Speaker Stand Fab

[Skymeat]

So I'm posting this here because I don't know better after reading for 3 days. I've reviewed every stand design I can find. I started looking at DIY MDF plans and ended up looking at retail designs. Somewhere along the line I realized that I work for a steel fabrication company and use CAD software all day and could have anything I wanted made cheep.

So at this point I've pretty much been able to figure the idea is:
Heavy with no open spaces, not top heavy, rubber feet make more sense than spikes (I'm on hardwood).

Basic plan is a 12" disc of 1" plate with 5 uprights of 5/8" bar stock and a 7" square platform.

I'm using 2 polk monitor 30's and 4 TSC TBSL's with a polk center. I want one design to be able to support all speakers. This will make fab easier and cost effective. All these speakers have a 7" dimension. I don't want the stand platforms to be bigger than the bases.

Question is... Biggest speaker is 12" x 7" would a 7x7 platform be a problem? Should I build the platforms per speaker?

Thanks for any input. I'll post CAD files and build pics of the prototype in a week or so. I'm not going to put an order in for a few days, so ideas are welcome...


Thanks,
Chip

 

[sesshin]

I had some steel stands fabricated for my studio monitors and the bases were matched to the size of the speakers. Hopefully I won't change them anytime soon! Also if you can use hollow tubes for the vertical portions and then fill them sand that helps decrease resonance significantly and increase stability.

 

[lsiberian]

So I'm posting this here because I don't know better after reading for 3 days. I've reviewed every stand design I can find. I started looking at DIY MDF plans and ended up looking at retail designs. Somewhere along the line I realized that I work for a steel fabrication company and use CAD software all day and could have anything I wanted made cheep.

So at this point I've pretty much been able to figure the idea is:
Heavy with no open spaces, not top heavy, rubber feet make more sense than spikes (I'm on hardwood).

Basic plan is a 12" disc of 1" plate with 5 uprights of 5/8" bar stock and a 7" square platform.

I'm using 2 polk monitor 30's and 4 TSC TBSL's with a polk center. I want one design to be able to support all speakers. This will make fab easier and cost effective. All these speakers have a 7" dimension. I don't want the stand platforms to be bigger than the bases.

Question is... Biggest speaker is 12" x 7" would a 7x7 platform be a problem? Should I build the platforms per speaker?

Thanks for any input. I'll post CAD files and build pics of the prototype in a week or so. I'm not going to put an order in for a few days, so ideas are welcome...


Thanks,
Chip

I prefer to have a smaller stand than my speakers. I'd think 7" x 7" would work just fine.

 

[j_garcia]

I wouldn't go with the 5 uprights. I'd go with one hollow square or cylindrical tube for the upright, because you can fill a hollow tube not 5 solid uprights. Plus, I just don't think that multiple supports looks good in most cases.

I would say 7" is fine for the top base because I would go no less than the actual size of your current speakers, but consider also that they won't likely be your last speakers. As such, I'd make the top removable so you can change it out. The bottom doesn't need to be 1" thick; those would be quite heavy. Mine are only 1/4" plate with some pads for the feet and that is more than enough for just about any speaker. Make sure the bases are wide enough so they are stable.

 

[JerryLove]

The bottom doesn't need to be 1" thick; those would be quite heavy.

You say that like it's bad. In addition to the massive muscle building of speaker placement, a heavy bottom would seem to make a more stable platform.

 

[j_garcia]

You say that like it's bad. In addition to the massive muscle building of speaker placement, a heavy bottom would seem to make a more stable platform.

Mine are 1/4" and they are already 26lbs each without fill...they ain't going anywhere All I am saying is they don't need to be that heavy, not that it would be a bad thing.

 

[MidnightSensi]

Make the pole a standard size pipe so you can screw different lengths in to adjust the height of the speaker.

Then you could get a base CNC cut and tap it to accept a 2" diameter pole.

My speaker stands are 56-lbs each, with a cast base and 2" pole mount.

If you want something finished looking, powder coating would work and is cheap.

*edit* almost forgot, for the top bit where you put the speaker, laminate some honeycomb:
http://nida-core.com/

 

[Skymeat]

Sorry for the delay.. I got a quote from the fab division. Cost/stand would be 225$, then another 125 for welding and powder coating. That's 10% above cost...and weight would only be 80lbs each. So I'm rethinking this, the wife (and myself) can't spend 350 a pop for stands. I'm working up a single tube style (like shown above) that should be significantly cheaper.

 

[Skymeat]

Also the stand that I submitted for a quote was a scaled up mini-gun barrel. If anyone is interested in actually making one of these I'll post the cad.

 

[Wafflesomd]

I made my own, couldn't find anything that suited what I needed. I need something that was ~36"

It's simply a block of mdf with a circle routed out for some large PVC pipe. I filled it with some sand bags and painted them. They work great.