# first project; ambitious speaker stands



## mangoe (May 9, 2011)

i am in need of a pair of speaker stands, and cant find anything that looks half decent. i am always looking for new projects (just finished building the speakers) and have decided to try to build my own stands, as a kind carpenter friend of mine offered the use of his well equiped workshop. this is my first carpentry project, and obviously i want something attractive and of good quality, but am also trying to keep it as simple as possible;straight lines and squares. the speakers they will be supporting are large; 24"x13.5"x11.5" and weighing approximatly 34lb each, they are very bassy for their size also, and so i need a very sturdy set of stands for them. 

i have a reasonably simple three piece design, with a large trapezoidal cube base measuring 11" tall and 15"x15" bottom/10"10" top, with a 13"x4"x4" beam supporting a 13.5"x11.5"x1.5" panel. having never done anything like this before im going to assume that this will be harder than it sounds, and so i am trying to plan as cautiously and carefully as i can, and accepting that they may be a little rough around the edges when theyre finished. that said i am going to give it my all, so i have a few questions...

firstly, i would like to use two different types of wood; a dark wood for the base and top, which would need to be strong and heavy, and a light wood for the beam, which would need to be very strong and heavy also. having done about 5 mins research ive considered using different types of oak. now at this point i should mention that i am also trying to make these stands for as little money as possible, and have no idea how much this wood will cost. which types of wood should i consider using that would meet my criteria, and what sort of price range should i use to create a rough budget? would it be substantially cheaper to buy just one type of wood - the cheapest wood which is both strong and heavy, and then apply different finishes? and where should i look to buy the wood that i need? i cant seem to find anywhere selling such a large solid block as i would need.

secondly; the joints, ive done a little research and after watching a demonstration video on how to make a mortise and tenon, ive decided to attempt making a m&t on both joints, is this the best thing to do? is there an easier joint to make which will be equally strong?

finally, is there anything ive missed or should reconsider?

thankyou very much all for reading, sorry to have such a long and demanding post - any comments or advice at all would be greatly appreciated! :thumbsup: - robert


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## MrWoodworking (Apr 14, 2011)

One thing to remember with speaker stands is that you want them solid. Any chambers will resonate and not always at a desired frequency, which way lead to your speakers sounding wonky, when in fact, it's the stands. Especially with "Bassy" speakers as you describe.

You may need to glue up your largest piece from smaller pieces.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Have you done a Google Image search?*

There are 3.4 million images here....:
http://www.google.com/search?tbm=is...speaker+stands&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g4g-m6&aql=&oq=

My speakers, 18" woofers, just sit on the floor on rubber pads.
If you want them up in the air for better high frequency dispersion, then stands are in order. They can either sit within a frame or sir on top of a frame , depending on your style preference. Maybe post an image/design and ask for comments on construction?  bill


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## bondfan (Jun 9, 2009)

I was thinking along the same lines as woodenthing, with regard to rubber pads. I think I would set the stands on rubber pads, and have rubber pads on the stands for the speakers to sit on.


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## illcrx (May 15, 2011)

I would definitely incorporate some kind of fastening mechanism for the speakers to the stand, maybe on the back? Something that large could hurt if they fell. Also every time I install speakers on a stand they are wobbly and unstable! Your will be especially top heavy at 36 lbs. 

Could you post the speakers? I love speakers!


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## frascati (Oct 13, 2010)

It sounds like you may be grossly overestimating the needs of a 34lb object that will not be moved about much once it's in place. Even soft pine and titebond without nails/screws would be more than sufficient for the duty described. If you sealed the interior space and filled with sand, the speakers (performance wise) would not know the difference between oak or pine, or even particle board for this project. A good flush joint with titebond glue is much stronger than most would imagine.

But better woods and joinery would certainly look nicer, and be nice practice for carpentry skills. Go for it, but free yourself from such concerns that you must make it as stout as you describe. 

If you've built the speakers you may already be familiar with the most popular forums but here's a few and, yes, stands are very much on topic....

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/ ....
....is a really nice place to start. Very wide range of expertise where beginners are more than welcomed. It's associated with a very popular diy audio supply house so there is a lot of good synergy in design ideas.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/ ...
... is probably the most popular audio site on the web. You'll get LOTS of feedback on any questions or ideas there and the site is really nicely managed and put together. The range of expertise there tends to include a bit of the lunatic fringe of audio, so just be prepared for it. Fortunately, there are a few other audio sites on the web that keep those guys otherwise occupied.

http://www.htguide.com/forum/ ...
... is a pretty small community of really level headed audio/visual enthusiasts. No nonsense, some really good designs, some well known names in diy audio hang there a lot. Much less volume of comment on the board but what is is of very good quality.


And now... for something _completely _different...









<br />
I posted the waveguide 2way design in an audio forum a few years ago and got a little carried away in Sketchup.

Sketchup is very easy and a GREAT way to share your ideas in forums. A sketch of what you described for your stands is worth a thousand words *easily*. An object like you describe, with relatively simple geometry and straight lines, could be accomplished by a total beginner pretty easily.


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## Splitboard (May 22, 2011)

mangoe said:


> i am in need of a pair of speaker stands, and cant find anything that looks half decent. i am always looking for new projects (just finished building the speakers) and have decided to try to build my own stands, as a kind carpenter friend of mine offered the use of his well equiped workshop. this is my first carpentry project, and obviously i want something attractive and of good quality, but am also trying to keep it as simple as possible;straight lines and squares. the speakers they will be supporting are large; 24"x13.5"x11.5" and weighing approximatly 34lb each, they are very bassy for their size also, and so i need a very sturdy set of stands for them.
> 
> i have a reasonably simple three piece design, with a large trapezoidal cube base measuring 11" tall and 15"x15" bottom/10"10" top, with a 13"x4"x4" beam supporting a 13.5"x11.5"x1.5" panel. having never done anything like this before im going to assume that this will be harder than it sounds, and so i am trying to plan as cautiously and carefully as i can, and accepting that they may be a little rough around the edges when theyre finished. that said i am going to give it my all, so i have a few questions...
> 
> ...


 I'm not nearly skilled enough to give you advice but good luck, sounds like you've got it planned out! :smile:


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## Capacity Workstation (Jun 6, 2011)

MrWoodworking said:


> One thing to remember with speaker stands is that you want them solid. Any chambers will resonate and not always at a desired frequency, which way lead to your speakers sounding wonky, when in fact, it's the stands. Especially with "Bassy" speakers as you describe.
> 
> You may need to glue up your largest piece from smaller pieces.


 
Or... you can build your stands with a chamber and fill them with sand.
This eliminates the resonation. The sand gets quite packed and deadens any resonance.

I build and supply recording studio's with these types of stands, where there is to be as close to zero colouration as possible.

If you decide to built some like these make your you glue everything as you don't want any sand getting through cracks.

Just another idea!

Hope it helps.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*hmmmm*

where'd the mangoe? :blink:


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I guess he's Mangone. :laughing:


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