How do I use carbon fiber + MDF wood + glass fiber to make speaker?

[sonyacer]

Which material is the best for diy speaker?

I saw some speaker manufacturer use carbon fiber + MDF wood + glass fiber to make speaker. e.g : Rockport hyperion

Any benifit of this treatment?

If I want to diy a speaker cabinet use carbon fiber + MDF wood + glass fiber to make speaker

How do I do?
Any information?

How do I mixture this material?

[Mudge]

I'm not entirely sure how to go about using carbon fibre for speaker building, but a hybrid MDF + GRP enclosure is an interesting idea.

I would get a GRP fabricator (there are a surprising number of them all over the world) to build spherical shells of appropriate volume for your drivers to sit in. I would then build a wooden enclosure around those shells and line the gap with heavy sound deadening material.
Aside from the obvious problem of needing big spheres for certain driver alignments, I can't think of too many disadvantages, and the lack of internal standing waves and reduced radiation from the sides of the speaker would be a big advantage.

[5th element]

Carbon fibre is easy to work with really and a hybrid could easily be made. As far as I can imagine, you would create a MDF carcas for the speaker and then cover the carcas in carbon fibre.

You can buy carbon fibre easily enough but its quite expensive. You would then buy the epoxy and place the carbon fibre in it so it gets completely saturated with epoxy then simply lay it on the carcas, in a similar way you have a plastercast put on your foot made out of plaster of paris encrusted fabric.

On the other hand you could make a wire frame out of rigid chicken wire and layer carbon fibre on top of this to make odd shaped loudspeakers. The only problem I can think is the front baffle. You would need a good few layers of CF though maybe 10 at a minimum, you would also need bracing.

[Chris8sirhC]

dont you have to "fire" or bake carbon fiber?

[454Casull]

In an oven, yes, to cure the epoxy.

[454Casull]

Originally posted by 5th element
Carbon fibre is easy to work with really and a hybrid could easily be made. As far as I can imagine, you would create a MDF carcas for the speaker and then cover the carcas in carbon fibre.

You can buy carbon fibre easily enough but its quite expensive. You would then buy the epoxy and place the carbon fibre in it so it gets completely saturated with epoxy then simply lay it on the carcas, in a similar way you have a plastercast put on your foot made out of plaster of paris encrusted fabric.

On the other hand you could make a wire frame out of rigid chicken wire and layer carbon fibre on top of this to make odd shaped loudspeakers. The only problem I can think is the front baffle. You would need a good few layers of CF though maybe 10 at a minimum, you would also need bracing.

I think it would be more useful to brace CF than to increase its thickness. Its strength is already high enough, but it likes to flex, IIRC.

[b-square]

Prepreg (meaning it comes from the manufacturer impregnated with epoxy) is not that expensive, but it can be very challenging to work with. Not a good first fabrication project. Stick with good old cheap MDF and wood glue to start.

[5th element]

You dont need to fire CF at all, thats only if your epoxy requres it. Just buy one that doesnt.

[5th element]

Originally posted by 454Casull

I think it would be more useful to brace CF than to increase its thickness. Its strength is already high enough, but it likes to flex, IIRC.

I agree thats why I mentioned bracing it

The CF that we have at home however would probably produce a 15mm thick enclosure if done up to 10 layers. If I was going to put in the effort to make a CF enclosure, id sure as hell want to make it well.

[wytco0]

I like the idea of a Carbon Fibre wrap for cosmetic reasons, buts its strength and rigidity could probably benefit the structure as well.

Has anyone seen a CF wrapped speaker cabinet?