# Building a Box



## Level33 (Jun 19, 2004)

I got a quote to get a custom box put into my truck, its about 1,600 for a blow threw on a 2002 2500HD chevy 4door, the shop that i got to quote from is pretty well known , I seen alot of there work and its some nice work, real clean and very loud. But now i kind of want to try and build one myself, so my question is, how hard is it really to disign a box with the best out put and clean SQ. or should i just leave it to the pro's and let them handle it. If it makes any difference the box is for 4 RE SE's 15" tuned down to 30Hz.


----------



## jdogg (Dec 10, 2005)

http://www.accelerator-pedal.com/ported-box.asp


----------



## Pitbullx (Jul 27, 2005)

building the box isnt the hard part... cutting the bed is where the majority of the cost is coming from.... if ur handy with a sawzall or a torch u can do that urself... use accordian boot to seal it up and someone can help u with the specs for the sub box


----------



## Level33 (Jun 19, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Pitbullx_@Jan 13 2006, 11:39 PM~4615621
> *building the box isnt the hard part... cutting the bed is where the majority of the cost is coming from.... if ur handy with a sawzall or a torch u can do that urself... use accordian boot to seal it up and someone can help u with the specs for the sub box
> *


Cutting up the truck for me is the eazy part, Ive wraped a couple of frames, so metal working is no big deal. at my shop i got torches,plasma cutter, and some saws, even building the box itsself is no big deal, the one thing im worried about is would my box hit as hard as the one that i would pay to have done


----------



## Pitbullx (Jul 27, 2005)

what subs are u running and how many do u have?


----------



## Level33 (Jun 19, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Pitbullx_@Jan 14 2006, 12:19 AM~4615817
> *what subs are u running and how many do u have?
> *


 4 RE SE's 15's Im running them off of a us amps 2000x


----------



## 1ofaknd (May 31, 2003)

maybe you can work a deal out with em'. you cut the bed and build the actual enclosure, and just have them trim everything out to look nice.


----------



## Swangin44s (May 30, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Iced2_@Jan 13 2006, 09:36 PM~4615268
> *I got a quote to get a custom box put into my truck, its about 1,600 for a blow threw on a 2002 2500HD chevy 4door, the shop that i got to quote from is pretty well known , I seen alot of there work and its some nice work, real clean and very loud.  But now i kind of want to try and build one myself, so my question is, how hard is it really to disign a box with the best out put and clean SQ. or should i just leave it to the pro's and let them handle it.  If it makes any difference the box is for 4 RE SE's 15" tuned down to 30Hz.
> *


4 15's??


----------



## Pitbullx (Jul 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Iced2_@Jan 14 2006, 02:22 AM~4616145
> *4 RE SE's  15's  Im running them off of a us amps 2000x
> *


post some max external dimensions for the space you want to use for a box..


----------



## Gumby (Oct 20, 2005)

Also are they just doing a wood enclosure or were they talking about using fiberglass and rapping trim panels? A body saw with a small blade is the the way to cut both the bed wall and cab... its a small enough blade to cut one layer at a time and not create any issues of the blade catching like it would on a sawzall with a longer blade


----------



## draarong2004 (Feb 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by 1ofaknd_@Jan 14 2006, 09:55 AM~4617671
> *maybe you can work a deal out with em'. you cut the bed and build the actual enclosure, and just have them trim everything out to look nice.
> *


doubtful, if a shop has as big of a reputation as he's saying, they won't wanna work like that, being they won't be able to take "full" credit for the work.


----------



## Level33 (Jun 19, 2004)

> _Originally posted by draarong2004_@Jan 14 2006, 05:52 PM~4620165
> *doubtful, if a shop has as big of a reputation as he's saying, they won't wanna work like that, being they won't be able to take "full" credit for the work.
> *


Well makeing it look nice , im not worried about either I can make it look nice the things i was more worried with is making that box hit atleast as good as anything they would build for me. I see alot of these boxxes that look like a maze on the inside with tunnels ,and i have no clue when u use these.


----------



## 1ofaknd (May 31, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Iced2_@Jan 14 2006, 10:13 PM~4621522
> *Well makeing it look nice , im not worried about either I can make it look nice the things i was more worried with is making that box hit atleast as good as anything they would build for me. I see alot of these boxxes that look like a maze on the inside with tunnels ,and i have no clue when u use these.
> *


with our help we can design a box just as good as any shop can


----------



## Level33 (Jun 19, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Pitbullx_@Jan 14 2006, 05:09 PM~4619945
> *post some max external dimensions for the space you want to use for a box..
> *


I'm willing to use up the whole bed if i have to, the RE site says they need 16cuft but if more makes it hit I'll give it more. Ok i'll measure out the inside of that bed and post


----------



## Level33 (Jun 19, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Gumby_@Jan 14 2006, 05:43 PM~4620114
> *Also are they just doing a wood enclosure or were they talking about using fiberglass and rapping trim panels? A body saw with a small blade is the the way to cut both the bed wall and cab... its a small enough blade to cut one layer at a time and not create any issues of the blade catching like it would on a sawzall with a longer blade
> *


Just making the wood enclosure and wrapping it.,,, The total install for 4sets of hex 6.5's ,two us amps 600x's, one us amps 2000X, custom fiderglass pods for 4 doors, roadkill damping, amp rack upgrade wires on the alternator, and wiring was about $4,500. and thats that I got the hex's and amps


----------



## Level33 (Jun 19, 2004)

> _Originally posted by 1ofaknd_@Jan 14 2006, 09:15 PM~4621539
> *with our help we can design a box just as good as any shop can
> *


Hopefully it would be pretty fun to do my own install


----------



## Gumby (Oct 20, 2005)

Yeah then they are out of there mind on charging you 1600 for a wood enclosure and cutting the cab and bed


----------



## draarong2004 (Feb 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Gumby_@Jan 14 2006, 09:35 PM~4621692
> *Yeah then they are out of there mind on charging you 1600 for a wood enclosure and cutting the cab and bed
> *


eh, not when you calculate in the man hours its gonna take to do all that, on top of the materials, yea that sounds about right, its not like he's buying just one sheet of mdf, or even 2, its more like 20 sheets of it.


----------



## Gumby (Oct 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by draarong2004_@Jan 15 2006, 12:08 PM~4624715
> *eh, not when you calculate in the man hours its gonna take to do all that, on top of the materials, yea that sounds about right, its not like he's buying just one sheet of mdf, or even 2, its more like 20 sheets of it.
> *


I think your crazy now to lol.... 20 sheets of mdf would be more then enough to do 5 systems with a full bed.....

And trust me the man hours into a system like that are not as great as you think... While the size is different its not much more difficult then building any other box...I could see a 1000$ to cut the bed and cab and build a wood enclosure but not 1600$


----------



## draarong2004 (Feb 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Gumby_@Jan 15 2006, 02:17 PM~4625885
> *I think your crazy now to lol.... 20 sheets of mdf would be more then enough to do 5 systems with a full bed.....
> 
> And trust me the man hours into a system like that are not as great as you think... While the size is different its not much more difficult then building any other box...I could see a 1000$ to cut the bed and cab and build a wood enclosure but not 1600$
> *


well, you figure they make alot more than min wage, and more than one person will be working on it. and theres alot more than just gluing a box together, throwing it in a bed, and hoping it sounds good, theres putting a tonnaue cover, which hopefully he already has, bolting the box down, running all the power wire's, making racks in the back for the amps/batteries, its alot more difficult that building any other box, because unless your superman, or have a lift at home, the box is gonna be built into the bed of the truck.

it takes at least 12 sheets of wood to make a good sized box in the bed, and i hope you weren't thinking they'd do just one layer of 3/4" or 1" mdf, and thats not including making the chambers, thats just sides, top and bottom, and front and back, then add another 4 or 5 for sheets easily for the chambers/bracing.


----------



## Gumby (Oct 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by draarong2004_@Jan 15 2006, 10:14 PM~4628143
> *well, you figure they make alot more than min wage, and more than one person will be working on it.  and theres alot more than just gluing a box together, throwing it in a bed, and hoping it sounds good, theres putting a tonnaue cover, which hopefully he already has, bolting the box down, running all the power wire's, making racks in the back for the amps/batteries, its alot more difficult that building any other box, because unless your superman, or have a lift at home, the box is gonna be built into the bed of the truck.
> 
> it takes at least 12 sheets of wood to make a good sized box in the bed, and i hope you weren't thinking they'd do just one layer of 3/4" or 1" mdf, and thats not including making the chambers, thats just sides, top and bottom, and front and back, then add another 4 or 5 for sheets easily for the chambers/bracing.
> *


Still going to have to say your crazy... no way on 20 sheets... I think 12 is still way over exagerated....but hey what do I know....And if you read his post it was just 1600 to build the box and cut the whole...... its was 4500 including the box with doing everything else.... which to me is reasonable considering fiberglass panels are involved

I know it would obviously take more then 1 person but still your saying 1200$ in labor is reasonable even if it did take 20 sheets wich it wont...... 

ICED2 if you were in az I would point you in the direction of one of my boys shops...But since you have the ability to cut the bed and cab and also build the box I say you get some advice from folks on here about building the box and do it your self.... I would be more then happy to give advice on the fiberglass....or give you my address and ship the door panels to me and I will work those while you handle the rest


----------



## draarong2004 (Feb 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Gumby_@Jan 15 2006, 08:24 PM~4628252
> *Still going to have to say your crazy... no way on 20 sheets... I think 12 is still way over exagerated....but hey what do I know....And if you read his post it was just 1600 to build the box and cut the whole...... its was 4500 including the box with doing everything else.... which to me is reasonable considering fiberglass panels are involved
> 
> I know it would obviously take more then 1 person but still your saying 1200$ in labor is reasonable even if it did take 20 sheets wich it wont......
> ...


have you ever built a large enclosure like this before? honestly, don't lie either, there is alot more involved in a huge enclosure like this, than anything you can fit into the trunk of a car. have you priced all the liquid nail/wood glue/silcone, whatever the material they used, will be? because its gonna take alot more than 1 can :roflmao: not to mention wheather they use screw's, or a brad nailer, either way, neither method is cheap, there's at least 600 bux worth of materials your gonna need to build this box, and thats just the box, we haven't gotten to cutting out the back of the truck, then there's also the new fiberglass panel, or cutting out the vynil panel in the back of the truck, its more than just cutting some metal, because you also have to buy the rubber boot made to order, and it has to be a good seal.

you just stick to doing systems in cars, and forget about trucks alltogether.


----------



## Pitbullx (Jul 27, 2005)

um doing a cut-thru isnt as hard as you are making it out to be aaron.....


----------



## draarong2004 (Feb 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Pitbullx_@Jan 15 2006, 09:55 PM~4629104
> *um doing a cut-thru isnt as hard as you are making it out to be aaron.....
> *


never said it was hard, just said theres alot more money involved than gumby thinks there is


----------



## Pitbullx (Jul 27, 2005)

300-400bux max for materials

2layers of 3/4" mdf all the way around
screws/brads/nails
glue
accordian boot

most of that price is going to labor


----------



## Gumby (Oct 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Pitbullx_@Jan 16 2006, 12:00 AM~4629177
> *300-400bux max for materials
> 
> 2layers of 3/4" mdf all the way around
> ...


Agree's with pitbullx on this one... Aaron its not that big of deal and definetly not worth the 1200$ in labor that they are obviously charging.....

No I have never built a system in a truck that took up the whole bed but I also know that you are not going to use 640 sq ft of wood building an enclosure in the bed of one...I have friends that own a few shops in AZ and they do stuff like this all the time.... Nails really are not that expensive... would glue or liquid nails also not that expensive, the boot might be 10$

And Aaron maybe you should stick to your partical board enclosures, as this process might be to tough for you to tackle..What cracks me up the most is you telling me to stick to cars when I know more about trucks then you ever will

I may not have cut and removed my bed and cab wall but I cut and welded allot more then that on my ram.... I'm sort of a jack of all trades.... I might not have the SPL knowledge that some do here but I know what type of work goes into building an enclosure as I might have been around 1 or 2 of them


----------



## Brahma Brian (Nov 17, 2004)

I did a walkthrough cutout and built a 48cuft enclosure this weekend... :cheesy:


----------



## Swangin44s (May 30, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Brahma Brian_@Jan 16 2006, 12:30 PM~4633405
> *I did a walkthrough cutout and built a 48cuft enclosure this weekend...  :cheesy:
> *


pics?


----------



## Brahma Brian (Nov 17, 2004)

> _Originally posted by 1lowimpala_@Jan 16 2006, 03:32 PM~4633419
> *pics?
> *


All posted with videos too...


----------



## Swangin44s (May 30, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Brahma Brian_@Jan 16 2006, 12:34 PM~4633433
> *All posted with videos too...
> *


WHERE :0


----------



## CuttieBuddie (Mar 11, 2003)

> _Originally posted by 1lowimpala_@Jan 16 2006, 03:35 PM~4633438
> *WHERE :0
> *


i know where

http://www.icanttellyou.com/~becuase/u/~wo...ild/thatbox.htm


----------



## Swangin44s (May 30, 2005)

> _Originally posted by CuttieBuddie_@Jan 16 2006, 12:37 PM~4633459
> *i know where
> 
> http://www.icanttellyou.com/~becuase/u/~wo...ild/thatbox.htm
> *


:roflmao: nothing but pop ups  

BUT SERIOUSLY, WHERES THE PICS AT!!! :biggrin:


----------



## draarong2004 (Feb 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Gumby_@Jan 16 2006, 01:19 AM~4630680
> *Agree's with pitbullx on this one... Aaron its not that big of deal and definetly not worth the 1200$ in labor that they are obviously charging.....
> 
> No I have never built a system in a truck that took up the whole bed but I also know that you are not going to use 640 sq ft of wood building an enclosure in the bed of one...I have friends that own a few shops in AZ and they do stuff like this all the time.... Nails really are not that expensive... would glue or liquid nails also not that expensive, the boot might be 10$
> ...


proove it


----------



## draarong2004 (Feb 20, 2005)

damn, bumby is 6 years older than me, and thinks he has life figured out, like he got 20 something years of experience building ish, i might not have a proven track record, as yours seems to be missing as well, but at least i know how to act respectfully


----------



## CuttieBuddie (Mar 11, 2003)

> _Originally posted by draarong2004_@Jan 16 2006, 07:36 PM~4635390
> *damn, bumby is 6 years older than me, and thinks he has life figured out, like he got 20 something years of experience building ish, i might not have a proven track record, as yours seems to be missing as well, but at least i know how to act respectfully
> *



his enclosures shit/puke/ and bury yours though...

and from what you've showed, and what he's showed, his skill level exceeds yours in direct comparison to digital designs exceeding volfenhag...


----------

