DIY Headphone Stand With a Clutch Plate Base

In this Instructable, I will show a step by step guide on how I built this headphone stand using some basic tools.

21mm Dowel Rod (Pine)

12mm Dowel Rod (Pine)

6mm Dowel Rod (Pine)

Wood Veneers (Maple)

Clutch Plate (Base for the Headphone stand)

Black Wood Screws (3.5mm x 10mm)

Felt Pad

Tools Required:

Hand Saw / Mitre Saw

Craft Knife

Coping Saw / Fret Saw / Scroll Saw / Band Saw

Flush Trim Saw (optional)

Power Drill

Sanding Paper (P80 and P120 grit)

Wood Glue

Clamps

Double Sided Tape (optional)

Positioning Square (optional)

See the schematic attached; this will help understand the terms used to describe the parts to be made.

2.1 Main Shaft - 21mm Dowel Rod

Number of cuts required = 1

Cut a dowel rod of 21mm [0.83in] diameter to the appropriate length based on the height of your headphone(s); 350mm [13.78in] length was used.

Note: The diameter of 21mm [0.83in] was chosen due to the hole size of the base chosen, in this instance the clutch plate.

Note: The dowel rod can be of any material; a pine dowel rod was chosen.

2.2 Arm Holder(s) – 12mm Dowel Rod

Number of cuts required = 1 / 2 / 3 (depends on how many headphone holders you need).

Cut a dowel rod of 12mm [0.47in] diameter to the appropriate length based on the depth of your headphone(s); 120mm [4.72in] length was used.

Note: The dowel rod can be of any material; a pine dowel rod was chosen.

2.3 Veneer Arm Connector(s) – 6mm Dowel Rod

Number of cuts required = 1 / 2 / 3 (depends on how many headphone holders you need).

Cut a dowel rod of 6mm [0.24in] diameter to the length of 15mm [0.59in]; the excess will be trimmed off once attached to the arm holder(s) and the bent veneers (this is covered later on in the guide).

Note: The dowel rod can be of any material; a pine dowel rod was chosen.

2.4 Wood Veneers

Cut the veneers to the dimensions shown above; 5 veneer pieces are recommended in the following orientations (the black arrow shows the direction of the grain):

3 wood veneers = across the grain

2 wood veneers = along the grain

Note: 5 Wood veneers make one headphone holder; repeat the above if 2 or 3 headphone holders are required.

Note: DO NOT USE veneers with burls as they are not structurally strong. Maple veneers were used in this project due to their strength and rigid nature.

2.5 Bent Veneer Mould

In order to bend the veneers into a curved shape, a mould is required. The best solution is to use a Half Round Gutter with a diameter of 112mm[4.41in]. The dimensions do not have to be exact as long as you can achieve a curve.

Cut 2 pieces with a width of 60mm[2.36in].

Here is an example of the one used in this project (from the UK):

https://www.diy.com/departments/floplast-white-hal...

Alternatively, a plastic pipe can be used. Cut the width required, then cut it in half to obtain 2 semi circles.

2.6 Base

The base can be anything, as long as it has a middle hole in which the main shaft dowel can be inserted and glued in place. The overall size of the base must be at least 200mm[7.87in] x 200mm[7.87in] x 30mm[1.18in] (LxWxD).

A base with a bit of weight to stabilise the headphone stand is recommended.

For this project, a clutch plate from a Toyota Starlet was used.

2.7 Base Feet

The number of feet required will depend on the size of the base you choose.

For this project, 3 dowel rod pieces were cut from the 21mm dowel rod used for the main shaft; the dimensions are as attached.

Note: A felt pad is used under each of the dowel feet at the end of the project to protect the surface on which the headphone stand will be placed.

3.1 Main Shaft Configuration

Depending on whether you want 1, 2, or 3 headphone holders, drill a 12mm hole in the main shaft dowel as shown attached by the dashed lines and the dimensioned schematics.

Note: A 12mm forstner bit is recommended to achieve a flat bottom hole

3.1.1 One Headphone Holder

If you wish to have only one headphone holder, drill the main shaft dowel as shown in the schematic attached (mark 25mm from one edge of the dowel using a tri-square).

3.1.2 Two Headphone Holders

If you wish to have two headphone holders, drill the main shaft dowel as shown in the schematic attached (mark 25mm from one edge of the dowel using a tri-square).

3.1.3 Three Headphone Holders

If you wish to have three headphone holders, drill the main shaft dowel as shown in the schematic attached.

Using a tri-square, mark 25mm from one edge of the dowel for each angle of 0°, 120°, and 240°. Once drilled, the 3 holes should meet at the centre of the main shaft as shown in the schematic.

3.2 Arm Holder

Using a tri-square, mark 20mm from one edge of the dowel. Drill a 6mm diameter hole 8mm deep as shown in the schematic attached.

3.3 Base Feet

This section will depend on your chosen base; for this project, the 3 base feet used had a 2.5mm hole 8mm deep drilled to accommodate a 3.5mm wood screw as shown in the attached schematic.

4.1 Gluing

To bend the veneers, have plenty of wood glue at hand along with a brush to spread the glue evenly on the veneers. The orientation shown in the schematic attached MUST be followed so the bent veneers do not change shape once dried [the blue arrow indicates the direction of the wood grain].

Lay each veneer on top of each other as shown in the schematic; Let the veneers set for a few minutes so the glue starts to take hold. This will help in the next step as freshly glued parts tend of slip during clamping.

4.2 Bending

Note: The clamping of the veneers in the mould must be carried out as quickly as possible as the glue will start to dry.

Using the 2 mould pieces cut in Section 2.5, insert the 5 glued veneers between the mould pieces and clamp them in place as shown in the schematic attached; try to keep the stack of veneers in the middle.

Use as many clamps as required to hold the 2 mould pieces together with the veneers in the middle, like in the schematic. Allow 24hrs for the glue to fully cure so the veneers retain their curved shape.

Note: Repeat all steps covered in this section for the number of headphone holders required.

4.3 Shaping

Once the bent veneer has dried, it is ready to be shaped to your desired design. The layout, as attached, was used for this project. Tip: Draw the centre lines as shown; it will help as a guide to drill the centre hole.

Draw and cut the shape (on a piece of paper) to the specified dimensions, and place it on the curved veneer as shown in the schematic. Using a pencil, trace the template onto the bent veneer, then remove the template for later use; it is now ready to be trimmed.

Using a Coping Saw / Fret Saw / Scroll Saw / Band Saw, trim the bent veneer to the traced line; the shaped bent veneer will be as shown in the schematic. Sand the edges initially with a P80 grit paper and then a P120 grit paper to achieve a smooth finished edge.

4.4 Drilling

A 6mm hole is needed in the centre of the bent veneer so it can be attached to the arm holder.

1. Place the paper template back on the bent veneer and secure it in place with tape.
2. Clamp the bent veneer to one of the moulds (double sided tape can also be used between the bent veneer and the mould).
3. Drill a pilot hole (2mm drill bit) where the centre lines meet.
4. Drill a 4mm hole; drilling the hole in diameter increments prevents unwanted tear outs, hence achieving a clean hole.
5. Drill the required 6mm hole; drilling the hole in diameter increments prevents unwanted tear outs, hence achieving a clean hole.
6. Unclamp the bent veneer and remove the paper template.

5.1 Sanding and Staining

Using a P120 sanding paper, sand the main shaft, the arm holders and the base feet (no need to sand the veneer arm connectors as they will be hidden).

Stain the main shaft, the arm holders and the base feet to your desired colour; this is optional.

Wipe down all the parts to remove dust; all the parts are now ready for the final assembly.

5.2 Veneer Arm Connectors

5.2.1 Gluing

Follow the steps below to glue the veneer arm connectors to the arm holders:

1. Apply a small amount of wood glue in the 6mm hole of the arm holder; spread the glue evenly with a small brush.
2. Gently press / tap / hammer the veneer arm connector in place; wipe away any glue squeezed out.
3. Repeat this process for the other arm holders; allow 24hrs for the glue to cure.

5.2.2 Trimming

Follow the steps below to trim the veneer arm connectors flush to the bent veneer’s surface:

1. Assemble the bent veneer to the arm holder as shown in the attached schematic.
2. Using a flush trim saw (optional), cut the veneer arm connectors flush to the bent veneer’s surface.

Note: If a flush trim saw is not available, cut the Veneer Arm Connector with a normal saw, then sand it down flush to the surface of the bent veneer.

5.3 Gluing Arm Holders

Follow the steps below to glue the Arm Holders to the Main Shaft:

1. Apply some wood glue in the 12mm hole of the Main Shaft; spread the glue evenly with a small brush. Note: This is done only once for the 1 / 2 headphone holder configuration.
2. Gently press / tap / hammer the Arm Holder in place; wipe away any glue squeezed out.
3. If available, use a positioning right angle square to ensure the Arm Holder remains square, whilst gluing to the Main Shaft.
4. For three Arm Holders, re-drill ONE 12mm hole with a forstner bit to remove some material from the first arm holder as shown by the arrow below. Note: Drive the 12mm forstner bit very slowly so as not to drill beyond what is required. A perfectly flat bottom must be achieved as shown here.
5. Repeat Step 3 and glue the second arm holder in place; it should look as shown below once dried:
6. Re-drill the 12mm hole left, indicated by the arrow, as shown in the schematic below. A perfectly flat bottom must be achieved as shown here.
7. Repeat Step 3 and glue the third arm holder in place; it should look as shown below once dried.

5.4 Base Feet

Before securing the feet to the base, it is recommended to add a felt pad under each of the feet to protect the surface on which the headphone stand will be.

Secure a felt pad to the base feet as shown in the schematic, and trim accordingly.

Secure the feet to the base as shown in the schematic; in this project 3.5 x 10mm black wood screws were used.

5.5 Gluing Main Shaft to Base

Epoxy glue was used in this project to secure the Main Shaft assembly to the base as shown below (use the appropriate glue for your chosen base design/material).

5.6 Gluing Bent Veneers

The bent veneers can be used as they are, but it is possible to veneer/wrap the top surface to cover the exposed 6mm hole. As shown in the ‘How It’s Made’ video, the top surface of the bent veneer was leather wrapped.

Apply contact cement to the bent veneer’s surface and on the back of the leather. Once dried to the touch, wrap the bent veneer with the leather; trim the excess accordingly.

One may veneer the top surface instead by gluing ONE wood veneer over the bent veneer and trim the excess accordingly.

Note: This process must be carried out prior to assembling the bent veneer to the Arm Holders.

Secure the bent wood veneers to the assembly by following the steps below (see schematics attached too):

1. A small amount of glue is required to secure the bent veneer to the three arm holders.
2. Connect the first bent veneer in place; mini clamps can be used to hold the assembly securely.
3. Connect the second bent veneer in place; mini clamps can be used to hold the assembly securely.
4. Connect the third bent veneer in place; mini clamps can be used to hold the assembly securely.

Note: Allow 24hrs for the glue to cure before adding your headphones.

ENJOY!

I hope you found this Instructable helpful! If you have any question, please drop a comment below.