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Fiberglass or wood? (2 Viewers)

neal p

Auditioning
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
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3
How much better and lighter is fiberglass than wood? I am planning on makeing a fiberglass cabinet to hold my audio adire 281 kit speakers... Im also gona put a shiva 12" sub at the bottom of the cabinet with a Adire Audio AVA250 amp...Its gona be about 6 feet tall...the 281 speakers and the sub will be in different cabinets but molded into one out of fiberglass... I would like to just power the 281 speakers off an regular receiver but im not sure how i can get both subs to plug in the receiver because thier is only 1 sub output on most receiver's... If anybody has any better ideas or dosnt think this will work at all let me know.
 

Darren_T

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 1, 2001
Messages
494
Better? Probably not but maybe if done right.

Lighter? Why would you want it lighter? A heavier speaker is going to be less resonant if built right, weight tends to work in your favor.
 

Jake K

Stunt Coordinator
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May 22, 2003
Messages
132
im not sure how i can get both subs to plug in the receiver because thier is only 1 sub output on most receiver's
Just send the cable to one amp from the receiver, then use the output from that amp to the second one. Or just use a Y cable.
 

RichardHOS

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Messages
454
My hunch is that fiberglass of the same thickness would be comparable to or even superior to wood. Increased uniformity, comparable stiffness to hardwoods, and hysteresis damping and mass density comparable to MDF (all roughly, of course).

The ability to form complex geometric shapes would give a clear advantage in geometric structural stiffness, not to mention potential baffle shapes.

Not that it doesn't come with its own set of problems, of course. ;)
 

neal p

Auditioning
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Messages
3
thx guys helped out alot... This project wont start off for a while still but i have good idea on what i want and how it would work... ;) Im gona use these speakers in my apartment next year and need something good for the parties!
 

TimForman

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 4, 2002
Messages
847
Out of curiousity, why are you wondering? Do you have easy and/or inexpensive access to materials? Going for a particular look?
 

Shawn Solar

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 12, 2001
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763
Most car guys recommend 1/4" fiber for sub enclosures. It is lighter and when layered properly you can jump up and down on it and not break it. But there are exceptions. fiber glass gets its strength when made into curves and designs but loses ridgity when made straight. If you plan on making straight panels with no curves use MDF. For curves using 7-9 layers of mat and laying each layer 90 degrees from the last will make a very strong box.

Fiberglass is not hard to form but extremely time consuming to finish. Lots and lots of sanding:frowning:
 

neal p

Auditioning
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Messages
3
Mostly for look and because no one will have something like this... Im not that great at wood work and i feel that im stronger with fiberglass and it might help get some more bass out of the speakers... Shawn both cabinets will have supporters(chambers) in them so the air can move around them in both the sub box and 281 cabinet. I would like to get about 10 layers just to make sure nothing happends to them if they tipped over or get knocked down... the 281 speakers will be vented so thier gona be about 48h x 14d x 9w and will have three dividers in them what i hope help support them. Define your curves in the fiberglass im not sure how much distortion i can put in the box than keeping it a rectangle or it will not work properly and not sound clear...Im just gona take wooden stakes clue them together put some fleese over it and start fiberglassing both cabinets frames then when thats done set the 281 cabnet on top of the sub cabinet and mold them together with some more fiberglass and some cool patterns... If anyone has a better setup with putting 2 8's and tweeter(kit 281) and a 12'inch sub that needs about 2.5 or 3 cf all in one cabinet let me know..!
 

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