, then carpet and hook this bad mama jama up.

If you're looking to carbon overlay parts, you need a suction system. It creates a perfect mold around the part plus the bag gives the carbon that glossy look that carbon parts have. this was just laying the carbon with resin, the quick easy way. If The carnon was going to be visible I would have had someone lay a top coat with a suction system to mnake it look good.

Ah, makes total sense now.

I have never done any fiberglassing, so all your help has definitely made me want to try this.

Looks great man!

40 sq ft for $100 bucks....hmmmmm....*ponders ideas*

*also ponders*

I wonder how easily i could interior pieces in carbon? Custom headliner FTW?

I was watching a show on model rockets...like the ones with the little "engines" in the back.

And this family made their own vacuum/suction chamber for carbon fiber rockets....

couldnt be that hard.


EDIT: BUT all your pieces you make would have to be one piece of carbon. Tis' bad looking to try to match up 2 sheets of carbon.

its not that difficult, however, if the pieces are larger or odd shapes it can be tricky. You also have to be very good at cutting the stuff to the exact shape and if it starts to fray on the edges it will look jacked up. any flaw will show so practice first.

I am aware tdawg but the possibilities would be endless if i could get good.

I would do about anything for at least a carbon center console and door inserts. All the stuff people paint i would wrap in carbon and paint the rest of the interior black....GOD no i have to learn this ****.

ive been thinking of learning it, I really want to.

http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Miscellaneous/carbonfiber.htm

Thanks man will hit that up and may pm this guy to get tips because he is crazy good at this.

but for curved pieces they will need to vacuum them ;/

My buddy who bought his sheers **** cut right through the material NICE... He used a paint pen and would draw around the item about 1/2 inch excess and would overlap the material behind the pieces.

I actually found a lot of how-tos on google just now.

I did it as projects with my buddies camaro, we did a lot of different pieces... not hard once you get use to using the material.

robbie wrote:

I am aware tdawg but the possibilities would be endless if i could get good. I would do about anything for at least a carbon center console and door inserts. All the stuff people paint i would wrap in carbon and paint the rest of the interior black....GOD no i have to learn this ****.

best bet for a console is to lay over an original. We made FULL consoles but making a mock up using the balsa approach for you would take you more time than it is worth.

best bet, get a console from the junk yard... find the seams in it... measuring your material you will use thn consider the diameter. now find the sections of the console that come apart. usually the back or sides.... trim/sand down the areas where the material will wrap around the console and to make it all match back up...

cup holders are a NO but the outter cover could be done.... the ROUND ares will be a *****...

Yeah, i will have to look into it more. I know the euro console doesn't sport cup holders and is made of carbon so i may fill stuff into a spare one in and see how i can't get it to turn out.

couldnt you vacuum cup holders though?

EDIT: Ive been meaning to remove my cupholders anyways...im tired of people leaving drinks in my truck...then I come out and there is a puddle in my cupholder.

Tdawgthegreatest wrote:

couldnt you vacuum cup holders though?

You can vacuum any surface but will the material bend or contour to the shape is the question. It just doesn't FORM exactly how you want every time.

So your question can you? Sure.

But will it be a cup holder or a half of one? The material is FLAT and won't just stretch like you want. It is sometimes really thick for the good stuff. Stick with flat straight surfaces and they will turn out better.

A trick... buy some cheap material at wal-mart and cut it into the shape of the console.... i.e. along the sides and the top as ONE piece......and see how your fabric version matches up with tape. if it looks like crap with the fabric it would look worse with the carbon...

Ok here is a pretty decent video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noRRQ_1BMtQ&feature=related

You would nee bags big enough for each project... the supplies are where your costs are incurred not usually the material... ;/

Some use a brush on resin approach which is not as strong as a vacuum.

There are a couple kit ideas on the net for a vacuum station setup.... but if you see how they add the resin lines on the video you could understand how to setup a console.

a console would need at a minimum three: one for the top 2 for the sides. The actual LID will be separate. The more parts believe it or not your console can break down into the easier it will be... if you can MOCK up a console on a wood application you can vacuum the whole thing.

Another idea. Vacuum the console without the lid attached with a whole sheet on material then try and baby cut the areas out. The resin could crack in areas but it is worth a try.

Been a long time since I have used the material and I made a good bit of money doing it but scratching myself everyday I came home from fiberglass and carbon was not fun.

hahah dude where in az is that lol, thats def az

robbie wrote:

I am aware tdawg but the possibilities would be endless if i could get good. I would do about anything for at least a carbon center console and door inserts. All the stuff people paint i would wrap in carbon and paint the rest of the interior black....GOD no i have to learn this ****.

hell yea.. bombing the interior with cf is much better than paint

dude that looks AWESOME! minus the folded over parts, but no matter if its gonna be covered. wish i had the money to do that kind of stuff, and i love the house on the hill SEXY!

yeah I decided to throw the aesthetics out the window and just get it done. I got the oem carpet from Land Rover which is identical, so everything will blend well. Its in my trunk now, I just have to build up the top so it fits to the top panel which will make it flush. otherwise there woud be a gap that woulld allow you to see straight to the wheel well area (inside). I'll snap some more photos later. I have a **** load of school work to do this week so just wait. After that I get to wire this ***** up too, huge pain in the ass! I have 0 gauge wire that has to be run throught the craziest of places to make it flawless.

also the carbon on the face wont even be visible without carpet. I have to go over it with a super thick pasty resin mixture with Q-cell, it fills in the gaps and makes it look like those profesional glossy fiberglass boxes.