Types of wood for light weight boxes?

[EPerez 236]

How can I spot voids? What do they look like?

[pro-rabbit 64]

In most cases a quick glance at one of the sides will tell you the quality of the wood. How ever this is not always the case.

[nadcicle 77]

How can I spot voids? What do they look like?

 

Most common when cutting wood. This is a look from the outside of a tree.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=tree+knot&rlz=1C1CHMO_enUS511US511&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=_JECUpSCFoa09gTVsIHgCw&biw=1920&bih=993&sei=_5ECUumKM4SS9QTAo4CQAQ

 

Here is a piece of wood already cut.

 

Edited August 7, 2013 by nadcicle

[EPerez 236]

Ohh I know that. So you can most of the time see how good it is from just looking at it. Thanks guys.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

How can I spot voids? What do they look like?

It is physically impossible. Plywood is a laminant. The center ply could have a void the size of a dinner plate and you would never know until you cut it into.

[EPerez 236]

How can I spot voids? What do they look like?

It is physically impossible. Plywood is a laminant. The center ply could have a void the size of a dinner plate and you would never know until you cut it into.

I guess ill have to buy it and try it.

[pmureika 31]

 

How can I spot voids? What do they look like?

It is physically impossible. Plywood is a laminant. The center ply could have a void the size of a dinner plate and you would never know until you cut it into.

I guess ill have to buy it and try it.

I found the 2' x 2' to be better grade then the 4 x 8 sheets at Home depot.

[EPerez 236]

My cuts are longer than the 2" x 2" though

[pmureika 31]

Where are the real lumber yards like back in the seventies?

[dbsupra 69]

How can I spot voids? What do they look like?

It is physically impossible. Plywood is a laminant. The center ply could have a void the size of a dinner plate and you would never know until you cut it into.

This.

I bought a sheet that looked great on the outside and knocking across it sounded good. But I made a cut and it looked like someone took buckshot to the side of it.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

<p>you'll be fine with whatever you use.  as long as you have decent bracing to minimize flexing the vehicle environment will hide any issues that would be due to wood density.  The noise floor is very high in a vehicle.  i have test boxes built from floor substrate (3/4 pine) and there is not ant audible differences from the 13 plt birch boxes I have.  </p>

Edited August 7, 2013 by Quentin Jarrell

[///M5 2,833]

Weight has never been a factor for me in choosing a material, cleanliness and ease of use however trumps things.  Saving 5lbs on a 50lb enclosure really isn't so beneficial.  

 

Do remember as well that the only effective acoustic barriers are mass.  Removing it is not always a great idea...

[shizzzon 461]

i can get baltic birch for ~$40 per sheet, 5x5ft but must me group buy only as i have to have it imported via pallet.

[95Honda 486]

MDF.

[jonbearsmt 919]

weight is a factor when having to dead lift a huge box 3 feet then twist it to pull it out... oh and loaded with 180 lbs of sub plus what ever wood is used.. its a task .. its make sa HUGE difference

[EPerez 236]

I ended up buying the HD birch hardwood. I just completed the box and it is wayyyyyyyyyy easier to work with than mdf. Picking up the box I can tell it is A LOT lighter than what the box would feel like if it was mdf. I think from now on I will be using this type of wood.

Also the guy at mdf was saying that he thinks the birch would be stronger than mdf. He was also told me some people always come in and get particle board. He says they're a shop or something because its a few guys who have custom shirts on haha he keeps telling them particle board is shit for sub boxes! Go figure it's an audio shop haha

[jonbearsmt 919]

must be the new skar boxes

[EPerez 236]

Haha the guy kept telling them they shouldn't get that, but they don't ever listen.

[Shogen 325]

so cabinet grade birch??

 

Haha the guy kept telling them they shouldn't get that, but they don't ever listen.

[EPerez 236]

I'm not sure if it but I don't think so.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

The test box I sent Pat for my 15 was built from the 5 or 7 ply hardwood stuff from home depot.  Their "birch" plywood.  It was 39 x 20 x 20 with a triple layer baffle and weighed 91 pounds at FedEx