Polk Audio - Monitor Series - Stands - Reference

[dorokusai]

Here are pictures and dimensions of, one version, of the original Monitor 5/ 7/ 10 "Polkstand" speaker stand.

Try to keep the thread clean, and post only related information if at all possible.

This would be considered the later version, i.e Mon10A+. I will get the "Polkstand Assembly Instructions" scanned into PDF and post them later. I will manually input them for your reading pleasure.

Instructions:

2 Bases (wood - PB - vinyl) 15 5/8" w x 13 5/8 d x 1 1/8" h
2 Columns (wood - PB - vinyl) 5" w x 5" d x 7 1/2" h
2 Tops (metal - stamped) 8" w x 8 5/8" d x 1/8" h + 6 degree tilt
2 Bolts (8 1/4" x 1/4")
1 Package of screws (#6 - 5/8")

Assemble each stand, per the diagram, in the following manner:

A. Insert the bolt through the hole in the top.

B. Holding the column an inch or two above the base, set the top in position on the column.

C. Locate the bolt in the holein the base, then locate the column in the groove in the base.

D. Tighten the bolt using a screwdriver, any U.S. coin will do. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN.

The inside of the pamphlet includes a template for securing the stand to the aforementioned Monitor models. It is 11x17. If you would like a FREE photocopy of this, contact me directly.

Here is an additional notation from the inside.

Template

For additional security, you may permanently fasten the stand to your loudspeaker using four #6 - 5/8" self tapping screws provided. (This is particularly recommended if you have young, clumsy children). In order to mount the stand permanently to your speaker, proceed as follows:

A. Position the template in the correct position on the bottom of the speaker. Fold over the sides and hold in place with small pieces of tape.

B. Use the nail provided to make a pilot hole about 1/8" deep at each of the four locations indicated on teh template, then remove the template.

C. Mount the assembled stand to the speaker with four #6 - 5/8" self tapping screws.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD A LONGER SCREW THAN 5/8" BE USED, NOR SHOULD ANY HOLES BE DRILLED IN THE SPEAKER CABINET.

End Reference.

[dorokusai]

Assembled.

[dorokusai]

Assembled, Top view.

[dorokusai]

Assembled, Bottom View.

[KCF]

Gee, thanks Doro, If I were a handier guy, I could make 'em from these photos and the odd bits of wood and metal. Very thorough! As it is, I'll probably see if I can comission the bro-in-law.

These look somewhat different from the posted photos of Russ' units... perhaps these are earlier..

At any rate, muchasitas gracias!

K.

[waylyn5945]

Can these be purchased through Polk - at least the stamped metal pieces?

[dorokusai]

No.

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

Mark (or anyone else for that matter), can we (me) get more details on the stamped metal piece?

So with the 3 degree tilt, I assume the speaker is meant to tilt back just a bit? I've looked at pics on the bay and on the www.polksda.com website, but it's hard to tell from those...but I seem to remember pics where the speaker is angling up just a bit. If the speaker does not tilt, then why the 3 degree tilt?

On the metal top, there's a flat top surface with a square section in the middle, what re the dimensions of that section, or is it important? So does the bottom of that interior square sit flush against the top of the columns with the flat top piece angling dwn from back to front, or does the flat top piece rest of the top of the columns with that interior square resting inside the column cavity, angling down inside the cavity itself?

From what I'm seeing and thinking, it has to be the first of the two options above, as I don't see how the latter would do anything in terms of tilting the speaker.

Sorry for my ignorance on this issue, but I've never seen a pair of these. I'm having trouble picturing how it all fits together. Is there any bracket or anything of the like on the speaker itself that one uses to attach it to the stand?

If you don't wanna try and explain all this, I can probably get what I need with just a few more close up pictures...

Thanks for putting this together.

[dorokusai]

The stamped metal bracket is what determines the angle....and the angle is what creates the "Poor Man's" time alignment. Yes, it is MEANT to be this way..

The purpose of the stand was to create a more accurate soundstage by alignment of the voice coils(Time Alignment)....and even more importantly, get the tweeter to an average height for the listener.

You're thinking too much about it. The inner surface of the stock bracket is stamped, and hence what creates the upward angle.

You can achieve this same effect if you cut your base pillar or column at an angle....this eliminates the need for an angled bracket. It's only 3-4 degrees, so it's easy to replicate with use of a mitre saw or even a table saw, by use of a mitre adjustment square.

The original stand would be attached to the speaker by use of screws. There is a template involved which I will scan into the thread. I had meant to do this earlier, but forgot until your recent inquiry.

Don't worry about the questions, just ask silly.

[nadams]

Okay, a few questions:

For the sake of time and ease of assembly, would it be okay to use two 2x4's stuck together for the column? That would make it more or less 4x4...

Also, since we're deviating from the original plans to cut the column to get the 3 degrees, should the column height be measured beforehand, and just not worry about any height lost by cutting the angle off the top?

There's no way I'm driving screws into the bottom of my monitor 10's, so I'm thinking it'll just be a friction hold, maybe using that kitchen drawer rubbery stuff that keeps stuff from sliding around. I'm not worried about knocking them over, because they'll be in a well-protected area.

Thanks,

Noah

[deadhead]

Looks like you could rob parts from an office chair to get a similar mechanism.
http://www.businessfurnitureshop.com/images/tsa7.jpg

[Tour2ma]

Yeah... and tilt it to accomodate chair, floor or ceiling listening.. :D

[dorokusai]

Here are mhardy6647's original, Version 1, Polkstands....I believe I said I would add these a year ago....man, I'm slow.

[ND13]

Here's some 10As with original stands. I'll try to break them out of storage to get some better angles.

[Polk65]

Is there a larger schematic other than the teeny-weeny-its-a-bikini thumbnail? I can read but pictures are my friend.

[phono2]

Here is information I got directly from Polk, when I asked about geometry of the Polk stands for the Model 10 from the Monitor Series (later to be referred to as simply Monitor 10's):

They were 11" high and had a 6 degree backwards tilt.

It looks tantilizingly simple to do, though for me the end result has to look civilized enough for a living room. And it can't sway from side to side - I have nightmare visions of those big heavy 10's crashing sideways.

[BaggedLancer]

Wow, id love those for my monitor 10s and 5s. Only problem is i have ZERO talent when it comes to building something so i'd be afraid of my speakers falling on the floor.

I was in demolition for 3 years, so im fully capable of destroying anything, but I never got into the rebuilding part of it :)

[cruisaire]

Here are mhardy6647's original, Version 1, Polkstands....I believe I said I would add these a year ago....man, I'm slow.


Can someone kindly "unlock" Mark's pics and diagrams? My eyes are bad enough already, I can't make that stuff out as is.

Thanks!

[Polk65]

These pics will pop-up. Scroll down to post #17 http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=24260

[dorokusai]

I'm not sure why the pics won't load up for you....lets try this.

They always lock. I'll try and find out why.

[BaggedLancer]

going to the previous link works for some reason

weird...

[jon s]

Here is a link to a drawing I made of the Polk Monitor stands... I think it is accurate, but if you guys find any errors, let me know...

I found one discrepancy... the front height of 4" cannot be accurate if the height of the column is 3 7/8"...
I now found that the angle of the tilt should be 6 degrees... so if yu set if at that, you shud be okay...

also, on some browsers, you have to right click the link and download the file...

The attachment PDF file has been updated with more accurate numbers but the figures may be a bit off...

[dorokusai]

Drawing.

[comfortablycurt]

Awesome...Thanks for putting this all together Doro. I just picked up some Monitor 7's today, but without any stands. Looks like I'm going to have to make some myself, cuz I can't seem to find anywhere to buy them.

I'll post back with my results when I'm done...it may be a while though.

[jlewand]

I have 7 of my original 8 "screws" that thread into the bottom of the footer to "bite" carpet. I'd love to have someone provide me one more so I can use the original 7. I had to rig something as I am on carpet now at my current house (vs. hardwood at previous).

[Russ_L]

As I posted last week I was going to look this past weekend at two pairs of Model 10s for sale locally. The owner however was on vacation and just got back yesterday. I’ll be looking at the speakers this Saturday. I did not ask but I’m certain they have stands. I’ll post pictures next week, the 10s and the stands.

Russ

[Rev. Hayes]

Labor day weekend seemed like a good time to take on this project.

I learned a few lessons.

A couple pics and I'll say more tomorrow....

51742

51743

[cnh]

Looking good Rev.!

Thanks for bringing this thread back...I may have to deal with this myself?

cnh

[Face]

How about making this a sticky?

[NeilGabriel]

attached is a 10B stand for reference from about 1983...it is fiberboard(?)...and pretty cheap though they have held together for 27 years.

The angle is about 4 degrees from my rough measurement.

[Rev. Hayes]

First off thanks to Doro and mhardy and others for providing the excellent measurements and photo's of the original stands.

I chose not to go for the described 11" versions as I have a 13 month old daughter and those things scared the crap out of me just looking at the picture.





Using 3/4" birch plywood I ripped both the sides and the tops at the same time as the 12 7/8" dimension is shared by both pieces. This saves on plywood since you can get enough for a set out of a single 4' rip.

[NOTE] This does make the grain of the top and bottom go in perpendicular directions if that matters to you.

I had an 8' x 30 something inch drop left over from an old job so I made two sets. (Keep an eye out in the clubhouse for some up-coming Karma)

I then made a 4" rip for the "riser" because I just wasn't sure yet about the angle of the incline. There were quite a few angles thrown out there early in this thread. So to make it clear for everyone else:

If you use the numbers provided in the pdf the angle of your bevel will be 6 degrees.

That said, when I went to cut the sides of the "riser" I cut them to the proper 4" length, dummied them up with the face and back and then marked the points of intersection. If you are familiar with miter saws then you likely already know that the gradations and indicators on these tools will lie to you and always at the worst times.

Once I was satisfied that all the pieces fit together I glued and brad nailed the "riser."

The tops and bottoms I decided to beef up a bit and added 1x ripped to 1" as a picture frame. This also allowed me to add rubber feet to the bottom and still have the stands appear to sit flat on the floor.

To make the stands look somewhat like the originals I stained the riser with Minwax red mahogany (a close match to the rosewood vinyl when applied to birch). The top and bottom got ebony stain. In the end I almost wish I had just painted the top and bottom black. I had never used ebony stain and I thought the extra wood grain would make it look cool. Perhaps with 8 more coats of the stain it would have come out better but, well......

Two coats of brushed on polyurethane (I HATE WORKING WITH THAT STUFF!!!) and 48 hours later I was ready to assemble. I glued and screwed the riser to the base but only glued and brad nailed the top down so you wouldn't see the heads (on those few occasions when you didn't have speakers on them that is :p).

They seem very sturdy and...... well it's too soon to talk about sound improvement.

Anyway they look great and beat the heck out of the old Latin textbooks I was propping them up with to "time align"

I think the boxy vinyl clad Monitor 10's score at least 4.5 bonus WAF points while on these stands.

It's a shame the originals were made from particle board and have nearly all disintegrated. Thanks to the good people at Club Polk my Monitors are once again sittin' pretty in the classic style.

:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::D:cool::cool::cool: :cool::cool:

[dorokusai]

Yes, the actual angle is 6 degrees, the 4 degrees is a typo on my part and an early pair of stands. Great work Rev...post some pics.

[SolidSqual]

Hey,

I just picked up a pair of Monitor 10Bs with original stands. The stands are affixed to the base of the speaker with four screws. One of the stands is loose between the base of the stand and the metal plate affixed to the speaker with four screws. The screws are extremely tight and the space between the base of the stand and the speaker doesn't allow enough room to unscrew the screws without stripping them. IS there another way to tighten the base? Should I just glue the stand to the metal base?

Thanks,

Mike

[wanders]

Drawing.

Could anyone describe how the center 10.5" x 4" tilted support box (column) is constructed?

Thanks

[wanders]

Drawing.

I'm going to be building some m-10 stands soon. In looking around, I found the following website that may be useful for calculating the tilt angle:

http://blocklayer.mobi/riserun.aspx

It's a run/rise/angle calculator. You imput two variable and it solves for the third. In the revised diagram provided by dorokusai, the total rise is 1" over a run of 8.75 inches making the angle 6.5 degrees. Cutting the rise down to 1/2" lowers the angle to 3.3 degrees. If you want to lower the angle from 6 degrees, you could mess around with the calculator to determine the exact measurements necessary to build the riser.

As per my previous post; I'm a little unsure about constructing the riser. If it's made from mdf using screwed and glued butt joints, my gut says the box is a little weak to support fifty pounds, especially since all the screws would be set into the end grain of the mdf. I'm thinking the box would have to be significantly reinforced or should be made using solid wood, maybe clear doug fir, would be safer.

Would appreciate any thoughts.