Jayhovah's fiberglass sub box build log

Jayhovah · 12-31-2017, 03:40 PM

Polyester resin does not stick to the Ikea chopping mat! I will try to give it a shot for setting up the last side. I think I will try to do it similarly to the top..will set up a few layers on the mat and wet it out, then try to form it over the side and hold it in place to cure... If I can secure everything in the right position Ill glass as much as I can on the inside of the box through the sub cut-out and figure out the rest later.

Asus_ · 12-31-2017, 03:58 PM

impatiently waiting for final results lol

Jayhovah · 01-01-2018, 02:03 PM

Well I got the side molded and glassed up.. sort of. It did not go very well.

Here is the mock up of how I wanted it to work... Ikea chopping mat supported by modeling clay and a wheel chock (only because I didn't have enough clay).

Looked good at this point.. so I unstrapped the enclosure and laid down 4 layers of 6oz cloth then replaced the enclosure and strapped it back down.. Started laying down cloth patches on the inside to secure it... Things were going so well! But then disaster struck.. The clay started to soften and sag on me from the heat of the curing process... so I tried to push it back into place and the whole enclosure slipped on the wet mat.

I unstrapped the enclosure and pulled out all the wet cloth patching on the inside, straightened out the large pieces of cloth on the chopping board, and secured the enclosure again as best I could while the resin was gelling on me... mixed up a fresh batch of resin and started repatching everything back into place. I only got one layer on the lid side where I had to glass it in blind,

I will definitely have to use BoneZ's filler-shake trick to ensure a good seal I think.

So here it is curing... you can see the enclosure walked quite a bit and is a little off the board in a few places.. luckily fiberglass can be forgiving with needing to patch and repair spots... it just sucks cutting, grinding, and sanding it so I always try to get things right the first time.

redondoaveb · 01-01-2018, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayhovah

Well I got the side molded and glassed up.. sort of. It did not go very well.

Here is the mock up of how I wanted it to work... Ikea chopping mat supported by modeling clay and a wheel chock (only because I didn't have enough clay).

Looked good at this point.. so I unstrapped the enclosure and laid down 4 layers of 6oz cloth then replaced the enclosure and strapped it back down.. Started laying down cloth patches on the inside to secure it... Things were going so well! But then disaster struck.. The clay started to soften and sag on me from the heat of the curing process... so I tried to push it back into place and the whole enclosure slipped on the wet mat.

I unstrapped the enclosure and pulled out all the wet cloth patching on the inside, straightened out the large pieces of cloth on the chopping board, and secured the enclosure again as best I could while the resin was gelling on me... mixed up a fresh batch of resin and started repatching everything back into place. I only got one layer on the lid side where I had to glass it in blind,

I will definitely have to use BoneZ's filler-shake trick to ensure a good seal I think.

So here it is curing... you can see the enclosure walked quite a bit and is a little off the board in a few places.. luckily fiberglass can be forgiving with needing to patch and repair spots... it just sucks cutting, grinding, and sanding it so I always try to get things right the first time.

Can I cancel my order?

BoneZ · 01-01-2018, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redondoaveb

Can I cancel my order?

Lol

RonRizz · 01-01-2018, 06:52 PM

like you said......it IS a very forgiving medium to work with. Im sure youll get it squared away.

Jayhovah · 01-01-2018, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonRizz

like you said......it IS a very forgiving medium to work with. Im sure youll get it squared away.

Not as bad as I initially thought!

It finally finished curing so I popped it off the mold and it actually turned out OK. If I have time tonight I'll add a couple of more layers onto that side and a few more small patches inside.. I go back to work this week though so progress may stall until next weekend.

RonRizz · 01-02-2018, 04:47 PM

I'm on the opposite side... I'm off this week, and will be starting on my fiberglass sail panels.... as well as beefing up the soundproofing in the door panels. the new SI MkV's are midbass monsters!

90 ST · 01-02-2018, 05:26 PM

Went a similar route, but with a pair of 10's.

Fuzzzy · 01-02-2018, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90 ST

Went a similar route, but with a pair of 10's.

That looks like an emergency hatch release mechanism.

Jayhovah · 01-02-2018, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonRizz

I'm on the opposite side... I'm off this week, and will be starting on my fiberglass sail panels.... as well as beefing up the soundproofing in the door panels. the new SI MkV's are midbass monsters!

Look forward to seeing the outcome!!! Sounds awesome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90 ST

Went a similar route, but with a pair of 10's.

Showstopper.. how are you going to finish them out?

RonRizz · 01-03-2018, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90 ST

Went a similar route, but with a pair of 10's.

Sweet

90 ST · 01-03-2018, 10:16 PM

finished the install a few years back, sold the car after hitting 250,000 miles.

There are pics of a few different installs I did over the years for the Z in my albums.

Jayhovah · 01-05-2018, 09:38 PM

No-Pics update... I trimmed the side and the outside shape looks fantastic.. but I didn't feel good about where I glassed it on the inside blindly.... I ended up doing what I should have done when I added that side - I cut a panel out of the bottom so it wouldn't be blind anymore.

.. It was a bit of a mess in there, so I mixed up 8oz of resin and just poured it in against that edge to ensure it was sealed up completely and the seam is strong. Added a few extra layers to that side to stiffen it up as well. Only found one pin hole large enough to leak so not too bad. Ill glass the panel back in tomorrow and take some pics... will also do the bondo Milkshake and finally start filling and cleaning up the outside for vinyl.

Jayhovah · 01-06-2018, 11:57 PM

Gave the enclosure a light sanding and skimmed with some filler. There is a lot more filler on the last side as there seems to be a little bit of a dimple in it that needs to be leveled.

I am completely out of filler and resin so I'll test the seal in the box after sanding to see if I need to make another trip to get more resin and filler for the milkshake finish... if its sealed I'll probably just skip that step. Going to test by mounting the sub and gently pressing and holding down the cone and seeing how quickly it rebounds when released.

Here it is ready for filler...

The filler job is a little messy as I mixed it too hot and didn't get enough work time so it started to firm up on me... no big deal... I am planning to vinyl so it doesn't need to be flawless.

I will need to go pick out some vinyl.. I was hoping I could use a scrap left from my poker table project but its not quite wide enough... I'll try to find something that fits in with the OEM interior.

12-31-2017, 03:58 PM	#32 (permalink)
Asus_ Enthusiast Member Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: neverland. Posts: 348 Drives: 2011 370z T/S Rep Power: 1170	impatiently waiting for final results lol Jayhovah likes this.

01-01-2018, 06:52 PM	#36 (permalink)
RonRizz A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Pine grove, Pa Posts: 2,132 Drives: 2 feet, 3 pedals Rep Power: 6774	like you said......it IS a very forgiving medium to work with. Im sure youll get it squared away. __________________ P99rs Head Unit--- Amps- 2 Pioneer Prs800d --- Zapco ST1000MX---Zapco ST-4XSQ---- SI BM mk5 Subs---SI TM65v2 Midbass--- SI M3 mids--- SI M25 xbl2 tweeters ----- 2016 MECA street class 3rd place at world finals

01-02-2018, 04:47 PM	#38 (permalink)
RonRizz A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Pine grove, Pa Posts: 2,132 Drives: 2 feet, 3 pedals Rep Power: 6774	I'm on the opposite side... I'm off this week, and will be starting on my fiberglass sail panels.... as well as beefing up the soundproofing in the door panels. the new SI MkV's are midbass monsters! Jayhovah likes this. __________________ P99rs Head Unit--- Amps- 2 Pioneer Prs800d --- Zapco ST1000MX---Zapco ST-4XSQ---- SI BM mk5 Subs---SI TM65v2 Midbass--- SI M3 mids--- SI M25 xbl2 tweeters ----- 2016 MECA street class 3rd place at world finals

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