how to attach false floor to enclosure?

Postby **nervewrecker** » January 11th, 2012, 11:59 am

my enclosure is more or less fiberglass with walls approx 5/8" thick. The floor is 3/4" mdf, I need to attach the mdf to the enclosure.
Will pre drilled holes and normal screws work? Do I look for a special type of screw? I am afraid it cracks and the screws come loose. Believe it or not I tried wall plugs (go ahead & laugh) but they slip out the holes drilled in the fiberglass walls.
People with experience in this field, what do you use? I want to be able to remove the floor and gain access to the insides of the enclosure btw.

unknown person · Postby **unknown person** » January 11th, 2012, 12:23 pm

why your false floor so thin?

Postby **nervewrecker** » January 11th, 2012, 12:30 pm

the walls are circular near the base and rise to an octagonal opening, the joint looking parts are 1.5" in some places which come down to approx 5/8" sides.
My 190lb cuz can jump on it without flexing it.

Postby **nervewrecker** » January 11th, 2012, 12:38 pm

btw 8" of the depth is reinforced by the metal that the car is made of and the curved structure does not allow for much flexing. A flat surface will faster flex than a curved or circular one. The floor of it is 12 layers, approx 1.5" thick built of concrete & fiberglass :mrgreen:

& will be secured to the face via multiple braces.
floor is 3/4", baffle is 1.5" :wink:

Brian Steele · Postby **Brian Steele** » January 12th, 2012, 12:06 am

nervewrecker wrote:my enclosure is more or less fiberglass with walls approx 5/8" thick. The floor is 3/4" mdf, I need to attach the mdf to the enclosure.
Will pre drilled holes and normal screws work? Do I look for a special type of screw? I am afraid it cracks and the screws come loose. Believe it or not I tried wall plugs (go ahead & laugh) but they slip out the holes drilled in the fiberglass walls.
People with experience in this field, what do you use? I want to be able to remove the floor and gain access to the insides of the enclosure btw.

Hmm....

You could glue or fiberglass wooden blocks on the other side of the enclosure and use screws that are long enough to pass through the MDF and into the wooden blocks on the other side. Make sure that you drill holes that are big enough for the screws to pass through the fiberglass first.

Alternatively you could try glueing those rawl-plugs into the holes you drilled for them.