[adanto6840]

The quickest way to build one, IMO, is using a hot glue gun. It takes quite a bit of hot glue to get it nicely sealed (maybe 10 sticks or so), but it's a LOT faster than using tape & it's more forgiving - you just "caulk" the seams liberally. The non-standard, longer length glue sticks make it especially quick. I feel like my hot-glued results have generally also been a bit faster/easier to pull partially apart, too, for when it's time to do filter replacements.

I personally prefer to use two filters on each side, one as a "pre-filter" (cheaper carbon/charcoal, MERV ~10ish), with better (higher MERV, ~13 if possible) rated filters underneath. You can then replace the prefilters more often, but the filters underneath won't require replacement nearly as much.

I wrote about building them with hot glue on my blog[0] -- shameless plug! :)

0 - https://dantonio.info/projects/10-minute-corsirosenthal-box/

[whycombagator]

Won’t the hot glue have a bunch of VOCs tho?

[Eisenstein]

Not at all. Hot glue is a thermoplastic which uses temperature to turn liquid and then solid again, which basically removes the need for VOCs at all. VOCs are solvents and are used to transition the liquid glue to a solid.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot-melt_adhesive

[diydsp]

Might have pthalates/softeners [1] which can be carcinogenic. Not ideal to circulate. Suggest cloth tape

[1]https://adhesives.specialchem.com/selection-guide/hot-melt-a...

[culopatin]

You mentioned it yourself but I’m thinking caulk could work too. A combo of caulk and tape to contain the mess

[Eisenstein]

If you want to deal with a lot of smell and a lot of mess and a lot of drying time. Hot glue is super cheap and doesn't need to cure. The advantage to using caulk is zero, unless you count possibly burning yourself with the hot glue.

[stinos]

There are like tens if not hundreds different caulk compunds, enough of which don't smell. I don't understand why there would be more mess than with glue. I'll give you the drying time though, on the other hand most caulk types remain elastic, glue not as much, might matter with regards vibrations. And caulk is easier to apply properly and aestethically as you can use your fingers. tldr; it's fine you're defending glue, but it's not true thare is no advantage at all. In fact looking at these pictures I'd probably go for the combination, or else caulk only maybe in 2 passes, just seems easier to get a full seal.

[Eisenstein]

All I can say is: to those who have never used hot glue or caulk and are thinking of using caulk -- try the hot glue first. You can always pop open the caulking tube if it doesn't work to your satisfaction.