speaker placement system

by kevn on
Placement plinth top view, with circular rubber absorber protection each corner to prevent damage to the speaker base, and to bring speaker mass more directly to the points of support directly where the ball castors are beneath
Underside of plinth, with recessed ball casters on each corner, corresponding to the rubber absorbers above.
Close up of recessed ball castor at plinth corner - 15mm stainless steel cases nylon castors in the case of the WVL Chicago for a maximum bearing capacity of 100kg
Plinth at rest - barely 45mm in total height, inclusive of rubber absorbers
WVL Chicago awaiting its speaker placement plinth with lifting arm hand jacks in place
Speaker jacked off the floor together with the Townshend Isolation Podium, with the placement plinth slid half under
Speaker fully rested on plinth, with hand jacks removed
Close up of minimised gap between speaker base and floor surface
Corner of speaker / plinth base showing clearances - the isolation podium feet drop between 9mm to 16mm once weight has been taken off them, and the plinth thickness has to account for the additional dimension for the feet to clear the floor
stock picture of typical ball castor prior to assembly under plinth
Side view of consumer grade lifting arm hand jack - the jacking lever lifts the arms about 7mm for each pull, while the two tabs above lower the arm at different speeds, for a 120kg maximum load each hand jack
The left tab for slow graduated descent - depressing the right tab completely disengages the ratchet to effect of the arm dropping freely according to the weight of the speaker - vital never to depress this tab when lowering the speakers!
3mm thick rubber strips glued to the top of the arms prevent cosmetic damage to the speaker bases or isolation podium, depending on which the arms are in contact with.

Description

These speaker placement plinths were designed for the task of both moving and precisely locating large speakers below the weight of 200kg entirely on one’s own. They were designed specifically for speakers already employing Townsend Podiums, although adjustments can be made for any speaker already elevated on their own isolation feet, with a pre-existing gap of at least 9mm between base and floor. They work best with speaker bases with arms that extend past the body of the speaker itself, in order for the lifting hand jacks to function more independently of the plinth that is to slide under the speaker base.

The plinths work well for moving speakers over flat uninterrupted distance, ie from room to room on the same floor level, but they work best for the most minute adjustments of placement - the feet of a speaker, being lifted so close off the floor surface coupled with the small diameter ball casters, simply means that the speakers on their plinths can be trundled very precisely to exactly where they need to be, prior to being lowered back onto their bases/feet.
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Room Details

Dimensions: 18’ × 26’  Large
Ceiling: 10’

Components Toggle details

    • 32mm thick Medium Density Fibreboard
    The bearing plinths are made of 32mm MDF board, or a laminated combination of such to produce the desired thickness. Provided the plinths are sized to most closely approximate the four bearing corners of the speaker base in question, they serve less as a bearing surface, than simply the means to hold and frame the recessed ball castors at four corners which are will take most of the weight. Tri-footed speaker bases will require appropriate adjustments to function safely.
    • Type CY-12H / 15H / 22H recessed conveyor ball castors
    The recessed ball castors (or ball transfer units) are the types used on conveyor plinths for multidirectional flow. With just four of these units recessed into the corners of each speaker plinth, appropriately selected for the intended weight to be carried, they guarantee the most minute adjustments or distant transport for speaker placement, provided the floor surface they are on is hard, level and smooth. Best if optioned with nylon balls to prevent scarring of the floor surface.

    The different sizes cater primarily for different bearing weights, with a minimum and maximum advised for each.
    • 120kg spec. lifting arm hand jacks
    Four in all, made of stainless steel each capable of lifting 120 kilograms, with lifting arms topped with rubber strips to protect the speaker/isolation platform base.

    Appropriately placed under each of the four corners, these lifters incrementally raise the speaker off the floor surface just enough for the MDF plinths to slide under. For the Townsend Podiums the plinths were designed for, this height will equates to about two inches, or 50mm. The hand jacks have to be located on the short dimension of the speaker footprint, in order to maintain a good centre of gravity for the speakers to be stably raised, and not topple. For safe operation, the jacks have to be operated in tandem one side at a time and in increments of not more than an inch each time for  the speaker’s centre of gravity to be kept safely within its footprint while being raised - approximately eight pulls of jacking lever will raise its arms 50mm, or two inches.

Comments 5

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Hi Kevn,

Many thanks for your detailed description of the jig you made.

That's is an ingenious way of moving the speakers on to the podiums.  In fact you simply jack lifted the speaker and slid the podium under it!  I would have never imagine it doing it this way! 

Yes, your two rigs and hand jack method will really help me with moving my heavy speakers and subwoofers around for optimum location!

Any pictures you have will also help greatly : )

Many thanks again!

rshank64

Very impressive setup! The speaker placement plinths system is very clever idea and I may make one myself. 

How did you move the heavy speakers on to the Townsend podium itself. 

I was also looking to buy the podiums but my speakers are very large and heavy and wasn't sure how I will be able to move them on to the podiums!

rshank64

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