See full version: Best way to cut speaker holes
Just get a piece of scrap and nail it to the baffle where the center of the hole will be. Do it in such a way that the scrap can rotate. You just need to improvise a method to attach / clamp it to your router so you can swing it around and cut the proper size hole. Practice on a piece of scrap, it shouldn't be that hard.
well I have a sears router with plunge base. got few nice bits too, so thats ok. are circle jigs generic- that is will they fit most routers, or should I get the sears one? also are they around 25-30$?
That's what I do. Use the circle jig to make your template, then use the template on the baffle itself. Its a good practice to cut away most of the waste with a jigsaw before you rout with the template. Less dust, easier on the router, easier on the router bits. I try not to leave more than an eighth of an inch to rout, but I'll leave less if the jigsaw is cutting cleanly.
Or just spend a few bucks on the jig.
I'll just be cutting 1/2" baltic birch ply, only 2x12 holes for a new baffle. I can jig the center out roughly and then trim up with the router, or route the whole thing out using the circle jig. [links]
My new Kenwood Stereo from Pond Tunes should arrive tomorrow!
Can anyone suggest what would be the best tool to do the cut out in the plastic dash to mount the head unit in?
I wouldn't mind having to buy a tool that I may not have already if it would mean I would not do damage to the dash trying this with something like a jig saw.
if you can get a whole saw big enough that is the best way but if you dont care how it looks and have another tool that can do the job already then use it, it will be much cheaper. as long as you do an ok job the speaker will cover the hole up enough that it will not show.
1993 Dodge Dakota LE 3.9L v6 more
i found a 5.5 inch hole saw, is this good for a 6.5 speaker? i just need it to fit where it shows like this [links]
If it's a panel that's got vinyl/foam/3/4" wood, then fiberglass, like most powerboats do, then you'll need a jigsaw with at least a 5" wood blade, similar to what chpthril said.
Yes on masking and yes on running in reverse. Then chamfer the edge of the hole with some sandpaper to help prevent spider cracks. more
A dremel won't work as well if there's any kind of thickness to it. [links]
I am replacing the Kicker speakers in my Epic with wetsounds xs-650's. Currently there are 2 pair in the transom, and 3 pair in the boat. I got a killer deal on them and ended up getting 6 pairs of xs-650's. That leaves me with 1 set to place wherever I like. They can't go in the transom so I am left with mounting them somewhere in the boat. This brings me to my question. What is the best way to cut out the 5" hole for the speaker? Is it with a diamond coated 5" hole saw to make the perfect circle? I also seemed to have found that I should make a big square out of masking tape over the area to be drilled out. Is this how I should do it? Do I need to run the drill in reverse until I am through the gel coat?
What are you cutting the hole in? If it's just fiberglass, or thin plastic with vinyl over it, then you can use an air saw like this: here
Just a good quality combo wood/metal hole saw from the hardware store and a variable-speed drill is all you need. more