Well, I finally got around (almost) finishing my DIY QS8 brackets. Here are my home made brackets. All it took was some imagination, a sawsall, a big hammer and some paint. (One could add something to cover the threads and casting markings before painting, for a pro finish)
First I bought a galvanized flange with a 1/2" pipe thread, but decided to use a bigger one with 1" pipe thread which I adapted down to 1/2" pipe. I wanted a little bigger footprint on the ceiling, but any size would work. I'll shoot from the hip rate these brackets at 100 lbs. (or whatever two 5/16" x 2 1/2" lag bolts into a 2x4 rafter will hold. That would be the weak link, if you can call it that.)
I bought a 2' piece of 1/2" galv. pipe, which was threaded on both ends intending to cut it in the middle leaving two pieces threaded on one end. I had no idea how long I wanted each pipe section. When I figured it out today, each was cut to 6" long.
I tried to squish flat in my vise, No go. Out came the small hand held sledge and I flattened the pipe about 3/4 of the way up towards the threaded end. I left enough space in flattened pipe so the speaker wire could pass through the flat end of the brkt, up through the pipe, them through the ceiling (hole angled off sharply to mostly miss the 2x4 rafter). I still need to drill 1/4" holes for the QS8s an inch or so from the end of the flat part. I wrapped the round end with a towel and put it in a vise. Then used a larger pipe to bend the flat portion to 27º. Lastly, I evened out the mating surface on the grinder so it would be perfectly flush to speaker.
Obviously the pipe could extend down at far as you like and bend or not bend the end. Tomorrow I will tighten the bushing to seat it further down in the base. Then I will give them a few coats of white paint. The pipe will thread in just before hand tight. That way I can easily reach up and rotate the speakers 180º towards the back half of the room when we are there and want to listen to 7 ch stereo or what ever. Between the ceiling and the flange, I will sandwich in a thin coaster to protect the ceiling texture.
First step- materials I had already primed the flanges.
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The primered QS8 brackets with 27º bend to tilt Qs down toward listening position.
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The costs (from memory) were about.
flange ≈ $6.50
2' 1/2" galv. pipe nipple ≈ $3.00
1" to 1/2" galv bushing ≈ $3.50
So about $14 each not including paint which I had.
I'll be glad to get rid of the 8' towers!
PS. cross posted to Fab5's thread asking about QS8 ceiling brackets.
