krispykoilz Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Hello, I was wondering if anyone has used threaded rod to hang speakers from the ceiling. A top and bottom plate could sandwich the speaker and the rods could go through the ceiling and into 4x4's laid across the joists. This way you wouldn't even need to rely on placement of the studs for positioning. I did phone an industrial fastener business in town and the fellow said it should hold up a speaker no problem. It comes in various diameters and grades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richr8 Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 Sounds sound to me! I would use that idea if needed. I'd go with atleast a 3/8" threaded rod. I also saw on this site where someone had used pipe fitting and flanges to solve a similar problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 For appearances sake the threaded rods could be encased in PVC pipe which is usually grey or black but other colours can be found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted December 12, 2003 Share Posted December 12, 2003 The carpentry shop at the college where I work did a super job of mounting a sigle shelf up high in a corner of one of our offices. They also used threaded rod as a hanging support. They covered it with 1/2 inch conduit, which was sanded (grab conduit with sand paper in hand and twist) and then sprayed with clear acrylic. Gave is a brushed steel/aluminum look that won't rust. Marvel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Make sure the strength is the rod(s) exceeds the weight of the speaker by at least 4 times. I.e., 4 rods with a yield strength is 100 pounds each, in tension, can support one 100 pound speaker. Make sure your attachment methods to the building and speaker cabinet are rated at least the same. This situation would be considered "Life Safety" if it fell and hit a person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I am having a hard time imagining what you are referring to. You have any sketches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Man Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I do this once in a while to suspend cabinets from a high ceiling. They will sway in the breeze unless you snug the top of the speaker to the ceiling or have something wedged in between the speaker and the ceiling. It would't matter if the speaker swayed, but I can't have any movement in a cabinet. I once did a home that had an indoor pool with a 40' high ceiling in that room. It wasn't any fun hanging the cabinets over his bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispykoilz Posted December 13, 2003 Author Share Posted December 13, 2003 Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. So it has been done and can be given a finished look if you don't want to see exposed threaded rod. I was quoted approximately $50 for the eight rods, can't remember if that was for 3/8 or 7/16. Actually not that expensive really. It shouldn't hurt the budget to go well over the 4 times weight bearing capacity and make them really safe. Balancing the speakers upside down and tilted so the tweeters face downwards is probably going to put extra stresses on the rods. I think the shelf/brackets will have to be designed to distribute the weight evenly among the 4 rods. I think snugging them up to the ceiling would be a good idea. The woofer should be close to the ceiling as it would be on the floor for proper bass reproduction. I'm glad I don't have to install these on a 40' ceiling, heights give me the willies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Just realized that no where did you tell us the model of the speakers, or the size/weight of them? Possibly much ado about nothing?? Or, you could be "flying LaScala's" OTOH... LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispykoilz Posted December 14, 2003 Author Share Posted December 14, 2003 Hi dougdrake, I did mean it to be general as I have noticed others asking about "flying" speakers. It appears this method could be used to hang anything successfully providing strong enough materials are used to ensure safety. If we could add placement and on axis crossing points so as to allow a proper sweet spot for the listener everyone could use this. I think that if the speakers were mounted with enough attention to placement they should sound just as good in a listening/home theatre room than on the floor. For an extemely large space/hall placement may not be as critical as I would imagine an equalizer could make up for sonic inadequacies due perhaps to the woofers not being close enough to the ceiling. For my application it would involve Chorus II's and dealing with the 92lb or so weight as well as working with a passive radiator. For rears it would be my Kg 4.5's which could probably go pretty much right on or against the wall. My centre, a KV3 is on top of a Toshiba 36" tv which is sitting on a Philco record player/radio cabinet circa 1940's I believe. The cabinet doors open properly but because of the size of the tv it has to be about a foot from the wall, I also put coasters under the front feet to angle it slightly back against the wall, so it won't tip forward. Those old cabinets were very well built and it looks real sharp, some of the old mixed with the new. I also keep my turntables in it. I use a Bryston 4BNRB for my mains, a Rotel RX 1203 reciever (circa 1979)it has a separate switch so I only use the amp for the rears, and a Kenwood KR-V8070 and I use the centre channel amp (I would love to replace the Kenwood if I could afford to). For CD I use a Denon DCD 3000 and for listening to stereo I have it connected directly to the Bryston and use the line out attentuator for volume control. I use 9 gauge wire for my mains and 12 gauge for the centre and rears. Haven't purchased any new audio equipment since about 1995. Hello m00n, picture a swing with a threaded rod holding each corner of the seat. For the top of the speaker another seat. Due to the rod being threaded the top and bottom could be tightened to sandwich the speaker tightly in between. Gotta go to work now, hope to read you later. Thanks for all the suggestions. Oh, I just heard on the tv that they caught Sodamn Insane. Have a good day everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispykoilz Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 OK, I had time today to stop by Home Depot. 3/4" threaded rod is $8. something Can. for a 6' piece. 1" shouldn't be to outrageous of a price. I'm thinking that the shelf/seat could have an upturned lip on front and back. A piece of 1" inside diameter pipe could be cut on a diagonol equal to the intersection/ sweetspot. These would be shims? Instead of holes in each corner of the shelf/seat they would be slots, front to rear. This would allow the speaker to be tilted. A laser pointer could be used to line the speakers up. The math would be different depending on application? I'm sure the knowledgable people that frequent this forum will let me know if I'm wrong. When and if I figure this out I'm going to have to get some help, I can't see doing this by myself. Not with 90 lb. speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 I would definately use at least 5/8" rod, 3/4" is better. However, I would not suggest using slots at all in the boards. However, use a guy wire to adjust the angle of the whole smozzle after the speaker is clamped with the boards and the threaded rod. Use large washers and plywood, NOT mdf or particle board. If you understand, once the speaker is clamped, then you can angle the whole thing however you like and adjust the angle with a cable and turnbuckle at the rear. If you don't like to scratch your speakers ( I don't ), then you can use 3/4" pipe insulation over the threaded rod as a cushion and also use thick shelf liner ( the foam stuff ), so that the top and bottom will not get scratched either. If you place them near the ceiling, be sure to turn the speaker upside down so you will have the benefit of boundary loading for the woofers. Have fun, and don't try this by yourself. Make absolutely certain that you are firmly anchored into the ceiling joists before you try hanging your speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sound meister Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 I hung a pair of Lascalas (123 pounds each), 15 years ago on 3/8" threaded rod. They don't go any where! The only problem I had is that after a while, even with jam nuts on both sides of the cabinet wall, the nuts come loose from vibration; maybe once every two or three years I have to retighten them. Of course they are in the same room as the church organ speakers, so there is a whole lot of shaking going on! Everyone who has seen them, thinks that 3/8" rod was over kill, but all agree that they won't come down. Just to give you an idea how strong it is, I can rest my etire weight on the top of the speaker (200 pounds) and nothing moves. 5/8" or 3/4" will be more rigid, but 3/8" is so strong, that there isn't really a benefit to going larger. But, hey, its not that expensive, so if its what you want to do, go for it. If you fasten both ends correctly, they will be there until you take them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 You can use loctite to keep the nuts tight- use the blue removable stuff. 5/8"and 3/4" are more rigid, that is why I suggested them. I checked the threaded rod at the home depot here in scarborough, before buying 1/2". Even then, I had to search through all of it to find 4 pieces that weren't bent in shipment. I could have bought 5/8" for a few bucks more, but think 1/2" will be rigid enough for my flexi-rack project. You can deflect a piece of 1/2" ready rod easily enough, but 5/8" is a lot more rigid. As far as breaking the 3/8" rod? Not a hope in hell with that little weight. The larger thicker washers also spread out the load more on the plywood, instead of concentrating it all in a smaller area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispykoilz Posted December 16, 2003 Author Share Posted December 16, 2003 Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. I guess the wood can be swapped out for steel plate, the extra weight shouldn't be a problem. I'm thinking 1" rod may just look a little sexier/cooler. Proper washers would be a must or it could just rip right through the wood and out of the ceiling. I think I would leave the risers on the speakers and get them as tight to the ceiling as possible. I'll hire someone to put them up for me, just thinking about doing this is hurting my back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 Stover Lock Nuts (see http://www.coburnmyers.com/pdf/nuts/Stover_Lock_Nuts.pdf) would provide a higher level of security against vibrating the shelving loose than Loctite or lock washers. If you drill holes in the corners of the shelving, run the rod through the holes, and grip it on both sides (top and bottom) with hex nuts, you can adjust the pitch of the speakers by raising / lowering the front / back. If you just drop the shelf onto cap nuts or something, it won't be adjustable. Have you considered getting something like Michael Green's Clamp Rack and mounting it upside down from the ceiling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispykoilz Posted December 16, 2003 Author Share Posted December 16, 2003 Thanks Ray, I took a look at the Stover pdf. If the rounded side of the nut was used to sandwich the shelf it should be able to tighten on an angle without having to making shims. I googled that clamp rack, interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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