Fitting a turntable shelf

Posted by: Steve G on 26 November 2001

More of a DIY than a Hi-Fi question this.

As I've been listening to my turntable a bit more recently I've noticed the occasional footfall problem causing the record to skip. To combat this I've invested in a turntable shelf - a Wallnut II (see http://www.britishaudio.co.uk/wallnut2.html ).

According to the instructions this needs mounted directly to studs in the wall. I'm no DIY expert (somewhat of an understatement that) and while I've located the wall-studs (it's an interior wall) they're way too far apart for the shelf to be fitted to two of them. Bearing in mind recent scare stories here about falling LP12's etc how should I go about fitting the shelf?

Cheers
Steve

Posted on: 26 November 2001 by Mike Hanson

Start with a slab of plywood that can span the distance between the studs. Affix your shelf to this. Paint the plywood some pleasant color so that it fits into your decor.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

Posted on: 26 November 2001 by Ken Lyon

quote:
Originally posted by Steve G:
and while I've located the wall-studs (it's an interior wall) they're way too far apart for the shelf to be fitted to two of them. Bearing in mind recent scare stories here about falling LP12's etc how should I go about fitting the shelf?

Hi Steve,

You'll need to make a backing board.
Solidly mount the wall unit, centered, to a 5/8" to 3/4" backing board that has been sized about 6-7 inches wider than the shelf.
Use a solid hardwood board (can be stained to match furnishings).
Avoid using mdf or particleboard as they are more prone to pullout.
This allows placing the unit in a convenient and attractive location and still allows the wall unit to be tied in directly into the studs.
Mount the unit as low as practical to reduce the amplification of resonances thru the studs(closer to the foundation footing and thus a shorter polar arm).

Best,
Ken

Posted on: 27 November 2001 by Steve G

Thanks for the advice - the shelf is now fitted and holding my turntable and CD player (it's a 2 shelf job, really designed for a turntable and integrated amp).

Due to space limitations I had to mount it above my Target rack (which now holds my pre-amp, power supply, power-amp and minidisc player). Sounds (and looks) quite good though, certainly better than having the turntable on the main rack.

Regards
Steve