Mounting generic metal music stand to a horizontal shelf?

December 10, 2022 3:34 PM

I need to mount a music stand on a horizontal shelf, and need help finding the right clamp or widget for it.

Here's what my setup looks like.

I've poked around the Internet for various solutions, but haven't found quite the right thing. I'd like to use something like this clamp, but it's designed for a microphone arm, and vertical hole through is too small in diameter for me to slide the music stand's post through. (It's the right size for the first 1" or so, but then narrows.

Ideally, I'd like to buy an inexpensive clamp or adapter rather than a whole new stand. Also note, there only a few inches between the back of the shelf and my wall, and I like to keep it that way because my space is limited.

posted by 4midori to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

I can't think of any single item that would do the job, but maybe something like this, and then figure out something to bolt to the attachment point (or just use some pipe clamps around the vertical bit? That clamp is $25 and table-standing music stands start at around $12-$16, so I'm not sure that'll meet your requirements for budget.

Do you have any friends with 3d printers? This seems like the sort of thing someone could CAD up in a couple of hours, given the dimensions of the stand and table thickness, since it's unlikely to see heavy loads.

Is the "no new stand" requirement driven by "I want to avoid extra clutter/waste" or "I want to save money?" The best answer probably differs based on that information.
posted by Alterscape at 3:56 PM on December 10, 2022

The "no new stand" is mainly about saving $, but I'm also keen to have a solution that isn't ugly or jury rigged. But your solution might work well.
posted by 4midori at 4:07 PM on December 10, 2022

If you've already got that clamp, maybe drill it out so it's the right diameter all the way down? It looks like it would still be fine for sheet music.
posted by mhoye at 4:17 PM on December 10, 2022

@mhoye - I would, but it's solid metal and lacks enough material to support a wider hole.
posted by 4midori at 4:20 PM on December 10, 2022

I would use that clamp that you linked to but rather than put the music stand post through the hole, attach it to the side of the clamp with black electrical ties or gaffer's tape. A basic C clamp would probably work as well. Or, put a short metal rod or wood dowel into the clamp hole and attach it to that.
posted by bondcliff at 5:34 PM on December 10, 2022

I'd drill a hole in the back of the shelf, just ever so slightly larger in diameter than the music stand's post, slip the post in and then hold it in place with a small mending plate and a couple of screws. Shouldn't run more than a buck or so.
posted by kate4914 at 5:46 PM on December 10, 2022

this

although the set up looks fine as is. Also see book stands.
posted by Max Power at 6:09 PM on December 10, 2022

I would buy a table top music stand and figure out how to clamp it, but I really hate using those wire music stands because sheet music falls off very easily and it’s hard to write on anything on the stand because there’s no solid back and the stand falls over too easily. ymmv.
posted by A Blue Moon at 8:42 PM on December 10, 2022

Seconding tabletop stand. I have two wooden ones, structured like this to withstand heavy opera scores. One can write on them just fine, and they're heavy enough to stay in place, no clamp needed.
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:29 PM on December 12, 2022