Speaker Cutout - Make it bigger?

Trucky

Trucky

New Member
Jun 26, 2011
380
Boone Lake, TN
Boat Info
1999 210SD SunDeck / 2002 Ford F250 CC Lariat 4X4, slightly tweaked 7.3L
Engines
5.0 Mercruiser220hp/Alpha I
After about 14 years the speakers in my 99 210SD have put in their time and basically turned to dust. The factory speaker cutout is just barely 5 1/16" and I'm having a hard time finding decent speakers at a reasonable price that will fit.

My question is... How hard would it be to expand the opening by maybe 1/2" and is it something you could do with basic hand tools? I'm seeing a big fiberglass cloud in my mind and already starting to itch. Or should I just continue the quest for speakers with a 5" cutout? The glass looks to be about 1/4" - 3/8" thick at the speaker locations.
 
As long as there isn't anything directly behind the area that needs cut out, it really isn't a big job. I have done it quite a few times. Find the speakers you like, and look for a template. Most speakers come with one that you can use to get a perfect hole size for the new units.
Whenever I cut fiberglass, esp with Gelcoat, I like to tape everything off with Masking tape. Draw the speaker template right onto the tape, don't forget the screws holes too. Get a fine tooth Jig or scroll saw blade for your saw. Get someone to give you a hand by standing by with a running shop-vac and hold it near the blade while you are cutting, this really minimizes mess. Wear some rubber gloves while cutting and a long sleeve shirt and you shouldn't itch a bit. Let the saw blade work itself through the cuts, take your time, you will get a much nicer cut line by NOT pushing the saw too hard. Have the saw running on its fastest speed.
Really a simple job. You will be much happier going with a speaker of your choice, instead of shopping around a set parameter. I tend to like POLK marine speakers.
 
I have done the same thing to my speaker openings. I only had to go about a 1/4" all around but did not have room to cut it with any type of reciprocating saw. I made a template and put it concentric over the existing hole and marked the opening with a Sharpie but instead of cutting it I used a dremel tool with a barrell bit about 1" long and just went around the inside of the opening applying very little pressure and letting the bit do the work...if you can keep consistant pressure and speed you will get very good results. The Sharpie drawn circle will let you know how you are progressing and when to stop. Acetone will get rid of the Sharpie marks when your done if still visible
 
I recently upgraded the 6" speakers in my boat to JL Audio 7.7" speakers as well as adding a 10" JL Audio Sub. I used a RotoZip with the fiberglass bit to make all of the cuts and they were easy to do. All of your concerns about the fiberglass dust storm and subsequent itching are warranted.
 
If you need to enlarge a hole in the boat the end of the below page is helpful. If you do not have a hole saw as big as you would like you can use a rotozip dremel router etc to cut the hole using a circle jig. This will give you a nice clean edge hole. Wear a mask as you will create a mess of fiberglass.

http://www.boat-project.com/tutorials/fiberglasscut.htm

John
 
Thanks guys for all the great tips. I'm still weighing the options. I hate to go buy a tool for a single use and hate more to borrow from friends. I may check the rental yard to see if they carry any rotozip type thingies.
 
Trucky said:
Thanks guys for all the great tips. I'm still weighing the options. I hate to go buy a tool for a single use and hate more to borrow from friends. I may check the rental yard to see if they carry any rotozip type thingies.
Click to expand...


If you invest in a Dremel or Rotozip rotary power tool chances are good you will find many more uses for it later on.....i do most all of my upkeep to my house, cars, boat etc so i have acquired many tools over the years....without a doubt the Dremel rotary tool is the most used power tool that i own....i especially like to use the fiber reinforced cut-off discs and the various bits for cutting holes/shapes in different materials...there is a bit for just about any type material you can think of...these tools and their cutting bits are not terribly expensive at HD or Lowes...

just something to think about...

cliff
 
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Harbor freight is a good place for single use type projects
 
Blueone said:
Harbor freight is a good place for single use type projects
Click to expand...
:thumbsup:
Get one of these for $30 at HF:
image_11521.jpg
 
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I'm not afraid to admit I don't have a clue what that thing is rcknecht... To me it looks like a mini iron, and not so conducive to making a round hole rounderish.
 
They are pretty awesome tools. Im a professional contractor and I use mine VERY often. I have the cordless Craftsman unit and it does everything I would want. Once you get it, you will find a ton of uses for it. Its like a Dremel tool, once you get one, you wonder what you did without it.
 
rcknecht said:
Its and oscillating multifunction hand tool. This is the link to the HF one


http://www.harborfreight.com/oscillating-multifunction-power-tool-68303.html


See the following article for details:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/power-tools/4325505
Click to expand...
http://www.toolsnob.com/archives/2011/07/porter-cable_oscillating_tool.php#more

Here is another option for an oscillator tool. I own the porter cable. It works great for me and is cheaper than the fein.

These are great tools, however it would be tough to cut a nice circle with one. A rotary tool with a circle jig would work better. The trouble with a dremel ( which I have used for this purpose) is it is not quit heavy duty enough to recut a lot of fiberglass holes.

John
 
dev6315 said:
They are pretty awesome tools. Im a professional contractor and I use mine VERY often. I have the cordless Craftsman unit and it does everything I would want. Once you get it, you will find a ton of uses for it. Its like a Dremel tool, once you get one, you wonder what you did without it.
Click to expand...

hopefully this is contributing to the post and not considered to be a thread hijack....i received one of the porter cable osc. tools for Christmas...i have used it a couple times to make rough cuts in fiberboard or vinyl sheets and it worked very well....since you are a professional craftsman can you expand a little on what other jobs can be done with this tool?

cliff
 
They are great when you are installing flooring to undercut your door frames, casing and other millwork. The grout tool is one of my favorites. As long as you are careful, it removes most tile grouts without a sweat and doesn't damage even the most delicate porcelain tiles. I have even used it once to cut a piece of 1/2" copper piping that I couldn't get to with any other saw inside a wall. It ruined the bit, but it got the job done and saved me a lot of time. Lastly, I have used the sanding pad to get into tight crevices on intricate millwork and even some of the teak on the boat. Its def a tool I make sure is in the truck.
 
If you have a compressor the Auto Body air saw from Harbor freight is good for cutting holes in glass. I used it to enlarge the hole for my pump access on my Pathfinder center console. Very little mess and good clean hole. It is only about 20.00
 
Much thanks to all who have offered ideas and links. I appreciate everyone's help. I ended up getting 4 JBL MS6200 speakers. They had a cutout size of 5 1/16" which is an exact fit for the original holes. I wasn't planning to spend that much but the sound is fantastic and installation took about 10 minutes.
 
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