DIY Exile build in my new LSV... (first time)

[IXFE]

since you aren't shy about harbor freight... they have heat shrink butt splices and heat guns. You should use both. It is a boat and can get wet.

This one's for you, Shawn!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

[skurfer]

What's the likely hood you're going to sell this one after blood, sweat, tears, install, and truck/trailer matching wheels? Looking good!

[Cory]

What's the likely hood you're going to sell this one after blood, sweat, tears, install, and truck/trailer matching wheels? Looking good!

I was thinking the same thing. The prospective buyer may have to wait for some time on this one. Of course, nothing helps you get over an old girlfriend like a new one.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited May 24, 2014 by Cory

[IXFE]

What's the likely hood you're going to sell this one after blood, sweat, tears, install, and truck/trailer matching wheels? Looking good!

I don't know fellas... this one is so stacked, what more could a guy ask for? I can't exactly go bigger...

But I've learned never to make promises to myself or others. I just take it day by day.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

[Bawshogg]

Looks great dude. Awesome first "selfie" !

[shawndoggy]

did you use that grant west video method with the solder for the ring terminal? Looks clean.

Are you having fun with this or is it stressful/a chore?

[IXFE]

did you use that grant west video method with the solder for the ring terminal? Looks clean.

Are you having fun with this or is it stressful/a chore?

Sorry for slow response... been away from the forum today actually using the boat for what it was made for!

I didn't solder the ring terminal. I just used a giant crimper and a hammer, then the heat shrink. I'll take a few pics when I do the ground cable.

Shawn, I've actually really enjoyed this project. I've learned a ton and seeing it come together has been super satisfying.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

[IXFE]

One thing to add... being on the water today without tunes was cool for a while, but after several hours off riding in silence I found myself really missing the atmosphere the music brings.

My kids couldn't figure out why no music. They were like, "We don't understand, Dad. You've been working on this for weeks. We see the speakers in the boat. Can't we just plug the phone in?" Gotta love the young pups... everything so simple.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

[shawndoggy]

Oh don't worry there will still be plenty to do once the tunes are pumping.

[IXFE]

I'm not an LED guy. I just don't get the appeal. We are not night boaters so you'd never see them illuminated.

What am I missing?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

[shawndoggy]

nah, my point was just that now that you have gotten your hands dirty on a boat customization project, there are many more tweaks you can do to make it "your" boat. LEDs are just one. And I'm totally with you about not doing LEDs... we just happen to be going to a lake with a 4th of july fireworks show, so I know we'll be out on the water. And they really aren't that expensive to do once you have the right tools (router, soldering iron, heat gun, drill, etc. etc.).

Extra usb charging ports are always popular.

or a heater in a more useful location.

or building your own sub box.

or building your own sub box again.

or building your own sub box for the new sub.

or ....

[IXFE]

did you use that grant west video method with the solder for the ring terminal? Looks clean.

Here's what I used to crimp the ring terminals. Just line everything up in the blue "vice" and start hammering on it. It's basic blunt force trauma.

Here's a pic of my ground cable before the heat shrink wrap.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

[IXFE]

I dropped the boat of this morning at NBA Stereo in Vancouver to have the box built. It's going to be a 2.1 cu.ft. ported enclosure.

Here are a few pics...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

[IXFE]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

[shawndoggy]

so they built the box out of regular pine plywood?

[Brianinpdx]

@shawn - David delivered boat and box to Exile late last night. We will Rhino line the enclosure, raise it off the deck and mount / tune the boat for him. He is re using the factory face kick panel so nothing changing there. The box should hit like hell. My engineer texted me last night and said, "looks like this boat will have ZLD #1" since they arrive today. David wants to be complete Friday and on the water listening to is completed deal.

[tjklein]

Yikes. Maybe I'm a little over the top, but that box construction looks a little underwhelming....

Perhaps the precision port, 13ply baltic birch, 5 coats of spar varnish to the interior, and rhino lining were overkill. Anxious to see how it sounds though.

[shawndoggy]

Yikes. Maybe I'm a little over the top, but that box construction looks a little underwhelming....

Perhaps the precision port, 13ply baltic birch, 5 coats of spar varnish to the interior, and rhino lining were overkill. Anxious to see how it sounds though.

I kinda feel the same way. You'd think a "pro" would at least make the sub cutout with a router? And used precision port not just a jaggedy cut piece of ABS? Is that a chip right by the port hole? No roundover on the box edges for waterproofing?

I'm not saying it won't sound OK, but I am saying that that's a $125 box tops.

[Cory]

I'm curious how they re-use the factory kick plate. When I built my enclosure for my Vride, I traced the factory kick plate onto plywood and made some fitment adjustments. The front plate of the enclosure was oversized to the enclosure, but an integral wall of the enclosure. I then carpeted the front plate and mounted the speaker into the opening. It seemed like the natural choice when I was building mine, but that was the only enclosure I've built so far and I'm game to learn alternative approaches for my next stereo iteration.

[IXFE]

I'm curious how they re-use the factory kick plate. When I built my enclosure for my Vride, I traced the factory kick plate onto plywood and made some fitment adjustments. The front plate of the enclosure was oversized to the enclosure, but an integral wall of the enclosure. I then carpeted the front plate and mounted the speaker into the opening. It seemed like the natural choice when I was building mine, but that was the only enclosure I've built so far and I'm game to learn alternative approaches for my next stereo iteration.

My front plate had no factory speaker in place (see pic below); I'm guessing yours did if you started with the 12" RF sub. Mine is just a carpeted wall. So the guy who built the box was able to cut the hole in the carpeted panel to match the enclosure he built. The carpeted panel is not an integral part of the box, as I understand it. the box is fully enclosed on it's own. The carpeted front panel just screws to the front of the enclosure with a few screws to hold it in place.

To be clear, he did it this way because it's what I asked for. I wanted my aftermarket sub to look as "factory" as possible. I like having the carpeted kick panel there. When it's done it should look like this (second pic taken from my old VLX)

EDIT: I went back and re-read your post. I honestly don't know if I answered your question. LOL

Edited May 29, 2014 by IXFE

[Cory]

Okay, you screwed the kick plate to the front of the enclosure and cut an matching opening. Makes sense. My factory kick plate didn't have a speaker, it was a solid panel like yours. I only ordered the sound pack 1 on that boat. I ended up discarding the original kick plate, after I used it as a template for outlining the front surface of my sub-enclosure. I ordered factory carpet and carpeted the front of the box itself.

This is the best picture I still have of that sub enclosure. I wish I took more pics when making it. I also gave my front surface a slight angle so that it wasn't straight vertical. That one little change increased the complexity of the box by an order of magnitude. Not sure if it was worth it, but it turned out nice.

[Cory]

I used 3/4" finish grade birch plywood and painted the exterior and interior with primer and then black acrylic paint, then caulked the interior seams. I also used rabbit and dado joints glued together, clamped, then finish nailed. I see some on here using screws and adding interior bracing along the seams. I'm not sure if the screws are a better idea or not, but I do recall being taught in high school woodworking class that a properly glued & clamped dado joint is stronger than the surrounding wood.

Watching your project gets my blood pumping to do a boat stereo project again... I have a feeling you will keep this boat for a while, so try to enjoy these projects while they are happening. I know you have lots of pictures to show the future grand kids.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Cory

[IXFE]

Yikes. Maybe I'm a little over the top, but that box construction looks a little underwhelming....

Perhaps the precision port, 13ply baltic birch, 5 coats of spar varnish to the interior, and rhino lining were overkill. Anxious to see how it sounds though.

I kinda feel the same way. You'd think a "pro" would at least make the sub cutout with a router? And used precision port not just a jaggedy cut piece of ABS? Is that a chip right by the port hole? No roundover on the box edges for waterproofing?

I'm not saying it won't sound OK, but I am saying that that's a $125 box tops.

Are you guys being serious, or just nit picking? It's hard to tell.

Are your objections just cosmetic or functional? You've got me sort of concerned, which certainly conflicts with the stoke I felt last night when I picked it up.

The guy who built it was pretty jazzed about it when I picked it up. Originally he'd planned to locate the 4" port in the front. I didn't argue with him cuz what do I know? When I came to pick it up he explained that once he got under the helm and saw all the room he had to work with, he decided to locate the port on the upper right hand side (basically back into the cavity that is under the dash). He was genuinely excited to tell me about this change because he said it would really improve the sound quality of the sub. In fact, the only reason I went with a ported enclosure this time around was the perception (from this forum) that a bigger, ported enclosure would give me a better result from the same sub (last year I had the same 12" Exile sub in a sealed enclosure, pictured below).

We're not just talking about some fly by night guy... he's been building systems for over 20 years, and his clientele includes over 100 NBA players. He builds some pretty high-end stuff, mostly cars, but he had a new Mastercraft coming in behind me that was getting a $10k system install.

Is the box good or bad?? I can't say as it's the first I've ever seen up close (remember, this is all new to me). If the critique is strictly cosmetic, then I could care less as you won't see it.

Last year's sub enclosure (sealed)

Edited May 29, 2014 by IXFE

[jk13]

Perhaps the precision port, 13ply baltic birch, 5 coats of spar varnish to the interior, and rhino lining were overkill.

Perhaps not.

Man, *sigh*.

I really struggled with whether or not to post something. I try to not talk about other shops' work unless it's in a positive light, even if they're thousands of miles away. Hopefully this is just a mockup box and we're being messed with?

This is similar to what we've used. No knots or gaps in layers, smooth machined flat surfaces, etc.

I just hope the one thing that IXFE put into someone else's hands doesn't come back as the only regret. Didn't someone say something about building another box, and another a page or two ago? Looks like Shawn may have something to do when he buys this boat after all.

Edit: IXFE posted while I was typing and debating to post. Strictly the material being used is what I'm speaking to, box design itself looks fine as far as I can tell in pictures. I hate to kill anyone's stoke.

Edited May 29, 2014 by jk13

[Murphy8166]

Wow - I don't even want to post b/c I don't think I can pour enough on my comments to make the appropriate for the OP.

That box is an embarrasment to anyone who has ever built a marine enclosure.