Please check my cabinet construction strength Pics

[warnerwh]

Here's the main part of the cabinet. I'd just like a set of experienced eyes to look at it and see if structurally it will be sound(not intended). The exterior dimensions are 19w x 36h x 28.25d.

The front baffle with be triple thick. The driver, Dayton 15" HiFi, will be lower than center and cross bracing above it from the front baffle to the back of the cabinet will be added after putting on the baffle.

It's not as pretty as the construction pictures I've seen but at least appears to be rigid enough at least to me. If not I can add whatever you guys think I should. All the side panels have been glued and screwed. The 2x2 pieces in the corner were glued and nailed.

The cross braces are glued and screwed with 2.5" screws. Where the cross braces intersect they're glued and screwed with 2.5" screws. The holes were countersunk here .5" and filled with hot glue so there's no chance of them coming out.

Thank You

[PMazz]

Screws are notoriously weak connections into end grain of solid wood. Run the longest coarse thread screws you can find (usually 4" long drywall screws) and always pre-drill.

Other than that it looks like a tank!

Pete

[Rolex]

What type of glue did you use to hold the box together?

The idea behind gluing and screwing a cabinet together is for the screws to hold long enough for the glue to set. Meaning, you want the strongest glue you can get your hands on. Epoxy would be overkill, but elmers probably won't cut it.

[plincoln]

What type of glue did you use to hold the box together?

The idea behind gluing and screwing a cabinet together is for the screws to hold long enough for the glue to set. Meaning, you want the strongest glue you can get your hands on. Epoxy would be overkill, but elmers probably won't cut it.

standard wood glue is just fine, but something like a poly glue that expands is even better...gorilla glue is one specific brand, and I think tite-bond and elmer now also make poly glues that are half the cost of the gorilla.

[warnerwh]

I use high strength hot glue set on the high setting. I've used it to hold wood together before and it holds well. If you try to separate the wood it will rip the wood off before the glue separates.

[Rolex]

titebond makes a poly, but it doesn't expand. You have to be careful with expandable glues, they can pull your corners out of shape....

You may want to research a little and step away from the hot glue. Just a suggestion...

[warnerwh]

titebond makes a poly, but it doesn't expand. You have to be careful with expandable glues, they can pull your corners out of shape....

You may want to research a little and step away from the hot glue. Just a suggestion...

Are you talking about over a period of time the corners can move away?

If so the corners are not hot glued but only have drywall screws holding them. Then there's a 2x2 in each corner for extra strength glued, nailed and now screwed. This is all sealed with caulk.

The reason I used hot glue is because I've used it before and had to dismantle it. The wood separated but the glue held together so the stuff is pretty strong at least with regular wood.

With the cross braces all connected to each other if anything moves they all have to move. There's not alot of wiggle room left.

My goal had at first been to build a super beefy cabinet that would have been overkill. I have looked at alot of pics and wonder if some of them couldn't have been designed differently to save time, money and they should still weigh plenty. It also allows for a bit more internal volume(my goal).

Then I decided to minimize the design but to retain integrity. The best test however is real world use. I've never designed anything like this. I have had however several decades of working with complex machines. A subwoofer is sort of like a machine only different. Wood is however different than metals.

One thing that concerns me with a sealed cabinet is heat. This cabinet should be completely air tight when I'm done. Over a period of an hour or two I'd think the internal volume would increase in temperature 10-15 degrees in effect changing the performance. How is what I don't know nor if it is enough to be audible.

[Dennis H]

One thing that concerns me with a sealed cabinet is heat. This cabinet should be completely air tight when I'm done. Over a period of an hour or two I'd think the internal volume would increase in temperature 10-15 degrees in effect changing the performance. How is what I don't know nor if it is enough to be audible.

You need a pinhole leak somewhere. Most people will get enough leakage around the driver screws to do it. Otherwise you can have 'bulging driver' problems like Randy did when he went to extremes, like Teflon tape on the screws, to get it completely airtight.

https://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23085