Enclosures
I am usually asked where I learned to work with fiberglass, or where an individual can go for a good write-up for the purpose of learn how to fiberglass.
I've never had a answer until now. I didn't"go"anywhere to learn other than the Internet and my garage, and can't suggest any of the Internet sites I'm familiar with as each has distinct drawbacks.
It seems that they are either corporate write-ups that are only out to promote their own expensive products, amateur write-ups that are thrown together and may have inaccuracies, or manufacturer's sites which simply show the steps taken in great detail lacking the imperative background (Alpine's site as an example). I am in no position to discount any of those sources for information ever since they are rudimentaryally all I have had in my personal fiberglassing education, but I hope to go above and beyond their usefulness to the every day weekend customizer. I plan to do so by bringing the information from those sites partnered with my experience and presenting the information as simply as possible. I will hones in on keeping costs and the time involved down as much as possible, but the advantages of incorperating fiberglass will always come with an added cost in both dollars and time when compared to "cookie-cutter" MDF, and stock speaker location installations. Finally, even though I have reachd some level of success and of course a ton of experience for an "amateur" I attribute most of that to the amount of time I'm willing to spend redoing my own mistakes rather than to any talent or special knowledge. If you think you know a better way to do something you should, obviously, do it your way.
The key is to get a feel for what your frame will look like once you have stretched fleece over it. Originally you can likely end up with nothing close to what you were expecting for your final shape. Be certain that you take your time developing your frame because if it isn't square you can waste a ton of time making the final product square later. Make sure you plan out where any LCD screens, amplifer(s), ports etc. will be going at this stage and remember to ponder where any wires will run. At times you have to be very inivative in how wires will get from one place to another inside a box (ex. the wires going to the 13" screen in the Escape's box above).
At one time you are glad with your frame you can drape the fleece over it ensuring that you have plenty overhanging all sides. Start in the middle stapling the fleece to your frame stretching it hard and working outward in an even radial manner. It is imparitive that you be certain that you start in the middle and stretch out in each direction from there evenly. Upon completion, place your work on a drop cloth, put on some latex gloves, and mix your resin. I suggest using a flexible Tupperware type bowl (about 40 oz size). With Tupperware after any unused resin hardens you can flex the bowl and crack the resin out so you can recycle the bowl for quite a while. Make sure to follow the directions for mixing the accurate amount of hardener. Finally, "paint" the resin onto the fleece. The tendency is to not apply enough resin and there is no real drawback to useing too much so be aggressive.
At this point the enclosure is bendable and weak. The mat is used to add strength. You are going to have to make a determination based on the size of the enclosure and the output of the subs you can be using how many layers of mat you can need, but it will be at the very least three and most likely not more than ten. The size and shape of the pieces of mat you can use will be up to you in each situation. I would suggest starting with 4"x6" pieces." Paint" some resin onto the surface of the fleece, place the 4"x6" piece of mat on the fleece and then paint over the top of the mat to completely soak it with resin. Move rapidly until the entire surface has been covered, slightly overlapping each near by piece of mat. Use whatever method of dabbing or brushing enables you to avoid air bubbles to the fullest extent. A trick to help avoid bubbles around curves and edges is to tear the mat rather than cut it with a scissor. The torn ends are much easier to force into a shape of your choosing. Take care around the edges where the fleece meets the MDF. The mat and resin will stick and seal to the MDF as well as they will to the fleece and you want to take advantage of that fact to be certain the edges are sealed. Repeat this procedure as many times as is imperative for the purpose of reach the level of strength you require. With enough properly applied layers fiberglass can withstand amazing abuse.