How tight of a fit does an endcap / plug of a sonosub have to be? (1 Viewer)

[Mike Dr]

I did a preliminary cut yesterday and the plug is maybe 1/8" - 1/4" (diameter) short of perfect tight fit. Is this a big deal? I was planning on caulking (liquid nails) and nailing it plus the top cap is going to overlap the top of the sonotube and caulked as well. Is this too much of a gap? should i re-cut?

 

[jeff lam]

With all the sealing you will do later it shouldn't be a problem, but if it were me, I would try to do it perfect the first time so I don't second guess myself later.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Personally, if I don't have to hammer it in, it's too loose!
The tighter the fit, the less chance of air leaks, which is the foundation for creating the system in which your driver will performs its best. Don't skimp on the construction details, or you'll have regrets later. Plus, MDF is cheap, so if the inner endcap is too loose, go buy some more MDF and route a slightly larger endcap.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

The tighter the better, since the rigid endcaps are what help the sonotube hold its shape and strength.

If you are having trouble cutting a perfect circle.. it's rumored that some Home Depots are selling precut MDF circles.

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

Gorrilla glue works wonders for slightly small endcaps=)

 

[Zac_F]

I found all of my circles came out too small until I just compensated 1/16th" radius on every circle cut with my router. It must have been the measurement to the width of the cutting bit that was off.

Anyway, test your cuts by only going 1/8" deep at first and see if your sonotube fits. If it is too small, make it slightly larger for a second try. At least this way you still have a good 5/8 inch seal and you can fill in the rest with silicone or whatever.