Advice sought on building speaker stands

[brendon]

Hi All ,I am currently looking at buying some bookshelf style speakers as fronts for a home theater sytem and I am thinking about about building the stands my self as budget is limited.I would love to hear your thoughts on best construction techniques and materials.I am reasonably handy and have access to basic wood working equip (router ,basic saw bench etc) and have basic metalwork skills (aicraft mechanic by trade) .
Thanks for your assistance Brendon

[ThomasW]

I don't think there's a 'best' design.

One of the easiest 'better' designs is to simply use PVC pipe as the riser. When completed, fill it with sand to mass load it.

Just to get you started here's a monster link DIY stands, there are dozens of examples shown.

If you take one of the ideas from there, we can fine-tune it if you like.......

[Ten 99]

Brendon,

Have you seen any particular commercially available stands that you like, or would like to use as inspiration. If you have something like that, we could probably give you suggestions on how to make it work.

Something worth consideration too, is what do the bookshelf speakers you're considering look like?

[brendon]

Re speakers for stands

Hi, thanks for the rapid replies.I am hoping the budget will stretch to B&W 602 0r 603 .My initial thoughts were along the line of aluminium or steel tube with a flat plate for base and top with some provision for spikes and filled with sand as suggested.I will have a look at the link tonight after work
Thanks Brendon

[Ten 99]

I think the 603 is a tower speaker, while the 602 is a bookshelf.

B&W's website shows two major finish types on their 600 series 3 speakers. One is black, while the other is what appears to be a birch type of wood veneer with a soft gray baffle.





B&W shows some nice looking stands in these pictures. I don't know if this is the look you're after, or not.

Going with an aluminum or steel tube will actually drive the costs up quite a bit. When you say aluminum, I'm not sure if you're wanting a brushed look, a nickel look, a polished or chrome look, or what.

If you want a round post part, then you have options of going with metal tube, or wood tube, or PVC tube. PVC can be painted, or even covered with a veneer. There are actually wood tubes with hardwood veneers on them too.

The plates (top, bottom) can be made from hardwoods, MDF, aluminum, steel, etc.

If you were going with the birch and gray finished speakers, and wanted a cheap stand that looked equal in it's presence to the speakers, you might think about using a PVC tube covered with a birch or similar hardwood veneer (paper backed, applied with a contact cement). I would probably stick to a water based clear finish so it wouldn't yellow the veneer too much. You could also look at www.tapeease.com at the wood cylinders. They have veneered cylinders that are 27.5" long, 6" or 8" diameters in maple that are $76 or $78 each. Sounds like quite a bit more money, until you figure out that veneers aren't always that cheap to begin with. Truthfully, the PVC route would cost you about half as much. Next, with the plates if you went with MDF, and used laminate finish on them, wilsonart makes some that look like brushed aluminum.

Sky is the limit here, just depends on your budget, your willingness to create, and your tools and skills.

Don't forget that spikes, screws, threaded rod, all of those things add up in cost too.

If the speakers were going to be black, I would say it's easier to just do base plates that are black. Laminate here is cheaper, and painting is cheaper still. MDF is cheap. One other option, is to use PVC tube and try painting it with some of that metallic paint. You might be able to get an aluminum brushed look or close there to it, for a fairly low price.

I would definitely try to know a budget limit (top dollar you are willing to spend), and then work in some of the essential hardware that you will have to use no matter what your materials are, and then try to see what you have left to spend on materials. This will dictate how many options you have.

[Hank]

Brendon, take a look at the Parts Express medium mass and high mass metal stands and see if they fit your budget. They look great and can be filled with sand or lead (or steel) shot for even greater mass:

http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&DID=7&WebPage_ID=227

PE puts the high mass stands on sale fairly frequently, BTW.
If they're not within your budget, I'd suggest the heavy-wall PVC pipe and MDF base and top solution. You can buy Krylon spray paint that is made for plastic that is supposed to give a very good finish on PVC.

[brendon]

Re parts express stands

Hi Hank,I am afraid shipping to Australia would be expensive(maybe I should use local sand eh?) but that site had some great ideas for different styles.

Thanks to all who took time to reply.

I will now start my usual 6 mth thinking about it phase before commencing work on them .I will post photos late in 2005 if I work to my usual speed on these projects.
Brendon

[Dennis H]

PVC pipe stands are easy, cheap and look good.

[robertwb70]

I recognize that last one :wink: