We make podiums. Masterclass by a crooked master :).: Lada 2112, 1.5 l., 2003 on DRIVE2

Why do you need to make podiums for speakers in a car with your own hands? There are several answers to this question. A podium for dynamic drivers is needed when the car owner plans to change the configuration of the speaker systems. This may include increasing the number of speakers or installing new, more powerful devices that are too large to fit into the old footprint. In addition, by making a podium for the speakers with your own hands, you can choose any direction of the sound flow of the speaker. It can be aimed forward, upward or towards rear seat passengers.

Installation structures for loudspeakers are divided into internal and external. The internal seat is located on the door, front panel or ceiling of the cabin. External podiums are designed to accommodate high-power speakers and have a heavier construction. Speaker mounting locations must meet certain requirements. Structural elements should not impede the free circulation of air inside the acoustic space, otherwise this will create interference when reproducing low frequencies. There should be no “tunnel” in front of the diffuser, which significantly worsens the sound quality.

What you need to know about podiums

So:

Acoustic podiums have many advantages. If you simply install a speaker, for example, in a car door, then without a podium the sound will not be clear enough.
The podium is very easy to attach, since it is not necessary to cut through the iron in the door. But thanks to the podium, various overtones will disappear, low frequencies will be added, and sound transparency will improve, so beloved by connoisseurs and professionals.

Acoustic podiums on daewoo nexia

Wanting to install better acoustics, a car owner often encounters a problem. The fact is that good acoustic speakers can be large and many cars simply do not have space for them. For this reason, many make podiums with their own hands and install them correctly.

Note. One of the secrets of installing podiums in a car is the rigid mounting of the speaker. The more firmly it sits in the podium, the better the sound will be and, moreover, the higher the timbre coloring will be. To ensure rigidity, the podiums are placed on acoustic shelves, but are rarely used independently.

Speakers installed in ready-made podiums give a completely different sound than if they were played without them:

It is best to make a podium from wood, since this material is acoustically combined with the metal of the car frame.
The podium allows you to solve technical issues related to installing speakers. But this is not its only advantage. Thanks to the podiums, surround sound is created in the car.

Classic acoustic podium

In addition to traditional acoustic problems, podiums can also solve aesthetic ones. In particular, the use of a podium is very beautiful, since it always fits into the design of the car interior, if, of course, the color tones and upholstery material are taken into account.
Podiums will allow you to highlight non-standard and original speakers or, on the contrary, hide acoustics that are not very attractive in appearance from prying eyes.
Podiums can be made not only from wood, but also from fiberglass or carbon fiber.
Podiums can be trimmed with various materials: carpet, artificial leather, Alcantara, etc.

This is interesting: Installing and connecting a Pioneer car radio with your own hands

All about horn acoustics and extras. equipment for it

Features of horn-type speakers

Remember the device that was used to amplify voices back in those distant times when not only the concept of car audio, but also the cars themselves did not exist? That's right, this is a megaphone - an expanding metal pipe that was used when it was necessary to shout loudly. By the way, one example of horn speakers is bells (external speakers mounted with flashing lights on the cars of those in power).

Horn-type speakers that are installed in a car work on the same principle. They differ from a regular tweeter by the presence of an expanding bell, which provides a completely different sound from the speaker. Among the advantages of such a constructive solution, we highlight:

High sensitivity of horn speakers. This figure reaches 120 dB, which is not available with standard dome tweeters. Thanks to this, the horns create significantly greater acoustic pressure at the front, even with low amplifier power.
More accurate directional pattern of sound waves. When choosing this type of acoustics, you get the opportunity to play with the sound in a small car, and choose a sound option that will be more pleasant to your ear.

And most importantly, all horn speakers sound louder and louder, and the sound palette itself is more natural. By the way, this decision was highly appreciated by those who like to provide music not only for themselves, but also for everyone around them. Horn speakers are great at covering large distances and areas.

Let’s say right away that it’s difficult to get ultra-quality sound with horns. And you shouldn’t count on it too much. The main purpose is to provide the highest possible volume even with limited power from the head unit or amplifier.

What are the main difficulties in making podiums for horns?

Despite all their advantages, horns are not widely used, especially in amateur car audio. This type of speaker is mainly used in the professional field. This is due not only to the high cost of high-quality horns, but also to significant installation difficulties.

If you decide to install a horn tweeter yourself, be prepared to solve the following problems:

The increased height of the speaker makes installation impossible without the use of special podiums. And if for ordinary tweeters a pair of spacer rings is enough, then the horn will require a serious and complex design, which is calculated in accordance with the laws of acoustics.
The design of the podium should provide a clear focus on the listener. Any displacement from the radiation axis will lead to a deterioration in the perception of music and the appearance of distortions. That is, a significant amount of money that you spend on expensive devices will simply be thrown away.

Please also take into account that standard installation locations on the panel are of little use for horn speakers. The fact is that such speakers sound better when mounted at the level of the driver's head. Therefore, you will have to use your imagination and choose the location of the horns that best matches this height.

In addition, you will need knowledge in the field of modeling the shape of the podium, the ability to work with polymer materials, polyester resins, and fiberglass. Doesn't this list scare you? Then you can make and install the horn yourself. True, this will take more than one day, and without any guarantee of the expected result. It is much easier to entrust all this work to us.

Our solutions for manufacturing podiums for horn speakers

First of all, we will evaluate the horns you have chosen, get acquainted with the finishing features of the car, and analyze the possibility of stretching the acoustic stage to the most comfortable level. The class of your car doesn't matter, we have solutions for any car. At the same time, we will offer you affordable options in various price segments:

Need something inexpensive? We have ready-made matrices for podiums that are suitable for various models of budget and mid-range cars. Based on them, we will quickly and efficiently make a plastic podium, taking into account the size of the selected speaker. This option is cheaper, and it will take much less time to manufacture and install.
Do you want to get an exclusive result? Please. We will develop an individual podium that will fit seamlessly into any salon. We work with premium segment horns and will help you choose, taking into account the capabilities of the head unit. If necessary, we will advise on the construction of a car acoustic system that will meet your sound quality requirements.

So, we performed an assessment, determined the shape of the podium, and figured out the materials that we will use. We can get down to business.

Main installation locations for horn speakers

Beginners make their first mistake already at this stage. They stuck the speaker under the door trim or in the center panel, directed the speaker at the feet or at the ceiling, because it’s much easier. And the speaker itself will handle the rest, because that’s what it’s designed for. But it's not that simple. Remember the following rules:

There should be no obstacles between the speaker and the listener's head. Therefore, it is worth choosing an installation location so that it is located as close as possible to the level of the hearing organs. Installation at the bottom of the doors will not give the expected effect; leave this sector for other elements of multi-component acoustics.
The direction of the horn is of great importance. We chose the wrong angle of rotation of the podium - we shifted the accents of the sound, resulting in a blurry sound image. It is best to install a pair of high-frequency horns so that they are both aimed at a point between the driver and passenger. In this case, none of the speakers will pull the sound towards themselves.

It was necessary to install horn acoustics in various structural elements of the interior, it all depends on the characteristics of the car. The most common solutions:

Installation in the central panel. The simplest option from a technical point of view. There is enough space, you can install a horn with a large mounting depth. The main difficulty lies in choosing the optimal direction for the speaker. In most cases, you will need a volumetric podium that allows you to rotate the speaker to the required angle. But this will lead to a deterioration in visibility, and such a design will look inorganic. Therefore, we resort to such a solution only in extreme cases.
Installing horn tweeters in the front pillars. This method has a number of advantages - the ability to place the speaker at the level of the listener’s head, a wide range of direction adjustments, and no obstacles in the path of sound wave propagation. It is this arrangement that is most often used on various brands of cars.
Installation of side mirrors in the triangle. Another one of the most popular options. This solution will appeal to those who like to listen to music outside the car. Just open the door and enjoy the capabilities of the speaker system, even from a considerable distance. And inside the car, the sound quality will be at an excellent level. The advantage of this option is that in this area you can even make a podium for a large high-frequency speaker. And we have experience in solving such problems.

Modern fashion for car audio

Today, most modern vehicles come with standard speakers. However, lovers of loud music in cars are often not satisfied with their sound, so they buy larger speakers. In this case, a different kind of problem arises - how to install large-sized equipment in the cabin so that, on the one hand, it does not disturb passengers, and on the other hand, to create truly clear sound?

One of the common ways to solve the problem is to make podiums for speakers. They can not only improve sound quality, but also take the performance of the speaker system to a whole new level.

A DIY acoustic shelf allows you to mount speakers of different sizes and shapes

Beautiful podiums for speakers - we do it ourselves

Many car enthusiasts prefer to listen to the radio or their favorite tracks while driving. In this case, special attention is paid to the quality of acoustics in the car interior. A standard acoustic system does not always allow you to embody all the subtleties of your favorite composition in a high-quality manner. Therefore, in some cases, in order to improve sound quality, car enthusiasts resort to the simplest method - they try to make podiums for speakers with their own hands.

2 What are podiums 2.1 What are speaker shelves used for?
2.2 What types of podiums are there?

3 How to make universal podiums for speakers
3.1.2 Video: how to make a podium in a car door with your own hands
3.2 Making a podium in machine racks 3.2.1 Photo: the main stages of making a shelf in racks

3.2.2 Video: how to make your own shelf in racks for tweeters and tweeters

3.3 Algorithm for making a podium on the ceiling of a car

3.3.1 Photo: step-by-step production of a plywood shelf

4 Installation and fastening of the podium in the car

Making a platform for a column

Measure the size of the speaker for the radio. And also take measurements of the protective mesh.
Draw a ring on the cardboard, taking into account the fact that the internal diameter corresponds to the diameter of the place where the column will be planted. And the outer diameter of the ring is equal to the diameter of the protective mesh. To get it right, you need to add 6 mm to the annular diameter. For a decorative ring.
Transfer the cardboard model onto a sheet of plywood and trace it. It is better to take plywood of at least 8 mm.
Cut out all the details - shapes. It is better to glue the decorative ring to the base and attach it with small nails.

What should you pay attention to?

How to make podiums for speakers with your own hands? In practice, this is not difficult, but some features of such additional equipment should be taken into account. First of all, you should choose the optimal shape for the podium. In particular, make sure that this element will not interfere with the door handles or window regulators. Also, you should not cling to the podium during operation.

Decoration is no less important. But here we are mainly talking about the finishing features. It is recommended to select a material similar to the main interior trim.

Design development

. Here, first of all, you should choose the optimal shape of the podium. It is desirable that it be compatible with the style of the interior. The selected option is first drawn on cardboard. After which they are transferred to suitable plywood, it is better to choose it with a thickness of 6-8 mm. Next you should use a jigsaw. With its help, the workpiece is cut out. It is better to immediately make 2 patterns, for the right and left doors. At this stage, problems usually do not arise. You just need to carefully measure the size, otherwise you will only ruin the material.

Skeleton decoration

The fixed rings must be covered with thick fabric. Secure the fabric around the perimeter with a stapler. You can put a small object inside the cut out ring. It is important to stretch the fabric well, which will give the entire structure greater strength later. You can treat the places where the fabric and rings come into contact with Super Glue, which will also have a positive effect on strength;
saturate the fabric with polyester resin. Please note that the resin only reacts with the hardener after a few minutes. Be sure to follow the proportions. Leave the cards for several hours for the resin to dry;
After drying, mix a new portion of resin. After pre-wetting the surface of the podium, apply glass mat around the perimeter. The places where the podiums meet the door frame must be sanded. Fiberglass mat, like fiberglass, must be smoothed with a brush. Make sure that there are no air bubbles left on the surface;
For strength, place one layer of dense glass mat on each side. Wait for each layer to dry completely;
clean off the lumps of dried resin with sandpaper;
lay another layer of fiberglass with a density of 150 grams/sq. m. And then another layer with a density of 600 grams/sq. m.

After drying, trim off excess pieces of fiberglass. The final shape of the product is given by putty. It is advisable to use a special putty for plastic. Further processing is no different from the usual preparation of a part for painting. You can find all the necessary theoretical material in the “Painting” section.

Travel trailer for travel: choosing the right one

VAZ 2110;
Ford Focus;
Chevrolet Niva;
Chevrolet Lacetti;
Daewoo Lanos;
Lada Priora;
Nissan Qashqai;
VAZ 21099;
Lada Kalina;
Mitsubishi Lancer, etc.

Cars usually already have standard, factory-installed speakers or at least mounting holes for them. The dimensions and shapes themselves depend directly on the specific brand of vehicle. Domestic cars usually have speakers with a standard diameter of 13 cm, while foreign cars have speakers with 10 cm, 16 cm, 16.5, 20 and even 25 cm. 6x9 podiums are also extremely popular.

For doors, speakers are used that have oval or no less common round shapes. Depending on what kind of car you have, you need to consider the shape when choosing a speaker. Although in reality any form can be used. After all, the main task of the podium is to ensure reliable and strong fixation. This is what gives the sound volume and improves clarity.

And if you are still thinking about whether to make it yourself or buy it, I advise you to study the range of finished products, look for podiums for the rear or front doors for your car, compare prices and decide.

Homemade designs will be cheaper. But here you will have to work hard, take the production into your own hands and try to achieve the maximum result. Otherwise you will be disappointed.

This is interesting: How to choose an inexpensive and good radio for your car

We do it ourselves

If you try, the homemade podium will not be much different from the factory one. But the price will be much less. Plus an additional reason for pride.

To complete the work you will need a set consisting of:

plywood (take a thickness of about 6-8 mm);
PVA;
epoxy;
cardboard;
degreaser;
nylon tights;
polyurethane foam;
paints;
putties;
leather or fabric (will be tight);
scissors;
pencil;
hacksaw or jigsaw;
sandpaper;
spatula;
stationery knife.

I will say right away that in this case we are considering the option of making a homemade speaker podium, which will later be installed with your own hands in the front or rear doors of the car. Often a speaker with a diameter of 13 cm is used here. But no one bothers to make a design for the rear shelf.

But size is not key. The entire preparation procedure looks like this:

think over the shape of the podium;
take measurements of the speaker and its special protective mesh;
the diameter of the ring here will be exactly equal to the diameter of the corresponding landing socket or place on the future podium;
the external diameter of the existing ring we need, in turn, corresponds to the diameter of the tread (protective) mesh;
a sketch is drawn on cardboard;
the template is cut out;
applied to plywood;
outlined and cut out;
a perfectly even hole is cut for the podium.

Do everything as accurately as possible so that no problems arise later.

If you are done with this, proceed to the next step.

Manufacturing process

You have already made the preparation. But it’s too early to relax. There is still a lot of work ahead.

A layer of polyurethane foam is applied to the surface of the workpiece;
The foam hardens, and the required shape is given with a blade or sharp knife;
Next, apply 1-2 layers of putty;
When it dries, make the product smooth using sandpaper;
The product is painted in a suitable color;
It is better to apply the paint in 3 layers;
An alternative to painting is upholstery with fabric or leather;
The banner is secured with glue.

The installation process finishes it all off. The most optimal method of fastening is installation using self-tapping screws on the inside of the existing door trim. This will preserve the sound quality, ensure reliable fixation, and at the same time definitely will not spoil the appearance of the interior and the podium structure in particular.

Do not forget to additionally use soundproofing materials. They are used to make noise on doors. This is not necessary, but it is useful and effective.

I think you have figured out how to make podiums in the doors. They can also be installed in rear shelves and racks.

How to make universal podiums for speakers

In most cases, you can do without investing in the purchase of factory podiums and make the element yourself. It's not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.

To successfully make a podium you will need the following materials:

plywood 6–8 mm thick;
degreaser;
cardboard;
polyurethane foam;
putty;
glue;
epoxy adhesive;
nylon tights;
dye;
fabric or leather for covering.

In order to put your idea into practice without any difficulties, it is best to prepare the necessary tools in advance:

scissors;
hacksaw/jigsaw;
pencil;
stationery knife/blade;
sandpaper;
putty knife.

Almost all the tools and materials for making podiums are available on the farm of an experienced craftsman

Dimensions and shape of the acoustic podium

The technology described below involves the manufacture of podiums for speakers located in the front or rear doors of the car. Most often, there is one speaker with a diameter of 13 centimeters in the door. However, regardless of its size, the podium manufacturing technology will be the same:

First you need to figure out what kind of podium shape is suitable for the interior of your car.
It is necessary to measure both the dimensions of the existing speaker and the dimensions of its protective mesh.
The diameter of the speaker ring will correspond to the diameter of the seat for it in the podium. And the outer diameter of the ring will be equal to the diameter of the protective mesh.
Once you have approved the form, you need to draw it on a piece of cardboard.
The resulting template must be carefully cut with scissors.
Next, we apply the template to a piece of plywood and trace it with a pencil.
For two doors we will need two plywood blanks that can be cut with a hacksaw or jigsaw.
It is necessary to cut out the hole in the podium as accurately as possible, since if the proportions are violated, the speaker in the pocket will not be securely fixed.

Photo: correct procedure for making a shelf in a car door

It is recommended to carefully calculate all the parameters of the speaker in order to cut out a ring with the required dimensions. The hole must exactly follow the shape of the podium. Giving the podium volume and the desired shape is an important stage of the procedure.

The process of creating podiums for speakers does not end here. The workpiece must go through several more stages of design.

In order to give the plywood podium an attractive appearance, polyurethane foam is usually used. It is applied to the surface of the plywood. Then you need to do the following:

when the foam has completely hardened, you need to work on the shape using a stationery knife or blade - you can give the workpiece absolutely any shape;
After initial processing, you will need to apply one or two layers of putty to the product. After it has dried, you will need to give the podium the smoothest and most embossed shape possible by treating it with fine-grained sandpaper;
the resulting product can be painted in any color, and it is advisable to paint in three layers for deep color saturation;
As another design option, reupholstery is also allowed - that is, the use of elastic fabrics that can be attached using adhesives to decorate the podiums. You can cover the podium blanks with almost any type of fabric or artificial leather, but you should take into account the practicality of the material and its durability.

Upholstery with artificial leather is one of the most labor-intensive stages in design.

Video: how to make a podium in a car door with your own hands

The process of creating podiums - from coming up with the shape to cutting the foam and polishing the workpiece - turns into a real art for creative people. Every car enthusiast can feel like a sculptor creating a masterpiece!

Made of plywood and treated with polyurethane foam, this podium is no different from the factory one

Making a podium in machine racks

The option of placing shelves in racks is more complicated due to the fact that they will need to be dismantled. However, it is quite possible for a neat car enthusiast to independently manufacture podiums on racks.

So, the work consists of performing the following steps:

Dismantling the racks.
The position of the speakers and their height on the stand should be carefully calculated so that they do not obstruct the driver’s view.
In the right place you will need to screw the speaker cup with self-tapping screws.
After this, you can use nylon to give the stand the desired shape.
Next, the product is treated with epoxy glue to give it greater strength.
To make the stand look smooth and even, you can lightly sand its surface with sandpaper, and then apply epoxy glue again.
Then a layer of putty is applied, and after it dries, the final sanding of the stand is carried out.

Further, at the request of the car enthusiast, you can either paint the rack or reupholster it.

Photo: the main stages of making shelves in racks

Dismantling the racks must be carried out with the utmost care so as not to damage the interior trim. The choice of mounting location for the speaker cups is decisive at this stage of podium manufacturing. The podiums are ready for decoration.

In general, the process of manufacturing podiums in racks is similar to the technology for processing podiums for car doors.

Video: how to make your own shelf in racks for tweeters and tweeters

Algorithm for making a podium for a car ceiling

The podium on the ceiling of the car is characterized by large dimensions, since the largest speakers are usually located in this place.

Despite this, any car owner can make a podium on the ceiling - you just need to very carefully install the structure:

It will be necessary to dismantle the headliner so as not to damage it during operation.
The shape and appearance of the podium are selected based on the size of the speaker.
Usually plywood and polyurethane foam are also used.

Obviously, the procedure for manufacturing ceiling podiums is similar to the similar process in the production of door podiums.

It is noteworthy that these schemes for the manufacture and further design of podiums are suitable for any type of speakers - both round and oval. Regardless of the available speaker dimensions (13, 16, 20 and 25, as well as oval 6*9), the podium will fulfill its main purpose - to improve the sound quality of the acoustics in the cabin and securely fix the speaker in the desired position.

Photo: step-by-step production of a plywood shelf

The procedure requires caution, as it is easy to damage the interior trim. It is necessary to accurately calculate the dimensions of the podium based on the dimensions of the speaker. The workpiece must be treated with polyurethane foam, sanded and painted.

Where to put the acoustic podium

There are 2 ways to install an acoustic podium: monolithic and framed. Let's consider their features.

A monolithic podium is made using the “wet” method: a cement or concrete screed is constructed over the entire surface of the podium. The frame podium is a frame covered with two layers of plywood.

The advantages of the monolithic method are obvious: the result is a reliable, moisture-resistant podium. This podium is very easy to make and decorate. The disadvantage of a monolithic podium is that it creates too much load and it is impossible to hide communications in it.

The frame podium, on the contrary, is very light and multifunctional. You can even install drawers in it. Since the frame podium is empty inside, there is a need to isolate sound. Therefore, mineral wool or polyethylene must be placed under all supports and between the sheathing. There should be a small gap between the frame podium and the wall to allow the material to expand. And between the wall and the monolithic podium there should be a thick tape to prevent the possibility of concrete cracking.

Preparing to install an acoustic podium

To make an acoustic podium yourself, you don’t need any special skills - you just need to have the desire and be careful. The materials needed to create a podium can be purchased at any hardware store for a very affordable price. An important point is to accurately take measurements and determine the location of the future podium:

For greater convenience, you need to remove the door panel. If it has a speaker, that should also be removed. The size of the future podium depends on the number of speakers and their sizes, as well as on the area of free space on the door panel.
Make a template for the podium base from cardboard directly on the door panel, which will later be transferred to the plywood
Cut a ring (from the same cardboard) to fit the size of the speaker
To accurately determine the final height of the podium, you need to take into account that it does not protrude too much, otherwise it will interfere with the legs of the passengers sitting in front. A large podium makes it possible to install large speakers. The main thing is that it is comfortable and does not spoil the main interior of the car.
If you want to slightly “recess” the speaker into the podium, make a frame from plywood and glue it along the contour to the main platform
The correctly chosen design of the future acoustic podium is very important: it improves and makes the overall interior stylish.

Giving the basic shape

There is a known method in which blanks cut from MDF are placed on construction foam. We find this option extremely inconvenient. As the foam hardens, it tends to expand, so there is a risk of changing the position of the workpieces. But the main drawback is the labor-intensive process of cutting the foam to give the podiums an aesthetic shape.

For example, let's look at how to make podiums for speakers from MDF board, fabric, fiberglass and polyester resin. The podiums and door card will be a monolithic structure. To create a basic design you will need:

make the necessary measurements. You need to cut a ring from an MDF board, the inner diameter of which will correspond to the outer diameter of the speaker housing. This way we will get a seat for the speakers. If you plan to place a pair of speakers next to each other, you can join them together at the stage of cutting out the slab. Please note that the structure must be strong enough, so the width and thickness of the cut out shape must be at least 10 mm;
get rid of the protrusions on the door card that will interfere with the installation of the speakers.
cut small pieces from MDF plates that will be used as stops for the rings. Please note that for best sound, the speakers should be positioned at an acute angle to the driver. Self-tapping screws can be used for fastening. If possible, use mounting angles;
secure the rings. Carefully adjust the stops to maintain symmetry of the shape on opposite door panels.

Stages of manufacturing and installation of the podium

1. Mold making

First of all, before starting to install the structure, you need to decide on a suitable location for it. When conceiving a form, you are limited only by your own creative imagination, but we must not forget not only about the aesthetic and design side, but also about the practical one.

IMPORTANT! When developing and installing the structure on their own, very often beginners do not take into account that the podium can interfere with the view of the rear view (podium towards the rear speakers) or make it impossible to open the doors or operate the power window. Please pay attention to this when making the model.

Take a sheet of cardboard;
draw a picture of the invented shape;
cut out the template;
attach the template to the plywood and trace it with a marker;

We drill holes in the plywood for the jigsaw blade and cut out the base blank for the future product.

Advice. For an audio system, experts advise using birch plywood, as this wood provides richer and higher quality sound.

2.Preparing the base for the speakers

IMPORTANT! The chipboard or plywood used must be at least 6-8 mm thick.

3. Assembly and filling of the podium

Advice. The stiffer the future podium frame is, the better. Most often, polyurethane foam is used for filling; some professionals also use epoxy resin, but working with resin requires skills, while anyone can handle foam; with its help, the podium can be given any shape.

After the foam has dried (the period is indicated on the can), remove excess with a knife, giving the workpiece the desired shape;
Next, take sandpaper and sand the product to a smooth surface;
level the surface with a thin layer of putty (putty can be mixed in advance with PVA glue to prevent shedding);
We repeat the process of polishing the product.

To make the podium structure more rigid and protect it from mechanical damage, the workpiece can be treated with epoxy resin or covered with fiberglass.

Apply a thin layer of resin to the surface of the workpiece;
We put fiberglass on top, carefully smoothing it out, leaving no folds;
treat with another layer of resin and let dry;
cut off the excess and sand it.

4. Painting or tightening the workpiece

Painting

The finished structure can be primed and painted with aerosol paint, applying it in several stages, the main thing in this matter is to avoid smudges. After the paint has dried, the surface must be coated with aerosol varnish.

Faux leather covering

Artificial leather is best suited as an upholstery material, because in appearance and physical properties it is most similar to upholstery. Most often, tension runs from the ring to the ends of the product, where each side must be tightened more than once. To perform this task, use a hair dryer. At the end of the work, the leather must be secured with a stapler, and the excess pieces must be cut off.

5. Installation of the podium

The most common mounting method is to screw it in with self-tapping screws from the back of the car trim. Before doing this, do not forget to install the speakers in the workpiece seats and securely fix them.

IMPORTANT! You can mount various speakers into a homemade structure, however, as professionals advise, you need to make sure of good sound and powerful bass before final mounting.

Ideally, to ensure ideal sound in a car, you should also take care of sound insulation. If the podium is installed, for example, in car doors, it is necessary to insulate them with special sound-absorbing materials. Also, in the podium design itself, it is necessary to provide and build an acoustic stage, selecting the position of high and low frequencies; you can also consult installation studios regarding the correct placement of speakers in the car.

You may not achieve ideal studio sound, but installing a podium yourself will cost you several times less, and by trial and error you can choose the best place in the car that will provide you with high quality sound.

For a more dynamic and visual overview of the procedure for creating and installing a podium, you can watch the attached video:

I want to change the old ones for new ones. But the new pancakes are very small, and there is absolutely no room for them in the car. No problem, now we will learn how to make a podium with our own hands.

Installation and fastening of the podium in the car

The traditional method to securely secure a homemade podium is to screw it with self-tapping screws from the inside of the casing. This, on the one hand, will ensure the quality of fastening, and on the other hand, will not spoil the appearance of the entire structure.

To carry out this procedure, you will need only two tools: a screwdriver and soundproofing materials.

Main stages of the procedure

The process of installing and fixing any podium in any part of the car is as follows:

Take a ready-made podium with a speaker built into it.
The podium is screwed on the inside of the casing with self-tapping screws.
However, to achieve truly clear sound, you will need to experiment with the installation - some screws will be tightened all the way, and some will not. That is, you need to give the podium such a position so that the speaker can reveal its sound to the maximum.
It is recommended to soundproof the doors and ceiling (in this case you can achieve even clearer sound).
After completing all the work, reassemble the ceiling, racks or doors (depending on where exactly the podium was mounted).

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DIY speaker podiums

Speakers of this size are usually located in the front of the cabin. The basis of the structure is 10 mm plywood. It’s good if there is impregnated material. Such plywood will not delaminate, and the podium will last a long time. First, installation rings of the appropriate diameter and a base are cut out of multi-layer plywood using a jigsaw. Two rings form a hollow cylinder, which will be the seat for the loudspeaker. The rings and the base are not connected coaxially, but so that the speaker system diffuser is directed in the required direction. This is achieved by shifting the vertical guides to the desired angle.

The guides are cut out of the same plywood and fixed with self-tapping screws. To make the connection more durable, a little epoxy resin is added to the connection point. Then the hollow structure must be filled with polyurethane foam. Thick paper rolled into a tube is placed at the speaker installation location. After the polyurethane foam has completely dried, the paper is removed, and the structure is processed with a sharp knife and sandpaper to give it the desired shape. Leatherette is used as a decorative covering. Its color is chosen taking into account the design of the car's interior. The artificial leather covering is glued with glue 88. This work should be done very carefully, since secondary gluing leads to a deterioration in the appearance of the structure. A loudspeaker of this diameter has low power, so no special fastening is required to secure the podium to the installation site.

How to make and install it yourself

To make any podium yourself, you will need the following materials:

plywood or other similar material for cutting ring parts;
vibration-absorbing sheet material for processing automobile body elements in places where podiums are installed;
glass mat (fiberglass) for the manufacture of parts of complex shapes;
epoxy resin with hardener;
nylon or other similar synthetic fabric for the manufacture of parts using “stocking technology”;
artificial (natural) leather or paint for decorative finishing of the external podium;
acoustic fabric for finishing the speaker grille;
elastic glue;
putty;
mounting tape;
sandpaper;
polyurethane foam;
hardware.

DIY podiums for speakers

16 cm loudspeakers can be included in an acoustic system design consisting of two active elements. Podiums for such acoustics are usually installed on the doors of the car. To make podiums for 16 cm speakers with your own hands, you will need multilayer plywood, fiberglass, polyurethane foam and epoxy resin. The technology itself is quite simple, but it will require time to dry the layers of fabric after impregnation with epoxy resin. First, all the elements of the future acoustic system are cut out of multilayer plywood. These are the base, rings for installing speakers and vertical connections. The structure is then assembled into a single whole. Wooden blocks or metal fastening profiles can be used as vertical elements.

Next, the entire structure is filled with polyurethane foam, with the exception of places for installing loudspeakers. Then everything unnecessary is removed from the podium, and its surface is treated with fine sandpaper. For strength, a thin layer of epoxy resin with a hardener is applied to the surface and rubbed into the pores of the mounting foam. This procedure can be repeated several times. The finished podium is finally sanded over a layer of resin. The finished product is finished using artificial leather.

You can make podiums for speakers in doors yourself using another technology. After the frame for installing the speakers is made, the entire structure is covered with thin fabric, which is impregnated with polyester varnish or resin. After complete drying, a thin layer of epoxy resin and fiberglass is applied to the workpiece.

There should be at least three layers of fiberglass with epoxy resin. After the future podium has completely dried, a layer of fiberglass putty is applied to the structure. All excess is cut off, and the surface is brought to condition using coarse and fine sandpaper. To finish the finished product, you can use leatherette or several layers of enamel, which is matched to the tone of the interior trim. Using this technology, you can make podiums for speakers with your own hands for one, two or three speakers.

Why install speakers on podiums

The first and obvious justification for the need to use podiums is that with their help you can move the dynamic head out of the standard seat if it does not fit there in depth. However, this is not the only reason.

For any speaker to sound, it needs a properly calculated acoustic design and a rigid base designed to dampen parasitic vibrations.

In home and stage systems, heavy, rigid enclosures are used that perform both functions at once. Subwoofers are made in a similar way for automotive systems.

The acoustic design of the mid-frequency speakers and “midbass” is formed by the design elements of the car. In this case, the cavities behind the casing act as the internal space of the sound column.

During operation, car acoustics experience significant vibration loads. If they are not extinguished, they are transferred to the sheathing panels and other structural elements, usually made of rather thin materials. These vibrations distort the sound.

The purpose of podiums is to absorb vibrations and dampen them. Prevent the spread of parasitic vibrations.

DIY podiums for speakers under 20

The speakers with a diameter of 20 cm are large in size and have decent power. Such speaker systems are usually installed on the trunk shelf. In order to make podiums for 20 speakers with your own hands, you need to use thick plywood. First, a base is cut out of it according to the size of the seat. The thickness of the material should be as thick as possible, since high-power speakers and the mounting board can resonate at high power. Rings for acoustics and vertical posts are cut out of the same plywood to provide the necessary tilt.

The loudspeaker mounting areas are covered with thin nylon fabric and impregnated with varnish. The top part is cut out and removed. A layer of epoxy resin and fiberglass is applied to the hardened surface. After applying 3-4 layers and completely drying, the surface is cleaned and sanded. You can cover the finished shelf with any decorative material, upholstery fabric or artificial leather. Some car owners install speaker systems on the ceiling of the car interior. It is not difficult to make podiums for ceiling installation according to the described schemes.

DIY overhead podiums for VAZ 2110, short version

Do-it-yourself overhead podiums in the VAZ 2110, short version, full version in parts, follow the links below. ✅1. We cut out rings for 16.5 speakers. —

✅2. We make the base of the lining. Resin impregnation. —

✅3. We expose and glue the rings under the speakers. —

✅4. We stretch the frame fabric and impregnate it with resin. —

✅5. We remove the supports and strengthen the walls with glass mat. —

✅6 Cut out unnecessary parts from the base -

✅7 Putty We fix the jambs -

✅8. Puttying and priming. —

✅9. Painting and decorating with splashes. —

✅Podiums in VAZ 2110 with your own hands. Thermal leather cover. —

✅How to display rings on self-tapping screws. —

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