DigitalDave Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Hey everyone, just wanted to share my recent DIY project. Previously I had had all my components stacked into an old pine AV cabinet. Think entry level furniture shop. The pine had started to split from the heat of the components, plus it took up a lot of space - it was 2.1 metres wide. Deciding that I wanted a new cabinet/rack to house my many components (I have both AV gear and 2 channel gear in one room). My key criteria were simply being able to fit 8 or 9 standard width components with more vertical space between shelves, be able to hold lots of weight (my main power amp and Power Plant weigh around 35kg each) and be no more than 1600mm wide to create more acoustic space around the speakers which I know is critical to get the best out of my Zu Omen Def's. I had looked at options from Quadraspire and Solid Tech plus I got some quotes on custom jobs from local specialist furniture makers. To be honest while a lot of them looked awesome, but either didnt meet my requirements or they were really expensive (the ones I was considering were $2400 to $3200) I found a DIY project online that someone did in the UK, and I thought I could do it myself. I chose to use Bamboo for a few reasons and because I do not have much woodwork experience (since high school at least) nor the necessary power tools for cutting timber I bought the Bamboo pre-fabricated to my specifications and then I assembled and stained here at home. I bought the spiked cone feet and double ended dowel screws from e-bay. Stain was Feast Watson Japan Black and I coated with a clear Matt Varnish. All up cost, inc timber, spikes and stain was a shade under $1300. The end result visually is very nice I think and more importantly doubling the acoustic space around the speakers, particularly the space in from the side walls has made a notable improvement in SQ - better 3D imaging and improved definition in the bottom end were instantly audible. Plus I saved at least $1000. Here's a few pics... 3
shaky Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Simple design but great looking. I like the open look of it. And modular too. You could always add another layer if needed. Looks great with your speakers too
Krispy Audio Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Outstanding work Dave, and the best outcome I reckon.
Guest JohnA Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 turned out very nice mate.... well done, and you end up with exactly what you want
mikey d Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Good onya. Amazing what you can do with a bit of patience & imagination.
Makka Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Great job and enough pics for anyone else to do it too. One day perhaps.
Guest atilsley Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Very nice, where did you source the steel spikes?
DigitalDave Posted December 23, 2012 Author Posted December 23, 2012 (edited) Thanks for the positive feedback everyone . The spikes were sourced from a Hong Kong based ebay hi-fi mob. Special mention to Cameron (CP) from Krispy Kable who I very nearly bought a Solid Tech Radius rack from. He was ever so patient as I went back & forth measuring and re-measuring to get quotes on a customised rack. He's a pleasure to deal with and very helpful. In the end, I took a leap of faith to do my own and its turned out well. Happy days! Edited December 23, 2012 by DigitalDave 1
Makka Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 If you don't mind me asking, did you do anything clever to make sure when you screwed the legs in that they were square once they were screwed in all the way? I've always had trouble with that. (So has IKEA)
DigitalDave Posted December 23, 2012 Author Posted December 23, 2012 If you don't mind me asking, did you do anything clever to make sure when you screwed the legs in that they were square once they were screwed in all the way? I've always had trouble with that. (So has IKEA) I'm not sure it's clever but what I did was measure and drew an outline of where each leg should be so that I could visually compare the edge of the leg against the straight outline. That was as technical as it got. I've got a pretty good eye and steady hand from years of miniature model painting and I trust my ability to get things lined up. I can tell you right now that the positioning of the legs is not millimetre perfect but you wouldn't know it unless you got out a measuring tape.
SteveLuck Posted December 23, 2012 Posted December 23, 2012 Looks the business - not too heavy looking either. Too easy to overspec these things and end up with something that looks like it was made from fenceposts. Looks heaps better than my powdercoated steel tripod stand - i must have go myself. I need to rearange my listening room soon.
mikey d Posted December 24, 2012 Posted December 24, 2012 Thanks for the positive feedback everyone . The spikes were sourced from a Hong Kong based ebay hi-fi mob. Special mention to Cameron (CP) from Krispy Kable who I very nearly bought a Solid Tech Radius rack from. He was ever so patient as I went back & forth measuring and re-measuring to get quotes on a customised rack. He's a pleasure to deal with and very helpful. In the end, I took a leap of faith to do my own and its turned out well. Happy days! Yep, Cameron is fantastic to deal with, plus he has a great range of stock. You can't go wrong dealing with Krispy Kables!
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