DIY concrete stands


I've been fooling around with DIY stands made of concrete block.

I first made two speaker stands for my gf. Each stand was 3 blocks, sealed together with white grout. I used a thin wood veneer on the bottoms, to which I attached felt sliding feet. On the top, so far, I just have a thin cardboard piece, and the speaker resting on that.

I planned on wrapping a fabric around the stands to hide the concrete block work. The funny thing is, they look really cool. They're on wood floors, with rich tapestry burgundy/gold curtains behind them. And with almost no gap between the blocks, and black Paradigm Studio 20's resting on top, they look more stark-modernist than white-trash. Weird. My gf won't let me cover them with fabric.

I also made myself an amp stand out of two solid concrete blocks. I have the blocks sitting on a thin cardboad pice (so they don't scratch the floor) and my amp sitting on styrofoam peanuts (crushed beyond visibility) on the blocks. I don't know for sure if there is a difference in the sound (it's a ss integrated, after all) but it's kinda cool. Again, it's sitting in a refined and polished surround. In that setting, with a pretty amp on top, the raw concrete slabs actually make a blunt aesthetic statement.

Anyway, the only thing that's cheesy about the speaker stands is the feet (the felt sliders) and the top (cardboard, right now). They look cheap (and they were!). I'm wondering what I should do. I'm thinking of getting thin steel plates, which I paint black and attach to each end, then fixing adjustable feet to the bottom, and mounting the speaker with blu tack on the top. But where do I get adjustable feet? Especially cones or spikes?

Even with the felt sliders, these stands are solid! And total cost was $25 bucks and about 2 hrs of labor (me... clueless at that).

Is there anything wrong with using conrete to stabilize gear? Mass is resistance to acceleration, and it's a lot of mass... cheap.
qualia8
I did something very similar, but only with Armstrong frosted glass blocks. Each block is 8" X8" X 4". 3 blocks are epoxied together in the corners to form one row. Two rows are pushed together to make a stand that is 8" high X 16" wide X 12" deep. A 12" square of very thin, flexible rubber goes over the block stand. A 12" square marble tile goes on top of that to complete the look. My speakers are 24" X 12" X 12" and so the final height is pretty good. Total cost came to $60; 12 blocks at $4 each; $2 for the rubber; and $10 for the marble. The stands are sturdy as hell and fit in well in the living room. Refer to the pictures in my Main Stereo System.

Regards, Rich
You can always stain the concrete blocks with concrete stain (available in a variety of colors and neutrals,) then seal them with Thompsons masonry seal. This will even out the color and keep the blocks from "dusting." Also, you can go to a masonry yard and find "cap" blocks that only have holes on one side.

Use thin foam sheets as Rich suggests, instead of cardboard, as cardboard absorbs moisture and (even a little) can ruin the wood floor.
funny, i was thinking of using concrete as well (for amp. stands)...using 3 mapleshade cones...OR 3 wooden cones/balls...the ones they sell at home depot, the ones that sit on top of 4x4 post/stubs
i turn them upside down...with the flat surface against the concret slab and the pointed top or ball touching the floor...
also, as for speaker stands...i was thinking of using TREE stumps...(of proper diameter of course)
has anyone tried this...IMHO they offer better mass than your typical speaker stands...
anyways, just a thought

happy holidays..