1" pine boards for subwoofer enclosure

[calebh]

Hi all,

Was just wondering if anyone had experience or opinions on using 1" thick pine boards for building a subwoofer enclosure. 3/4 plywood and mdf are readily available in my area (and I know are generally recommended), but I've seen some 1" think pine boards for a good price which I could use making a minimal amount of cuts. This is going to be a small 4th order bandbass at ~12x12x24". Assuming proper bracing is used, what are peoples thoughts?

Thanks,
caleb

[Inductor]

Do you mean Solid Pine Floor Boards?!
15 inch wide like this?

[calebh]

Originally Posted by Inductor

Do you mean Solid Pine Floor Boards?!
15 inch wide like this?

Yes, solid wood boards as opposed to laminate.

[audiomagnate]

Not a good idea, IMO for two reasons: Solid wood tends to warp, and pine is a softwood and not very dense. Now a solid bubinga sub wood be cool...

[Inductor]

If they are really dry (old/recycled) and they don't have wood knots (very important), it can work. I have speakers (60L) made of solid pine. In the long run it's said to warp. Make the baffles - front and rear - of plywood (screwed not glued). Different materials tend to move differently making the wood to crack when it's glued.

[tvrgeek]

Glue is completely sufficient if you know what you are doing. It should be stronger than the wood. That said, I much prefer plywood for sub boxes. My main ones are a plywood/ceramic plate lamination. Very very rigid.

[Rullknufs]

Originally Posted by Inductor

and they don't have wood knots (very important)

I'm just a little curios, why is this so very important? Is it because they are really hard or is it for some other, to me unknown, reason?

[GM]

Depends on the type of pine and whether it's dried out. The Southern Yellow Pine I've used is so hard once dried out it dulls cheap drill bits and requires pilot holes to drive nails in, so never had a problem with all the cabs I built for others way back when for as long as they kept them.

The downside is that it's hard finding any really straight ones as they tend to warp once pulled free from whatever they were attached to, so ideally you want to get some that's been lying around loose for awhile to choose from if you don't have a power planer.

The softer pines need considerable bracing when used for 'sub' duty, so considering your cab size, the easiest way is to double up the panels if that's what is available and of course, as already noted, no knots or any signs of splitting.

GM

[GM]

Originally Posted by Rullknufs

I'm just a little curios, why is this so very important? Is it because they are really hard or is it for some other, to me unknown, reason?

Knots tend to come loose and vibrate and/or create a leak as they dry out in the pines I've used. Recently, I had to replace some of my home's ~35 yr old pine fascia boards due to knots finally popping loose.

Of course one can deal knots if desired. A pair of MLTL cabs made from ~175 yr old barn siding that once planed flat were so striking, knots included, that I flowed super glue into the joints on the outside and fiberglass-ed over them on the inside. ~12 yrs later they are still so rigid, 'tight' that they sound almost metallic when tapped with a hammer down near the bottom where there's no damping.

GM

[calebh]

Thanks for the input everyone. I may just stick with more conventional materials for the moment.