Any matching stands for the naturals?

[Quinn]

I thought I'd start a dedicated thread for stands with the Sierra naturals as this keeps coming up in various threads.

I'm considering using a bamboo slat rug to wrap my stands but you guys that have worked with bamboo say it is tough to cut and the ends fray.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/assets/product_images/230/33650105882G.JPG

[muzz]

If you have the correct tools, you can work with BB, but I just wanted to make sure folks know, that it's not like just chopping wood.

Did you see the Picture of my Bathroom Threshold?

[JasonColeman]

I finally found a reasonable supplier of solid edge-grain bamboo for our stands. They're located in Richmond, VA. Unfortunately, I won't be able to get down there until the end of July, so it looks like I won't have them up and in place until mid-August at the earliest...ughhh. Shipping for the panel is about $175, so that's not an option! :eek: I'd like to put a radius on the vertical corners of the stand, so I'm not going to be able to use veneer. The bambo rug in Quinn's original post would be very hard to work with in comparison, but is certainly much cheaper than a solid panel.

J.

[sensibull]

I just moved to Richmond, and might be in need of a pair of stands for my 170s, so maybe we can work out some kind of deal? Are you building the stands yourself? Anyway, if interested you can email me at anonymim@gmail.com

[edit] whoops, just realized I can't be much help, as the supplier probably isn't the problem, but the size of the panel the bamboo comes in?

[JasonColeman]

It's a 3/4" thick 4'x8' panel. It weighs about 100 lbs. I spoke with one of the sales reps this afternoon and they said that they'd cut it into smaller pieces for me before I pick it up. We'll be down in the Chesapeake Bay area at the end of July and I figured I'd just take a morning and drive down to Richmond (about 2 hours away) and pick it up, but if you're in Richmond and in the market for stands, I'd love to work something out. I am planning on building them myself, I was a carpenter for about 14 years before getting into teaching (wood shop). I've built all of my HT racks over the years and would be happy to work with you on a pair of stands if you're able to be the go-to guy in Richmond. We'd obviously have to work out the details, but it sounds like it could be a win-win situation. The bamboo panel is made by Smith&Fong out of San Francisco and I'm still debating between the solid 3/4" panel or the 3-ply which has a solid bamboo core and 1/8" veneer bamboo on both sides. The advantage to the ply is that it's more stable than the solid bamboo, but the solid bamboo would be easier to work with, especially if chamfering or rounding-over the edges. The only catch with the ply is that it'd require edge-banding for the top and bottom plates, whereas the solid would not. There's not too much of a price difference between the two, so I'm leaning towards the solid and I'll probably add some internal bracing. I plan to make them fillable, too. Feel free to email me at vikingdwarf@gmail.com if you'd like to explore this further.

J.

[JasonColeman]

First of all, congrats to all the winners in the charity raffle and congrats to Dave for putting this together for such a good cause. Best of luck to your family and especially your dad.

A quick update...we're down in Maryland on vacation and yesterday morning I drove down to Richmond and picked up the bamboo plywood (Smith & Fong's "plyboo"). I picked up a sheet of 1/2" 3-ply amber edge-grain and a sheet of the 3/4" of the same. Simply put, this stuff is gorgeous. The supplier that I visited (link (http://www.ecosupplycenter.com/)) has a spectacular showroom of various products and furniture made from bamboo. It's a father-son operation that deals solely in the distribution of "green" products and building materials. Everything from the lumber to the adhesives to the finishes are selected for their low impact on the environment. I'll be building a pair of stands for my natural Sierras and also will build a wall-mounted open component rack for my office system where the Sierras are being used. I haven't finalized a design for the rack yet, but the stands should be done in a week or two. I'll post pics of the materials when I get a chance.

J.

[BradJudy]

Very cool Jason. Given where I live (very Eco-friendly type place), I wonder if there's a place that sells this stuff here.

[muzz]

That must have cost ya a bundle, I priced 3/4" 4x8 sheet of Bamboo plywood(to build a sub enclosure), and it was like $300.

[JasonColeman]

Very cool stuff indeed...I'm in the process of hooking up with a local builder in the Cleveland area that uses a lot of product from Eco Supply and I'm hoping to be able to add a few sheets here and there and get a break on shipping and maybe even product costs. I paid $205 for the 1/2" and $220 for the 3/4". I'm unable to upload VGA size pics, so it'll have to wait until I sign up with a picture hosting site...

J.

[JasonColeman]

Okay, just got back from vacation (and lumber shopping) on Sunday evening. Here are a few pics of the Plyboo. 4 sheets of 1/2" sitting on 4 sheets of 3/4".

Face of the top sheet:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/Face.jpg

Angled view of the stack:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/FaceEdges.jpg

Another angled view:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/FaceEdges2.jpg

I hope to get cracking on the stands this weekend and I'll post pics as soon as they're done.

J.

[JasonColeman]

Well, anyone with a child knows it's difficult to get anything done, especially when they're 2. Fortunately, our son still takes a 1.5-2 hr nap in the middle of the day and I'm able to make camp in the basement amidst the tools and try to get stuff done. I'm about 2/3 of the way finished with the matching stands for my natural Sierras. I still have to roundover the front corners to match the profile of cabinet, install the carpet spike inserts, fill the few nail holes, finish sand, apply tung-oil finish, and assemble. OK, maybe I'm just 1/2 way there. At any rate, I feel like I finally made some progress today and figured I'd share some pics.

Top detail, with 2 1/4" stainless screw...
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/TopDetail.jpg

Detail of base, front laminated core exposed...
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/BottomDetail.jpg

Shot of interior of column...and a couple of my toes!
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/ColumnInterior.jpg

Full shot of stand...
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/FullView1.jpg

Front shot with speaker...
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/WithSpeaker.jpg

Angle shot with speaker...
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/WithSpeakerSide.jpg

Comparison of finishes...
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/FinishComparo.jpg

Hope to have them done by day's end tomorrow. I'll post pics with el completo.

J.

[JasonColeman]

By the way, from the cut-offs from building the stands, I have about enough leftover material to build a low center-channel stand if anybody is interested. It could be single or dual fillable column (dimensions of your choice), the top plate could be angled upward, etc. If anybody is interested, please let me know. I could also finagle a wall-mounted CC shelf if needed.

J.

[curtis]

Jason...I posted in the AVS thread too.

The stand looks great!! I want a pair....31" please. :)

[JasonColeman]

I have some leftover material with your name on it, Curtis!

The stands should be done by tomorrow afternoon and I'll certainly post some pics.

J.

[debo]

Excellent

[Mag_Neato]

Very nice! Do you do all kinds of woodworking?

[JasonColeman]

Yeah, but only as a hobby these days. I was a carpenter for about 14 years before I got into teaching (wood shop/tech). I've built all of our A/V furniture, but this is my first foray into stands. Just got back from the requisite trip to Lowe's to pick up some last minute stuff and I should have them done by early afternoon. I'll post pics of the finished product.

J.

[tank418]

very nice woodworking skills !!!!!!!!!!!! in the room you will be putting then in do you have oak flooring like in your pictures or carpet ? I also have oak flooring I'm still not sure if I want the bamboo finish or piano black

[JasonColeman]

Thanks! Our office is carpeted...kind of an oatmeal color.

J.

[clarke68]

Those...are...perfect!!!

I could even live with a narrower column (less material, and not as heavy when filled with sand). Please let me know if you uncover any deep, hidden desire to make a 24" pair for $$$.

Very nice job!

[JasonColeman]

Absolutely. PM or email me (vikingdwarf@gmail.com) the specs and we can work out a price. Just a word of warning...the Plyboo runs $200 for a 4x8 sheet and shipping is pricey when you're talking sheets of ply. However, if enough people are interested the shipping becomes less of an issue. It's about $100 for 1-5 sheets, so if a handful of folks wanted stands, the shipping could be offset. Shipping the finished product should be reasonable, especially for 24" stands. I'd guess about $20-30.

Thanks,

J.

[drewface]

those look absolutely fantastic! very nice work

[JasonColeman]

Thanks! I was hoping to have them done this afternoon, but I'm going to put another coat of oil on them. If I get a chance later, I'll snap some more pics.

J.

[BradJudy]

Very cool. I might be interested in a pair as well.

It would have been cool to have done my entertainment rack in plyboo. Not cheap since it took two 4x8 sheets, but cool and easy (just cutting and finishing, no real woodworking).

[JasonColeman]

Yeah, I'll be building a wall mounted rack out of the 3/4" plyboo. It's really a great material...I just need to finalize a design.

Feel free to email me at vikingdwarf@gmail.com with some specs/measurements and I'll be glad to quote you a price.

J.

[JasonColeman]

Well I just finished with the final assembly of the stands. Overall, I'm very happy with them. The finish turned out a bit darker than I like, so I'll experiment with a couple of other products to get it dead on. The only things I still have to do are run the speaker wire inside the column and fill them with sand.

Here are a few pics...

View of the stand upside-down:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/Upside-Down.jpg

Close-up view of the base plate:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/Upside-DownDetail.jpg

Angled view of the stand:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/AngleView.jpg

Close up view of the bottom of the column with roundover:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/BaseClose-Up.jpg

Angled view with speaker:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/GrilleOff.jpg

Front view with speaker:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/FullFrontal.jpg

Pic with grille on:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/GrilleOn.jpg

Now to get crackin' on that wall unit!

J.

[curtis]

Jason....looks great!

FYI....your grille is upside down in the pic. The top of the grille should be flush with the top of the speaker. In the proper position, you will notice that the top of the grille frame does not sit in front of any part of the tweeter.

[JasonColeman]

Curtis...you're quick and perceptive! I just shot you another email.

Thanks for noticing the grille...I never use them, so I didn't even notice. Doh!

J.

[JasonColeman]

Here we go...thanks for catching that! :)
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/Right-SideUp.jpg

J.

[curtis]

Thanks for noticing the grille...I never use them.....

Wait until your kid gets older! :) My daughter, who just turned 8, was with me when I picked up my Sierras...so she saw me set them up and look at the drivers. It was the first time she has ever seen my speakers with the grille off. My son, who is 10, still hasn't.

[JasonColeman]

:D

Yeah, I've been lucky so far, but I'm sure I'll be seeing more of those grilles in my future! Hopefully I'll put them on the right way!

J.

[enoch]

Jason,
Those are fabulous looking! Guess you've found a 'side job' that could fund your HT upgrades for some time.;)

[JasonColeman]

Thanks! Yeah, if anybody is interested, I'm happy to build them to their specs. It may take a couple of weeks though, because school starts back up on the 27th. Also, I've already started ordering more materials from Eco Supply in Richmond, VA that should be arriving at the end of next week.

J.

[JasonColeman]

I figured I'd take an opportunity to post some pics of the most recent batch of stands that I just finished and shipped yesterday. A couple of differences on round 2: I finished the stands with a semi-gloss clear lacquer (which is what Dave F said that is used on the Sierras) instead of tung oil. The results are, in my opinion, perfect. Also, I followed another forum member's suggestion and tried GR Research spikes and love them. They're a bit more money, but definitely a superior product. Also, I rounded over the front corners of the top plate to match the profile of the baffle on the Sierra. Finally, I added a solid block in the bottom of the columns and glued and caulked it in so that when adding sand, there isn't any concern about the connection between the column and the base.

On with the pics:

Roundover on the top plate:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/Roundover.jpg

New spikes:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/NewSpikes.jpg

Spikes mounted:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/SpikesMounted.jpg

One of the short stands and one of the tall stands:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/Side-by-Side.jpg

Pic of one of the short stands:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/ShortStand2.jpg

Pic of one of the tall stands:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/TallStand.jpg

Pic with speaker:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/TallSansGrille.jpg

Pic with speaker no grille:
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/BugsEyeView.jpg

Shipping has been between $35 and $55 depending on size, weight, and destination.

J.

[ccotenj]

i LIKE the changes!

they are gonna look SO much better than the tv tables that my sierra's are sitting on now... ;)

[clarke68]

:eek: Those look awesome! :eek:

I can't wait until they get here!

[curtis]

Mine are scheduled to arrive on the 10th...and I will be showing them off the weekend after!

[BradJudy]

Wow - those look great.

[curtis]

My stands from Jason were delivered on Monday, and I just had time to set them up and fill with sand!!

Fabulous!

I will post pics tomorrow when the living room is a little more presentable. :)

Thanks Jason!!

[JasonColeman]

:) :) :)

J.

[curtis]

Here are some pics I just snapped:
http://changpics.smugmug.com/photos/195739210-M.jpg
http://changpics.smugmug.com/photos/195739214-M.jpg
http://changpics.smugmug.com/photos/195739213-M.jpg

[domingos1965]

Here are some pics I just snapped:
http://changpics.smugmug.com/photos/195739210-M.jpg
http://changpics.smugmug.com/photos/195739214-M.jpg
http://changpics.smugmug.com/photos/195739213-M.jpg

is that foam under your center speaker?
where did u get it?

[curtis]

is that foam under your center speaker?
where did u get it?
Yes, they are Auralex MoPads.

You can get them from many different places.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--AURMOPAD

[JasonColeman]

Looks good!

J.

[JasonColeman]

A quick heads up...for those of you that have ordered stands (either via here or AVS or otherwise), your orders are either shipping on Monday or are in the pipeline and should be out in about a week and a half. My wife and I are going to start finishing our basement at the end of January and since I will be doing most of the work myself, I will be out of the proverbial biz for about 4 months or so. Between teaching, taking Master's coursework, finishing the basement and playing husband and father the best that I can, I won't be able to find time to build stands for a while. That being said, I still have about 2.5 sheets of Plyboo remaining from my most recent order (thanks, Santa!) and if folks are interested in getting stands sooner than later, now is the time. Please send interest to vikingdwarf@gmail.com and I will be happy to quote you a price.

Thanks,

Jason

[clarke68]

Here's some long overdue shots of the stands Jason made for me:

http://www.clarkerobinson.com/audio/images/sierraStands/parts.jpg
All the parts came neatly labeled. I had a few issues with some shipping damage, but Jason handled it very professionally, and has since improved his packaging methods.

http://www.clarkerobinson.com/audio/images/sierraStands/build1.jpg
Assembly partly done...

http://www.clarkerobinson.com/audio/images/sierraStands/build2.jpg
...and filled with sand.

http://www.clarkerobinson.com/audio/images/sierraStands/after.jpg
All done! One buddy of mine, a skilled woodworker, was surprised when I told them the stands weren't built in the same factory as the speakers...the finish is a very close match. Thanks, Jason!

[smithb39]

My wife and I are going to start finishing our basement at the end of January and since I will be doing most of the work myself, I will be out of the proverbial biz for about 4 months or so.

Hopefully your remodel doesn't take as long as mine, I've been finishing the basement for almost a year now, we had a new born in Oct and our second < 2 yr old as made it difficult. Hopefully I'll be closer to finishing mine up and can order some in 4 months.

Good luck,
Brent

[BradJudy]

clarke, looks very nice. That's a lot of sand, how many pounds in each speaker?

[JasonColeman]

Clarke-

Thanks for the nice post! I'm glad the stands are working out for you.

Brent-

Congrats on the new addition! We're going to explore the 2nd child territory pretty soon. I hope all is well with you and your family and that everybody is getting some semblance of sleep! Whenever you'd like stands just let me know...hopefully our basement will be done by summer.

I've already received 3 emails for stands and have enough Plyboo for about 3 or 4 more. Please let me know if you're interested and I'll put together a price for you.

Thanks,

Jason

[clarke68]

clarke, looks very nice. That's a lot of sand, how many pounds in each speaker?Thanks!

That's about 25 lbs. per side. I actually had 50 lbs. per side in the Ascend TP-24 stands that these replaced. I (quickly) got tired of moving those around, so the measurements I gave Jason were specifically intended to fill up with 1/2 the sand.

You could probably have a perfectly non-resonant stand with less, but you know audio: nothing succeeds like excess!

[curtis]

I have 50 lbs. of sand in each of my "Jason" stands.

Some guys came over for a listening session(and a session on EQing my sub with a BFD and REW), and one of the guys mentioned that they looked like $400 stands.

don't get any ideas Jason! :)

[clarke68]

I have 50 lbs. of sand in each of my "Jason" stands.Yeah...I think yours are taller than mine. Mine put the tweeter at exactly ear height when sitting in an Ikea Poang (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S69805416) "listening" chair. :cool:



that they looked like $400 stands.

don't get any ideas Jason! :)Get all the ideas you want...we already have ours! ;)

[curtis]

Oh yeah...I think mine at a fair amount taller than yours....31", but I think my column is a bit narrower.

When I get a new TV, I am going to want a center channel stand....so Jason needs to keep his prices down!

[JasonColeman]

:D

Thanks for the nice words...and no worries, what I'm charging makes it worth my while.

Jason

[curtis]

:D
Curtis, any idea how tall that CC stand might be? :)

Depends on the size of TV I can get/afford. :) I can't see it happening any time soon though.

The stand will end up sitting on my current TV rack, while I mount the new TV to the wall.....so my guess is no more than 15" or so...if that much.

[JasonColeman]

Quick Update:

I've got one extra pair of 24" stands w/ spikes already made and ready to go for $225 + shipping.

Also, I have enough material left for 2 or 3 more pairs (depending on height).

I most likely will not be re-ordering more Plyboo for stands. Because I have the material shipped up from Richmond, VA I need to order 5 or more sheets at $225 each + tax + freight. To make it worthwhile, I need to order a minimum of 12 sheets. I don't think there's enough interest to warrant 12 sheets and I don't want $2500 of material just gathering dust. Soooooo...if you're interested, please let me know and I'll earmark material for you. Emails can be sent to vikingdwarf@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Jason

[JasonColeman]

First of all, Curtis- I still owe you a quote. We've gotten rolling on the basement project ahead of schedule and I've been busy running CAT-5 and speaker wire like a fiend. I'll let you know by the end of this week.

Also, I have another pair of 24" stands ready to ship with a matching 12" CC stand. I will change the top and bottom plates of the CC stand if the CC speaker is to be used horizontally. I've attached a couple of pics. Cost is $300 + shipping for the trio or $225 for the 24" stands.

Stainless screws are available for a $5 upcharge for the set, but you will need a #2 square drive bit or screwdriver to fasten them. Otherwise, standard #8 x 2" fine thread philips screws are provided.

vikingdwarf@gmail.com

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/3Stands.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/NewSpikes.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z285/vikingdwarf/SSScrews.jpg

Thanks,

Jason