How to build your own budget speaker stands

[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!

[GotToyota?]

Originally Posted by aramis109

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!

Many people are saying weigh down the bottom, but to be honest, I'm glad I didn't. My bookshelf speakers weigh 15lbs, and they didn't even phase the stands. They can hold quite a bit of weight without affecting them.

The supplies I used were very sturdy, especially the PVC pipe. I think the speakers sound great IMO.

[Beta Man]

I'm not sure how much mine weighed..... I don't currently use them, or the stands in the my home theater setup, so it doesn't matter I guess! The "Plant Stands" were just a way to integrate the speakers without taking away from the decor of the room (geez... Wife-Affect!)

[maseo503]

Excellent work GT... the labor alone is time consuming ...for you to take pics and post your walk-thru on top of that is very commendable...
good luck with the rest of your project!

[Blu Haze]

Nice job. Bro i cant wait to get some stands or make tehjm.

[GotToyota?]

Sticky, anyone?

[jw]

Good job they turned out well

[syncguy]

The reason for the weights closer to the bottom of the stand is to lower its centre of gravity below the top shelf, preferably closer to the floor level to make it stable. In this way it could take even a few degree swing without losing stability. If a heavy speaker is placed on a light stand, the centre of gravity would shift above the top shelf which will make the whole structure (i.e. the speaker and the stand) highly unstable. This is one of the reasons that the commercially available good quality stands are in generally heavy.

Secondly, the speaker stand could ring if resonant frequency is reached. Adding sand will damp it down and may produce a cleaner sound. Some speakers may require more damping than the others.

[GotToyota?]

Originally Posted by syncguy

The reason for the weights closer to the bottom of the stand is to lower its centre of gravity below the top shelf, preferably closer to the floor level to make it stable. In this way it could take even a few degree swing without losing stability. If a heavy speaker is placed on a light stand, the centre of gravity would shift above the top shelf which will make the whole structure (i.e. the speaker and the stand) highly unstable. This is one of the reasons that the commercially available good quality stands are in generally heavy.

Secondly, the speaker stand could ring if resonant frequency is reached. Adding sand will damp it down and may produce a cleaner sound. Some speakers may require more damping than the others.

I wanted to add sand, but couldn't figure out a nice way to seal up the PVC.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by GotToyota?

I wanted to add sand, but couldn't figure out a nice way to seal up the PVC.

Two things..... first, don't seal up the PVC, just seal the sand (freezer bags etc) second..... don't use sand.... use Kitty-Litter.... easier to clean up if there is an "accident"

[Rabidhunter]

Hmm, at any rate the design is great. Thanks again for posting this. I will be able to save some money because of you. I could see making a set soon.

[syncguy]

Originally Posted by GotToyota?

I wanted to add sand, but couldn't figure out a nice way to seal up the PVC.

Okay. It is a great design. Thanks for posting and hope many will benefit from this.

[musicman1999]

The sand should go in the pipe, all the way to the top, i also mixed in some lead wheel weights in the sand to add weight. Dry sand will work better than kitty litter, especially if your room has any humidity at all as the litter will suck it up.


bill

[ixlegitballinxl]

they should def make an area for do it yourself projects on the forum...i know how to make awesome wall bookshelves......wouldnt mind sharing the insight

[yellowblanket]

i must be the only one who think this design is rather rubish?

sorry, just my personal opinion, first of all, it's just look trashy with the pvp pipe especially with the spray paint on it, secondly *sand*? *cat litter*? i'm sorry but that is rather sound very unattractive nor effective. I love DIY project and respect every aspect of it but custom DIY project gotta have class, it's first intention should not be about saving money but oughta be about "Hey man, look, i built that, do you think you could do that?"
The other guy then say "Ummm yeah, i could spend 25 bucks and buy a pair of stand that would look far more elegant and classy and IS THAT CAT LITTER you filled in?" *mind the joke, the cat litter was not the OP's idea, someone said it and made me laugh*

So before you built any DIY project, just look at what is out there? if you think you could do better and your custom works are to have more effeciency then by all mean, do the damn thing. The people that design those stand that sell across the country/world are by far one of best in what they do.

LOL, with all due respect, my intention was not to diss the OP, it's just purely contructed critism, tough one at best. Contructed as in, you should prime first before paint, spikes for leg, great for carpet or wood floor and does make a diffences in sound, you could have hide the wire withing the stand, ect... *attention to detail is what make DIY custom works so great*

but here is the estimate price for the whole project *i went to LOWES earlier to buy some dirt for my landscaping job*
(2) 12"x12" plank, 1.5" thick - $ 11.95
(2) 10"x10" plank, 1.5" thick - free since you can just use the one above
(2) 3" wide 2' tall PVC pipes - $ 9.97
(1) Can of wood stain (finish, color choice is up to you, I chose Colonial Maple 223) -$5.97 (smaller one is more than you need really $2.97)
(1) Rustoleum Painter's Touch spray paint, semi-gloss black - $3.95
(4) Washers - $0.48 for 4
(4) Nuts, size depends on rod size of choice -$.60 for 4
(1) Threaded rod - $3.95
i won't price the sand nor the cat litter =) if you need cat litter, i can send you some, it's used but it have the same weight!

it should be around $30 bucks in total, price may vary in different states.


this one is 31 american dollars

CONGRADUATION, for one more extra dollar, you will save yourself hours and hours of spraying, screwing, cutting, staining, ect...

*stand back and put on the flame shield* lol i'll get burn for this

[househead]

Originally Posted by yellowblanket

i must be the only one who think this design is rather rubish?

sorry, just my personal opinion, first of all, it's just look trashy with the pvp pipe especially with the spray paint on it, secondly *sand*? *cat litter*? i'm sorry but that is rather sound very unattractive nor effective. I love DIY project and respect every aspect of it but custom DIY project gotta have class, it's first intention should not be about saving money but oughta be about "Hey man, look, i built that, do you think you could do that?"
The other guy then say "Ummm yeah, i could spend 25 bucks and buy a pair of stand that would look far more elegant and classy and IS THAT CAT LITTER you filled in?" *mind the joke, the cat litter was not the OP's idea, someone said it and made me laugh*

So before you built any DIY project, just look at what is out there? if you think you could do better and your custom works are to have more effeciency then by all mean, do the damn thing. The people that design those stand that sell across the country/world are by far one of best in what they do.

LOL, with all due respect, my intention was not to diss the OP, it's just purely contructed critism, tough one at best. Contructed as in, you should prime first before paint, spikes for leg, great for carpet or wood floor and does make a diffences in sound, you could have hide the wire withing the stand, ect... *attention to detail is what make DIY custom works so great*

but here is the estimate price for the whole project *i went to LOWES earlier to buy some dirt for my landscaping job*
(2) 12"x12" plank, 1.5" thick - $ 11.95
(2) 10"x10" plank, 1.5" thick - free since you can just use the one above
(2) 3" wide 2' tall PVC pipes - $ 9.97
(1) Can of wood stain (finish, color choice is up to you, I chose Colonial Maple 223) -$5.97 (smaller one is more than you need really $2.97)
(1) Rustoleum Painter's Touch spray paint, semi-gloss black - $3.95
(4) Washers - $0.48 for 4
(4) Nuts, size depends on rod size of choice -$.60 for 4
(1) Threaded rod - $3.95
i won't price the sand nor the cat litter =) if you need cat litter, i can send you some, it's used but it have the same weight!

it should be around $30 bucks in total, price may vary in different states.


this one is 31 american dollars

CONGRADUATION, for one more extra dollar, you will save yourself hours and hours of spraying, screwing, cutting, staining, ect...

*stand back and put on the flame shield* lol i'll get burn for this

DAMN! at first i thought this post was harsh, then i saw the amazon link. THANKS! I'll be ordering up those stands with my $50 hd dvd player amazon rebate.

[ixlegitballinxl]

harsh post...guy was only trying to help....and i enjoy do it yourself projects....

[syncguy]

The high end studio speaker stands have some weight management system to achieve maximum stability and minimum ringing. You may purchase cheap stands but they will not be even close to a pair of sand filled studio speaker stands.

Have a look at these sand fillable studio speaker stands. Just for comparison.

http://www.sigsound.com/NU&DInfoPages/OSIRIS.htm

[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