In my quest to build the ultimate dead enclosures , I thought about covering them with somthing like this :
Parts-Express.com: Cascade VB-1S PRO Quiet Kote Damping Spray 18 oz. Net Wt. | Cascade VB-1S vb-1s PRO Quiet Kote deadening sound damping sound dampening stinger damp110408 gift2009
I thought about killing 2 birds with 1 stone , I could coat the MDF to black AND deaden it some more with 3 coats from this.
Its a damping spray , Any thoughts ?
I hope it looks good as I plan to spray the outside as well as the inside of the enclosures.
Parts-Express.com: Cascade VB-1S PRO Quiet Kote Damping Spray 18 oz. Net Wt. | Cascade VB-1S vb-1s PRO Quiet Kote deadening sound damping sound dampening stinger damp110408 gift2009
I thought about killing 2 birds with 1 stone , I could coat the MDF to black AND deaden it some more with 3 coats from this.
Its a damping spray , Any thoughts ?
I hope it looks good as I plan to spray the outside as well as the inside of the enclosures.
I'm not sure what the stuff will look like but if i was you i'd at least get a good look at the kind of finish you can get with the stuff before investing 
From the link you provided it appears it does a fantastic job of quieting thin panels like steel car doors & fibreglass panels. Tbh i doubt it'll have any real effect on say 3/4" MDF, i think you'd likely be better off with a few coats of oil or acrylic based paint on the exterior. If you really are enthusiastic for the stuff then use it on the interior of the enclosure where it doesn't matter how awful it looks
Just imo of course
From the link you provided it appears it does a fantastic job of quieting thin panels like steel car doors & fibreglass panels. Tbh i doubt it'll have any real effect on say 3/4" MDF, i think you'd likely be better off with a few coats of oil or acrylic based paint on the exterior. If you really are enthusiastic for the stuff then use it on the interior of the enclosure where it doesn't matter how awful it looks
Just imo of course
I think you're approaching this the wrong way. Concentrate on the structural integrity of the enclosure - make sure your woodworking is up to scratch, use polyurethane glues and fit good solid, adjustable spikes to the base. Weight is good. You should seal both inside and outside surfaces of the enclosure material - a good grain filler followed by a sanding sealer is the best approach for MDF on the inside and the same plus pigment coat then many coats of clearcoat on the outside, the more clear coats, the deeper the color will appear. You actually want to have a fairly lively cabinet, but if you have large parallel surfaces, e.g. left and right sides, you can fit a cross brace or two (in hard wood) to stop any flex. Shouldn't really be necessary, though. If the design calls for a sealed enclosure, make sure it's properly sealed at the joins so that air can't move in and out. Use gaskets to mount the drivers. Otherwise (ported/transmission line) just stick to the design. Experiment with half inch low-void birch ply for the front baffle instead of MDF. As far as deadening material is concerned, what you're trying to do is reduce extraneous sound waves and resonance within the cabinet, so that they won't influence the driver cone as it produces its own waves, not stopping the cabinet itself resonating. The latter will happen naturally if you can achieve the former. You do this by fitting sound deadening material within the cabinet, not by trying to dampen the walls of the cab itself. Foam is usually used, but wool wadding is best (in the form of loose wool that they use to stuff chair seats, or like you find on barbed wire around sheep fields, not woven/knitted! You can get it from specialist loudspeaker suppliers). Don't just stuff loads in until the enclosure is full, you need to aim for around 50-60 percent full, absolutely no more, and keep the rear of the drivers and crossovers free from it - they can get quite hot! If you use foam blocks, use medium and high density foam and stick lots of smaller, different shaped blocks at odd angles around the inside rather that just a couple of big lumps - you're trying to confuse the sound waves and give them lots of uneven surfaces to bounce around and dissipate themselves. Forget about these damping sprays - as the other guys suggest, the stuff is an aesthetic nightmare and won't really help unless your enclosure walls are so thin that the sound is making them flex, which won't be the case with 3/4" MDF. Take some pride in the finish - it's after all the only thing that other people will see, and you'll probably have to live with it for years if it works!
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Yes, I know, it seems like a lot of weird stuff. Grain filler is a high-solids paste wood filler. The one I use most is Behlen Pore-o-Pac Paste Wood Grain Filler. Not sure if it's available in AU. It varies by manufacturer - some need thinning, others not, but what you need is a slightly thinner than toothpase-like consistency. You smear it on the surface with a squeegee/cardboard/spreader, getting it into every nook and cranny. When it begins to 'flash' i.e. starting to go dry (it'll start to look hazy) wipe the excess off with a piece of burlap, wiping across the grain, or in a figure of eight pattern. You're going for as smooth a surface as you can get. When dry, (varies by manufacturer/temp/humidity) sand it as smooth as you can up to 220 grit. Blow off/tack-cloth off dust, then go on to sanding sealer. Durobond is an Aussie brand - they do a nitrocellulose sanding sealer. You're best to spray this if you can. Otherwise, thin it about 10% (Durobond do a 1220 lacquer thinner) and brush it on with a bristle brush (in warm, dry weather, and ventilate the area - or wear a mask). Sand this to 220 grit using a cork block (so that you don't go through on the corners) - one decent coat should do it. Next is the pigment coat - this is a nitrocellulose lacquer with pigment in it, black in your case, and Durobond do a GMH black automotive gloss. You'll need one or perhaps two coats, just sufficient to give you a thorough opaque black finish. Sand to 320 grit and clear dust. Don't sand through to the previous layer. Now, you need several coats of clear nitrocellulose (Durobond 851 guitar nitrocellulose lacquer) - the more coats you do, the 'deeper' the finish - go for four or five, sanding between coats to 400 grit. For the last coat, wet-sand it up through 400/800/1200/1500 and more if you can be bothered or depending on how much shine you want. If you want a satin finish, stop at 400, then wire wool gently using OOOO grade. I generally prefer to use musical instrument grade lacquers as they are formulated to be ever so slightly flexible to accommodate the vibration within the wood, although regular nitro will do for your use at a pinch. Throughout all this, dust is your enemy...try and recoat the nitro layers within 72 hours and do ventilate your finishing area properly and wear an appropriate mask. You will often find you have a choice between oil based and water based finishes (paste filler and sanding sealer). You CANNOT mix oil and water based finishes and if I were you, I'd stick to oil based - much easier to use, BUT you MUST thoroughly dry any cloths/rags you use to apply oil based finishes - open them out and let them dry until they're crinkly (a few days at least) and then dispose of them. If you crumple them up whilst still wet, they will spontaneously combust. Oh yes they will...
Wattyl Paintworks do a lot of data sheets (instructions) on most of these techniques, so look them up and read before you start.
Hope this all helps - sorry I'm not too familiar with what's available in AU.
Enjoying the tennis???
Wattyl Paintworks do a lot of data sheets (instructions) on most of these techniques, so look them up and read before you start.
Hope this all helps - sorry I'm not too familiar with what's available in AU.
Enjoying the tennis???
Finishing is an art all on its own! You get out what you put in, however if you really want to simplify it, here's what you can do:
1)Sand the finished boxes as well as you can, to 220 grit.
2)Get as much dust off as you possibly can - this is important.
3)Spray with automotive primer aerosols (in a dark colour if they have it). Worth spending the few bucks to get one of those pistol grip handles that fit on top of aerosol cans. If you can be bothered, spray the inside with primer as well.
4)Spray with automotive finish aerosol, colour of your choice. As many coats as you have the energy/patience for.
5)Sit back, have a beer or three and congratulate yourself on the time and money you saved and can now spend on music instead of paint.
...or you could cover the lot in black vinyl textured cloth and make it look like a Marshall amp...
1)Sand the finished boxes as well as you can, to 220 grit.
2)Get as much dust off as you possibly can - this is important.
3)Spray with automotive primer aerosols (in a dark colour if they have it). Worth spending the few bucks to get one of those pistol grip handles that fit on top of aerosol cans. If you can be bothered, spray the inside with primer as well.
4)Spray with automotive finish aerosol, colour of your choice. As many coats as you have the energy/patience for.
5)Sit back, have a beer or three and congratulate yourself on the time and money you saved and can now spend on music instead of paint.
...or you could cover the lot in black vinyl textured cloth and make it look like a Marshall amp...
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