DIY Subwoofer Risers

[MrSlr]

This is the isolator/riser im building this weekend with my friend..

Hoping this box comes out nice.. All sealed, no open holes on the outside..

Will get some photos.. 2 inch pyramid foam is being shipped but will have half or more done this weekend (rest of pyramid foam is for my home theater area)

[Speed3driver]

Finished Product on the sub riser I built for my hopefully soon to arrive eD A5-350

I'm not really a do-it-yourselfer, but I am incredibly happy with the results.

Dimensions are 19.5"x25.25" and just under 6" tall.

MDF board- $10
4 Fence post toppers- $22
Polyfil foam piece- $8
Already had the sound deadening paint
Already had wood glue and screws

Total cost = $40

I personally think it looks better than the ones on the market, and the pics dont do it justice, its pitch black, camera sux.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Speed3driver

Finished Product on the sub riser I built for my hopefully soon to arrive eD A5-350 --- I'm not really a do-it-yourselfer, but I am incredibly happy with the results.

Dimensions are 19.5"x25.25" and just under 6" tall.
MDF board- $10
4 Fence post toppers- $22
Polyfil foam piece- $8
Already had the sound deadening paint
Already had wood glue and screws

Total cost = $40

I personally think it looks better than the ones on the market, and the pics dont do it justice, its pitch black, camera sux.

Looks good. The Polyfill foam piece is Underneath right? (kind of hard to tell, but I think I saw it there ) Either way, Great Job!!

I'm not a DIY type person, or so I thought, but I did the 2 small risers for my Front POLK T90e's, & for my 2nd PA-120 Sub (Pics in THIS Gallery). Total cost: Under $7.46 !! - My 1st Sub (PA-120 also) has a SubDude under it.

[Speed3driver]

yup, 2" thick polyfill foam pad underneath, its 15"x 17", painted black to blend in.
$7.46 is ridiculous cheap!!!

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Speed3driver

yup, 2" thick polyfill foam pad underneath, its 15"x 17", painted black to blend in. $7.46 is ridiculous cheap!!!

Ok, yea, I thought I saw it but as it's Black also, it was a bit hard to see.

As for the Low price, I went to HOME DEPOT, & all I really had to buy was a rubberized floor mat that I cut to size for the Top of the Riser, & a bit of wood. I already had the Foam for Under it, the Wood Glue, nails, & spray paint.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Speed3driver

Finished Product on the sub riser I built for my hopefully soon to arrive eD A5-350

I'm not really a do-it-yourselfer, but I am incredibly happy with the results.

Dimensions are 19.5"x25.25" and just under 6" tall.

MDF board- $10
4 Fence post toppers- $22
Polyfil foam piece- $8
Already had the sound deadening paint
Already had wood glue and screws

Total cost = $40

I personally think it looks better than the ones on the market, and the pics dont do it justice, its pitch black, camera sux.

Excellent work.

I think they look better than the ones on the market.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Excellent work.

I think they look better than the ones on the market.

Very much in agreement here BD. It's amazing to me to see all of us Non-Skilled type guys (self-admittedly so, mind you) when it comes to tools & the like, just making some GREAT Risers at Home with a few basic tools. It's NOT Rocket Science & WE can "Customize" them to how we want (color, height, materials, etc.). Plus, look at the COST Savings you get by Not buying one online or wherever.

[MrFattBill]

Originally Posted by Speed3driver

Finished Product on the sub riser I built for my hopefully soon to arrive eD A5-350

I'm not really a do-it-yourselfer, but I am incredibly happy with the results.

Dimensions are 19.5"x25.25" and just under 6" tall.

MDF board- $10
4 Fence post toppers- $22
Polyfil foam piece- $8
Already had the sound deadening paint
Already had wood glue and screws

Total cost = $40

I personally think it looks better than the ones on the market, and the pics dont do it justice, its pitch black, camera sux.

That turned out REALLY nice

Bill

[Speed3driver]

Thanks guys, The things is STURDY too, of course it better be, gonna have about 108 lbs of pure eD goodness sitting on top of it
It's a good thing the customer service was poor at my local Home Depot, I got bored waiting for somebody to get to the wood cutter and was just looking around when I saw the fence post toppers sitting there on the shelf

[rpatt]

I'm looking for suggestions for covering the logo & writing on the top of my great gramma riser. Do you think flat black spray paint would work?

[Speed3driver]

I would think flat black spraypaint would work, just mask off what you don't want sprayed, and spray the entire top for color uniformity. Won't your sub cover the logo anyways??

[rpatt]

Originally Posted by Speed3driver

I would think flat black spraypaint would work, just mask off what you don't want sprayed, and spray the entire top for color uniformity. Won't your sub cover the logo anyways??

Thanks for the reply. I'm using it for my center (JBL PC600) which is relatively shallow and why I want to cover the top. It will be to raise the center, isolate it from the cabinet top & prevent early reflections.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by rpatt

I'm looking for suggestions for covering the logo & writing on the top of my great gramma riser. Do you think flat black spray paint would work?

Buy some speaker carpet and use spray glue to cover it.

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...speaker+carpet
http://mobile-emotions.com/speakcabcar.html

http://www.bcae1.com/carpetenclosure.htm

[Toto111]

Hi Guys. Hate to sound stupid but we may have a different terminology Doen Under. What the heck is polyfill?

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by Toto111

Hi Guys. Hate to sound stupid but we may have a different terminology Doen Under. What the heck is polyfill?

Polyester fill is commonly used in pillows, etc... It can be purchased just about anywhere here( I don't know about over there. Try a craft or hobby store. )

Poly fill
260-317_Li.jpg
from: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=260-317


Acousta-Stuf is a synthetic material made from crimped fibers. It is an excellent choice for filling small enclosures or transmission line cabinets. Long fiber wool has been a favorite among serious speaker builders but Acousta-stuf is less expensive than long fiber wool and does not have the problem of harboring moths. Acousta-Stuf™ will also outperform Dacron, foam, and fiberglass. Acousta-Stuf is a sound absorption, dampening fiber that will deepen bass, provide cleaner midrange and improve the dynamic extension of any speaker system. There are no health hazards with Acousta-Stuf and no mask or gloves are needed when using this product; the melting point is a very high 490°F. Most sealed and vented enclosures require 1/2 lb. of dampening material per cubic foot of enclosure. For best results it is recommended to loosely fill the material throughout the enclosure.

[Toto111]

Oh! You mean Dacron!
Got plenty of that. Just filled the cavity behind my ceiling speakers with it. Thanks

[GAWD]

Originally Posted by GAWD

Finished my second one this past week :

Stupid question but can I use any old paint to paint my risers? Never painted MDF before just wondering if it's meant to be covered rather than painted.

If it can be painted..regular latex paint or is spray paint better?

[PTplayers]

Originally Posted by GAWD

Stupid question but can I use any old paint to paint my risers? Never painted MDF before just wondering if it's meant to be covered rather than painted.

If it can be painted..regular latex paint or is spray paint better?

Use Primer first because the ends will soak up the paint and make sure all the joints are smooth because you will see every little imperfection .

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by GAWD

Stupid question but can I use any old paint to paint my risers? Never painted MDF before just wondering if it's meant to be covered rather than painted.

If it can be painted..regular latex paint or is spray paint better?

Here are pictures of my DIY subwoofer that is made of MDF wood. Make sure you use a good brush and sand the boxes and get rid off the imperfections. Soften the edges.

Wear a mask as MDF particles can be a health hazard.

********************************************

After I finished the subwoofer box, I used wood filler to cover all screw holes and imperfections. Then I sanded it with #60 sand paper and then with #120 sand paper. An electrical sander may help if you don't want sore arms.

I thought the hardest part was to assemble the box. I was mistaken. Covering the holes with wood filler, sanding, and preparing it for paint was far more difficult.

Initially, I wanted to paint the box Deep Garnet. However, it didn't work out and I ended up using deep glossy black.

For the final black color, I went to home Depot and asked for the best quality primer and deep glossy black. They mixed one quart primer and one quart black glossy paint. They were relatively expensive.

I cleaned the surface real well with a vacuum cleaner and damp cloth and applied primer. After about three hours, I added the first coat of paint. Waited about 12 hours and applied the final coat.

[Aerodude73]

That is one Massive & Gorgeous Sub BD'!!