Mid-bass Baffles - HDPE, Acrylic, MDF, or ???

[Bnlcmbcar]

If I had a way to cut aluminum, that would be awesome!...

BTW, those are sweet looking baffles! Nice and shiny!

Yea I didn’t make them myself. I wish I had the tools too. I sent measurements to another user: WhereAmEye? and he hooked it up.

[bbfoto]

As others have stated, don't use MDF or any type of wood....there's no need to. Plastics are readily available and not that expensive.

I personally prefer HDPE if I need baffles that are 3/4" thick overall or thicker just due to it's density and "deadening" properties.
It's also much easier and safer to machine with a router than other harder, more brittle plastics.


I'll make a 1/4" HDF tempate of my desired finished baffle shape first. Then I cut the HDPE with a jigsaw as close as I can to
the finished template outline using a plastic-cutting jigsaw blade.

Attach the 1/4" HDF template to the HDPE using 3-4 small countersunk screws from the underside (you can't count on template
tape to reliably hold to the HDPE) and finish it on the router so the HDPE matches your 1/4" HDF template.

I countersink flat-bottomed holes into the HDPE for machine screws with flat washers (as per the aluminum rings shown) with a
5/16"-3/8" diameter 4-flute carbide square-end mill bit. Then drill out the screw shaft holes with a self-centering drill bit.

You want to leave at least 3/8" of meat in the HDPE's mounting holes below the flat washers. I'll usually only countersink as
deep as required so that the machine screw head with flat washer sit just below the outer surface of the HDPE.


Be REALLY carefull if you'll be using the router on 1/4"+ thick ABS, Acrylic, Lexan, etc, if you haven't done it before. The bit can
easily grab the piece and send the workpiece, and your hands and fingers flying before you even have a chance to react.


For cutting plastics of any type, I prefer 3-4 flute bits for this rather than bits with just 2 flutes or cutting edges.


Good luck.

[dcfis]

Nobody doing that Lowe's extruded pvc shelfing anymore?

[mumbles]

I'll just add not to use 'cutting boards' that you get from HD or WallyWorld... not true HDPE and will eventually develop stress cracks.

[chithead]

I'll just add not to use 'cutting boards' that you get from HD or WallyWorld... not true HDPE and will eventually develop stress cracks.

I actually discovered that just screwing the speakers into the material. Split and cracked the mess out of some baffles that had just spent an hour fabricating

Not sure if anyone else has tried the PVC Deck Boards you get from Lowe's or Home Depot, but I used them in the Challenger and had good luck. Cheap too!

[Hillbilly SQ]

I've never had issues with the better quality cutting boards I get from Wallyworld. it's the white 3/8" one you get for like $12 and can get 4 6x9 adapter rings out of each one. And mills nice for recessing bolts or whatever you need to do.

[chithead]

Think I got that one set from the Mighty Dollar or Dollar Tree or something. But those, man. Was frustrating to spend all the time with the jigsaw and router, then SNAP!

[papacueball]

Helps to drill the right size pilot hole for the screws, or use threaded inserts. Never had a problem using Wal-Mart cutting boards.