# DIY speaker stands



## yapper (Mar 11, 2014)

I'm not sure if this is the right area but it's DIY ;-)

My current stands are fake plaster Roman columns that are hollow.

I'm thinking of making some stands out of 3 or 4" dia PVC pipe filled with sand, with top and bottom wooden plates made of wood linked by threaded 5/16" rod.

Does anyone have any experience/advice re DIY stands?


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

If you have a router, and the expertise, you could cut a circular groove in the wood end pieces to help locate the pvc pipe and contain the sand better. 
All in all, it sounds like a good stable idea. :TT


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## GCG (Aug 22, 2013)

Pardon the bad pics from my phone.

Here's what I made for my fronts. Two layers of 3/4 MDF top and bottom sandwiching 3-4" cardboard carpet cores (1" wall, very sturdy). I used all thread that runs the length of the tubes and attaches with recessed nuts on the bottom and acorn nuts on the top. The acorn nuts set just a little proud of the top and the speaker sets on them. They are sand filled. Pressure on the tube faces is enough to trap the sand in my case. I placed holes in the top inside the perimeter of the tubes for filling. If you use sand in combination with MDF or cardboard be sure you oven dry it or either will disintegrate from moisture. 2 hrs in a disposable aluminum roasting pan @250. Stir it every once and a while. LET IT COOL.


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## yapper (Mar 11, 2014)

robbo266317 said:


> If you have a router, and the expertise, you could cut a circular groove in the wood end pieces to help locate the pvc pipe and contain the sand better.
> All in all, it sounds like a good stable idea. :TT


Good idea but I don't have a router. I was planning on using a bead of construction adhesive on the inside of the lower end of the tube, and letting it set before filling with sand.


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## yapper (Mar 11, 2014)

@GCG Good point about drying the sand. Where did you get the carpet cores from and how did you cut them? The thick walls sound excellent (mine will need to be taller than yours as my front speakers are a lot smaller)


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

You could also get some 3" or 4" ABS or PVC pipe from your local hardware store (they might even cut them to length for you), and not have to deal with heating the sand... I believe you could use construction adhesive to seal the tubes. If you get a hole saw that is the same size as the exterior of the pipe you could drill through one piece of wood, and then glue that piece of wood to one without the holes, and you would have a base that would seal and could be glued. Do the same for the top and you are done. If you want more stability then use a threaded piece of rod like the other poster suggested.


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## GCG (Aug 22, 2013)

yapper said:


> @GCG Good point about drying the sand. Where did you get the carpet cores from and how did you cut them? The thick walls sound excellent (mine will need to be taller than yours as my front speakers are a lot smaller)


I was working a job at a Dupont plant making large 15' rolls of a Med grade tyvec like blown fabric. The tubes came from their scrap bin and they were kind enough to cut them to length. They had a cutting station that rotated the tube over a small circular saw blade. Made for a perfect flat cut. I did something similar at home to cut them to final length. You'd be better off getting the PVC at Home Depot or Lowes and getting them to cut to length. Just tell them to get it flat and square and you'll be good. Wood is susceptible to moisture as well so if you don't dry the sand, water seal the wood ... Kils or similar will do. Don't forget to seal the inside of any holes.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

GCG said:


> I was working a job at a Dupont plant making large 15' rolls of a Med grade tyvec like blown fabric. The tubes came from their scrap bin and they were kind enough to cut them to length. They had a cutting station that rotated the tube over a small circular saw blade. Made for a perfect flat cut. I did something similar at home to cut them to final length. You'd be better off getting the PVC at Home Depot or Lowes and getting them to cut to length. Just tell them to get it flat and square and you'll be good. Wood is susceptible to moisture as well so if you don't dry the sand, water seal the wood ... Kils or similar will do. Don't forget to seal the inside of any holes.


Def a good idea to seal the wood. :T


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## yapper (Mar 11, 2014)

After looking at other options, I'm in the middle of making some stands out of concrete blocks from Home Depot. The blocks are cheap ($1.48 here) and heavy (25lbs each). I'm currently using 3 with one on its side and a pair stood side by side on top of the lower one, but I might need to add another horizontal one as they are a bit low. I'm experimenting with paint finishes to make them a bit more aesthetically pleasing before moving them to the house. I was going to secure them to each other with Loctite 500 construction adhesive but I'm not going to do that until I've moved them as 75lb speaker stands are a bit awkward to move lol


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

Keep us posted and please add pictures of your finished stands. 
They certainly sound like they are going to be very stable. :T


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## yapper (Mar 11, 2014)

Still being worked on. Base is approx 16"wide, height is 20", depth is 8".


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## yapper (Mar 11, 2014)

I'm still thinking of a way to make them look more visually appealing, but for now a couple of coats of latex paint gave a smoother finish and stopped the concrete dust in its tracks. I didn't need to use construction adhesive as the paint anchored the blocks together. A 75lb speaker stand is a bit tricky to move but I used some of those plastic furniture gliders. Got them in position in the listening room and spent the evening enjoying some music. I'm very pleased with them, and even the wife commented that they "sounded good".

Total cost less than $10 as I already had the paint!


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## kbzx35 (Jul 25, 2014)

Wow those stands are bulletproof literally! Very nice! Definitely has a nice industrial look to them! The only thing I can think of to potentially dress them up would be pvc or wood moulding around the top and around the base of the stand. But they look pretty cool as is


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## yapper (Mar 11, 2014)

A picture with the speakers on top of the stands (via plumbers putty). I'm still thinking about adding another horizontal block at the base to bring the top of the stands up to the level of the TV.


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