Got some of the bits of the flexy but are they good enough?

I have bought the rods today but they are only 12mm. Will these be strong enough? They are quite heavy and they appear to be strong enough to support my stuff. They are 1 meter high. I've also ordered the wood so it should all be cut to size by Monday.

Also I want to apply a piano black finish the the MDF. Where can I get the spray paint to do this from? Is it laquar I need as an undercoat to stop the final finish from scratching?

Thanks

 

you need 18 0r 20mm bar as described, 12mm will probably not keep the structure from wobbling
Piano black is a laquer
best would be to use an undercoat to seal the MDF and the apply coats of black, rubbing down inbetween with 1000grit wet and dry

 

Damn so the 12mm's will probably have to go back. I might get the bus down th B&Q warehouse in Stockport tomorrow to see if they sell any thicker ones.

 

B&Q dont
you need to go to a proper industrial fastener stockist

 

If its only to stop it twisitng and wobbeling my shelf will be 1m high, and the widest gap will be 220mm for my amp (to leave enough clearence for the ventalation) but a lot of the shelves will only be 120mm high so there is no chance it can wobble. I will try and get a better one though.

I will also have to try and get spikes from some where. I've seen places though that sell them.

Update: I will try and get to a fasteners on monday and get some 20mm ones. It seems stupid now I've spent £20 on the MDF to risk making a shabby job of it just because of the rods.

 

Patience is a virtue mate
its so tempting to rush it and use what ever you can get, but i think it will be worth waiting to get the decent stuff

Im in the same position with regards the spikes, i think the easiest way would be to get a machine shop to turn 1 end of each piece to a point. Whats holding me up is that i only have a motorbike and trying to carry 3 x 1 meter lengths of 20mm studding is interesting to say the least

 

I had to walk to B&Q which is about 1 mile away with them. I am only going to try and source some better rods today. As for the spikes I have no idea what I can do. There is no way I can fit the conventional speaker spikes because I would probably cut my hands trying to drill through the metal rods as no matter type of drill bit I use it will probably slip.

I do have a slight deadline, on the 23rd me and some meets are going to a club and then sleeping over at mine, so I would like to show off my DIY skills then Also I system better sound good on the day.

 

as ive said before dont worry about the spikes just fit dome nuts to the end of the rod

 

i was going to do that Mr hippy
yet to find 20mm SS dome nuts

im sure my google is broken

 

One problem solved then. Does anybody know of any chain stores that will sell the rods? I am having difficulty finding them, I have asked at a few shops but they said they can only source up to 12mm ones which I already have. I have seen a few fasteners in the yellow pages but they all tend to be located in industrial estates which are miles away from a bus stop.

 

best get walking mate
they are the places you need

or phone them up, some will deliver

 

Regards the piano black finish.

I was speaking with a french polisher regarding this, he is very skilled. He suggested you need to be very experienced to do piano black, and anything approaching a decnt job takes months.

I suggest you bring yourself back to earth a bit.

I would use black gloss or that hammerite stuff. Once dry sand with the finest paper, mabye wet and dry. Then spray with them cans of clear laquer. Again with a sand and another spray.

if you are anything like me it will look like a complete lash up, eventually you'll buy a ready made one!

 

Yeah thats what they said in the craft store I went today yesterday. They said that Gloss Black will look pretty similar anyway and would be easier to apply. Even this stuff is going to take ages, I have 6 shelves! Each one will probably take an hour to spray including the sanding down. And carrying three 20mm rods on the bus is going to be fun.

Everything I make always goes wrong, my FFRC looks like a rats nest, my speaker stands wobble more than that a bike with a bad baring.

This is going to be different though, this going to make my old woodwork teacher jealous (if he saw it).

 

capstan black enamele yaucht paint's the stuff ya need,apply a couple of coats with a decent roller ,luvvly
what are you going to use to drill the 20mm holes?
have fun on the bus

 

Thats another problem, I will try and buy a 20mm drill bit? Do they exist? I have a cordless drill which is perfect for MDF as its not too powerful.

I also have problems getting the rods. I am seriously thinking about just sticking to the 12mm stuff now but using four instead of three. There will be loads of sheleves right next to each other so I am sure it will be strong and sturdy enough.

 

get a couple of 20mm spade bits,

there fairly cheap,the glue used to make mdf tends to blunt them,if you can get a decent electric drill it will make life alot simpler,cutting 20mm holes in 20mm mdf soon flatens batterys

 

Thanks, I have one of these bits I used for fitting a lock on the back door, thats 16mm but at least I know I should be able to get a 20mm one. I do have a corded hammer drill so I will use that. As you pay be able to tell I am not that good at DIY but I am never affraid to try, and the lock I fitted was as good as a locksmiths job.

 

Wilco's have the 20mm and 25mm couple of quid each. Remember the holes need to be approx 4mm bigger than the threaded rod.

 

Lol so if I am us a 20mm rod will I need a 24mm drill bit? Won't the whole be to big? I am confused now. It the theads on the rods bigger than the diameter of the acttual rod?

 

certain i used a 20mm bit with 20mm stud ,a tight fit but it worked fine.