Materials for custom Storage box

[RunnerJeff]

Hey guys I am planning on putting a storage box in the back of my T4R. I was going to put it all the way across the back, probably about 6-8" tall with two locking, sliding drawers. I am going to mount two subs in the back of the box near the seats. I was wondering what kind of wood I should use. I need something that is durable, that can take some weight and maybe the occasional spill. Is MDF alright for that? and also, what kind of carpet should I put around it? I plan on carpeting all of it once I get it finished.

Suggetions would be great!

 

[gaterose]

I would (amd did) use plywood for storage and mdf for the sub box. I think mdf maybe a bit too heavy for the storage part.

If you click the link in my sig you can see my box on the 6th or 7th page. It's similar to what you want but w one sub

 

[RunnerJeff]

That is basically exactly what I want. Do you have any write up for how you made it? and did you put some cushioning on top of the box?

 

[gaterose]

Yeah sure, here ya go:Another cargo box...

Yes, I had some cheap memory foam padding but I ended up taking it off and now it's just covered in vinyl without the padding.

 

[Offroader5]

If you're looking for possible spill protection, I would not use ANY MDF and at a bare minimum only on interior walls that will not be exposed like how Gaterose did.

Plywood...and even better, marine grade, would be my choice and what I've used in the past. You have to think about the worse possible "spill" and choose your material from there. I planned that if I ever had to throw rain soaked items in the back on the fly (like breaking camp in a downpour), I wanted to be sure the wood beneath the carpet would be alright. That's why I use marine grade. You could get away with standard plywood and then coat it with a clearcoat before you carpet...but really, the cost of a good clear lacquer would almost cancel out the added cost of buying marine grade in the first place.

For carpet, you can find something that matches the OEM or at least really close so it'll match the rear cargo area. There's also numerous different types of speaker box carpeting you can find at most car audio stores.

 

[gaterose]

I don't know if it's a good idea to build a speaker box from plywood. I believe the pressure would cause the box to burst.

Also, you're going to have to hit up ebay or online probably to find matching carpet, I just finally found some that is really close on eBay called "med gray" (for the grey interior)

 

[Offroader5]

I don't know if it's a good idea to build a speaker box from plywood. I believe the pressure would cause the box to burst.

Also, you're going to have to hit up ebay or online probably to find matching carpet, I just finally found some that is really close on eBay called "med gray" (for the grey interior)

3/4" plywood is plenty strong enough to build a sub enclosure. Not knowing any specific numbers/specs, I'm willing to bet plywood in the same thickness as a piece of MDF, is much stronger due to the cross stranded veneering of the plywood. There are plenty of high end companies that use plywood in the construction of their driver enclosures. Mind you, these are home audio enclosures and they use birch plywood usually a minimum of 3/4" thickness, but the theory is the same. MDF may be a bit more dense in relation to standard plywoods (which is not a bad thing for sub enclosures), but unless you're going to use this enclosure to compete in SQ comps..chances are you'd never hear the difference from such a small enclosure.

 

[RunnerJeff]

So we I create the sub box part, I should caulk the whole thing correct?