Speaker Spikes and Wood Floors

[tizeye]

Currently building Zaph's SR71 and matching stands. First primer coat on drying on sands as I type. Having difficulty deciding how to spike the stands.

With my sub, PE's 10" Titanic, I quickly learned pointy spikes + wood floors = disaster and the separate floor plates are a joke when trying to position a heavy speaker/sub. Currently use with the point unscrewed - essentially a half spike.

Since scratched up floors are not high on the WAF, looking for alternative suggestions. Typically non-sub speakers use the longer narrow sikes that don't separate, allowing point removal. Great for carpet, but not wood floors.

What I have considered are:
1. Grind down the points.
2. Use fatter sub spikes with the spike unscrewed.
3. Find suitable cabinet pull hardware at Home Depot and use for feet.
4. Small carpet patched under stands (also a WAF issue as would look tacky)
5. Unchanged, spike scratch the floor, endure the wrath of the wife and end up sleeping on the sofa near the speakers.

Any suggestions?

[Arc00]

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=240-717

These would work, either unscrew the tip or use the supplied base.

[Bill Schneider]

After a friend brought over a spiked turntable that ruined the finish on my DIY audio table, I've not been a fan of metal spikes.

Spikes help stability on carpet though, so I've used these on a recent build...



They are conical rubber bumpers with a machine-thread stud.

Unfortunately the fairly rough finish of the rubber surface will turn off the "platinum plated" crowd, but for me it works because it's underneath the speaker and can't be seen easily.

McMaster-Carr is the vendor...

http://www.mcmaster.com/#rubber-bumpers/=46nxnv

Note that there are several pages of the bumpers, and the link takes you to the first page of the set.

[Face]

Start lifting weights. Those little floor plates/pads have never been an issue for me.

More options and larger pads: https://myesound.com/Points_n_pads.html

[tizeye]

Thanks for the replies thus far. Those PE spikes were on my short list, and like what was on the sub. I was also thinking about something like this http://www.homedepot.com/Kitchen-Cab...atalogId=10053

While not intended as a build thread, here is where I stand thus far and general design.
Base marked and ready to drill.

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Drilled (viewing bottom side)

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Rough assembly overview, columns veneer and stained like speakers. Top plate matches base of speaker.

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Column closeup. Used 1" lumber rather than MDF for internal as will provide a better screw holding material for the base with the screws hidden underneath. For the top, will probably recess slightly and attach top from underneath with "L" brackets. That avoids having screws come down from the top - even if they were going to be covered by the speaker.

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Finished 1st coat priming. Need to sand and re-prime, then finish coat either high gloss black or dark brown.

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When finished will start on the speaker boxes which will have a few unique features. Front baffle will be solid oak with MDF backing for the 1", fully sealed to sides with rabbet edge. Sides (including bottom and top) oak veneer. Back will be removable, rabbet edge overlap to sides and foam seal) for full access and painted either high gloss black or dark brown.

[---k---]

I've seen lots of internet debates whether it is good to couple speakers to floor or to isolate them from the floor. We probably shouldn't go there.

My Khans sit on wood legs that I cut from MDF. On bottom is a felt pad. Mainly because it was easy and I can move them around easily.

Options are brass disks (pennies?) under spikes, rubber feet, felts pads, or anything you can think of.

[tizeye]

Thanks Face. The middle and end is what I had in mind but couldn't find - thus looking at cabinet hardware.

Also ---k---, aware of the debate, and was considering the non-metal feet and pads but had first preference for metal irrespective of the debate.

[john trials]

Those veneered columns look nice. Good job. Please post pics of your speakers as you build them. It sounds like your going to have some nice boxes.

I have a similar dilemma to yours. I'm almost done with my Statements (tung oil on veneer drying right now), and I made some outriggers, which have those large Parts Express spikes on the bottom. I don't know what to use to protect the floor either. It's going to be a pain trying to insert the small discs (supplied with the spikes) under the speakers. I was thinking hockey pucks, but that wouldn't look very good. I'm still searching for something nice looking. My situation is a bit more complicated because the front 2 spikes will be on a rug and the rear spikes will be on hardwood. I've got to level the speaker somehow.

I can't use them with my outriggers, but I like your cabinet hardware idea.

Lunchmoney over at the Parts Express forum has a really nice build thread of his SR71 with stands. Check it out if you haven't already seen it. http://techtalk.parts-express.com/sh...d.php?t=208196

[Space]

What is the functional difference between spikes with pads and a foot as large as the pad? Other than the inevitable separation of the pad, resulting in a scratched floor?

Those cabinet pulls should work but there are also floor glides made for the purpose. I found some nice ones at a True Value hardware, made from hard phenolic resin (sorry their website is useless). Also tried some rubber cones as mentioned above, and this did NOT work well because there was too much squish--my tower speaker would rock back and forth. Rubber cones should be good for a subwoofer, low to the floor. However a very slim rubber pad (sold as a non-slip floor glide) works much better for a taller speaker. Sorry no link but this is a 1.5" diameter by about 5/16" thickness. The rubber pad is not adjustable like the hard plastic glide, but by nature it will accommodate uneven floorboards.

[tizeye]

Thanks everyone for their replies. While I like several of the spikes referenced, ultimately time, and to a certian extent, cost, prevailed. At worse, I can always change them later if don't meet needs but got accomplished so now can start on the real project - building the speaker boxes to assemble the speakers. Pictured below illustrates the finished product with the following design features.
1. Top matches shape/size of planned speakers.
2. Top removable to add/subtract weight, or even change size.
3. Internal wire management. NOTE: 1/2" CPVC used in plumbing (not the thicher 1/2" PVC used in irrigation) matches a 5/8 drill bit exactly.
4. Drawer pulls for feet, at $2.95 each cheaper than speaker specific feet (plus my local electronic surplus store didn't have any - so would have had to order.) NOTE: Drawer pulls come with 8x32 threaded bolts and require a separate 8x32 bolt to wood screw 'hanger' sold in those little plastic packs.
5. Finally, the upright stand intentionally showing the back for wiring exit point, but also illustrates why single seam on veneer wrap particurally with wide grain woods like oak should meet in the back to hide the seam.

This also illustrates the beauty of DIY. Just try a find commercial speakers or stands that match existing decor.

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Close-up view of the bottom as was mildly out of focus on the above with the shallow depth of field. Photography is another hobby of mine, so perhaps over critical. Even this one, used bounce flash both ways and the one where the flash bounced direct on the underside washed out detail compared to this one with the bounce to the topside, keeping the bottom illuminated, but in shadows.

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[---k---]

I like them. :T

[TacoD]

Nice work, your photo's have more detail than I can achieve with a cheap compact camera .

[juliovideo]

the best Spikes..................


SuperSpike

http://www.superspikes.com/

------------

[Hank]

Very nice work! One approach for everyone to think about is to use three feet/spikes/etc in a triangular layout. You most likely won't need a level-adjusting feature unless your floor is horribly uneven.

[Face]

For those prices, no thanks.

[Vilbig]

Sorry for coming in late on this thread, but for all my speakers on hard surface floors, I use inexpensive automotive suspension bump stops. They are already threaded, come in many sizes and even in colors besides black for those more adventurous.

[JoshK]

After a friend brought over a spiked turntable that ruined the finish on my DIY audio table, I've not been a fan of metal spikes.

Spikes help stability on carpet though, so I've used these on a recent build...



They are conical rubber bumpers with a machine-thread stud.

Unfortunately the fairly rough finish of the rubber surface will turn off the "platinum plated" crowd, but for me it works because it's underneath the speaker and can't be seen easily.

McMaster-Carr is the vendor...

http://www.mcmaster.com/#rubber-bumpers/=46nxnv

Note that there are several pages of the bumpers, and the link takes you to the first page of the set.

Very cool, thanks. :T These are perfect for what I was looking for, for my bass bins.