Steel framed sub enclosure?

[K5_489]

So I'm in need of a stealth type sub enclosure for the K5. I can stick metal together relatively well, but my wood working skills end up resulting in things that look like a 10 year old hyped up on crack made it. I've done a few custom enclosures out of fiberglass, which were passable, but holy hell is it a lot of work, and frankly, I'm not that ambitious anymore.

I've been thinking about doing the framework in square tube, then covering it in plywood. I know trying to make a speaker box entirely out of steel will resonate like a mofo, and that's what all my Googling is turning up - just people trying to make the whole box out of metals, but I can't find anything about just doing a steel frame.

Thinking about using either 3/4 or 1" square, 16 or 14 gauge (mainly because I have a ton of the stuff sitting in the garage already), then sheeting it in plywood afterwards. Would this work, or am I going to find similar issues to what an all steel box would have?

 

[TrikeKid]

If I was going to do that I'd definitely use some sort of construction adhesive between the sheets and the steel frame or it's going to rattle/resonate bad any time the wood flexes and the metal doesn't or vice versa. I think the reason you don't see it done is it's really just added weight/cost by the time you glue and screw plywood or MDF over the frame. That's really the only issue I can see with your plan but I've only done a handful of sub enclosures and they were all MDF.

 

[K5_489]

Most of mine were MDF too, and I always manage to screw up cuts, drive screws in crooked, etc even with cut guides, pilot holes, etc. Wood and me just don't get along...but making things overly complicated is something I can do well

My thinking was more that I could build the frame straight, screw or MDF down, then run a router with a flush cutting bit over the ends to even everything out.

Though admittedly, I hadn't thought about the different flexing part...maybe I'll do a small basic square to see how it works before committing to the more involved build for the truck