[quote name='drkrdglo']Here's a little new year's present for all the CAG who have partaken in this fantastic deal.
INTRO:
Let me preface this tutorial by saying it was inspired by this gentleman's
how-to blog. However, the stands I am presenting are to be used exclusively with the Pioneer surround or front (L-R) speakers. I say this because the weight of this specific torchiere lamp's stand perfectly balances the Pioneer speaker - a speaker that's any heavier will require the more heavy-duty lamp found in the aforementioned tutorial.
I made these stands in less than 20 minutes and they cost me a total of ~$16-18.
MATERIALS:
- 2 - Wal-Mart Torchiere Lamps (the cheapest torchiere lamps found at Walmart B&M, $7.96 each)
- 2 - Sheet Metal (Finishing) Screws #7 x 7/16
- 1 - 7/64" drill bit (For metal)
- 1 - Drill
- 1 - Tape measure
- 1 - Hack saw (optional, only necessary if you have to cut a pole to size)
- 1 - Wonderful girlfriend to help you out by holding the pole while you drill (optional, but suggested!)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Begin by removing the lamp's electrical wire that's running through each of the poles. Feel free to cut the wire in pieces to remove it easier.
- Find the correct height for the speakers. If I can remember correctly, the surround sound speakers are to be mounted level with your ears when in a seated position.
- Assemble the "stand" by screwing the first three poles into the base. Measure where your cut off point will be (if necessary). I lucked out since 3 assembled poles was at the perfect height (48") for my speakers. If need be, use a hacksaw to cut your assembled stands down to size.
- Place the stand infront of you and make sure the poles are screwed together as tight as possible. Now comes the part where you mark where you speaker is going to be mounted. I wanted the wire to exit behind the speaker, so I made sure the hole for the wire was at the back of the stand when marking where my holes should be drilled. Mark two holes on the side where the speaker will be facing forward. The first hole should be marked 1-1/8" from the top of the pole and the second hole should be marked 3-1/2" from the top of the pole.
- Call upon that wonderful girlfriend of yours (or friend or family member for that matter) to help you hold the pole when you drill. After all, you do want to make this look nice don't you? Just a final word of caution - The pole is very thin and slippery, so it's easy for the drill bit to slide all around the pole and scratch it up. Drill the top hole as a pilot hole (7/64") for the sheet metal screw. Since it's just a pilot hole, you'll benefit by not drilling all the way through the metal. Drill the lower, second hole, until you have an opening of 1/4". (I found it easiest to use the same drill bit as on the pilot hole. Use it to drill four little holes next to each other and then round it out so the hole is about 1/4".)
- Drill the metal screw through the top pilot hole. You might have to adjust the screw depending on how snug you want the speaker to fit.
- Unscrew the poles from the base. Fish the speaker wire through the base and up through the poles. Screw back together.
- Attach the wall mount to the speaker, connect the wire to the speaker and finally, hang the speaker on the pole.
I hope this little how-to guide helps some of you folks save some money on outrageously priced speaker stands. I tried to make the directions as detailed as possible, but I assure you - it's much easier than it looks. Like I said, it took me 20 minutes total to get these puppies finished. Feel free to shoot any questions my way!
Take care and once again, happy new year![/quote]
That is awesome! Now all I will need to do is find rubber caps for the tops of the poles.
I have a question to you tech savy people. Can I do Linear PCM(uncompressed) through these speakers without damaging them? My PS3 said if the speakers weren't able to do this, I could damage them. Just wondering.
