Need ideas for child-safe speaker stands

TedS · 09-15-2003, 12:58 PM

I want to build some speakers (MBOW1s), but first I want to ensure that they and an 8-month old can safely coexist. I'm thinking of making the standard MDF/PVC/MDF platform stands and filling them with sand. This seems like it should be very stable, but what still concerns me is how to keep the speakers on the stand. As our little girl gets bigger and starts to walk, I'm worried about her pushing or pulling the speaker off of the stand and onto herself

.

Has anyone else dealt with this issue? Are the platform stands stable enough? How do you make sure the speakers can't fall off? Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Ted

Brian Bunge · 09-15-2003, 01:10 PM

You could bolt the speakers to the stands. That still won't ensure that she doesn't pull the whole thing over on top of herself though unless you can really make it sturdy. The stands will be somewhat top heavy with the speakers on top so I'd definitely make them fillable regardless of what design you go with.

Bob Bartlett · 09-15-2003, 01:39 PM

Use poster putty or blue-tac on the bottom of the speakers. I use this and I can barely rip the speaker of the stand myself. I am also using it on the bottom of my speaker stands, but I have wood floors. They don't move an inch and I have a 18 month old who likes to tug on the speaker wires.

TedS · 09-15-2003, 04:16 PM

Brian: I'm trying to picture how I would bolt the speaker to the stand. Would you run through holes through the stand and then thread the bolts into the bottom of the speakers? I certainly agree about filling the stands. How much do you think would be enough- 30 lbs? 50 lbs?

Bob: It's good to hear from someone in a similar situation! Pulling on speaker wires is one of the scenarios that I am afraid of. I also have wood floors, so the blue-tac idea may work. Does it leave a stain or anything on the wood? What type of stands do you use? Are they filled with anything, or is the blue-tac alone enough to keep everything stable?

Thanks again for your input! Anyone else?

Joe Hsu · 09-15-2003, 04:31 PM

One idea that I had for my next pair of stands would be to make a type of "feet" that would surround the speaker where it meets the stand. The inside would be a 90° angle (so it goes up flush against a corner of the speaker), and then it'd be carved out of a hemisphere of wood. hard to describe, but basically any set of feet so that the speakers can't move on the horizontal plane...this should be enough until you have to worry about the speaker moving vertically. after that, it's up to you.

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GregAV · 09-15-2003, 04:46 PM

You might consider using small "L" shaped brackets/hardware bolted to the stands only.

Another would be to Google for museum wax/putty.

Greg

TedS · 09-15-2003, 05:08 PM

Joe and Greg: Those are good ideas. I think I understand what you mean, Joe (with the hemisphere of wood). I'm picturing the top half of globe with a rectangular cut-out going down a certain depth. Is that what you mean? That might look nice, too, while Greg's version may be simpler to implement.

Thanks for the ideas! Any more out there?

Brian Bunge · 09-15-2003, 05:08 PM

Ted,

The speakers will probably weigh a good 15 lbs. each. We build stands using 6" rectangular MDF columns and they probably weigh another 20 lbs. each. So if you can fill them up with sand or kitty litter or something I'd imagine that you'd be fine. I'd just fill them up as much as they can go. If that doesn't hold them then your kids need to be playing linebacker or something!

Oh, and yes, you'd have through holes on the base plate of the stand and then thread bolts into threaded inserts placed in the bottom of the speaker cabinets.

Bob Bartlett · 09-15-2003, 10:21 PM

TEDS,

I have diy speaker stands with the mdf,pvc,mdf. They are filled with sand, and are quite heavy. I have had no problem with the posterputty leaving marks on the floor.

TedS · 09-15-2003, 10:28 PM

Brian: Ah, I see now- use inserts. What type do you recommend? I guess the threaded hole would pass all the way through the wall into the interior of the speaker cabinet? Or is there a kind that would only pass part-way through the wall, leaving the interior space undisturbed? I guess I'm just wondering what, if any, impact putting a threaded insert would have on the speaker cabinet structural integrity/sound.

To all: Thanks for all the responses! I'm getting some good ideas from you folks!

Let me know if you've got any more!

Ted

TedS · 09-16-2003, 08:54 AM

OK, I'm getting a plan in my head:
[list=1][*]Build the mdf/pvc/mdf platform stands and fill with sand.[*]Try the blue-tac/poster putty solution since this is the simplest. If it's stable enough, I'm done. If not, go to 3.[*]Add L-brackets or some other type of "feet" to restrain speaker movement in the horizontal plane. Again, if this works, I'm done. Otherwise...[*]Go with threaded inserts in the speaker box and rigidly bolt the box to the stand. This should be the most robust way of mounting.[/list=1]

This allows me to try the simpler methods before committing to making modifications to the speaker cabinets. If that is what is necessary for safety, though, that's what I'll do.

Thanks again for all the ideas! Let me know if you have any more thoughts or suggestions.

Ted