opinions on how to build a wall Turntable shelf


I am going to build a wall shelf for my Thorens TD146 turntable. My stereo rack sits on top of a wood joist floor, but the wall behind it is a thick (load bearing) plastered brick wall :). I am going to build a wall turntable shelf. The shelf will be attached with lag bolts into drilled holes with the lead inserts into the holes. My question is: Do you think I should build it out of hardwood, with glued joints, or should I build it out of angle iron and steel, with welded joints? Any other design issues that I should think about? thanks, -JB
playtrim
Depends on the amount of rigidity you want and the permanence you can allow, in my mind. I do believe that a well constructed home-built one will work better than most that can be purchased.

I made mine using Stanley 1,000 lb. rated angle brackets which I bought at Home Depot. I sanded, primed, and painted them with textured black enamel. I mounted the brackets, spaced 16", to a 2 1/2" thick Boos rock maple cutting board using 2" lag screws. Then, I attached the brackets to the wall studs using 3" lag bolts so that the level of the cutting board was 44" from the floor. Total cost of the project was about $125. Several others I could have bought for similar money, but I had fun building mine.

Plus, I can set a glass of water on the board, jump up and down, and not see so much as a ripple on the surface of the water, so I know it is very stable. Positioning for best sonic results is, of course, a whole other issue.

I have also heard that combining a Neuance isolation platform by Greater Ranges (Ken Lyons) with a wall support (or solid floor stand) provides incredible results and is a real value.

Oops, I see you have plaster-covered brick, not a "stick-built" wall. Make sure you ensure the integrity of the masonry before proceeding and try to stick to using the expansion lugs on the cement joints as opposed to the brick, itself. Perhaps not easy to find, but the brick may well not provide a sufficient anchor and you would NOT want to come home to find that your support has given way!
4yanx - I like your method of combinig wood and metal for your turntable shelf.
As per your last pharagraph, that is why I want to build this shelf myself. For attaching the shelf to the wall, I was going to run two 5 foot parallel lengths of angle irons vertically on the wall, spaced 20 inches apart (slightly wider than the turntable). The shelf will be placed at the 2 1/2 foot mark, with half of the angle irons sticking above the shelf and half below. I was going to drill six holes in each angle iron, spaced about 1 foot apart. That makes 12 lag bolts holding the shelf to the brick wall. That may be overkill, but also, the tension force pulling the top bolts out of the wall will be way less than a short bracket, say 1 to 2 feet in length.
What do you mean by positioning for best sonic results? Assuming the entire wall is rigid, does it matter where on the wall the turntable is placed? (at least from the wall's point of view) Ceartainly, if the speaker is near the place in the wall where the turntable will be placed there may be feedback. The shelf sould be near the amplifier; I am under the impression that long interconnect lengths are undesirable and would affect the sonics. Thanks, -JB