|
Parts and Accessories
Acrylic Subwoofer Enclosure Glue-Up and Amp-Wiring
- Materials
- 10" subwoofers
- 3/4"-thick transparent acrylic, precut to fit your design
- Speaker wires, Clamps, Syringe applicator
- Terminal plates, Hole saw
- Wire connectors, Drill and bits
- Straight-edge, Several fine-tooth jig-saw blades
- Measuring tape, Pencil, Jig saw
- Masking tape, Methylene-chloride acrylic glue
- Gluing the Acrylic Panels
Now that the speaker box has been assembled and secured temporarily with tape, Andrew uses acrylic glue to permanently bond the box together. While the glue cures, he'll mount the amp from the original speaker box for use in the new system.
The cement used to secure the acrylic pieces together is actually a solvent known as methylene chloride. The way it works is by "melting" the acrylic surface at the joint and fuses the adjoining pieces together.
- Take the glue applicator and apply a small amount of glue along each bottom horizontal seam. Be careful not to spill or drip any glue onto the surface of the acrylic as it will burn into the surface of the acrylic and cause a permanent mark.
- Start at an inside corner and move the applicator slowly along the edge to make sure that the glue is being sucked down into the seam. Having clear acrylic really helps so you can see if all of the joints are secure.
- Now go to the outside of the box and apply more glue to all of the bottom horizontal seams. Work around the tape. After the glue sets you can peel it back and catch any missed spots.
- Add a dab of glue to tack the edges where the top meets the sides so that when you flip the box it has a bond. If the glue runs, just wipe off the excess with a paper towel as quickly as possible.
- Tricked Out Tip: Use jeweler's rouge to buff out any solvent marks left on the acrylic.
- When all of the horizontal seams are glued, let the box sure for 20 to 30 minutes before coming back to do the rest.
- After the box has had some time to cure, carefully turn it so that the speaker holes are facing you and glue the remaining joints. The glue works best when you work the joints while they are horizontal -- so that the gravity helps the capillary action and the glue does not run down the sides of the box. Just keep turning the box and gluing the bottom seams on all of the sides.
- Gluing the top is a bit trickier. Set the box on a piece of wood and allow the speaker hole to hang over the side so you can get to the middle partition and the inside top of the box.
- Once the glue has dried, you can remove the masking tape. Be sure to leave the protective paper on, though, because there's still some work to be done on the box.
- Wiring and Mounting the Amplifier
- When it comes to mounting the amp, before you attach the amp to the seat, hook up the positive lead, the remote turn-on wire, and the ground. Then slide the RCA connectors from the head-unit onto the amplifier's inputs.
- Speakers and Ohms: In audio applications, electrical resistance is measured in ohms. Lower resistance means that more power is delivered (or, said another way, power is delivered more efficiently) from the amp to the speakers. The speakers we chose are rated at 4 ohms (standard for most car-stereo speakers), but the amplifier we're using can run at 2 ohms. So we opted to bridge the stereo signal into one mono signal, so that the system will essentially drive the new subwoofer as a single, large 2-ohm speaker -- resulting in greater power-delivery for bigger bass-response.
- Important: The description below outlines how we created the bridge in this particular application. Check the installation guide for your amplifier for specific bridging options with your equipment.
- Instead of hooking the speakers up to the amp in the usual manner, twist together the negative leads from both speakers and connect the twisted pair to the negative "bridged" terminal on the amp. Then twist the positive leads together and connect them to the positive bridged terminal on the amp.
- With all of the wiring in place, gather the wires and use a zip-tie to hold them together as you fasten the amp to the seatback.
- Use short screws and a cordless drill with screwdriver attachment for fastening the amp.
- With the amp secured, cut the zip tie loose, and the amp install is complete.
- Important :
These steps in this automotive procedure are general guidelines that are applicable to most vehicles. With any particular vehicle, there may be procedures, specifications, settings, tolerances, components, etc. that are specific to that vehicle. There are also variations according to the type and brand of upgrade-kit you select. Always consult your vehicle's service manual when undertaking significant automotive repairs, and read and follow the manufacturer's directions and Note that come with your kit or replacement parts.
|
|
| |
