SonoSub End Cap?  

I used a 20 inch tube and had to make several test pieces to get it to fit just right inside the tube. Practice on scrap wood. For the outer cap I made mine 2 inches larger than the radius for a total diameter of 24 inches.

Chuck

Measure the circumference of the outside of the tube, find the radius and then subtract the thickness of the tube wall. Double that to get the size of the inside end-cap.

-Robert

I just finiished two 24" sonosubs and on both I made the plug 24 inches with a plunge router. They fit very flush, but do go in. I cut the outer caps 26 inches and I like the look. If you sand the outer edge of the inner cap so it's a bit rounded it allows the cap to go in easier and also gives you a place to put the caulking once it's in.

Take more than one measurement of the ID - try it at a few different spots. Get an average, then add about 1/8". Now slowly route or power sand until it just BARELY fits in - you should have to force it. Make sure to use tape around the tube edges as was brought up before. For the outercaps, I would agree that something ~26-27" with a bull nose round will look good.

Sorry Steve, i took this from jonny's thread & posted it here, but i believe i'm going the SonoSub route & maybe asking for a little help in the intrim. could i use just one 3/4 inch piece of MDF instead of 2 ( 1 slightly larger/smaller in diameter ) glued together as i've seen in most sonosub builds?

Radius=Circumference/2Pi. Subtract the thickness of the tube wall from the radius. Double that to find the diameter of the inner end-cap.

-Robert

Vashon:
You could use a single piece of 3/4" MDF but it has never been advised by anyone I have ever seen that knows what they are doing. You could probably do it for the top end plate, but for the bottom where the driver sits you want a very rigid, massive, dense platform to seat that driver in. Remember it is going to be trying to push itself out of the tube with all the force it can muster, plus you want a good air tight seal where the driver meets the wood, and finally, you want a good solid surface to bolt the driver into. I used 2 3/4" MDF on mine plus 1/2" plywood just so the t nuts would grip the woold. I believe Steve used more than that for his 18".

Also, after reading jonny's post, have you looked at the RL-p15 from Soundsplinter for your driver?

Chuck

Ah...i see. very good info;) Chuck. so i will have a lip at both ends......darn, i was hoping for a flush look in the design:rolleyes:

1 4x8 sheet of MDF should be enough for 2 sonosubs @ 16"-48" each i hope.

i have looked at the SS drivers as well as TC Sounds, but size and mula are a factor right now (because new home is pretty now since remodel).

i'm leaning towards 12": AA Assassins/Dayton DVC/Dayton RS-HF

any thoughts???

There is no problem doing a flush design. I started out with one 3/4" piece of MDF routed to fit the inside of the tube and then made the 2nd piece exactly the diameter of the outside of the tube. 3/4" MDF showed at the top and bottom, but I decided I didn't like the look and made new end caps. Or you could cut 2 pieces that fit inside the tube.
One 4X8 sheet will work well with some to practice on also. If you go to HD to buy it, find a piece with mucked up edges and they will usually give it to you for $5 to $10 because they can't sell it to people that want straight edges and they end up throwing it away! I only paid $5 for a sheet at the HD near me!

I'd like to hear a review of those Assassins in a HT sub. $75 for a 12" driver is an excellent price if they are the usual AA quality.

nice.....

that's a great deal, maybe when i go to HD, i'll accidently drop a piece while no one's lookin' while trying to put it on the cart :p j/k

Steve stated in jonny's thread that threaded rods aren't needed, but you also didn't need glue, if i did use threaded rods, maybe using all gold hardware on black, should i still glue or caulk the seems on the inside???

& yeah Ben, $75 beaners for the Assassins seems like they can't be beat, but that only last for another 2 weeks & Chad's uping them to $95.

Vashon:
You don't need to do that (drop the sheet). Usually the first 1 or 2 pieces on the top or bottom that come in on the truck have the bands around them from shipping and are torn up on the edges where the bands are. Pick those pieces and ask for a deal. :D

Those who aren’t using threaded rods to sandwich the caps together are making tubes with smaller lighter drivers usually, IMO, overkill is mandatory in DIY designs and I would never build a wimpy box or tube even if I could get away with it. There are some construction details on my home page link listed that show a good example of a overdone Sonosub. BTW, one of them is for sell as well.

http://kingdaddy.linaeum.com/Sonosub/

thanks Mike,

everytime i see your work, i'm in awe. the time you must spend on every little detail. you could make boo-koo bucks from what you do. amazin'.

that's why i brought up the issue, because Chad & Steve are using enormo drivers and i'm just using a 12. i initially wanted to counter sink 1.12" decking screws into the plates from the sides after i use Gorilla glue on the edges & seems once i flush mounted the top/bottom plates in the tubes, then cover the tubes with jet black carpet.

Here is a bottom cap done right I hope he doesn't mind, but it's Jon's bottom cap for his replica of my Avalanche sonosub. The piece of MDF on bottom is NOT the base plate, it's just a scrap piece.

GREAT GOOGLY-MOOGLY.

how's Dr.Jon doing these days Steve? that is one hefty plate.


Does anyone have any objections to this???........or would it be a bad idea. I'm not sure, but it seems the SV's use this method, I could be wrong :o

http://64.34.180.159/pics2/i/2005112...bb30b0c158bbb0

Wow... that bottom plate might just withstand a low yield nuclear explosion. :eek:

Liquid nails + 4 brad nails in the sides worked just fine for me. I've picked mine up by both top and botom caps and that's with a 60+ pound Tumult in the bottom and they haven't moved.

Roofing tar compound works well to seal the inside seams.

http://www.apoc.com/Gardner-5-02/ga-leakstopper.htm

YES! Mike. that's what my buddy(roofing contractor) told me to use for good seals or titebond II, and he has tubes of the stuff. i was gonna ask you if that was roofing compound inside yours.

Yes, that’s what I use in all my speakers now, its very dense and heavy so it adds much dampening as well. It does take a few days to cure though and is quite messy during application but it sticks like glue and you will be sure to have no air leaks, it also makes applying the poly batting easier as the batting will stick to the tar and stay in place which keeps it from falling into the port opening area. Do the knuckle test on the enclosure before and after the application of this, big difference.
:)

Steve:
You're not done yet. Better hit those t nuts with some epoxy!