Tip: Build It, Don't Buy It

A Keyboard Stand on the Cheap

By Jon Chappell

I recently had to create a makeshift studio at a friend's small apartment in New York City for a short-term (but intense) project. Stacking the gear modules against a wall was easy, but I realized I didn't have a portable keyboard stand once we started setting up. The music store was far away (and closed at the time), so I decided to make my own from the home-improvement store (which was close by and open till 10 p.m). Because of the recent proliferation of Lowes and Home Depot stores everywhere, I've gotten used to constructing makeshift cabinets and stands by myself and on the fly. And I'm no carpenter. A keyboard stand is essentially a purpose-built table, and you can buy all the materials right at the store, and they'll even cut the wood for you. The only tools you need are a hammer (if you're using nails), or a cordless screwdriver and a drill bit if you want to use screws and make your project a little more permanent. Since I didn't have my tools with me, I used a borrowed hammer and nails.

In theory, a keyboard stand supports—at the right height—either the piano-style instrument for MIDI and audio or the alphanumeric variety used to input compute data. In either case, you shouldn't use an actual table, because a standard tabletop is too high for prolonged keyboard work. Also, a dedicated stand can stay permanently in place, which was desirable in my cramped setup. The tables were already claimed by others working on the project anyway.

Here's the stand I built, which you can do as well yourself, in less than an hour —including the trip to the store for the materials.

Nailed It

For this project, you can use nails or screws interchangeably. If you just want to slap this puppy together in a jiffy, use nails (as I did), because it won't make a bit of difference to the ergonomics. Just don't be surprised when after a while your project starts to look like a Picasso painting. (That wasn't a problem for me, because this was only for a few days of work.) A cordless screwdriver can act as both a screwdriver and a drill (you just swap bits), and screws are much more secure fasteners than nails.

Picture This.

Take a look at the illustration to see how the various pieces fit together and to determine about how much labor is involved. Basically, it's pounding 16 nails. Dry fit the cut pieces together to make sure everything is square and that the height is correct. If not, you can compensate by offsetting the pieces or using shims (little pieces of scrap wood) when you go to fasten them together.

Wood.

For the tabletop, you need one piece of shelving or a 1x12 board or anything similar, cut to 12"x36". This should suffice for most keyboards. For the legs, use 2x2's (which are sold for handrails, etc.), cut to 21". For the runners (the connections between the legs that give structural support and prevent the leg posts from digging into the floor surface), use two 2x2's, cut to 12". These will be nailed into the legs from the bottom.

Hardware.

Buy four 1-1/2"x5/8" corner braces to reinforce the legs to the underside of the top (you absolutely need these or the stand will "sway" under weight), eight 6d (pronounced "six penny") 2" framing nails, or, if you're using screws, eight #6 1/-1/2" flathead wood screws (and make pilot holes in the top board with a 5/64" drill bit).

Tools.

Borrow a hammer, if you don't have one handy. As mentioned, you have to pound about 16 nails, so plan for the noise accordingly. Use a cordless screwdriver if you go the screw route.

Procedure.

Have the wood pre-cut at the store, and make sure you bring a tape measure (or a ruler if you don't have a tape), to mark off and check the work of the store person doing the cutting. Then just piece the thing together, pound or drill the fasteners in, and you're good to go! When you're done, you can just scrap the thing or use it for a plant stand on a fire escape (which is a very NYC thing to do).

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