[GSX-R_Rider]

I recently completed a small sealed sub box build for a Dayton RSS390HO 15" sub. The sub is being used in a 2010 Dodge Caravan. The dimensions are 20"h x 20"w x 10.5"d - I get an internal volume of approximately 1.6 cubic feet. Although not seen in the pictures here, I did line the inside of the box with R13 paper backed fiberglass insulation which is 3.5" and was attached to the inside of the sub walls using an industrial stapler. The front baffle of the sub is double thickness (1.5" MDF). The sub is powered by 320 watts and is crossed over somewhere around 100hz. I chose the Reference HO 15" driver based on my past experience using four RSS390HFs in a home music/theater application documented here:http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/sealed-subwoofer-build-projects/22461-my-rss390hf-build-4-boxes-satin-black.html and here: http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/sealed-subwoofer-build-projects/24559-finished-my-4-dayton-reference-15s-w-room-system-pix-more.html

I ended up using a roll on truck bedliner finish available in the auto parts dept at WalMart and manufactured by Rustoleum ($43/gal). A couple of auto parts stores locally sold other roll on bedliner finishes at $75-$90/gal.......the WalMart brand is significantly cheaper.

I achieved the best results with this bedliner roll on paint by first priming the sub box with a standard cheap spray can primer and then rolling on the bedliner paint with a 6" foam roller. Note that the foam roller I used is a specialty type that resembles a more porous foam like a kitchen sponge than the standard foam rollers I normally use which are dense and best suited for a super smooth finish. I have about six coats on this sub box but that is probably overkill....3 or 4 is more than enough as it rolls on easily and dries quickly. I also used a 1/2" round-over router bit on the exposed edges of the box and then sanded and glue-sized all of the exposed MDF on the box edges to ensure that it would "take" the paint rather than just soak it up.

Performance so far has been excellent. I wasn't sure just how good a 15" driver would sound in a smallish box of this size. I am using an MB Quart DSC480 with a pair of bridged channels powering this sub @ 320 x 1 and the volume and bass extension has been impressive.

 

[Endesereth]

Very cool:T glad you like it!
How is the Dayton RSS390HO 15's sound quality anyway? Been thinking for awhile about building some towers using them!:bigsmile:

 

[GSX-R_Rider]

Very cool:T glad you like it!
How is the Dayton RSS390HO 15's sound quality anyway? Been thinking for awhile about building some towers using them!:bigsmile:

I find the Reference Series HO/HF 15s to be of very high sound quality and very little distortion. Prior to the Reference series subs many of the 15s I had heard in the past were not as tight. For the price I think they are tough to beat at least to my ears. For music reproduction they are my faves.

 

[Endesereth]

K thanks, they do seem like really good woofers(on your other build where you used 4 of them where did you cross them at?). Like the Suzuki GSX-R you have very nice! My parents have to many motorcycles lol

 

[GSX-R_Rider]

Thanks - I have been a Suzuki nut for many years.

The RSS390HF project I built uses a crossover point around 90hz with 12db sloped Linkwitz-Riley filter set up on my dcx2496. I tuned it basically by "ear" rather than a more exact set up using mics, laptop, etc.
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[Mike P.]

Nice sub, the roll on bed liner looks good, I'll give it a try on my next sub. I used spray on bed liner on my last sub, that gets expensive really quick at $12 a can. How much of the gallon did you use on this sub?

 

[GSX-R_Rider]

Nice sub, The roll on bed liner looks good, I'll give it a try on my next sub. I used spray on bed liner on my last sub, that gets expensive really quick at $12 a can. How much of the gallon did you use on this sub?

I think I used maybe 10-15% of the gallon - there is a lot left over for future projects. I too started out buying the spray on bedliner (I think it is a brand called Duraliner approx $9/can) but I quickly realized that it would be more $ than it was worth to spray the whole box w/multiple coats.

I did use the spray can bedliner though to finish the amp rack I built and the results were very good. The spray can affords a little more control over the actual texture and finish of the bedliner but it is not worth the addt'l cost when compared to one gallon of the roll-on variety at $43.

 

[Endesereth]

Ya I have no tech stuff either, so I'll have to tune it by ear too

 

[Ricci]

Looks good.

I agree about the bedliner. It's much better to use the roll on. The amount of spray cans gets ridiculous very quickly.

 

[sub_junkie]

Looks good.

I agree about the bedliner. It's much better to use the roll on. The amount of spray cans gets ridiculous very quickly.

Definitely. I took a whole can to paint just the back of my box. I think I did only one coat also? But, I did put it on quite thick (not too thick though) to get more of a rough look, per the instructions on the can. So, I'm going to hold off painting the rest of my box, to see if I am going to build a new box.

 

[GSX-R_Rider]

Looks good.

I agree about the bedliner. It's much better to use the roll on. The amount of spray cans gets ridiculous very quickly.

Word of warning about the roll on bedliner paint though: the stuff stinks. I am used to oil based paint and it doesn't bother me a bit. This bedliner paint has an odd "rubberized" smell. Best to roll in well ventilated area like a garage with the door open.

I was impatient and popped the sub in the van less than 12 hours after the final coat.....trust me when I tell you the inside of the van smelled like rubber for a couple of days! It did fade away though thankfully.

 

[Ricci]

Yeah. I know that smell all to well. I think it takes a good week or 2 to fully off gas from your enclosures too.