All out assault on timber floor with stupid laminate over the top

[Tarzan]

Hi chaps, want to add mass for my Harbies and their stands to sit on, so Granite plinths or paving slabs, which is better suited for the job in hand?


:)

[jollyfix]

I would say Granite, more dense. Pave slabs tend to be concrete, so more chance of air bubbles inside etc. but depends on size, i have used some thick heavy pave slabs before but they looked crap. Granite will look so much better. Pop on down to local stone kitchen work top yard and ask to look in their skip for hob/sink cut outs, or end off cuts. Could polish sides with wet and dry up to 1200 grit to good effect, or get them to do it for small charge. They should also have stone router to profile edge if you want that type of look. I picked up a great looking bit of blue quartz a while back , i had to cut the edges as there were drill marks, but works a treat and looks amazing under my turntable.

[Audio Al]

http://leyton-stone.co.uk

Very local M rAndy ;) ask for offcuts

[Tarzan]

Good one Owl, cheers, l could walk there.:)

Will investigate further.

[Floyddroid]

See if you can find an old snooker table that nobody wants, half size will do and break it down retrieving the slate and divide into slabs. Fabulous beneath stands or floorstanders.

[RichB]

See if you can find an old snooker table that nobody wants, half size will do and break it down retrieving the slate and divide into slabs. Fabulous beneath stands or floorstanders.

Good call Steve, my local club was throwing one out just the other week and this never occured to me as I passed by the skip.

[jollyfix]

See if you can find an old snooker table that nobody wants, half size will do and break it down retrieving the slate and divide into slabs. Fabulous beneath stands or floorstanders.
yep spot on Steve, there are some good sealers from LTP/Lithofin for slate. The Lithofin slate oil is very good, can make an old dull looking bit of slate look amazing .

[Firebottle]

A very simple way to bring the grain and patina out in slate is to spray a little WD40 and rub it in.
Use sparingly.

:) Alan

[Spectral Morn]

Granite (Best) Slate (Better)


Regards Neil

[Tarzan]

Thanks chaps- granite it be.:)

[jollyfix]

Great Andy, if you get some bits it will take them under 10 mins with some diamond disks and a polishing grinder to polish edges if you want that. Worse case just varnish edges, it will seal granite and give a shinny finish similar to the top. Some work top places drill corner holes before cutting out for a hob etc, so skip bits sometimes need to be cut down, again quick job

[Spectral Morn]

But...... the granite needs to have mass and therefore needs to be thick, a thin sliver won't work. My view is two inches thick +


Regards Neil

[struth]

Thanks chaps- granite it be.:)

Just go up on your neighbours roof and nick a few slates :eyebrows:

[jollyfix]

But...... the granite needs to have mass and therefore needs to be thick, a thin sliver won't work. My view is two inches thick +


Regards Neil
most work tops are 38-40mm (just over 1.5") thick, you could glue 2 bits together if needed.

[Spectral Morn]

most work tops are 38-40mm (just over 1.5") thick, you could glue 2 bits together if needed.

Most monumental masons can do it any thickness needed. The only fly in the ointment is the combined height of stands and granite should not take the tweeter above ear level when sitting down. Or depending on the speaker below.


Regards Neil

[jollyfix]

Most monumental masons can do it any thickness needed.


Regards Neil
thats right Neil, but i they dont tend to have off cuts for free, yes you could pay them for a thick bit cut to size, but cost of headstones so expensive, so would not be cheap at monumental mason yard. Very good point about speaker height ...

[Audio Al]

thats right Neil, but i they dont tend to have off cuts for free, yes you could pay them for a thick bit cut to size, but cost of headstones so expensive, so would not be cheap at monumental mason yard. Very good point about speaker height ...

Just put 4 pieces the same thickness under the legs of your listening chair , isolate your ears from the ground , Simples :eyebrows:

[struth]

B and Q do some nice slabs of reconstituted stone and decent price. treat them with a sealer and they are well solid enough.

[jollyfix]

Just put 4 pieces the same thickness under the legs of your listening chair , isolate your ears from the ground , Simples :eyebrows:
:lol::lol:

[Spectral Morn]

thats right Neil, but i they dont tend to have off cuts for free, yes you could pay them for a thick bit cut to size, but cost of headstones so expensive, so would not be cheap at monumental mason yard. Very good point about speaker height ...

Compared to the cost of some audio upgrades this would still be cheap couple of hundred pounds probably. No harm in asking a few monumental masons for a quote. I would also say for stability the bottom of the stand or speaker if floor stander should have a few inches all round and using cones underneath also great idea. At extra cost getting threaded inserts to allow levelling would be good. Sitting the granite directly on the floor not a good idea in my experience.


Regards Neil

[zanash]

are you trying to damp the floor or add mass to the speakers ?.....

if you want to prevent vibration [from the cabinets] entering the floor then you need to make certain that the mass is added to the cabinet ie sat on top , or bolted to the base of the speaker . If you just sit the mass on the floor with speakers on top all your providing is a flat surface to stand the speaker on ....the rational is the % change in floor mass is very small, as opposed to the change in % mass of the speaker cabinet with granite/concrete /slate attached. As you have stands I'd expect that either fixing the stand to the slab or placing the slab on top of the stand and then Cabinet on top. I've treid this and it will give good results, and can be done with blutac.

....as to material choice concrete is cheapest and granite most expensive and should all sound pretty much the same . Bear in mine slate is very soft in comparison and its easy to scratch and damage I speak here from experience !

[Tarzan]

are you trying to damp the floor or add mass to the speakers ?.....

if you want to prevent vibration [from the cabinets] entering the floor then you need to make certain that the mass is added to the cabinet ie sat on top , or bolted to the base of the speaker . If you just sit the mass on the floor with speakers on top all your providing is a flat surface to stand the speaker on ....the rational is the % change in floor mass is very small, as opposed to the change in % mass of the speaker cabinet with granite/concrete /slate attached. As you have stands I'd expect that either fixing the stand to the slab or placing the slab on top of the stand and then Cabinet on top. I've treid this and it will give good results, and can be done with blutac.

....as to material choice concrete is cheapest and granite most expensive and should all sound pretty much the same . Bear in mine slate is very soft in comparison and its easy to scratch and damage I speak here from experience !

Just trying to add mass to the floor.... am picking up some big f--k off granite slabs tomorrow.........:hifives: