turntable stand, steel, aluminum,shelves of ?

I am in the process of making a new equipment stand myself. I weld aluminum and steel. This new rack is steel, 1-1/2 square solid bar stock frame, 6' long, 22 inches wide and 30 incehs high, 3 shelves total. The bar stock is the frame with 1-1/2 baltic birch shelves set in to the frame. I have decided to connect the wood to the steel with solid silicone self leveling rubber sealant, poured between the steel and wood, say 3/8 wide. The rubber will isolate the shelves from the steel and I will shim the stand up and grout it to the concrete floor with 1/2 of non-shrink grout. It will weigh 600 lbs or so in the end. Turntables on soapstone slabs on Aurios bearings on the top shelf, other equipment on the two lower shelves. Have fun with yours. I am digging mine. Welding is good for your head. Lay down that bead.

Guys
I work with aluminum all my life.Glazier by trade on commercial structures.The best connection on alumimum are mechanical.My rack is all alumimum with stainless steel fasteners.Non magnetic design.I am talking about the thin aluminum tubing available at hardware stores,mine is made entirely out of heavy gauge commercial tubing.And yes it is heavy and rigid.
Marco funny as always,thanks for the laughs,bro.
Ken you are one of a kind audiophile,I checked your pics!!keep it up.
George

Guys
I work with aluminum all my life.Glazier by trade on commercial structures.The best connection on alumimum are mechanical.My rack is all alumimum with stainless steel fasteners.Non magnetic design.I am not talking about the thin aluminum tubing available at hardware stores,mine is made entirely out of heavy gauge commercial tubing.And yes it is heavy and rigid.
Marco you are funny as always,thanks for the laughs,bro.
Ken you are one of a kind audiophile,I checked your pics!!keep it up.
George

Tarsando,

I bought 12--- 8 x 8 x 16 solid cinder blocks a few months ago, dried them out in my oven at work. 3 blocks per level, 2 side by side and the third sideways. each level separated by a piece of half inch of Homasote with the stacking configuration staggerd, stacked 4 levels high. The cost, maybe $60 bucks. The Sota Mellinium, Tri Plainer MK VII, Shelter 90 X sounded great for 10 minutes until I realized that I had the arm set up incorrectly. Before that , I think that concrete is as good as you can get if you can get if you can get past the look.

On another note; In 1956, I met an audiophile, his name was Joe Cortese. He bought 2 Stevens 15 inch full range speakers from the company I worked for. The company was B.S.Wisniewski in Milwaukee ; Auto parts, appliances, TV's, Stereo equiptment. We sold Marantz, JBL, Sony Superscope, Garrard, Miracord, and a few of the Icons of the early high end when nobody knew what hi Fi was. I bought a Marantz model one audio consolette and model 2 amp. I was 15 years old. Joe came in and told me he poured concrete corner enclosures for his Stevens drivers. I thought he was nuts, now I know he was way ahead of his time.

A good friend of mine from our audio group who can afford the MOST EXPENSIVE gear available has said, over and over, that the best doesn't have to be the most expensive. I think we both agree .

I appreciate your down to earth reply, not everyone needs to be crazy, rich , or foolish.

Regards, Ken

G M C,

There are those who make stands from steel and aluminum, thin wall, fancy shape. Why , because everything that gets shipped is priced on density and volume. They say, fill it with sand, check the density of sand and steel., quite a difference but sand is $3 at home depot for 100 lbs. Solid steel or aluminum rings if you hit it with a hammer, I don't think that I ever went around hitting support stands when the music is playing. It's all about business and the economics of shipping something that is great eye candy, you take care of the details. I think you are on the mark with what you are building for yourself, I may need to rethink my plans for the stand I am building.

GMC , I sincerely thank you for your posting, I may just use solid steel for the shelves. In fact , I think I will, I'll send you a cd of the stand and table I am assembling. Please email me an address.

regards, Ken