Screwless Box

[BoomBoxB 0]

I'm building a ported box at 32hz for my 15 BL, it will be 13 3/4 Deep 37 1/2 Wide 20 1/2 Tall.

I have never built a screwless box. So what glue will i need?

any tips on how to go about it?

I have built about 5 boxes and they came out great so i do have the "skills"

Thanks,

Justin

[SPY 2]

Just use titebond glue, you will need several clamps to hold pieces while the glue sets up. Also don't try and rush it, just take your time and it should turn out fine.

[antonmiller 8]

i would always suggest using screws but a good glue is liquid nails or pl 400 that will never come apart. the wood will break before the glue. it takes a god day to dry tho. the first box i built i used 10 screws to put it together, the screws were only used for the plexglass, the rest was liquid nails and i could stand on it jump up and down drop it down steps and it never came apart.

[BoomBoxB 0]

hahha ok cool, i always heard screws are there just to hold the box while the glue dries.

thanks

[hiloracerboy84 0]

reg clamps and 90 degree clamps. you gotta wait for the glue to dry before messing with the other panels so like spy said, be patient. you could use brad nails since they're not as obvious as screws, and fill in the holes w/ wood patch/bondo. whats the reason for the screwless box?

[BoomBoxB 0]

it looks CLEAN I want to rout out all the edges with a big bit and give the box a SMOOTH look, also covering it in bedliner instead of the normal carpet/fabric i usually do.

kinda just want to challenge myself too, building normal boxes all the time gets old.

thanks for the help.

[BKOLFO4 29]

If it is going to be a high power/large sub application, use screws. The glue joint does not come apart, but MDF will just beyond the joint. Been there. Had (2) 18's in a box that I did not screw together that came apart. Glue joint was fine, but the MDF came apart just beyond where the glue soaked in.

I use the nail gun to hold the joint together while I predrill and screw.

Brian

[BoomBoxB 0]

do you think i will need screws if its just a FI BL 15 with a SAZ-1500d, maybe i should just keep the screws minimal.

thanks for the input.

[BKOLFO4 29]

You could go with no screws.

Couple of ideas to make the joints stronger -

Glue the joint with titebond and then once the box is done put a good bead of liquid nails on all the seams.

You can get a few pieces of 2x2 and glue them with titebond over the seams in a few places.

If you are going to bedliner spray, use a few screws. I mix sawdust and titebond and use it like wood putty over the screw heads. sands down nice for bedliner spray.

Brian

[aznboi3644 2]

liquid nails is not as strong as wood glue.

I've had enclosure seams blow apart when I used Liquid Nails cuz my friend's stubborn ass didn't want to use wood glue...I've never had a problem with wood glue.

Break a joint between glue and liquid nails...the liquid nails will just unstick from the MDF. The wood will break before the wood glue joint does.

[rmzsuzuki89 61]

I think you'd be fine without screws. If it were me, I would still use them lightly to hold while the glue sets up. I don't have many clamps though, so that's just me. Why not just place a screw every foot or so and countersink it. The bedliner should fill in the countersink over the screw.

[BoomBoxB 0]

I want to rout the edges and dont want to take a chance of clipping a screw and getting hurt/messing up the wood.

thanks tho

[nem 2,019]

I want to rout the edges and dont want to take a chance of clipping a screw and getting hurt/messing up the wood.

thanks tho

If you do like Brian suggested with the 2x2's, your screws would be safely far enough from your router bit.

Edited February 27, 2009 by nmssd12

[Adrian_D 520]

I want to rout the edges and dont want to take a chance of clipping a screw and getting hurt/messing up the wood.

thanks tho

All of my boxes have rounded edges and I always use screws

Just set the bit depth accordingly and have the bit bearing only on sides where you don't have screws.

[BoomBoxB 0]

Thanks for all the responses, defiantly have some good info to get this thing going.

looks like i picked the right forum to post questions up on

Edited February 27, 2009 by BoomBoxB

[efxtruck 0]

I'm building a ported box at 32hz for my 15 BL, it will be 13 3/4 Deep 37 1/2 Wide 20 1/2 Tall.

I have never built a screwless box. So what glue will i need?

any tips on how to go about it?

I have built about 5 boxes and they came out great so i do have the "skills"

Thanks,

Justin

Why are you not using screws????? They are not to just hold it together while the glue dries. If you are puching your subs you want t solid box..... That way panels wont come a part... I would at least use brad nails them there's something holding it together.

[robert rork jr 0]

Why are you not using screws????? They are not to just hold it together while the glue dries. If you are puching your subs you want t solid box..... That way panels wont come a part... I would at least use brad nails them there's something holding it together.

not trying to sound rude but thats what the glue is for

Edited February 27, 2009 by Giftedexponent

[efxtruck 0]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

ok if you put 3k plus through a box with only glue it can blow apart... Glue is only so good...... If you check out box builders on the net if they are running some decent power they are using at least 1 1/4 in screws. Why do you think this is??????

If you are only running a little bit of power (baby bass lol) you could use bubble gum to hold it together....... But if you are a bass head or running some power you need more than just glue........

Dose anyone else agree with me???????????

[Adrian_D 520]

*moved, since it's not related directly to FI*

[BoomBoxB 0]

i dont think 1500 watts to one sub is baby bass, but it sure aint 3k, im just trying to make the cleanest box i possibly can, while making it sound great.

[efxtruck 0]

i dont think 1500 watts to one sub is baby bass, but it sure aint 3k, im just trying to make the cleanest box i possibly can, while making it sound great.

So its just a bare wood box then...... Brad Nails hide nicely you cant tell there there

[KU40 173]

if your box blows apart it can be blamed more on not having enough bracing than not having screws, even if it comes apart at the seam. The reason your box blows apart is because the sides bow out too much from internal pressure. If you brace your box well enough so that the box walls don't bow out, you don't need screws or anything. On every box I've built and tore down, when I broke it apart it broke apart just like an inch from the seam. The glue is stronger than the wood.

[rushnrun 14]

if your box blows apart it can be blamed more on not having enough bracing than not having screws, even if it comes apart at the seam. The reason your box blows apart is because the sides bow out too much from internal pressure. If you brace your box well enough so that the box walls don't bow out, you don't need screws or anything. On every box I've built and tore down, when I broke it apart it broke apart just like an inch from the seam. The glue is stronger than the wood.

x2 for the most part..

Every time I take a box apart and wood breaks first... other than a few poor glue joints, normally a joint that I over-used glue... MDF and particle board absorb the glue to a certain extent this absorption is what makes a good sturdy joint..

**IMO liquid nails is a horrible choice... it is flexible an not easily "absorbed" by the wood (I don't think it absorbs at all).. Just use a good quality wood glue and brace properly..

I personally always use screws or at least brad nails... I don't have the desire/time (or clamps) to properly build a screw less box.. but it could be done on a small scale. **I carpet or bondo screwheads and paint..

[audio-neon 34]

we have had this debate on the site before, let me see if I can't find it and link it.

[topgun 262]

Yes you can make a 'screwless' box without to much of a problem. Use a quality woodglue, Titebond II is my choice, elmers wood glue works fine, titebond III works fine as well. Don't use liquid nails, sure it will work, but it is not what its intended for, there are better choices for a glue joint. Period.

Yes, I can see some applications where you would want screws in the joints for additional strength past the glue line, but at this point it is just as easy to add internal bracing on the joints and be done with it.

A note on clamping and glue. For gluing joints, put the glue on both surfaces that will be bonded together, especially if you are doing end grain. When you clamp, if you don't have glue squeeze out of the joint along the whole line, you either don't have enough glue or enough clamps.

If your box breaks just past the joint during normal use, you don't have strong enough material. That is all. If its a single layer MDF box and it breaks just past the joint because you are 'pounding it to hard yo', you should have made it double layer, braced, etc, and what not differently. If it breaks at a joint, you did your joints wrong.