Sorry if I missed something here...

That just looks like 80/20, which can be purchased in long rods and cut as needed.
It should be reasonably inexpensive then right?
I believe that's correct. One would need to tap (thread) the ends to end up with what Salamander is doing. But the reference in that other post was to the shelf pegs that fit in the T-slots. Those shelf pegs are available individually from Salamander for $2 each - a shelf would require 4 (2 type "a", and 2 type "b").

^^
correct, that was in reference to the shelf brackets for another poster.

as for the aluminum extrusions. there are several companies producing extrusions that can be used. i used the t-slot brand and purchased them from a local distributor who cut them to the length i requested. they would have tapped the threads too but at the time i didnt know what thread i would be needing.

if you want to cut them yourself check out ebay.. when i was looking there was some good deals on slightly used long lengths of aluminum extrusions.

home depot - 2'x3/4" threaded rod (corresponding bolts and washers)
home depot - 4'x8' red oak ply
it was fun killin' my 12V black and decker on pur... accident. my new 19.2 volt craftsman drilled through 3.75 inches of red oak ply no problem. and i used a 7/8" bit from a 333pc Northern Tools bit set. the black and decker barely scratched the surface. anyways, don't mind the speaker cable going throught he living room as that will be stealthed with some white speaker cables (monoprice) harbor freight provided the cheap clamp set and i got the drill guide from sears. don't know if i'll keep it or not. i don't plan of finishing the wood until i've got a house and decided on furniture. it looks decent raw.
this was done in the den/room of my apartment on a some cheap ikea table i got free a while back from a neighbor. when i/my gf was drilling she/i held the little 2gal wet/dry right near the hole to vacuum it all up.
designed on visio. if someone wants the file i can email it to 'em.

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr63/ddash97/Home%20Theater/IMG_2298.jpg

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr63/ddash97/Home%20Theater/IMG_2308.jpg

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr63/ddash97/Home%20Theater/IMG_2367.jpg

geez, i did a preview post and txt msg'n has pretty much killed off all kindsa grammar :(

Very nice and ingenious, ddash97. :)

Nice!

I've always liked the threaded rod type shelves. Unfortunately they don't score too high in the wife acceptance category :)

Although I already posted this in the Mits thread, this is actually a better place. Here are some pix of the stand I built for my 73" Mits. It's a simple table-type stand, with wooden legs on the left and right, but angle-iron providing the structural support for the relatively long span (54" wide). In the past I've always struggled with space for components, so I didn't want to waste any space under the TV for support that could be used for easy access to components instead. The top is made of 1/2" concrete/fiberblass backerboard epoxied to 18"x18" marble tile. Except I exposed the back of the tile rather than the front to get a rougher look. There are marble trim pieces on the front to hide the edge of the backerboard (so it looks like two layers of marble, instead of marble & concrete). For the sides, I epoxied 6x6" tumbled stone (which matched the marble well) to 1/4" backerboard, then the entire left and right panels are velcro'd to the wooden support beams on the left & right. Although it's kind of hard to see in these pix, there are glass doors on the front (you can see the reflection of the carpet over the components), and five low speed 120mm fans in the back to keep the components cool. There are also height adjustable feet under the legs... this 100 y.o. house doesn't have the flattest floors, so I needed to be able to compensate.

http://home.comcast.net/~dscline/Shared/tv_stand1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~dscline/Shared/tv_stand2.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~dscline/Shared/tv_stand3.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~dscline/Shared/tv_stand4.jpg

This last shot without the TV shows the top, and also the right side end panel is removed in this picture. You can also see the shelves behind the TV that support my sub and some more components that are hidden by the top of the TV:

http://home.comcast.net/~dscline/Shared/tv_stand5.jpg

^^
an interesting use of materials. looks good.

Thanks to this forum I built my own TV/Component stand. The stand is 26'H x 68'W x 22'D. I used Birch plywood from HD to build this unit. All the material including the dowel jig came up to $175. I also used custom tinted water based stain (color Onyx).

I still have some touch ups to make but the stand should be complete by next weeked. Here is what it looks like so far.

See attachements...

More Pics...

NewPlasmaOwner: What did you use on the edges of the plywood? It looks thicker than a veneer tape but not as thick as a piece of 1x lumber.

Hey JB

I used 1/4 x 3/4 Pine Screen Moulding. It fit right over the 3/4 inch Birch plywood perfectly. You can get some from HD or Lowes for about 50 cents a ft.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=HomeDecor/MldPrf.html&rn=RightNavFiles/rightNavHowTo
http://www.woodgrain.com/products/moulding/WM/displaypage.asp?imagename=mp-3274.gif

I made a TV stand out of left over 6" wide PVC pipe and MDF, and roller casters. It was originally used to as a stand for a Panasonic 50" plasma set, but it will now be used as a stand for a larger Samsung 61" or 67" DLP LED set in the near future.

I already had a wire rack for my components, so I didn't design for putting in a lot of components, so the TV stand on holds my 5-channel amp on the bottom level, which warms up my cat during the winter.

This is a photo set of the construction process:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patcave/sets/72157594570482372/

Very cool, pat.

Hey JB

I used 1/4 x 3/4 Pine Screen Moulding. It fit right over the 3/4 inch Birch plywood perfectly. You can get some from HD or Lowes for about 50 cents a ft.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=HomeDecor/MldPrf.html&rn=RightNavFiles/rightNavHowTo
http://www.woodgrain.com/products/moulding/WM/displaypage.asp?imagename=mp-3274.gif

Thanks for the info and the links, I will have to grab some and see how it fits. I believe all the 3/4" ply I am working with measures just below 3/4 (like 22/32) which may leave like few 32ns of a lip but it will probably work well.

Again, thanks.

I just finished the shelves and adding 3 coats of Poly finish. Now the only thing left to complete are the doors. One for the left and right side the middle will remain open. I was thinking about glass doors but I would rather build them from the leftover plywood and place some black mesh material in the middle (like a screen door). Help me out with some ideas for the doors forum. Here are some pics…


http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02553.jpg


http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02565.jpg


http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02575.jpg

^^
i've seen some heavy gauge screening that has like 1/4" square holes. i think that would look good if painted black.

Here is a pic of the Mits 52725 stand with doors closed. I need to make horizontal shelves and consider a backing to hide the wires (which is a rats nest until I decide the arrangement of components). It's about 64" wide and about 20" deep. The 20" height brings the center of the tv image down to my eye level when seated, give or take an inch.

Hey Pine2,

Can you tell me how you made the doors for your tv stand? They look great by the way too. But my main question is what type of mesh did you use in the center of the door and where can I get some?

Thanks

new plasma owner,

Do you have any pics of your stand looking more down at it to see how grain looks? Looking direct at the sides would be nice too. My wife wants to have a dark color and I wanted to see how your color works. Oh and how much sanding did you need to do to the birch plywood?

Thank you

On that Lowes molding profiles you put up...did you use the pine flat screen? Did you nail it on or gorila glue it? I know I read a post from someone on this big thread not to use veneer tape. any reason you didn't use it?

To anyone,

On the middle verticle shelf supports...did you just drill the shelf adjustment holes all the way through?

Anyone wish they would have painted/stained some of the inside wood before putting it together? I was wanting to do all but the outside part before putting it together...I thought it might be easier.

lastly...any advise on drawers? the main reason i want to do this myself is I have been unable to find a model with draws at the bottom.

Thanks to all

I know I read a post from someone on this big thread not to use veneer tape. any reason you didn't use it?

To anyone,

On the middle verticle shelf supports...did you just drill the shelf adjustment holes all the way through?

Anyone wish they would have painted/stained some of the inside wood before putting it together? I was wanting to do all but the outside part before putting it together...I thought it might be easier.

lastly...any advise on drawers? the main reason i want to do this myself is I have been unable to find a model with draws at the bottom.

Thanks to all

i used veneer edge banding. the iron on, real wood stuff. dont know if that is what you are calling tape or not. i found it very easy to use and it produced a very professional more finished look.

i completely stained and polyied all pieces of my stand before final assembly.

i wish i had added a drawer to my build. someday i'll add one.

new plasma owner,

Do you have any pics of your stand looking more down at it to see how grain looks? Looking direct at the sides would be nice too. My wife wants to have a dark color and I wanted to see how your color works. Oh and how much sanding did you need to do to the birch plywood?

Thank you

On that Lowes molding profiles you put up...did you use the pine flat screen? Did you nail it on or gorila glue it? I know I read a post from someone on this big thread not to use veneer tape. any reason you didn't use it?

To anyone,

On the middle verticle shelf supports...did you just drill the shelf adjustment holes all the way through?

Anyone wish they would have painted/stained some of the inside wood before putting it together? I was wanting to do all but the outside part before putting it together...I thought it might be easier.

lastly...any advise on drawers? the main reason i want to do this myself is I have been unable to find a model with draws at the bottom.

Thanks to all

Hey Porsche1207,

Here is a pic showing the Onyx stain over the birch plywood. In this pic you can see the wood gain pattern thru the stain. I used a grey tint first and then applied the onyx over it. I applied 2 coats of each color and wiped down each coat within 5 minutes.

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02541.jpg

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02516.jpg

Also for my center support self’s I used screws to hold them in place and filled the holes with wood filler. In the pic below you can see the wood filler covering the recessed screw holes.

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02512.jpg

And I used the pine molding just because it was in my reach when I bought the plywood ;) I used wood glue and clamps for the shorter pieces and two or three nails to hold the longer pieces (along the front) in place because I only have (2) 24inch clamps.

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02509.jpg

Hey Pine2,

Can you tell me how you made the doors for your tv stand? They look great by the way too. But my main question is what type of mesh did you use in the center of the door and where can I get some?

Thanks

Wow. Haven't posted on here for a while. Great to see people continue to build off the wealth of knowledge here. The doors are solid mahogany joined using biscuits and gorilla glue. The mesh is the type used to cover old cast iron steam heating units (IR pass through plus good ventilation). You can find some different patterns at home depot. They are usually tucked away in the back. They come in bronze or silver colored sheets. I just cut to size with tin snips and spray painted the squares with black, textured rustoleum to give it a rough finish. After routing a groove in the doors to fit the mesh, I got a little sloppy and just held them in using 1/4" square dowels that I stained.

I don't think I ever posted the finished shots. I'll take some soon. It has been in service for about four years now.

I just wanted to drop in to thank all of the contributors in this thread for inspiring me to build my own. I just completed mine with the help of a buddy and his woodworking tools and knocked it out over 3 weekends in his (blisteringly cold & dusty) garage.

For the extremely bored, here's the story behind the build:
I recently replaced a JVC 61FN97 with a Panasonic plasma. I needed to replace the old matching stand to fit my components that includes a massive 400 disc DVD changer, 300 CD changer (these will be replaced by a HTPC whenever I get around to building one) and my Polk CS350LS center channel, which is 26" wide. There was nothing under 70" (my width limit) that would fit these components, so I decided to build a custom one.

After scratching many designs, I ultimately settled on using the BDI avion as my inspiration. Dimensions are: 69" wide x 22.5" tall x 23" deep.

Design features include:
- Removeable center channel door with speaker cloth
- A large drawer to hold my Blu-Rays, HDDVDs, remotes, games, etc.
- Tinted plexi windows on doors (I have a 3yr old and another child on the way)
- Removeable vent slotted back panels held in place by magnets
- 2 ultra quiet 120mm fans to turn on when reciever/DVR is turned for forced cooling
- Ample space in back for surge protectors and cable management (everything is concealed in cabinet).

I built it out of 3/4" cabinet grade birch. I detest anything fake but I decided to cover it in black ash vinyl veneer (yes, vinyl) because:
- My wife wanted black to match the speakers/tv/couches in the room.
- It matched my old Polk RT16s and PSW300 perfectly.
- I have no experience/confidence with staining.
- It's the dead of winter with no heat in a very dusty garage without sufficient ventilation.

Honestly, even I wasn't sure about using the veneer (it was really labor intensive btw!) but once installed, it looked great.

Considering this is the first piece of furniture I've ever built, I think it came together pretty nicely.

Wow. Haven't posted on here for a while. Great to see people continue to build off the wealth of knowledge here. The doors are solid mahogany joined using biscuits and gorilla glue. The mesh is the type used to cover old cast iron steam heating units (IR pass through plus good ventilation). You can find some different patterns at home depot. They are usually tucked away in the back. They come in bronze or silver colored sheets. I just cut to size with tin snips and spray painted the squares with black, textured rustoleum to give it a rough finish. After routing a groove in the doors to fit the mesh, I got a little sloppy and just held them in using 1/4" square dowels that I stained.

I don't think I ever posted the finished shots. I'll take some soon. It has been in service for about four years now.


Thanks I'll check that out at home depot. I've seen the bronze and silver mesh in 2x2 and 3x3 sizes too. I'll get some good nips to cut it down to size and just spary paint them black. Thanks for the info and I'm happy to hear your stand is still in service, it looks great once again Thanks...

^^
i've seen some heavy gauge screening that has like 1/4" square holes. i think that would look good if painted black.

Thanks for the info Strutter,

You are the second person that recommended that idea. Sound like that is the plan of attack to get these doors built.

^^^
on mine i used a perforated aluminum. but i had thought of using the heavy screening. the perforated aluminum came in a sheet from lowes. the pattern on mine was called union jack but they had several different patterns.
to make the doors i cut a grove dead center on 4 pieces of 1x4 on the 1" side, taking care not to go all the way to the end. then cut the groves for biscuits. then i cut the perforated aluminum to size, put the aluminum in the groves, glued the biscuits and clamped everything together. after it all dried i used a router to round the outside edges of the doors.

pix can be found starting at post 796
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9335654&highlight=salamander+clone#post9335654

I know this isn't the greatest place to post this, but it's the best I could find. I did a search for BDI Avion and this thread came up. So here it is...

I recently purchased an Onkyo 876 that was too deep for my current furniture. I was shopping around for something new and the BDI Avion was at the top of my list, but I was having trouble justifying the price. I was about settle for something much cheaper (I'm not nearly handy enough to BYOTVS) when I ran across the "Erving Wenge TV Stand" on Overstock. This is a BDI Avion at a fraction of the retail cost. I have one sitting in my living room now and I can tell you they are one and the same.

Feel free to spread the word.

^^^
on mine i used a perforated aluminum. but i had thought of using the heavy screening. the perforated aluminum came in a sheet from lowes. the pattern on mine was called union jack but they had several different patterns.
to make the doors i cut a grove dead center on 4 pieces of 1x4 on the 1" side, taking care not to go all the way to the end. then cut the groves for biscuits. then i cut the perforated aluminum to size, put the aluminum in the groves, glued the biscuits and clamped everything together. after it all dried i used a router to round the outside edges of the doors.

Hey Strutter & Pine2

Here is my first attempt at building the doors…

I’m waiting for the hinges to come in now. Since the width of the left and right side is 21 inches wide I ordered 110 degree euro hinges and not the 170’s.


http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02580.jpg

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma%20TV%20Stand/DSC02579.jpg

good job..you can use a sander to flatten the transition between the horizontal and vertical boards.
nice brand spankin new great neck clamps (you left the tags on)

for anyone else interested in using perforated sheet metal. at Northern Tool they have it in gold tone, stainless, black, as well as aluminum. at least at my local store. dont know if its available online or not.

^^^

Thanks for the sanding tip. Yes I brought those GN clamps just for this project. They are broken in now so i'll remove the tags. LOL

I've posted pics of my DIY stand before, but now that I have finally finished--after about 5 years:eek:--my DIY speakers as well, I thought I'd share a couple shots of the finished setup with you guys. Hope you like them. :)

Let's try that again...

moonhawk, all I can say is WOW! Really, really nice -- clearly a ton of effort and passion went into that build and the outcome is amazing.

Thank you, Pete. :)

I just wanted to drop in to thank all of the contributors in this thread for inspiring me to build my own. I just completed mine with the help of a buddy and his woodworking tools and knocked it out over 3 weekends in his (blisteringly cold & dusty) garage.

For the extremely bored, here's the story behind the build:
I recently replaced a JVC 61FN97 with a Panasonic plasma. I needed to replace the old matching stand to fit my components that includes a massive 400 disc DVD changer, 300 CD changer (these will be replaced by a HTPC whenever I get around to building one) and my Polk CS350LS center channel, which is 26" wide. There was nothing under 70" (my width limit) that would fit these components, so I decided to build a custom one.

After scratching many designs, I ultimately settled on using the BDI avion as my inspiration. Dimensions are: 69" wide x 22.5" tall x 23" deep.

Design features include:
- Removeable center channel door with speaker cloth
- A large drawer to hold my Blu-Rays, HDDVDs, remotes, games, etc.
- Tinted plexi windows on doors (I have a 3yr old and another child on the way)
- Removeable vent slotted back panels held in place by magnets
- 2 ultra quiet 120mm fans to turn on when reciever/DVR is turned for forced cooling
- Ample space in back for surge protectors and cable management (everything is concealed in cabinet).

I built it out of 3/4" cabinet grade birch. I detest anything fake but I decided to cover it in black ash vinyl veneer (yes, vinyl) because:
- My wife wanted black to match the speakers/tv/couches in the room.
- It matched my old Polk RT16s and PSW300 perfectly.
- I have no experience/confidence with staining.
- It's the dead of winter with no heat in a very dusty garage without sufficient ventilation.

Honestly, even I wasn't sure about using the veneer (it was really labor intensive btw!) but once installed, it looked great.

Considering this is the first piece of furniture I've ever built, I think it came together pretty nicely.

Very Nice! I think I have the exact Golden Amber Oak flooring as well.

I still have to put the doors on and add a couple of componets when my HDMI cables arrive - but the stand is 95% complete...


http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu251/slovette04/Plasma TV Stand/DSC02602.jpg

Let's try that again...

HL67A750?

I have one and I've been reading this thread and stocking up on wood working magazines to get some knowledge on how to do some of this stuff. I want to do my own cabinet but haven't done much more than slicing a board here and there in the past. Needless to say I've read through this entire thread and a bunch more woodworking stuff.

I'm going over designs but I think my plan will be something like this...

23/32" birch plywood capped with real wood (is capped the term?)

66" wide, 22" high, 20" deep. 3 compartments. The leftmost compartment will have 1 10" wide compartment. The remaining space in the compartment will be divided up by horizontal shelving used for DVD/Blu-ray storage. A door will cover this approx 22" wide group of compartments

The rightmost compartment will be divided in to shelving for DVD storage, 1 shelf will hold DVD player (HTIB receiver), there will be a spot on the shelf for a wii and a door covering the entire thing. The door will have either mesh material that allows IR to pass through or I might pony up for an RF remote...

The middle compartment will have two large drawers for stuffing in accessories like the wii guitar, rockband mic, ddr mat and other stuff in.


I would very much like to have a closed cabinet look, but at that size I'm wondering what sort of doors would work and wouldn't be overly cumbersome... Also don't know what tools I'll need to pick up for this. Right now i've only got circ. saw, compound miter saw, & table saw. 1 blade for each (60tooth).

Probably need some clamps (how many and what kind...who knows at this point. bar clamps for the doors perhaps? I'd like to do more of this stuff as a hobby eventually)

Thoughts?

Yes, HL67A750. oiginally built for a 57" Sammy, so I may shorten that upper shelf. The 57 had a base that extended all the way to the side edges of the set. As far as tools, the sky's the limit. The most common and cheapest are pipe clamps. I use the galvanized pipe instead of the black--it's just a lot cleaner. you can buy a few sets of clamps, and several lengths of pipe, as they are interchangeable.

Did you mean you use one blade for all three saws? :eek: That's gotta be a pain. At least you won't be put of so much changing around your pipe clamps. :)

Good luck with your project--There's great satisfaction to be had building your own stuff.:cool:

Yes, HL67A750. oiginally built for a 57" Sammy, so I may shorten that upper shelf. The 57 had a base that extended all the way to the side edges of the set. As far as tools, the sky's the limit. The most common and cheapest are pipe clamps. I use the galvanized pipe instead of the black--it's just a lot cleaner. you can buy a few sets of clamps, and several lengths of pipe, as they are interchangeable.

Did you mean you use one blade for all three saws? :eek: That's gotta be a pain. At least you won't be put of so much changing around your pipe clamps. :)

Good luck with your project--There's great satisfaction to be had building your own stuff.:cool:

I have 1 blade per tool. The circ saw is only 7.5" but the chop saw and table saw have 10" blades.

As far as clamps, are they difficult to work with when doing something like a door? From what I've been reading the bar clamps were recommended due to them being flat, so its easier to get a consistent clamp.

Yes--I just mentioned pipe clamps because you can save a lot of money--and many much better woodworkers than I have used them exclusively for a long time.

You could consider glass doors. Most glass suppliers could cut the exact size you need and grind the edges so it's not sharp. They can also supply easy to install hinges and magnetic spring latches.

I did this on a project a few years ago with smoked glass. It looked great and you could see all of your components. Make sure you use tempered glass for safety.

I have many types of clamps. Bar clamps are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. 24" and 36" lengths are adequate for most projects.

You could consider glass doors. Most glass suppliers could cut the exact size you need and grind the edges so it's not sharp. They can also supply easy to install hinges and magnetic spring latches.

I did this on a project a few years ago with smoked glass. It looked great and you could see all of your components. Make sure you use tempered glass for safety.

I have many types of clamps. Bar clamps are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. 24" and 36" lengths are adequate for most projects.

I ordered up some bessey revo k 12" and 24" clamps (2 each). my question is this - what to do about clamping from the width? Is that typically needed?

I was looking and it appears there is a kit of bessey 50" + 24" + extenison (so the clamps can be combined to make one large clamp) that would suit my total width of 66"+...but im wondering do you normally do that clmaping like that anyway?

As far as the glass - I have a very active 19mo old and another one on the way. I want something solid. I've seen even tempered glass break (I was young once).

I ordered up some bessey revo k 12" and 24" clamps (2 each). my question is this - what to do about clamping from the width? Is that typically needed?

I was looking and it appears there is a kit of bessey 50" + 24" + extenison (so the clamps can be combined to make one large clamp) that would suit my total width of 66"+...but im wondering do you normally do that clmaping like that anyway?

As far as the glass - I have a very active 19mo old and another one on the way. I want something solid. I've seen even tempered glass break (I was young once).

Your design will dictate which way you need to clamp. Basically.... you need to clamp a joint closed while the glue dries. It is unlikely that your design will require clamping across the width.... but again.... that's up to you and how you design your cabinet.

Your design will dictate which way you need to clamp. Basically.... you need to clamp a joint closed while the glue dries. It is unlikely that your design will require clamping across the width.... but again.... that's up to you and how you design your cabinet.

from what I've seen (i've checked out a number of cabinet/bookcase making videos and magazines) and from what I've seen they all use rabbet joints. For a large piece, is there a different joint type that would be solid?

from what I've seen (i've checked out a number of cabinet/bookcase making videos and magazines) and from what I've seen they all use rabbet joints. For a large piece, is there a different joint type that would be solid?

Again... it depends on your design. If you are going to build a design similar to the picture in post #1036 above.... i.e. basically the vertical pieces are sandwiched between the top and bottom pieces.... then biscuit joints are very easy and strong. For this you would need a Biscuit Jointer. An alternative to biscuits would be wooden dowels. In both cases you would also use a good quality wood glue. Yellow glue.... not the white stuff.

I really suggest you sketch out your design and post it. Then it will be much easier to give recommendations.

idea 1 (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cabinet1.jpg)

basically, create a carcass then put coverings on the whole gig w/ a facing to make it hide the nasties. For the doors, use some sort of mesh covering or durable clear material (2 year old + more on the way)

Im open to ideas. I also don't know what you'd do to make huge doors like that. I was thinking maybe 2 doors that folded in the middle along a track (for support) then once folded they slide back on either side into the cabinet. This can be up to 24" deep if necessary...feel free to comment or send ideas my way :)

Hello everyone! New here and this thread inspired me to build my own tv stand and gave me a few ideas as well. After all is said and done I am quite happy especially since this is my first one. Thanks for the inspiration!:D

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jchambers_18/IMG_1316.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jchambers_18/IMG_1317.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jchambers_18/IMG_1325.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jchambers_18/IMG_1367.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jchambers_18/IMG_1368.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jchambers_18/IMG_1371.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g76/jchambers_18/IMG_1373.jpg

Hello everyone! New here and this thread inspired me to build my own tv stand and gave me a few ideas as well. After all is said and done I am quite happy especially since this is my first one. Thanks for the inspiration!:D


Really nice job for your first cabinet!.... works great with your home theater setup.

NIce work, Dude.

Thanks guys! Wish I would have built a place for the center channel, however, I will liklely change that out to a nicer center on down the road. You guys that used latex paint for your cabinet, did you use paste wax to cover the tackiness? How about pieces of felt on the feet of the gear? Thanks again.

For those who have used perforated aluminum for their cabinet doors, I was wondering how that impacted the IR signals from remote controls? Do you have to open the doors to control the components behind them or does the remote signal penetrate the perforated aluminum successfully?

^^^
using my harmony with the doors closed sometimes a component in the series will miss the power on command or it will power on but miss the correct input command. its usually just a matter of me holding the remote up another inch for it to capture the command. its usually the same component that misses it. i suspect it is the location of the IR on the component in relation to the metal. my components are real close to the doors too. it might not have that problem if i could move them back a little. but my doors stay open most of the time anyway unless company's coming over. funny though i'm never the one that opens them and leaves them open. i suspect my son likes to use the clock on the DVR when getting ready for school. and i know he leaves the other door open so he can see what the volume is on the AVR when playing xbox. the metal covers part of it from the spot that he sits.
but none of those issues are real problems for me, i can see the clock and volume good enough to tell what it says from my spot and as long as i remember to hold the harmony up a little, missing a command isnt a problem either.
my biggest problem with incomplete commands is because the dog walks between the remote and the components interrupting the harmony sequence.

Here's a new stand I built for my girlfriend, and set up today. Walnut and quartersawn white oak. The center drawer has dividers for CDs, I built the handles myself, and wooden slides on the drawers.

She bought the Bose before we met. :eek:

Hope you like it.

Very sharp, moonhawk.

Wow, that is nice, Moonhawk. Great work. I still haven't built a stand yet, but I'm getting closer...

Thanks, guys. :)

That is baddass. :):eek::D

:)

Very Impressive Moonhawk.

That's not furniture... that's art. Beautiful moonhawk...

I just completed my Salamander clone. It took quite a while to complete and tested my patience but I am happy with the results!

Dimensions are 70" wide, 22" tall, 23" deep.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2520/3759333220_8af6527340.jpg?v=0

For more pictures of the finished product as well as the build:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40829167@N04/sets/72157621844806712/

Nice work, minoten!

^^^agreed.....very nice

Nice work Minoten, I have yet to start mine. Where did you get the extruded aluminum and hardware?

Referencing this post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16891596#post16891596)

I assembled a parts list with some rough prices on it and a tool list. This should be very useful for any new builders!

Parts List:
Qty Item Source Misc Used for... Price Ea. Total
8 8020 T Slot Aluminum Extrusion 15 S 1515 L x 24 N Ebay (80/20 Surplus) http://stores.shop.ebay.com/8020-Inc-Garage-Sale_15-Series-Lite_1515_W0QQ_fsubZ6482274QQ_sidZ129537225QQ_trksidZp4634Q2 ec0Q2em322 Pillars $10.80 $86.40
2 Band-It Real Wood Veneer Edging 7/8" x25' White Oak Ebay Edging the sides of the plywood for the Top & Bottom $8.53 $17.06
1 Band-It Edge Trimmer Lowes Trimming excess Banding $8.88 $8.88
1 Lot of 10 Ball Transfer Units 2 Holes Flange Mounted Ball Transfer Unit Ebay (VXB Ball Bearings) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400001131822&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT Rollers $29.95 $29.95
2 8020 T Slot Hardware Anchor Fastener 15 S 3360 (12pc) Ebay (80/20 Surplus) http://cgi.ebay.com/8020-T-Slot-Hardware-Anchor-Fastener-15-S-3360-12pc-N_W0QQitemZ330295192185QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0 ?hash=item4ce720aa79&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262 Shelf Supports $37.80 $75.60
1 8020 T Slot Hardware Drop In Studs 15 S 3295 (12 pcs) Ebay (80/20 Surplus) http://cgi.ebay.com/8020-T-Slot-Hardware-Drop-In-Studs-15-S-3295-12-pcs-N_W0QQitemZ220318110913QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0 ?hash=item334bfb94c1&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262 Hinge Mounting $13.80 $13.80
1 8'x4' 3/4" White Oak Plywood Lowes Had Lowes do a single cut down the middle, long ways Top & Bottom ~$50.00 ~$50.00
1 2'x4' 1/2" White Oak Plywood Lowes Sides ~$12.00 ~$12.00
1 8'x4' 1/2" Particle Board Lowes Had Lowes do a single cut down the middle, long ways Shelves ~$20.00 ~$20.00
1 8'x4' 3/16" Masonite Board Lowes Had Lowes do a single cut down the middle, long ways Backing & Speaker Fabric Frames ~$10.00 ~$10.00
12 Solid White Oak Boards - 2'x2"x3/4" hardwoodboardsource.com http://www.hardwoodboardsource.com/solid-white-oak-boards-2-length-p-836.html Door Frames $2.35 $28.20
6 CLIP 100 DEGREE HINGE INSET/SELF-CLOSING INSERTA CabinetParts.com http://www.cabinetparts.com/c/hinges-european/hinges-blum/100/BH71M2790/ Door Frame Hinges $4.26 $25.56
6 CLIP OFF CENTER FACE FRAME MOUNTING PLATE 0MM CabinetParts.com http://www.cabinetparts.com/c/hinges-european/hinges-blum/base-plates-clip-on/BH175L660022/ Door Frame Clips, mount to T-Slot Aluminum Posts $1.33 $7.98
1 Minwax Wood Finish - Red Mahogany - 1 Quart Lowes $7.47 $7.47
1 Minwax Wood Finish - Dark Walnut - 1 Quart Lowes $7.47 $7.47
1 Minwax Fast Drying Semi-Gloss Polyurethane - 1 Quart Lowes $10.67 $10.67
1 Elmers Wood Filler Lowes Filling in wood imperfections ~$7.00 ~$7.00
2 SEM Black Self Etching Primer Local Autobody Paint Supply Shop Spray painting aluminum extrusions black $15.00 $30.00
1 Tack Cloth Lowes Cleaning Surface Before Poly/Stain
2 6 pack of 2.5" Foam Brushes Lowes Applying Stain & Poly
2 Bag of Lint Free Cloth Lowes Wiping up excess stain
1 Bag of 1/8" Dowels Rockler Connecting Door Frame Pieces $2.00 $2.00
4 Black Spray Paint Lowes Painting Casters & Shelves Black $1.00 $4.00
1 3M #120 Sand Paper (3-Pack) Lowes Rounding Wood Edges $3.97 $3.97
1 3M #220 Sand Paper (3-Pack) Lowes Sanding inbetween coats $3.97 $3.97
1 36"x36" Black Speaker Fabric Joannes
Misc Nuts, Bolts, Screws Ace Hardware
1 Wood Glue Lowes Assembling Door Frames
1 Autobody Compound Checker Auto Polishing the Polyurethane finish for a nice shine ~$7.00 $7.00



Tools Used:
Circular Saw
Router
Drill
Camps, Vises
Work Tables
Dowel Kit
Steel Square
Staple Gun
Aluminum Tap Kit

Thanks for the comprehensive info.:)

For later...

Minoten..excellent job...on stand as well as the list and the picks u have up.

I didn't realize how fast these supplies were going to add up. I guess over $200 is due to the T slot pillars the hardware you got to connect to it and the paint for it?

You said it took awhile..what took the most time?

How did you you apply the wood finish and how many times did you need to sand it? If you wanted darker do you put on another coat of dark walnut or did you mix the the 2 together to get desired shade then apply?

So did you put it together then take apart to paint and stain, then reassemble?

I love those ball transfer units...would be easy for the wife to move to clean..but $30 plus $10 to ship... I hope I can find a cheapper alternative.

Any pics of the back as it is now with tv on it and how wires look...how close you are able to push next to wall? I couldn't tell if you were using the holes you made in the shelves. I was wanting to go 23" or 24" deep so i could hide surge protectors and other wires. I was thinking of cutting holes in top of stand for wires but unsure I want to do that. Did you have any wire problems?

So anything you wish you did different? Maybe veneer the whole thing instead of stain by hand?

I meant to ask why you didn't get the wood for the frames at Lowes with the rest of your wood?

Entertainment Stand Build


I learned so much from this thread. Basically thanks to the people here, I felt I had enough knowledge and information to go with the amateur skill I had to build my own entertainment center.


Materials
- Finish wood: I chose 1" thick pine board. I live in San Jose CA so humidity and big temp differences that may affect the wood after completion aren't something to really worry about. The pieces measured about 24" x 72'. I got them at Home Depot for about $35 each. I needed four of them, two for the top/bottom and another two for the 4 verticals. I bought two more 12" x 72" pieces for a half back and false center for really cheap.
- One 1/4 wood panel (approx 24" x 48") for rear sliding doors
- Six mini double-roller casters from Rathbun (around $35-40)
- Black anodized 72" sliding glass door kit ($120)
- Smoked tempered 1/4 glass (4 pieces, $160)
- 3 wire channels, to organize wire in the back (about $50)
- Two Noctua 120mm sound-optimized fans ($30)
- I also got an inexpensive 5/8 dowel kit from Harbor Freight. It included the dowels, pointer and drill bit for about $5-10.
- Misc: I bought several packs of tack cloths to go with yellow glue, 4" paint brushes, nails for the nailer, L-brackets, misc wood screws, sand paper, foam sand blocks, orbital sand paper, circular saw blades (wood & fine tooth one), a set of jigsaw blades, and “L” shaped shelf pins - totaling around $70 at Home Depot and Harbor Freight


Tools
I didn't have enough power tools to do that job, so I got new or remanufactured ones. I figured this was better than used ones, which who knows what condition they're really in or how long they will last. I did go for higher amp and/or horsepower stuff whereever possible. I don't have a compressor so everything had to be outlet-based or able to run off batteries. I figured you could get more amps out of the outlet based stuff, so I figured I'd deal with extension cords and just go with those.

The nailer was a different story though, totally enough power in that thing to do the job. In the end, I'll have a nice set of power & wood tools for it. I know some of these tools I'll just throw away and replace once they die anyways, so no big deal. Maybe once I have the house, I'll have the room for a good compressor and higher quality stuff. In all though, I did try to maximize the value.

Some things I put more money into than others, like the orbital sander and nailer. I'm glad I did, between those, the circular saw, drill and the Bessey clamps, they were the most important tools I needed for the job. One thing I considered, but passed on, was a dust collector. I built this thing in the garage and let me tell you, there was freakin` dust EVERYWHERE. It’s bad man, and I tried to keep control of it by using huge plastic drop cloths. But at the time, it was hard to justify another $150-200 for a good quality dust collector.

- Reman Dewalt 6" orbital sander (around $35)
- New Dewalt 16 gauge 12V vertical nailer (around $100 w/out batt/charger)
- New Dewalt 12V battery pack and 12V charger (eBay, about $30 for the two)
- Reman Skil 3/8 drill (about $35)
- Reman Skil jigsaw (about $35)
- Reman Skil 7" circular saw (higher amp/hp, about $55)
- New Skil WorkBench (about $120), this thing is collapseable and adjustable
- Bessey 36" sliding wood clamps ($80)
- Dowel guide (about $20)
- Shelf drilling kit (about $30), includes guide & guided shelf drill-bit
- Filing set (Harbor Freight, around $10)
- 8' Strap clamp set ($9)


Finish
OK, so I wanted a black entertainment center, no ifs ands or buts. It would match my black tower speakers, black subwoofer and black leather coffee table bench and sofa. At the same time, I wanted the wood grain to be clear and evident. I did a lot of research here before finalizing my choice:
- Two 12oz bottles of Dick Blick India Ink (around $40)
- One quart Zinsser's Seal Coat ($30)
- Two quarts Waterlox Original Semi Gloss finish (I only used 1.5 qts) ($65)

I read a lot about staining & finishing. The basic takeaway was that there's a lot of room for error. The bottom line is that I felt comfortable India Ink would give me the deep black finish that I wanted, and it was easy to work with. I tested it one some extra pine wood first, and man, it sure was black. Very nice too, you can really see the grain.

When it came to the finish, I read that the first thing you want to do is seal the stained wood. Zinsser's Seal Coat is highly recommended. It's good quality stuff, plus it's sandable. All you have to do is be careful of drips. This stuff goes on a bit syrup-like. Also, be careful about thinning and the overall effect on the India Ink finish. It can lightly dissolve some of the color if your not careful. To help avoid that, I put on several coats of India Ink (which really brought out the black) plus I didn't cut the sealer with anything.

Once it's sealed, you can finish it with Polyurethane, shellac, etc. After much reading/research, I went with Waterlox Original Semi Gloss. It's a tungue oil, but if you read about it, this stuff is hard, solid, easy to repair and won't yellow over time. No finish is going to protect against everything, but in the end this seemed like the best choice for me.


Design
Basically I had a good idea of the design I wanted:
- Three vertical sections
- The middle section would have an open shelf for my center channel speaker
- The R & L sections would house all my equipment
- There would be adjustable shelves throughout
- The R & L sections would have sliding glass doors to keep out the dust, yet be see through so I could still see the components
- There would be a false back in the lower half of the center section where I would install a power conditioner
- There would be apt ventilation in front and fans in the back to exhaust heat
- The unit would be on casters and easy to roll / move

The first thing I did was sketch out the design. I have decent illustration abilities so this was no problem. I knew the center vertical section would have to be wider than the R & L sections because of the width of the center channel. I have McIntosh speakers and that center channel is huge, probably measuring around 9" tall by 30" wide (but it has sweet sound). Creating a shelf that would house this speaker was central to the design.

This gave me a good idea of the design. From there, I started to narrow down the measurements. I took the measurements to my living room and scoped it out. The width of the unit was fine, but I had the height at 36" inches. I was planning to put the new plasma directly on top of the stand. Thanks to people here, I knew that you don't want the TV too high otherwise it's uncomfortably above your line of vision.

I ended up adjusting the measurement downwards to 30". With the mini double-roller casters, it ends up to be 32" in total height. Make sure to include wheels and kick panels in your total height.

Next, I took a look at the depth. The current center was around 19" (amazingly, some new units are only 16" deep), which wasn't really deep enough for my Emotiva amp. The wood measured 24" deep, so with space in the back for fans & wiring along with space in front for sliding glass doors inset into the design, I knew I'd be fine.

The last big consideration was the wood. I heard a lot of people saying to stay away from solid wood, but as previously mentioned, I don't have humidity and huge weather variance problems. Besides, I knew that if I finished the entire unit, I'd limit chances for warping and stuff like that. The added advantage of using solid wood is you don't have to worry about edging. Not that it's a big deal, just one less thing to concern yourself with.

From there, I had to figure out the joinery. I ready about daddos and all that but I didn't want to get too complicated with tools and processes. I looked into dowels and for my design, this made perfect sense. The BIGGEST challenge of doweling is simply lining up the dowels and holes so that the wood comes together in a neat/clean perfectly aligned joint. This is why they have tools, so you can use them to ensure everything lines up.

I knew that dowels would help me accomplish one important thing: for the entertainment center to have a nice smoothly finished top - free of screws, nail holes, wood putty, etc. I decided to use the dowels on the R & L outer verticals only (as opposed to the outer and inner verticals). In this case, they would be used on the underside of the top horizontal, thus affixing the top to the outer verticals so that there was no affect to the finished top.

I decided that the two inner verticals could be affixed to the underside of the top by using "L" brackets. If I painted them black and positioned them about 5-6" inside the unit, you wouldn't be able to see them anyways. I knew I'd have a solid back that would be running across the top 1/4 of the unit, so between that and the false back in the center section, I wasn't overly worried about stability or racking.

As far as joining the vertical pieces to the bottom of the unity, basically I used nice thick wood screws and the nailer. Remember, I'm using 1" solid wood, so the woodscrews could be long and thick. I think they were about 2.5" long and maybe 3/16" thick. From the bottom horizontal piece, I put 5-6 of these screws into each vertical. In between, I zapped in 1.75" nails from the nailer. The joints were pretty damn strong, let me tell ya.


Now to the Build process ... (see next post)

.. continued from previous post

Build
OK, so the BIGGEST advice I can give you here is to sit down and think through the build process. This helps IMMENSELY and can play a vital role in reducing and/or eliminating many errors, especially if you're a novice (like me more or less). What I did was sketch out the first steps, then the next steps, and so on. This was a huge help as it not only enabled me to picture the build process, but it helped me spot issues, flaws and things I had overlooked with the design.

The first step was to cut the verticals. I didn't have a table saw and didn't have the room to buy one. I read about how you can build a cutting guide specifically for a circular saw, so I decided to do that. Once done, all you have to do is clamp the guide along the wood that you're going to cut, assure the it's aligned with your marked cutting line, the slide the circular saw along the guide as it cuts down the line. Easy peasy.

So I cut the two all four verticals to the same 30" height. Turns out they were close but not quite perfect. I ended up clamping them all together as one piece and sanding the top with the orbital sander until they were aligned to the same height. Worked out pretty well, but this is where a table saw would do the job and save time.

After the verticals were cut, I drilled the shelf holes. I bought a kit off the internet that included the shelf hole guide and the special drill bit. Worked like a charm. All you do is place the guide at one side of the vertical, then clamp. Then you put your drill with the special bit into the shelf guide holes and drill away. You can do every hole, every other or whatever you want. It worked out real easy for me.

Once the verticals were cut & measured with the shelf holes pre-drilled, I attached one of the outer verticals to the bottom horizontal piece. To do this, I lined everything up using clamps and the Skil adjustable work bench. Once it was aligned, I simply took the Dewalt nailer and zapped a 1.75" nail into one end. Then the other. Now I have the two pieces being held together. From there, I drilled holes for 6 of those long thick wood screws. Once done, I put a philips head bit into the drill and pounded the woodscrews right in. Worked like a charm. I finished by zapping more nails from the nailer in between the 6 wood screws.

I repeated for the other side. Now I have the two outer verticals attached to the bottom horizontal.

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... continued

Next was to build the center section. Per my design, I was going to build this section, then "insert" it into the unit. The center section would essentially be shaped like an "H", with two vertical sides and a shelf in between. In the back, the bottom half of the "H" would have a solid false back. For those who don't know, the false back means the back is inset so that there's space behind it. This allows for both a stronger build and space for wiring (and in my case, room to mount a line conditioner).

This "H" section is going to house my center channel speaker. So the first thing I did was be sure I measured out the height of the shelf. In my design, I had to be sure the shelf wasn't too high - otherwise the center speaker wouldn't be able to fit into the entertainment center. I measured out one of the verticals, then marked where the shelf would align. After that, I lined the pieces up on the Skil work bench, then used the nailer to attach one end. I double checked the alignment, then nailed the other end. Next, I added a few more nails. Now I have the shelf attached to one of the verticals.

The next step was to attach the other vertical, thereby completing the "H". Again, it was the same thing - measure the height, align, attach. Only this time, I used the distance between the top of the shelf and the top of the vertical as my measurement - so that the other side would be exactly the same. Pretty easy.

Now I have to add the false back to the bottom of the "H". I didn't need nice 1" thick pine to do this, it's the back for cryin' out loud and nobody is going to be looking inside your until behind the glass doors at the quality of the wood. I used straight up basic Home Depot wood, albeit a nice piece. I had two 12" x 72" boards, one for the partial solid backing on the unit and the other for stuff like this.

Basically all I had to do was put the "H" piece on top of the board, make my markings and then cut two pieces. The cuts were pretty accurate in part because I took my time here. I attached the top half first, then the bottom. I used strips of wood in the back for gussets to provide a nice, rigid, firm attachment. I used the nailer to attach the gussets to the verticals because both pieces were 1" thick (I used left over 1" pine strips for the gussets) and it was on the back where nobody was going to see nail holes.

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At this point, basically I have the "H" section done. I also have the two outer verticals attached to the bottom (like a “U” section). Next step was to temporarily mount the "H" section onto the bottom piece, just where it would be when the unit was finished. I aligned it to the perfect position, then marked it. After that, I clamped it into place so I could mount to “L” brackets to the bottom horizontal. After that, I put the top piece on and looked at how everything lined up. There was a bit of an alignment issue with the "H" piece that I had to fix, but otherwise everything was looking good. Once I fixed the alignment, I mounted the “H” brackets to the bottom horizontal piece (i.e. the bottom of the “U” section). I didn’t screw it into the “H” section though as I was not ready to permanently mount it yet. The idea was to set things up for later so all I have to do is slide the “H” section into place and screw it in.

From here, the next step was to put the dowels into the top of the outer verticals - so that I could attach the top without you seeing any screws, nails, etc. The dowel kit and dowel guide worked great. All you have to do is follow the directions and take your time to be sure you're doing it right.

The starting point is to use the dowel guide to drill the holes into the top of the verticals. I wanted four 5/8 dowels, so that meant drilling four 5/8 inch holes. You mount the dowel guide onto the top of the vertical with clamps, so that it doesn't move, making sure the drill hole is centered in the process. From there, you put the drill bit stop that came in the kit onto the dowel drill bit - so that you don't drill too deep. Then, you simply aim the drill bit at the dowel guide and allow the drill to burrow it's way into the wood all the way up the drill bit stop. Easy. Three more holes and you're done with the first half of the job.

The second part is where patience and accuracy is more important. The next thing you do is take the metal pointers that came in the dowel kit and place them into the drilled holes. Then, you align the other piece of wood to the joint and press it against the pointers. Essentially, the pointers (or whatever they're called) will make indents into the wood where the dowel drill bit goes.

In my case, I took the top horizontal and lined it up with the outer vertical that I had the pointers set up on. Once it was lined up nice and straight, I simply pressed down on the top so it pushed into the pointers. Then, I took the top off, flipped it over and got it ready for drilling.

When you go to drill at the pointer indents, make sure the indents are deep enough so that the drill bit tip can rest in it. That's critical step #1. Once you know that, then you take the dowel guide and place it over the indent. Put the drill bit (dis-attach it from the drill) through dowel hole in the dowel guide and so you can see the drill bit sticking out through the bottom. Hold it like that. Then take the drill bit (as you're holding it in the dowel guide) and place it on the indent. Once there, hold the dowel guide as you CLAMP IT INTO PLACE NICE AND SOLID. Pull the drill bit out, put it in the drill, then simply drill down to the drill bit stop.

If you followed this process carefully, it's pretty much guaranteed your dowel holes will line up perfectly. I follow this process for both verticals, then fit everything together. It was almost 100% accurate. Not bad for an amateur. I won't glue the dowels in just yet, no use having them stick out until I'm ready to attach the top. The top won't be attached until very late in the process, so ...

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Now that I have both upper verticals drilled for dowels, it's time to take another step back. Everything was looking good. Now I wanted to do some final prep work and cuts before moving on to the first round of initial staining. First thing I wanted to do was drill holes to mount the power condition onto the false back of the "H" piece. Next, I needed to do cutouts for the rear fans as well semi-elliptical cuts in the back & backsides of the unit for wires to pass through. This was really important as wire management is a highly underrated facet of an entertainment build. Once these cuts were done, I filed down the rough edges with a rounded file, then did some light sanding. I didn't worry about perfection because nobody is ever going to see these parts.

Along with the cutouts, I drilled a series of ½” holes in the bottom horizontal for the R & L sections for ventilation. More on that later.

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OK, at this point I'm just about ready to do some early staining. I read several instances where folks building entertainment centers said they wished they did some or all of the finishing before they put it together. I definitely considered that in my planning process. What I decided to do was to do the India Ink staining and the seal coat finishing before final construction. Then do the final Waterlox finish coat after everything was assembled. The reason is, if you're not absolutely accurate and/or careful in the assembly process, which is hard for us amateurs, then chances are you're gonna muck something up. Then you have to spend time repairing it, which can get messy.

My first step was to stain the "H" section with India Ink. Of course, I've taken great pains to sand everything first. This is a pretty important step, don't overlook it. You start out with a heavy grit sand paper, then go to medium, then finish with a fine, say 180 or 200. It should feel nice and smooth once your done. I sanded everything, but didn't worry as much about perfection on the areas that wouldn't really matter, like the bottom and back.

Oh yeah, one thing to note: if you're working with pine, remember it's a SOFT wood. I dropped the sanding block one night and bang, it made a nice dent in the wood. Thankfully it was on the inside of the inner bottom horizontal, so it wouldn't be seen by the eye once the equipment was stacked in there. But it's something to remember because anything that falls, gets knocked into it, etc, can make a dent. Just remember that in your work area, so that you don't have stuff vulnerable to falling/getting knocked over near your project.

Anyways, once the wood was sanded, cleaned and swiped with a tack cloth, if you’re using water-based stain, you want to raise the grain before applying the stain. To do this, you simply wipe the wood down with a wet sponge or rag. I used a nice big car-wash sponge. After you wet it down, you go back a day later and sand off the whiskers – or little slivers of wood sticking up. This is an ESSENTIAL step when staining with water-based solutions. Otherwise, you run into all this stuff after you apply the stain, which means you’ll like have to sand off some of the finish in order to get rid of it. What’s interesting with raising grain is that you not only see the whiskers, but the wood itself can show other types of imperfections, like divots and the like. But it’s good to know this now rather later. Just sand it off – but do it LIGHTLY. If you take off too much, you’ll just be right back where you started.

Once you raise the grain, do it a second time. There won’t be that much whiskers the second time around. Lightly sand again.

After the grain was raised & sanded, I put on the first coat of India Ink. This stuff is so easy to work with. Remember though, it may be water soluble, but it's DEEP BLACK INK. So wear gloves, put a drop cloth on your garage floor, etc and make it easy on yourself. I used a 4" nice quality brush to lay the ink on there. I cut the solution with maybe 20% water, but that's really up to you. Next time I'd just as well skip that as my goal wasn't really to save ink but instead make a dark black finish. Let me tell you too, it's BLACK and it looks awesome. At least on pine and in my application. There was no blue or purple hue to it. Just straight black. What's more, the grain shined through beautifully.

Now that I'm done staining the "H" piece, I did the inside of the "U" piece, which essentially is the piece with the two outer verticals attached to the bottom horizontal. Next, I stained the back horizontal panel, followed by the bottom of the top horizontal panel. In other words, I was pretty much staining EVERYTHING but the top, front edges and the sides (i.e. the parts visible to the eye). After staining, I went over with Zinsser's Seal Coat. This is good solid stuff, I highly recommend it. I had a few drip marks and sags, but all I had to do was lightly sand and re-coat. You couldn't even notice. But special note - if you do sand, go LIGHTLY. Otherwise you'll take off the India Ink and then you'll have to replace that plus the Seal Coat.

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Once I stained and sealed all those areas, I was ready to attach the “H” section to the “U” section (thereby leaving it complete minus the top). I had previously lined this up by putting in the “L” brackets that were attached to the bottom horizontal. All I had to do at this point was to slide the “H” section into place, drill holes into the “H” section through the brackets, then screw together. Once the “H” section was attached via the brackets, I could tip the entire unit on its side. That way, I could drill holes for more of those giant wood screws I had used in the outer verticals. First thing though was to shoot a coupla nails into it, that way the “H” section was firmly attached to the “U” section. Once the wood screws were in, I added a nails in between. After that, it was rock solid.

At this point, I have everything assembled except for the top. Next step was to finish staining and sealing the outer verticals, front edges and top. Because this is what the eye sees, you want to pay extra attention to detail. I took extra pains to be sure there were no runs or drips with the sealer.

Once I was done, I was ready to attach the top. The dowel holes were ready to go, all I had to do was put in glue and clamp. This is where those beloved Bessey clamps came into purpose again. Those things were awesome and clearly something that will last a lifetime. I put a nice big, long, wide piece of pine on the top of the unit – over the top horizontal I was gluing – so that the Bessey clamps bore down on it instead of actual top of the entertainment center. I only had a pair of the Bessey’s, so on the other side I used the strap clamp I picked up from Harbor Frieght. Basically it’s just four corner units and a strap that you ratchet together. It works real well and was perfect for this application.

I let made sure everything was lined up perfectly before clamping down hard, then let it set a good 24 hours.

The next evening, I looked everything over. So far so good. From there, I attached two more “L” brackets on each side of the “H” section where it meets the top. I didn’t glue use dowels here, nor did I use glue. So attaching “L” brackets was the perfect option. I put them on the inside of the R & L vertical sections, where they wouldn’t be visible once equipment and the sliding glass doors were installed. I painted them black, first coating them with self-etching primer, then with black radiator paint – both which I happened to have in the garage. I also painted visible wood screws (like for the sliding glass door track & hinged doors) the same way.

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After that, I tipped the unit on its side again and attached the six Rathbun mini double-roller casters. Next, I attached the solid back. This piece only extended down 12” from the top, so consider it a ¼ solid back. I lined it up nice, then while my helper was holding it, I used the nailer to attach one corner. Then did the other, then lined the whole thing with nails using the nailer. Love that thing, it just works so great. The fan holes were pre-drilled for the Noctua fans, so all I had to do is install them once the finish was done.

Then I spray painted the rear doors I fabricated out of 1/4 “ panel board. I didn’t stain because who cares? Nobody is going to see – nor will they be able to tell. It was a quick easy way to cover them. As for the purpose of the rear doors, firstly, they would simply slide in a track that I would attach, that way I could easily slide them over (and off if I need to) to access the equipment from behind the unit. Sliding the doors off is good because you don’t have to swing them open. I wanted the rear to be completed enclosed because I want the dust to STAY OUT of the unit. This is why I installed fans and drilled vent holes on the bottom front.

After that, I went over the whole thing looking for imperfections in the black India Ink stain and the Zinsser’s Seal Coat. I could a couple of small spots where the Zinsser’s took off some of the India Ink so that you could start to see wood behind it. I touched them up, then re-covered with more Zinsser’s. The next night I was ready for the final finish coat.

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The plan was to finish with the Waterlox Original using 4 coats. After that, I’d put the sliding glass door track in as well as the hardware for the center hinged glass doors. So, to test things out, I painted an inside section with the Waterlox. No problem, looked fine. I did some more, looked great. So I just kept going and going, until a week later when I had basically coated the thing about 4 times. I didn’t worry so much about making sure the bottom, inside backs, etc were perfectly covered with 4 coats, though I did make sure they were COMPLETELY FINISHED.

It looked fantastic. No overlap marks, blotches, etc. The Waterlox can run though, so you have to be careful not to apply too much and not spread it around. I used a good quality 4” brush and watched the amount that I was putting on.

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After letting it sit for a few days just to be sure it cured, I began mounting the sliding glass door track and hinged door hardware. I had black anodized aluminum door tracks, which were easy to cut for a perfect fit. I just used the Skil jigsaw with the metal blade, then used the orbital sander to ensure perfection. After that, I used a helping hand to hold the top track against the entertainment center. That’s when I ran into a little problem.

In making my measurements, I used the lower track as my guide for how much room I’d need at the front of the entertainment center. The space that I left would allow the tracks to be laid and the sliding doors to move back and forth without binding or hitting any wood (like the center “H” section). Turns out the lower track has thinner width than the upper track. The problem was, the track was sitting right up against the front verticals of the “H” section and I didn’t leave enough room. Consequently, the entire length of the track would be jutting out a little from the front side of the unit.

Well I knew I couldn’t have that. My options were to cut about 1/8 to ¼ of an inch out the track or the “H” section. The problem with cutting the track was that it was possible it may effect the operation of the sliding doors. The doors actually slide in a plastic track that’s inside the metal track, so if you cut the metal track, you won’t necessarily affect the plastic track. But when I measured it out, it was just too close for comfort.

So that left me with one option – take wood off the “H” section. The challenge was, I was looking to remove wood from inset verticals where they met the top horizontal. In other words, I had very limited room. The good news was, I only needed to remove a section that was about 1/8 to ¼ inch deep and only about maybe ¾ inch tall. I took a hack saw and cut a groove at the lowest point of the vertical. This was in line with the height of the sliding glass door track. Next, I took a fine chisel and started tapping out the wood. It worked fine, until I chipped out a piece from the side.

The good thing was, it’s at the top of the unit near the sliding glass door track, so it wasn’t in an easy spot to notice. Anyways, I filed the chiseled section down, then I glued the chip back in. After that, I touched up with India Ink, then Zinsser’s, then Waterlox. Finally, I was able to fit the upper sliding door track right in. It was a nice feeling once it was done. It looked like a professional fit. Both the upper and lower tracks are now install – with holes drilled for black-tip painted wood screws.

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Next was to finish the back. I installed the Noctua fans by laying down poly-rubber (think quiet) type fan gaskets then screwing the fans in. Pre-drilling the holes was the way to go, it was easy to just line it up and screw. Once those were screwed in, next thing was to wire them in. Basically I followed the advice from others here, though maybe with a bit of my own spin. I had a USB hard drive enclosure that I had previously removed the hard drive from. Basically it was an empty aluminum box with a power switch and power supply. On the inside, there was a small IC board with wire harness hanging off it that lead to a molex connector where the hard drive was attached. All I had to do was add a 4-pin fan adapter to the molex connector. Obviously in my case, I added an adapter that had two 4-pin fan connectors on it. I tested and it worked fine.

Now I have a way to power the two Noctua fans. From here, all I had to do was plug the power pack into the back of my Onkyo PR-SC886 which enabled the fans to be automatically powered on & off with the stereo. With the series of ½” holes I drilled in the front bottom of the R & L sections, I had created a way to pull in air from underneath the front bottom of the unit, then have the air pull up and across all my equipment before it was evacuated out the back via the Noctua fans mounted in the top rear. The whole setup works like a charm, and with those fans, you can’t hear a thing.

After that, I layed down three Panduit-type cable organizers in the back – two vertical ones along the outside of the “H” section and another horizontal one behind the false back. I got metal rack-style ones with the plastic “J” hooks. They work fine and they are much cheaper than the all-metal types. Just look on eBay. Then I added some stick-on Velcro strips in a few spots. The idea is to pull apart the Velcro, insert your wires in between, then re-stick the Velcro. If your Velcro strip is long enough, then you can put several wires between them so that you can manage the wires. I hate those rats nests, so I wanted something that looked clean. Moreover, when I move the entertainment center, I want the whole wire organization to be intact with the unit, not laying all over the floor.

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Once that was done … all I had to do was add the glass. Everything was ¼ tempered glass cut to order. Once they finish it, they can’t re-cut again. So you have to make sure your measurements are bang-on. The sliding glass doors fit in perfect … but the double glass doors were another problem. They were may an 1/8 to a 16 to big. All I had to do was take them down just a tiny bit, then they would slide into the waiting hinges that I had already attached to the unit. I don’t know anything about glass, but I know tempered glass is stronger than your normal type. I tried using the orbital sander with a rough grit to sand down the edge where the glass needed to slide into the hinge … but it wasn’t really working. Luckily, I have an industrial side polisher/grinder with a big-ass grinding wheel. I tried that and it worked fine. It was a little rough, but who cares? It’s under the hinge and you can’t tell.

That’s it, entertainment center is done. And it looks AWESOME. The only problem I’ve had is that the Rathbun casters don’t work that well. They aren’t turning that easy, so when you go to roll the unit, they don’t turn and line up well. As such, they’re pointed in all different directions when I want to move the unit. That’s stupid, it basically defeats the purpose of having the damn things. Anyways, so I bought six Magic Sliders and now it slides easy.

So for about $500 in materials plus my own sweat & time, I have an entertainment system that easily would have cost me $2000. Plus, it’s built to my specs, color and style. In all, I’m thrilled with the results. So for all you amateur wood builders, take a look at this for inspiration. Just remember to take your time on the things that matter most. Make sure you’ve completely thought through your build process and take time to step back and re-think your plans, processes, etc along the way. Don’t cut corners (pun?) on the most important tools. Ditto for materials. If you spend a lot on stains and finish, then have a cheap brush, you’re risking your project on something that’s saving only a few bucks. Lastly, make sure you know the right way to finish. No use in doing ALL THAT WORK to have it look like crap in the end. This is really important … read up if you have to, ask around and make sure you know the ins & outs of your finishing process BEFORE you lay it down.

Oh yeah, and be ready for all that dust … :)

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nice.......good write up

I built up a simple 53" wide by 18" tall stand over the weekend. It will fit between two Pioneer Elite audio cabinets I've had for years. The stand has three sections and will only house my center channel speaker and mabe a 360/PS3. Once I get a new set it will hold a 54-55" flat panel. I have all the other gear in one of the Elite cabinets.

I just bought 2 sheets of birch finished 3/4" plywood at Home Depot and since I had everything planned out I had them do the cutting. The guy doing it was really cool and didn't even charge me extra for all the cuts. So it is all assembled and ready to go except for the hardest part. Paint...:confused:

My Elite cabinets are black so I want a black finish on the stand. Would you guys suggest regular black paint and roll it on or use spray cans or stain? Not really sure which to choose. I originally thought spray but overspray was a big concern in my garage. Would just like something easy to apply that will have a nice smooth finish.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. :)

Thanks,

Jim

If you can find a used Pioneer Elite for cheap you could make a stand out of the bottom part of it using the gloss black top of the unit (the top can be removed in one piece). I almost made one out of my old Pro 510HD, before I decided to fix it.

goats idea is pretty good.
but since you already got it built. it depends on the look you want. the black on my stand is water based dye and several coats of poly. really shiney. it allows the oak grain to show through. birch doesnt have much grain if any. i've seen some on here done with black paint. they dont look bad. just decide if you want flat, semi, or gloss and git 'r' done. id use a roller on the flats and a brush in the corners. i wouldnt mess with sprays.
of course you could always get black plastic laminate too, used to call it flormica. the stuff thats glued to counter tops.

I want it to be gloss black. I'll probably go with a good paint and roller it on like you said. Got to get it done and drying before I get my new TV. :)

Thanks,

Jim

Making painted wood grain smooth is very hard and time consuming. It made a desk top out of finish plywood and my goal was to completely fill the grain so it was smooth. I lost exact count but it took something like 30-40 coats of poly with sanding between each coat to finally get the grain filled in.

http://inlinethumb34.webshots.com/43041/2266757120042310107S600x600Q85.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2266757120042310107QgADkP)

I want it to be gloss black. I'll probably go with a good paint and roller it on like you said. Got to get it done and drying before I get my new TV. :)

Thanks,

Jim

I'd be careful about the roller idea. Especially if going for a gloss black.
Personally, I wouldn't consider anything other than a spray gun if that is your goal. A roller is going to leave high and low spots across the surface.

Just my .02 cents.

More please ! Bump!

I lost exact count but it took something like 30-40 coats of poly with sanding between each coat to finally get the grain filled in.I would of gave up after the 3rd coat. Man, you got patience. ;)