How to Build a 10 Sub Box
When building a box for your subwoofer, keep in mind its not just a place to put your subwoofer but that the box is part of the speaker. The quality of your box will effect the sound you get from the subwoofer. Most subwoofers have airspace requirements for the enclosure to get the best sound. Take into consideration that you are building a part of the performing speaker when you build your box. The better the box, the better the sound you will get from your 10-inch sub.
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Things You'll Need
- 3/4-inch medium density fiberboard
- Carpenter's glue
- Silicone caulk
- Jigsaw
- Electric drill
- 2-inch drywall screws
- Sheet metal screws
- Speaker terminal cup
- Speaker wire
- Phillips screwdriver
Instructions
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1
Calculate the airspace of your enclosure. Multiply the height times length times width of your box to get the total volume of the box. To keep it easy use inches when calculating your airspace. If the enclosure is 15 inches high, 15 inches wide and 18 inches deep, you would multiply 15 x 15 x 18 to get the total volume in cubic inches. Divide that number by 1,728, which is 1 cubic foot (or 12 x 12 x 12). This will convert the number from total cubic inches to total cubic feet.
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2
Cut the three-quarter-inch MDF board for your top, bottom and sides of the enclosure to the measurements needed.
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3
Trace a circle around the subwoofer on the piece of MDF you will be using as the front of your box. Make sure you trace around the trim that will be secured to the box and not the outside of the sub itself. Drill a hole using your electric drill on the inside of the circle you just traced out. Cut out the circle starting in the hole using a jigsaw.
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4
Trace the speaker terminal cup on the board you are going to use as the back. Cut out the hole, then secure the speaker terminal cup using the hardware included.
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5
Set the MDF pieces that will be the bottom and one side together. For the greatest strength, make sure you overlap the larger sides of the box to each of the smaller sides. Make marks on the edge of the MDF with a pencil where your screws will go to attach the sides to the bottom. Repeat the process for the other three sides and the top of the box.
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6
Pre-drill all screw holes in the MDF.
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7
Glue the box together using carpenter's glue before you add the screws. Doing this instead of just screwing the box together will help in making your box airtight.
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8
Screw in 2-inch wood screws in your pre-drilled holes. Glue should squeeze out of the seams -- just wipe it off as you go before it dries. When done, set the box aside to let the glue dry.
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9
Seal all the seams inside the box by running silicone caulk along all the internal seals. Set aside the box so the caulk can dry. Doing this will also help make your box airtight.
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10
Place the subwoofer into the box, and with a pencil, mark all the screw holes around the speaker.
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11
Remove the speaker, and drill out the holes.
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12
Connect the sub to the speaker terminal cup on the back of the enclosure. Connect the positive and negative leads of the speaker wire to the sub, then connect the positive and negative leads to the speaker terminal cup.
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13
Place the subwoofer back into the enclosure lining up the holes on the sub with the holes you drilled out earlier. Screw in all the screws securing the subwoofer to the box.
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