Ah - you see, I so rarely get to work with wood, that I think of it as
less of a hassle and more of a fun project!
And while buying a prefab box may be cheap-ish, there are so many
advantages to building your own...
The one on my cardomain site probably cost me $75 or $80. Total. If
you already have the wood, you're talking about probably $25 for the
other materials (and one sheet [4ft x 8ft] of 3/4-inch MDF is all
you'd need). [I can hear you now, "Um, $50 for one sheet of wood?!
What the hell??" I buy it at a place that cuts the main pieces for me
with a laser guided machine that's guaranteed accurate to 1/16th of an
inch. Saves 4 hours and a hell of a lot of frustration when all you
have to cut the wood in a straight line is a cheap hand-held circular
saw... But I digress] Actually cutting everything and putting it
together only takes a day - and 1/4 of that is letting glues and
whatnot dry.
What REALLY sucks you in is the planning. Fortunately, I lust for
planning. Planning is my secret lover (or it would be secret, but my
wife is fully aware and almost supportive). I will spend, literally,
months planning installations. I only get to do a new one every 5
years or so, and when I see one coming 6 months ahead - look out!
Diagrams, sketches, calculations, WinISD variations, I even downloaded
and learned how to use google's 3D modeling program (SketchUp) JUST TO
VIRTUALLY BUILD A SUB ENCLOSURE!! Side-Note: That turned out to be a
smart move, because only throught that program could I plan for the
thickness of 3/4-inch MDF cut at a 60-degree angle and mounted to
another piece of wood...
You get the idea.
So, when I say that I'll help you design, build, and install an
enclosure - and you tell me that your parents have every woodworking
tool known to man... Let's just say I need a clean pair of shorts.
So, don't think I'm just blowing smoke up your ass. I live in Federal
Way now, and can certainly get permission from the wife and child to
come hang out for a day or two... :-)
Lastly, you HAVE to wonder if that Ampeg's still kicking!!!
~Mister.Lull
On Apr 3, 2:32*pm, "MOSFET" wrote:
One of these days, you'll have to have me over and let me design,
build, and install an enclosure for you!
It's so funny you would say that. *My father works with wood all the time
and has an EXTENSIVE shop with every woodworking tool known to modern man,
as well as an extensive storehouse of plywood, MDF, and all manner and
grades of wood. *I have often flirted with the idea of building a custom box
for my car and my father has offered to help.
The problem is that pre-made boxes are just so damn CHEAP. *When I compare
the hastle (and I know it would be a hastle because I have never done it) of
building my own enclosure vs. just buying a pre-made one, I always decide to
just go the pre-made route. *I'm not bad with my hands, my folks also have a
framing studio in their home (it's a huge house), again with every
proffesional tool you would find in a framing shop. *My mother trained me to
cut glass (we have an IMMENSE glass cutter), cut matting (of course we have
a huge matt cutter), and we have a casise (sp) so I can cut and join frames.
I can now beautifully matt (double and triple matt if I want!) and frame any
picture, something you would immediately notice when visiting our house. *I
love knowing how to do this and take great pride in framing pictures. *I
know I would have the same pride if I learned how to woodwork. *I have just
never taken the time to learn. *But hell, I'm only 42, there's still tons of
time. 
Nick aka MOSFET
PS
I love your story about home speakers in your '83 car. *We all did those
kind of funky things back then. *At precisely the SAME TIME, I convinced our
band teacher to let me borrow this HUGE Ampeg bass amplifier that was not
working. *I said I was good at fixing things and would give it a try. *It
was a huge affair with a tube head on top and two 15" drivers in the lower
enclosure. *It was hell for heavy. *Well after going to a local TV, radio
fix-it place in town where I knew the owner, I had replaced the bad fuses
(that was the only problem) and had the thing working. *Did I tell the band
teacher? *HELL NO!! *I used that sucker as a subwoofer, wiring it to my
already large stereo in my room (as well as the latest Technics cassette
deck with DBX, a birthday gift from my parents, Technics turntable with
Audio Technica cartridge, I was the only one among my friends with a Sony
reel-to-reel deck, which could make FLAWLESS recordings of my albums, radio
and several years later CD's), along with a 12 band Radio Shack EQ, and
speakers that each had a 12" woofer, 5" midrange and tweeter, and then a
HUGE Sanyo reciever (all of these were that brushed aluminum look popular
for that day). *My stereo looked AWESOME, which was, of course, half the
fun.
It was INCREDIBLE, and was what fueled my love of bass. *My friends told me
that when I had it REALLY pumping, you could hear it 5 blocks away (I am
HONESTLY not exagerating). *It shook the house so much plaster LITERALLY
fell from the ceiling of the room below mine.
Of course, I loved it.
And the band teacher seemed to forget about it for three years until I got
ready to graduate and brought the matter up. *I claimed it still didn't
work, but I HAD to bring it back anyway, of course. *I was crushed.
This then set me on my course to reproduce the bass power I once possesed,
and my love of car and home audio was born.
Anyway, it's fun to reminise. *The things we did with no money to satisfey
our NEED for LOUD BASS. *And keep in mind, this was the days before outboard
subwoofers were common so my set-up was quite unique, to say the least!
Ah, those were the days.....
Nick