Hi all

I think I have finally come up with a plan for my new speaker stands in my recording studio...!

I need to make speaker stands that have a heavy mass and high density (so that they do not transmit sound or resonate). But I also need to have some space at the bottom to site my PA speakers...

Here's an awfully crude and out of scale mock drawing:




The red part will be a metal table, the grey a concrete block. I had racked my brains for how to make the table part - first I thought wood, then I was going to have a concrete table made. But then, whilst at work having a fag (tut tut) I was looking at the heavy duty metal gate and thought - hmmmmm - I can use that!

But I'm not even sure what metal the gate is from. It's very heavy duty and weighs loads. I'm sure a table made of that would have no problem taking the weight of the concrete block and speaker....

What I have no clue about is where I could go to have something like this made. My first thought was a fence/gate maker, but I'm not sure. So I thought I'd ask on here. As you can probably gather, I'm quite clueless in this area! So any pointers would be great.

Cheers

Max

A properly made wooden table would take the weight quite easily and also allow you to make your own without recourse to 'silly' tool requirements (i.e. welding). Use high density foam between speaker and stand for acoustic insulation.

_________________
This post may contain nuts

Thanks Dave. I will indeed be using a foam, most likely in between the bottom of the block/table top AND between the top of the black/bottom of the speaker. Have been looking at sorbothane.

The reason for wanting to use metal rather than wood is so that the legs are as small and slim (but still strong) as possible. The PA speakers are already wider than the monitor speakers, and I want the table to add as little as possible to that width. Also, the whole stand/unit is in quite an awkward spot which makes having small legs even more important.

I also thought the weight of using metal would help with the stability of the stand, especially because the floor is carpeted and has quite a thick spongy underlay.

Many thanks

Max

A couple of other points....

Would I need to put something beneath the feet to help with the weight situation? The room is first floor, and the flooring is chipboard. So without a base there is a chance of a leg (or two!!) would go through the floor? Is it simply a case of the more contact area with the floor - the more the weight is distributed over the area? If so, maybe I'll use a paving slab. T he problem with flat surfaces on the floor is they make the structure less stable. Hmmmm - dilemma!

So, back to the metal, if I got strong enough metal (like in the gate I mentioned) would welding it together to form the structure be strong enough? And if so, where should I look to get this done? I know nothing about metal work, as you can probably all tell!

Many thanks

Max

Max,
have you considered Dexion Shelving:
http://www.dexion.com/product_3.aspx

Dexion Slotted Angle used to build the four legs and tops can also be used as cross beams on the sides and rear, leaving the front open to move the monitor in and out as required.

Having seen some of the Dexion type shelving in warehouses and the weight they take, I don't think you would have much of a problem.
You could contact Dexion and ask what sort of shelving you would need to take whatever the weight is that you plan to place on top of the 'table'. Click 'Contact' in the first link and either phone or write to them.

dave

_________________
You can always tell a Yorkshireman,
But you cannot tell him much.

Thanks Dave - I'll take a look, although at first glance I'm a bit concerned at how the cost could mount up. Already a bit over budget in the studio so trying to keep costs down a bit....

A couple more questions...

Would a triangular table be stronger and more stable than a square/rectangular one? In a way, triangular would actually work better for me, although I should point out that the concrete block on top of the table would still need to be square.

RE: weight issues. I'm thinking the concrete will prob be around 80kg. Let's call it 100kg to be safe. The speaker is 15kg. The metal stand? - let's say 10kg. So the total weight for one stand/structure will be 125kg - probably less but best to overestimate.

So when I come to work out if this is safe etc., what do I need to consider? I would like to read up about this but I'm not sure what the relevant terms are to put into google.... I would rather not have a base unless I have to, but of course without a base the weight is not distributed and I'm not sure whether that would be ok on the chipboard or not.

At all costs I don't want anything going through the floor!!!

The stand will be near the wall which the floor joists go into. The furtherest leg will be around 50cm from the wall, the nearest around 10cm away. No legs would actually be directly on top of joists.

RE: materials.... what would the strongest metal be that would allow me to have the legs as thin as possible? Wrought iron? Steel? I'm not at work this week but I've asked a colleague to take a pic of the gate - which I'll add once I have it. +1 for modern technology!

Cheers

Max

Here are those pics:

what about fixing steel reinforcing rods into the concrete and having rubber feet on them (like squash balls)
using the reinforcing rods as legs with a concrete pad on top?

Thanks root.

This idea has crossed my mind and is a good one. My two questions/concerns though:

- would the rods be strong enough to support the weight?

- how close to the outer edge of the block could the rods be? I want the footprint of the stand to be as small as possible and so would need the legs as close to the outside of the block as possible. It was this that made me think setting the legs into the concrete would not work. But then I know little about it - so if the legs could be close to the outside OR legs could be fixed securely to the outside somehow - then I'd be very interested to hear more.

if you had 3 legs on either side i dont see why they cannot be bent possibly also provide some vibration absorbtion in the legs,
like below?

_|
|

I think you are over complicating and unnessacarily worrying about this. You are talking about the weight of one largish person (18 stone) sat on a chair. Have you considered an old chair with the seat removed and replaced with a piece of 1/2" ply or even an 18"x18" paving slab instead of the concrete block and the back cut off the chair?

_________________
Mike

Why not just make up an L section frame, the block can sit in the section

_________________
If you feel you have benefited from the Free advice given on the Forum, Please consider making a donation to UHM's Nominated charity, read all about it and donate here :

donnas-dream-house-charity-t52110.html

Winner :)

Couple of 20x20 box section frames.... Made to the same size as the block. Block sits on, jobs a gooden.

_________________
Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

Hi Root

Sorry to be a pain, but I'm not quite sure I follow you or your diagram. Any chance you could expand on this as the idea sounds like a good one I think.




Hi Mike

That's all good to hear. Music to my ears (and hopefully soon my non-resonating speakers)!

I asked about the weight issue because someone elsewhere had told me: "You will have a massive point load where the legs meet the floor though, so you probably need a base as well." That got me to thinking that I would need to spread/distribute the weight. But I guess that won't be necessary, as you point out with your example if someone sitting in a chair (similar weight, similar point loads). The only difference is that the speakers will be cited permanent unlike the fellow in the chair. Is that an issue?

If I could find a chair to suit then maybe, but I need something to quite exact dimensions so I think it is unlikely....

Why not just make up an L section frame, the block can sit in the section




Sorry to be thick again, but I don't quite follow this either. Any chance you could explain in a bit more detail?






Oh dear - guess what? Ditto my comment to thescruff.

___________________________________________________________________________

A million thanks to you guys for helping me out with this. I'm not the best at DIY and don't know a great deal about a lot of this stuff - so your thoughts and suggestions are really golden.

Cheers

Max