How to build your own budget speaker stands

[GotToyota?]

Since I'm having a try at building my own speaker stands today, I figured I'd make a guide for those who are wanting to do the same thing, and at the same time, save money.

Now I wanted to make a set of stands for my two bookshelf speakers. I was curious about design, and after looking online to see what others had done, I decided I wanted to do this design:



So from there, I embarked out to Home Depot, and picked up these supplies:



(2) 10"x10" plank, 1.5" thick (used for top)
(2) 12"x12" plank, 1.5" thick (used for bottom)
(2) 3" wide 2' tall PVC pipes
(1) Can of wood stain (finish, color choice is up to you, I chose Colonial Maple 223)
(1) Rustoleum Painter's Touch spray paint, semi-gloss black
(4) Washers
(4) Nuts, size depends on rod size of choice
(1) Threaded rod

The supplies cost me $35 dollars.

Now here is a diagram of the design explained:



The rod will go from the bottom plank through the PVC pipe, to the bottom of the top plank through the top. There will be a nut with a washer on the top plank, and at the bottom plank, which will tighten the boards to the surfaces of the PVC pipe. I didn't even think of this method until I went to Home Depot, the people there were very courteous and I brought in a picture of the stand above, they guided me through everything, and cut the planks to the size I needed (note you can't buy these planks in this size, and have to buy a huge plank 8 or more feet long and get them cut, at least that's what they told me there).

Let's get started with our planks, and our wood finish of choice.



Pop the top off, and take a look at your finish. Shake up the can before you begin working on the wood. This particular finish is very thin, and is almost like water. I decided to use a foam brush to apply the finish.



As stated by the finish directions, go in the direction of the grain. Remember, a little goes a long way, after each coat, wait about 20 minutes and then have at it again. Once you get the coats you want, you can even wait a few hours and do another coat to have it even darker. Here is my plank after one coat:



Comparison of coated plank to blank plank:



*Note, some might have to sand their wood before applying finish, however, I didn't have to because my wood surface was already very smooth.

From here, you want to keep applying coats. Usually 2-3 is the norm, but you can add more if you want a darker color. Here is the plank after it's second finish:



While I let the second coat dry, I made my way to the PVC pipe. Lay out newspaper, and make sure you have ventilation, I did this in the garage with the door open. This is where the spray paint comes into play. First coat wants to be a light coat, not too much, so it might look blochy.



Then once you let that dry in about 10 minutes, finish it off with a medium second coat. Here is the result:



Then once that dries, turn over, and do the same to the other side. Both PVC pipes done side by side:



After that, I finished up the final (ish) coats of the finish. Here are the planks finished (I might add one more heavier coat here in a few):



Mock-up of the stand with other planks I had left over with finished PVC pipe:



And all of my supplies finished and ready for assembly:



Now comes assembly. Once everything is dry, on the planks you're using, draw a point in the middle with a sharpie or marker, this is where you'll be drilling holes. You can also make a circle on the bottom planks that are the circumference of your PVC if you need a guide, like I did.



I accidentally drew circles on the top and bottom planks. But drill a hole all the way through, and make sure it's straight. I used a vice for support, and a power drill to do the drilling. I HIGHLY suggest you wear eye wear, as wood chips will go flying everything. And if you don't know how to do this, get a person there that does.



Once you drill the hole, get a bigger bit, so we can drill another hole. I used a 1" bit as you can see on the left. Now, drill in the middle where the other hole went, but don't go all the way through. Go about 1/4-1/2" inch down. Here is what mine looked like:





And both top planks done:


Now we get to do the same to the bottom planks. Make a point that indicates the middle, and drill through. Now remember the 1" bit I used, this time we're going to do the same thing, but on the bottom of the plank. It will look like this:



Once you're done, time for assembly. Cut the rod to whichever length you needed it, which in my case, was 27". Now we're going to slide the rod through, and then stick a washer and nut in there, it will look like this:



Now stick the PVC pipe on there, and figure out where the middle is, or line it up over your circle indicator if you drew one:



Grab your top plank, and slide it through the rod to place it over the PVC pipe. Grab another washer and nut, put them on and hand tighten it, it should look like this:



From there, grab 2 sockets that are the size of your nut, and lay your stand horizontally. Put one socket on one side, but hold it in place, and tighten the other one that's in the other hand. Make sure you watch the PVC pipe, you might have to have someone else hold it in place because it might slide down. Once you start tightening, you will notice that they are "fusing" together, pretty much like a suction cup. Once you do that, you are set. Check back over all of your work, and you are done! Here is the final product:





I decided to put some adhesive liner on the top so my speaker has some grip. And now for the most important part, here is what it looks like with a speaker on it:



I hope you enjoyed this guide, and I hoped it was helpful to you. I encourage everybody to give this a shot, save yourself some money, and learn about building while doing it. Just to give you an idea of difficulty level, I've never worked with wood before and this is how I did.

Have fun, guys!



-Matt

[Beta Man]

Very nicely done. I had pictures of my old surround stands somewhere (actually made as plant stands, with a "shelf" hard to explain) I'll post them up if I find them.

[jw]

I made a set a while back for my old stereo, I have since not used them, ill find them and take a pick of them for another idea

[aramis109]

Please update this! I'm definitely interested in seeing how they turn out. I'm not very handy so something simple like this is something I might do myself.

One thing I thought about- since you already have a hollow tube in the PVC, why not run the speaker wire inside it? You could probably drill holes into the two pieces of wood and run the wire up through there. If you got really fancy you could maybe cut some kind of groove along the bottom piece so that it could sit level. Alternatively you could drill a hole at the bottom of the PVC, run the cable up inside it and then drill a hole in the wooden top piece.

Just a thought. Thanks for this.

[theknub]

Originally Posted by aramis109

Please update this! I'm definitely interested in seeing how they turn out. I'm not very handy so something simple like this is something I might do myself.

One thing I thought about- since you already have a hollow tube in the PVC, why not run the speaker wire inside it? You could probably drill holes into the two pieces of wood and run the wire up through there. If you got really fancy you could maybe cut some kind of groove along the bottom piece so that it could sit level. Alternatively you could drill a hole at the bottom of the PVC, run the cable up inside it and then drill a hole in the wooden top piece.

Just a thought. Thanks for this.

you do realize he made his original post today so it may be a few days before he will update

[GotToyota?]

Originally Posted by theknub

you do realize he made his original post today so it may be a few days before he will update

No, I will have it updated by the end of the day. I put one last coat of finish on my planks, and once it dries, I can start drilling and have this done. I imagine I can start in an hour and a half or so.

-Matt

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by theknub

you do realize he made his original post today so it may be a few days before he will update

Yes, I did realize that when I posted. Perhaps "please keep us updated" would have been better.

Anyway, final product looks pretty good. I'm pretty sure I have the necessary drill bits to duplicate this. I'll have to give it a go when I get back from vacation. I like the idea of weighing down the base, and I like the adhesive liner on it.

Thanks again!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by GotToyota?

Since I'm having a try at building my own speaker stands today, I figured I'd make a guide for those who are wanting to do the same thing, and at the same time, save money.

Now I wanted to make a set of stands for my two bookshelf speakers. I was curious about design, and after looking online to see what others had done, I decided I wanted to do this design:



So from there, I embarked out to Home Depot, and picked up these supplies:



(2) 12"x12" plank, 1.5" thick
(2) 10"x10" plank, 1.5" thick
(2) 3" wide 2' tall PVC pipes
(1) Can of wood stain (finish, color choice is up to you, I chose Colonial Maple 223)
(1) Rustoleum Painter's Touch spray paint, semi-gloss black
(4) Washers
(4) Nuts, size depends on rod size of choice
(1) Threaded rod

The supplies cost me $35 dollars.

Now here is a diagram of the design explained:



The rod will go from the bottom plank through the PVC pipe, to the bottom of the top plank through the top. There will be a nut with a washer on the top plank, and at the bottom plank, which will tighten the boards to the surfaces of the PVC pipe. I didn't even think of this method until I went to Home Depot, the people there were very courteous and I brought in a picture of the stand above, they guided me through everything, and cut the planks to the size I needed (note you can't buy these planks in this size, and have to buy a huge plank 8 or more feet long and get them cut, at least that's what they told me there).

Let's get started with our planks, and our wood finish of choice.



Pop the top off, and take a look at your finish. Shake up the can before you begin working on the wood. This particular finish is very thin, and is almost like water. I decided to use a foam brush to apply the finish.



As stated by the finish directions, go in the direction of the grain. Remember, a little goes a long way, after each coat, wait about 20 minutes and then have at it again. Once you get the coats you want, you can even wait a few hours and do another coat to have it even darker. Here is my plank after one coat:



Comparison of coated plank to blank plank:



*Note, some might have to sand their wood before applying finish, however, I didn't have to because my wood surface was already very smooth.

From here, you want to keep applying coats. Usually 2-3 is the norm, but you can add more if you want a darker color. Here is the plank after it's second finish:



While I let the second coat dry, I made my way to the PVC pipe. Lay out newspaper, and make sure you have ventilation, I did this in the garage with the door open. This is where the spray paint comes into play. First coat wants to be a light coat, not too much, so it might look blochy.



Then once you let that dry in about 10 minutes, finish it off with a medium second coat. Here is the result:



Then once that dries, turn over, and do the same to the other side. Both PVC pipes done side by side:



After that, I finished up the final (ish) coats of the finish. Here are the planks finished (I might add one more heavier coat here in a few):



Mock-up of the stand with other planks I had left over with finished PVC pipe:



And all of my supplies finished and ready for assembly:



Now comes assembly. Once everything is dry, on the planks you're using, draw a point in the middle with a sharpie or marker, this is where you'll be drilling holes. You can also make a circle on the bottom planks that are the circumference of your PVC if you need a guide, like I did.



I accidentally drew circles on the top and bottom planks. But drill a hole all the way through, and make sure it's straight.



I used a vice for support, and a power drill to do the drilling. I HIGHLY suggest you wear eye wear, as wood chips will go flying everything. And if you don't know how to do this, get a person there that does.



Once you drill the hole, get a bigger bit, so we can drill another hole. I used a 1" bit as you can see on the left. Now, drill in the middle where the other hole went, but don't go all the way through. Go about 1/4-1/2" inch down. Here is what mine looked like:



And both top planks done:



Now we get to do the same to the bottom planks. Make a point that indicates the middle, and drill through. Now remember the 1" bit I used, this time we're going to do the same thing, but on the bottom of the plank. It will look like this:



Once you're done, time for assembly. Cut the rod to whichever length you needed it, which in my case, was 27". Now we're going to slide the rod through, and then stick a washer and nut in there, it will look like this:



Now stick the PVC pipe on there, and figure out where the middle is, or line it up over your circle indicator if you drew one:



Grab your top plank, and slide it through the rod to place it over the PVC pipe. Grab another washer and nut, put them on and hand tighten it, it should look like this:



From there, grab 2 sockets that are the size of your nut, and lay your stand horizontally. Put one socket on one side, but hold it in place, and tighten the other one that's in the other hand. Make sure you watch the PVC pipe, you might have to have someone else hold it in place because it might slide down. Once you start tightening, you will notice that they are "fusing" together, pretty much like a suction cup. Once you do that, you are set. Check back over all of your work, and you are done! Here is the final product:





I decided to put some adhesive liner on the top so my speaker has some grip. And now for the most important part, here is what it looks like with a speaker on it:







I hope you enjoyed this guide, and I hoped it was helpful to you. I encourage everybody to give this a shot, save yourself some money, and learn about building while doing it. Just to give you an idea of difficulty level, I've never worked with wood because and this is how I did.

Have fun, guys!



-Matt

One note - Fill that PVC pipe with leadshot or better yet...sand - gives the stand more weight and will control vibrations better - GREAT JOB!

[Beta Man]

Nice Hitchcock prints

[quest88]

great job awesome post. How long did it take to make them.

[Drew664]

Very nice!

This makes me want to try something very similar to what you have done. With some differences:

- Use silica sand to fill the tubes (seal pvc pipe with caulk)
- Have either thick rounded glass tops or inlaid mirror tops instead of wood

I am no Bob Vila, so if anyone sees any problems with this let me know.

How else would someone give these things a sharper look/better performance?

[GotToyota?]

Originally Posted by quest88

great job awesome post. How long did it take to make them.

Took about 5-6 hours. The longest part was the actual finishing of the wood, which took up a majority of the time. I'd say assembly itself only took about 20 minutes for both.

-Matt

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by GotToyota?

I hope you enjoyed this guide, and I hoped it was helpful to you. I encourage everybody to give this a shot, save yourself some money, and learn about building while doing it. Just to give you an idea of difficulty level, I've never worked with wood because and this is how I did.

Have fun, guys!



-Matt

Mine were of a similar design, but instead of 1 central pipe I used 3 smaller metal pipes(1" rigid conduit) for the added weight. Also where the pipes contacted the wood I used a 1 3/8" Forstner bit(the diameter of 1'" conduit) to drill about 1/4" into the wood so the pipe actually sits inside and is locked in place. Nice job for your first project, though somebody should have warned you how addictive woodworking is. You'll never be able to look at anything again without thinking "I can build that".

[crackinhedz]

wow, can't believe this is the first time reading through this thread. Nice job Toyota.

Sticky'd

[daniel2229]

I recently bought an entertainment center to house my new Sony 40 inch Bravia LCD. First, I placed the speakers on top of the unit. The wife did not like the look. OK. Then I placed the speakers behind the TV and found that the sound was a little cave-like because they are pushed all the way to the back of the cabinet.

Got an idea to buy speaker stands to lift the speakers up so that most of the sound passes over the top of the TV. Looked around town for speakers about 24 inches high and found none that I was willing to spend my cash on.

Then I remembered somewhere seeing stands made from PVC pipes. I went to Home Depot and got four toilet drain hold downs and a length of four inch PVC pipe. I just added some pipe dope to the joints and placed a toilet connector to each end of a 23 inch length of pipe. I painted the finished piece black and attached with screws to the cabinet just behind the TV. I also placed double sided tape on the bottom of the speakers to prevent their vibrating off the stands.

Now the speakers sound normal. The total cost was less than $25.

[messym]

Nice. Do you have a pic of the setup?

[David Mamet]

Originally Posted by daniel2229

Got an idea to buy speaker stands to lift the speakers up so that most of the sound passes over the top of the TV. Looked around town for speakers about 24 inches high and found none that I was willing to spend my cash on.

You really have to have pictures with this thread.

[brett_day]

yep picutres would be awesome! i am in need of some good cheap speaker stands for my rear speakers!

[daniel2229]

OK, here are my versions of cheap stands. Four toilet bases, four inch PVC pipe cut to 23 inches long. I cut the pipe to 23 inches on my miter saw. Add a little blue or red pipe dope (left over from another plumbing job) to cement the PVC together and half a can of satin black spray paint.

I used four short drywall screws to attach the stands to the shelf of my entertainment cabinet and double sided tape on the bottom of the speakers.

The cost was less than $25 including tax at Home Depot. The whole project took 15 minutes and most of that was waiting for the paint to dry, which accounts for the finger prints in the photo!

I'll give you the toilet bases are crude, but since no one is going to see them, they fit the bill.

[GotToyota?]

Just a quick bump to see if anyone else has attempted this.

-Matt