Headphone stand

So I am wanting to create a headphone stand that balances of the edge of something, and need to calculate a counter weight, but can't find anything in the way of weight for materials.

After a cursory check on the internet (all of five minutes), I know that a pair of closed headphones probably weighs under 400g (If you have an example of something heavier, then could you let me know, please?).

This means I need to have a counter wight of weight * distance = 500g * 5cm.

I haven't found anything which specifies material weight. The closest think I found was this thread, but it links to a page which I can't find anything on wieght on.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Well, I've done the maths... Looks like the end result is going to be expensive if built here entirely.

To be 'safe' (a friend of mine reckons I should double the counterweight so it can handle people being careless and dropping headphones on a bit, but I'm being conservative and hoping people will be gentle). If I was using steel as a counter weight, at 25cm, I would need 15cm3 of steel at 25cm.

That weight would cost $130~

This is getting expensive. I was originally doing this one at the suggestion of some friends, and I'm not sure they would pay that much when they could buy removable hooks for $10 at a hardware store.

It's really hard to envision what you are after. Do you have any sketches you could share with us of what you are thinking about?

No sketches, but I have a model.
monitor stand prototypes parts (View in 3D)


That one is way too small, but that is the design I was thinking of.

I was thinking that if I could have a plastic body with a steel counterweight that slots into it. The body could then have plastic, removable 'clamps' to keep it from falling forward or backwards. They would need to be removable so they could be adjusted to fit the monitor. The handle would then be removable and replaceable. I could then have modeled different ones to go on the side, some simple and some more decorative (a friend suggested a treble and bass clefs).

Unfortunately, while I could get the design to 'work', it is going to be way out of a prototype-able price range. I'm trying to come up with another solution that doesn't include adhesive (I hear that you can get removable adhesives that are good for a several kilo load).

As I thought that the previous idea may be a bit too expensive, I thought that perhaps I could just clamp it to the monitor. The design is in multiple parts so that it can be fitted together to fit a monitor. I figured that the simpler parts were, the easier they would be. What are peoples thoughts on the prototype?

(View in 3D)


If you view the above in the wire on xray mode then you will be able to see the individual parts.

Currently the walls are 2mm thick in every direction, with 0.5mm room to move at every part, making it almost a cm tall, and as short as 20cm with an adjustable length. The prototype is designed to be barely functional (does it hold up a pair of headphones?), but the ends (and every piece, really) are replaceable. The model above is made of 3 large pieces, 2 inner pieces, 2 end pieces and 4 single side clamps. The small clamps will need a complete redesign as they will only fit my monitor, but that works for a prototype. Currently the side clamps are 7cm long.

It would be good to hear peoples thoughts.

EDIT: Everything is a minimum of 2m. I'm not sure if that is going to be strong enough with SFW.