Box tips?

[fukas]

So after a year or so of being unemployed (boo) I've finally got myself in a decent position where I can start having fun with car audio again.

Except this time I want to do most of the work myself, I want to start off with building a box.

I don't have any subs at the moment but I'm more focused on the tools I'll need to get the job done. I'm under the impression that I'd need a router and a jasper jig for cutting the holes for the subs, I'd like to counter sink them (I believe thats the term).

I have a jig saw and a circular saw which I'd assume would be the right tool for cutting the wood to size. I believe theres a computer program for drawing up box specs, could anyone point me in the right direction?

Also some insight on designing a port would be nice, what do you typically use to create them, a air tube, panels inside the box?

And the last thing is I would most likely be running some 8g wire from the amp to the subs, whats the best way to go about designing the terminals on the box? I mean like, the best type of screw and washer to use, do you seal off the screw with some silicone (inside the box)?

Any other tips or suggestions would be more than welcome, and eventually I'll get some pictures up of the progress.

[Sanitarium]

Torres calculator for designing the box

google sketchup for doing a mockup

circular saw is good for cutting the wood to size if you have a steady hand (the trick is to use a fine line and pay attention to which side of it the blade needs to be, cut slow.

jig saw for circles (same deal as with circular saw)

If you can afford a router and jasper jig, go for those, they make it quicker.

counter sinking your subs is only typically done when multiple baffles. so the outer baffle would have the bigger hole cut in it and the rest would be the smaller.

Wood glue to hold it together, screws 6" apart or further just to clamp it together to wait for the glue to dry. If you got a shit ton of wood clamps you don't even need the screws.

use some bolts long enough to go through the wood and hold a crimp terminal on the inside and outside with 2 nuts, the outside crimp terminal will sandwich between the 2 nuts.

[Emoxihax]

this is how I did mine basic bolts w/ nuts on both sides. I did silicone the small little space between the bolts and the wood

[fukas]

Torres calculator for designing the box

google sketchup for doing a mockup

circular saw is good for cutting the wood to size if you have a steady hand (the trick is to use a fine line and pay attention to which side of it the blade needs to be, cut slow.

jig saw for circles (same deal as with circular saw)

If you can afford a router and jasper jig, go for those, they make it quicker.

counter sinking your subs is only typically done when multiple baffles. so the outer baffle would have the bigger hole cut in it and the rest would be the smaller.

Wood glue to hold it together, screws 6" apart or further just to clamp it together to wait for the glue to dry. If you got a shit ton of wood clamps you don't even need the screws.

use some bolts long enough to go through the wood and hold a crimp terminal on the inside and outside with 2 nuts, the outside crimp terminal will sandwich between the 2 nuts.

I'm a little confused haha, what do you mean by baffle? I looked at the "everything you need to know" sticky for the term, but I was still drawing a blank.

For the crimp terminals, I got that one down, you said on the outside of the box the crimp terminal will go between two nuts, that'd be the same thing on the inside correct? I'd hate to ask again, but what kind of screw should I use? I want to make sure I have something that suits having a high current flow through it.

I'll probably wood glue the box and have screws to keep it together, and they'll probably stay in the box just as an extra measure of keeping the hold.

[fukas]

this is how I did mine basic bolts w/ nuts on both sides. I did silicone the small little space between the bolts and the wood

Thats exactly what I'm looking to do, thanks for mention the screw/bolts you used, it was really bugging me on what they should be made of.

Whould you mind being a little more specific when you say "the little space between the bolts and the wood"?

[Torres]

baffle simply refers to the side of the box the sub(s) are mounted to. any time you hear baffle, it's always the sub side.

copper or brass would be the most effective type of bolt for terminals that you can get locally and without having to shell out lots of cash for. silver is best, copper is second best, and brass is third.

the space he means when he says between the bolts and wood is inside the hole he drilled. there's a tiny gap since the bolt is a little smaller than the hole that's drilled, so he siliconed it to seal it to prevent air from escaping.

also, don't use too many screws on the box. use too many and you'll started to weaken the strength integrity of the wood.