So happy with my custom laser cut stands

[BoukeG]

Hi guys and girls,

I’m so happy with my new Elektron gear stands! Picked them up from my friend last night. I wanted a stand which works for me while sitting or standing and even put one unit (the Rytm and Octatrack) on my lap (it actually ‘sits’ nice ). So the bottom modules stand on their own rubber feed which prevents vibrations while jamming them. I also designed the stand to hold the Analog Heat (and some space left for my Axoloti). I don’t have a lot of desk space so I decided to shift the unit over the connectors leaving enough room to put the cables in. Here are some pics:

Here the space for the cables:

The AH gets enough cooling through the air vents:

This is still a prototype which is fine already, small adjustments need to be done for the AH and we’ll grab thicker material (6,5 heavy triplex), but some engraving on, paint it, you’ll get the idea…

[Tomi23]

Heii can I have the cut-file?

[urbanspaceman]

hi, is there something similar available for DIY?

[obscurerobot]

First draft of a 3-unit rack for the big Elektrons. MD, MNM and OT don’t have side vents, but it would be easy to add vent cuts.

Shout out to the Chicago Public Library Maker Lab for the laser cutting.

Screws arrive tomorrow for final assembly. Design was a combination of OpenSCAD to get the angles, offsets and screw holes positioned correctly. Then I moved over to Inkscape and redid everything except the base line and screw holes.

Material is cheap 1/8" ply which is on the flimsy side but hopefully will be OK for studio use.

[shigginpit]

I spy a rat! nice bones!

[sezare56]

@obscurerobot

MD, MNM and OT

Grey MKII make more sense with Silvers !

Good work !
(I made simpler/heavier one for a Dark Trinity, modified it after…)
3 are too heavy for me…

[obscurerobot]

@sezare56

3 are too heavy for me

The library charges $3 for a sheet of 24"x12"x1/8" ply - I needed two sheets and probably left 75% as scrap for the next patron. So I plan to bolt my current stand together and then experiment with new designs.

I like your approach - I was thinking of making three independent stands at various angles and elevations, but maybe a double is good enough and the third device can just hang out.

Fun stuff to experiment with, and if anyone wants the SVG file, please feel free to DM me.

[shigginpit]

Awesome you were able to do it at the library.

[obscurerobot]

@shigginpit

at the library

They also have an amazing knitting machine that might be useful for producing custom synth covers. I need to learn more about textiles.

[shigginpit]

this is the library with that crazy huge mural that holdmybeer posted a picture of in the one painter one painting thread?

[obscurerobot]

@shigginpit

with that crazy huge mural

Maybe? But they actually have Maker Labs at multiple library locations across the city. So if that mural was in a Chicago library, odds are good that there is a maker lab near by.

[shigginpit]

I was waayyyy off. detroit institute of art lol ouch.

No idea how I associated one with the other.

[obscurerobot]

Good access to all of the buttons & knobs.

No bracing in the rear, so all the jacks are clear.

Build thoughts:

Assembly required a little forethought. As I was walking to the mailbox to get the screws I realized that bolting all three devices at once and then flipping everything could easily break the thin plywood. So I bolted one side of the MNM & MD first, flipped and then bolted them to the other side. Then I bolted one side of the OT and flipped the whole thing again to finish bolting the OT in. That worked perfectly.

Now that the stand is assembled, I’m amazed at how robust it is. The stand will wobble a little side-to-side if pushed hard, but otherwise is extremely stable. I may experiment with bracing options, but the convenience of an unobstructed back probably outweighs any gains in stability.

I would strongly recommend against this design for live use. If you want a 3-tier live stand, use 1/4" or 1/2" side panels and consider adding some bracing as well. The stand as designed could easily tear itself apart in the back seat if you drive over rough roads.

COST:

• Panels: $6 for wood, laser cutting was free at the library
• Hardware: $15 for 100 screws and washers, but I didn’t need the washers and only used a dozen screws.
• ~$150 for a professionally made stand is still reasonable. The best wood supplied by the library costs $20/panel and the professional stands often have routed and sanded edges and are stained and sealed. That doesn’t even consider the design and assembly labor or the time taken to learn the various necessary skills.

[sezare56]

@obscurerobot

use 1/4" or 1/2" side panels

Yep. 1/8" seems a bit thin.
Here in France 5mm is common.
Maybe too much for basic laser cut ?

[obscurerobot]

@sezare56

Maybe too much for basic laser cut ?

The lab guy was sure the laser cutter could cut 1/4", no problem. I like the thinness of 1/8" and it is more than stable enough for studio use. 4mm or 5mm does sound like a nice compromise though.

I would definitely move up to 1/4" or larger with solid wood, otherwise the m3 screws could easily split the panels along the grain.

Edit: I tried flicking the OT’s fader back and forth aggressively and the stand barely wobbles at all. It only wobbles if I grasp the whole thing and try to shake it left and right.

[obscurerobot]

Assembling and gluing the next stand. This one is for three RD6/TD3 size devices.

[obscurerobot]

[DonovanDwyer]

Nice work!

[obscurerobot]

@DonovanDwyer

Nice work

Thanks! Hopefully you can imagine a white spray-painted finish. I haven’t found a safe and appropriate place for painting yet.

The only significant flaw in the design is that the retaining rails that keep the upper device from falling could have been better positioned. The upper device can flop around more than I would prefer, but that is a better outcome than not being able to fit at all.

My next design may be a rack for pedals - either my two wide Eventides and the REX-50 or something for the smaller stompboxes.

[DonovanDwyer]

@obscurerobot

The upper device can flop around more than I would prefer

Pedalboard velcro is your friend

3D Waves and Apache make some cool vertical pedal stands, but don’t have your thin minimalist aesthetic.