Build You Own (BYO) TV Stand - Page 4

PS Not trying to brag, but I built the room along with the wainscoat and everything you see in the room.

Your picture did the bragging for you

My bad, I tried to use the most nuetral word I could in "kosher". I too am an Audio-bum. I just realised that Ironhorse is a beer. I even have a T-shirt with their logo, I think... Anywho, carry on.

Iron Horse

Thank you for providing such a detailed summary of your experience building the TV stand. The photos are a great help.

One quick question - how are you mounting the caster wheels to the bottom of the stand?

Cheers
Kevin

What is clear pine? So are you saying you did frame it with 1 1/2" to make it look thicker? I like that thicker look. I built wall bookshelves with MDF and keep thinking it's a tad thin looking. Wife thinks the 1 1 1/2" facing would make it too think, I don't think it would. But I like your thickness.

Great posts in this thread! Just stumbled across it and figured I'd post my own project also. Although its similar to the other designs here (basically the 3 cube box setup), I did a few design details that may interest others.

#1: I used some thin strips of wood on left and right sides to simulate a "faux panel" type construction so as to give the finished product a more "professionally built" look to it.

#2: I added 2 lengths of PVC pipe to connect the left and right sides so as to create seperated conduits for signal and power cables going from Tivo/DVD to the receiver.

#3: I built the doors by routing out some wood strips and using bathroom caulk to secure pieces of glass into the doors. The glass was really cheap (like $8 a piece), custom cut.

Also of note ... I didn't do any fancy "biscuit" stuff or dowels or anything ... I just used 90 degree metal brackets and straight screws and basically all of the strength of the unit is created by the backboard being nailed to the vertical supports. Also note, I used Home Depot "Behr" paint and I highly recommend AGAINST this product because it produces a very soft/markable finish, even after 6 weeks of cure time.

I'm gonna build out the rest of the "entertainment center" when I get some time (see inset picture on 1 of these posts ... guess I gotta post 3 times to get 3 pictures up ...)

pic 2 of 3

pic 3 of 3

What is clear pine? So are you saying you did frame it with 1 1/2" to make it look thicker?


Clear pine is natural pine with few knots.

The reason for the frame was to hide the plywood edges, we made it 1-1/2" to give the cabinet -- what we thought -- was a better look.

mdjl4- Very impressive. One question-the pvc pipe goes left to right and there's a hole cutout in the top left and right sections? Is there a cutout to the rear of the pipes for exiting wires?

bruce24- Ah, ok. Yea, that's a good way to cover the edges, and it makes the unit look heavier, more substantial.

Kid Red, there is 1 cutout behind the receiver for power and the right side has 2 cutouts for the satellite-in cables and for Tivo power (which is not switched off with the reciever). No cutouts behind the PVC. My main reasoning for running that PVC setup was that I knew once the thing was in place, there was no way I could move the whole setup an inch to access cabling behind it without offloading the TV.

I forgot to mention: The Tivo absolutely needed fans ... it overheated sitting in the cabinet even without the doors mounted. That means that this cabinet required input and exhaust fans for the Tivo unit and an exhaust fan for the receiver. I used Silenx low decibel fans (3 X $16 = $48 - ouch) and a radio shack dc converter ($15). The fans are not as quiet as I would like them to be but what can you do?

mdjl4- So the pvc is removable or something? The Tivo overheated but teh A/V receiver didn't? That would be a concern as far as ventilation. I might opt to leave the back open. Yours is very professional btw/

LOL, I ain't calling no body nuthin'! BB_Mike called you a beer, I think IronHorse is the name of a beer or something. Unless your just famous and have your shirts. Any more photos or updates?

Hey MD, nice cabinet. I can't believe you had overheating problems even without the doors. I have a Tivo, and haven't had any issues with overheating. I have yet to make the doors, going on many years without. We have a toddler now and it is becoming an issue! I have a good 2 to 3 " of airflow around the top and sides of everything.

Ironhorse, go BoSox! Who's your Daddy!!!

Pablo

Got a few new pics after the first layer of finish:

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphot...ze=big&cat=500

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphot...sort=1&cat=500

There are a few blemishes but they shouldn't be seen after I get the equipment in there. Still frustrating, though. You really gotta watch that oak plywood cause the first layer is very thin and it really affects your finish. I haven't had that problem with birch ply when I've used that.

Overall, I'm still pretty happy with it and am anxious to get to the clearcoat.

IronHorse and MDJL4 - Both look very niiiiiiice.

Hmm, man, what I wouldn't give for the proper tools to pull this off. What I'm seeing here is so much better than what I'm seeing in the store, and priced better no less.

Iron Horse & Spiff69

I hope your stands are progressing well and that you'll soon be able to use them!!

In the hope of receiving some constructive criticism and helpful suggestions I've attached a copy of a plan that I've been kicking around for a few months. We're expecting our first child in January so my den is evolving into the baby room. Accordingly the home theatre equipment is moving into the living room and a new TV is required given the larger environment!

I've elected to keep the amplifiers near the base (as they're also the heaviest) and the more active components at eye level. On either side of the unit we intend to use pre-existing 84" x 32" shelves resulting in an overall 12' x 7' "built-in" wall that will hopefully appear tasteful but also practical.

Fabrication will likely commence in a few weeks. The finish will be a high gloss white so I'm planning on using a good grade of plywood that can accept the water-based paint. 8 heavy-duty caster wheels should hopefully support this cabinet to enable easy access to the wires behind.

I look forward to any comments and look forward to providing a picture of the finished product early next year.

Cheers,
Kevin

Sorry. Here it is.

 

av cabinet dimensions.pdf 38.8896484375k . file

IslandView - I think the design looks great. I like the way you've staggered the depth of some of the shelving. It gives it a cool profile and a lot more dynamic look than just a big box.

Are you concerned at all about the heigth on this? I can see that you've got all your really heavy amps down at the bottom to help with the weight. You'll just have to make sure it's bottom heavy and not the other way around.

You've got to be happy, huh? The bigger room requires a bigger TV?

Hey Ironhorse,
Once you finish the stand, are you still going to hang around, or will we never hear from you again? You started this thing, you better stay in touch!
BTW the World Series looked awesome in HD. Of course you probably weren't watching! LOL

Pablo

IronHorse, good design and a great thread. I particularly liked your idea for the cable chase. I think I'll steal it!

IslandView-

Is there a way that you could increase the width and decrease the height of your cabinet? What about putting a half-height add-on on one side to house some of the equipment instead of putting it all above the TV? I built a similar cabinet that I wished that I had staggered a bit more to decrease the height. If you can spare some width, I think it would be worth it. Also, birch plywood is perfect for painting. Give it a good coat of primer followed by a 400-grit sanding and you should be all set for multiple layers of paint. Finally, make sure the whole affair is modular. I had to take out an entire bay window to move our entertainment center into our last house...needless to say, the wife still loves to bring that one up!

Jason

I am a newbie to this forum and a woodworker. I just bought a Samsung 5063 that I had to have NOW and was forced to buy a retail stand so I could use it. Pathetic. The shelf spacing wouldn't allow me to put my components where I wanted. Also it was particle board which my wife hates. Needless to say, I will be building my own out of cherry. Love the color. Love how it ages.
There has been a lot of discusion about treating edges of plywood. I would like to give you my input.
I realize that everyone does not have a zillion dollars worth of woodworking tools, but here are a few tips that I have found to make edging easier and look better.
1. Whatever wood you use for the case, use the same wood for the edging.. Unless you are going to paint the case, I wouldn't recomend mixing say, birch and poplar because it will be tough to get stain to match. Gel stain, maybe, but it takes some experimenting.
2. If you are going to use solid edging, don't face nail it because it is rare when the filler for the nail holes matches after staining. You can use wax or shellac sticks after finishing but exact matches are rare. Use glue alone or biscuits. Use clamps or masking tape.
3. Iron on edge banding is great if you do it in the right order. Never have had it peel off. Your final finish will also hold it in place. Sorry Ironhorse. It has always been my experience that it is better to edge band all parts (front, side and dividers) before you assemble the case. The banding is wider than 3/4" plywood and doing it after the case is assembled is a nightmare because it is almost impossible to keep it straight when ironing it on (I know from experience) Keep the iron moving while pressing hard and leave an inch extra for each end. The safest way to trim the excess is with an orbital sander with 80-100 grit. It takes a little time but if you use a belt sander then you might sand through the veneer on the plywood and you are screwed if you want to stain.
4. If you are using butt joints then go ahead and assemble the case. If you are using dado joints there are a few more steps. Once you have your parts cut out and edged, but not sanded flush. Cut a piece of scrap of wood to fit the dado or groove on the top and bottom pieces exactly to height and width of the groove or dado Set this piece in the dadoes and sand the edging flush. NOW, dry fit. The sides and dividers should be set slightly behind. Use a razor knife and score the edging on the sides and the dividers at the joint. Take it apart. Cut through the edging with the razor knife at the score. Use the iron to heat up edging and remove the cut piece. Reassemble case and glue. This should give nice perpendicular joints with edge banding.
5. Face frames are great for minimizing racking but they take away from component width and height available from the front but it does give a more traditional look to the furniture. Make it a your stand little wider and a little higher. You could also do one in back so there is no compromise with air circulation.
Sorry to be long winded on my first post.

Dadetigl

Islandview,
Great design, But there are a few things you may wish to think about especially with that new baby coming home.
An 8' tall case with a 22" depth is very unstable. Either on hardwood or carpet. Children love to climb. Most components are 17" or less in depth so they will be set closer to the front which will make the cabinet even more unstable.
Cases that size are usually attached to the wall behind them at the top and bottom. If you need to move the case for viewing on castors, at least attach it to the wall a steel cable short enough at the top and bottom that will prevent the case from falling over and spilling it's contents on the person and also prevent it from kicking out.
I love my new samsung dlp,
Dadetigl

Islandview
I'm on the same bandwagon of your entire setup crashing to the floor. It' snot even the 22", it's less beause the wheels (and even the wheel centers) will be a bit further in.

Dadetigl brings up a goood point about the little ones climbing. It reminds me of the extra "tie down strap" that comes with Kitchen stoves. It goes behind the stove and holds it to the wall. So when the kids climb, they don't roll the stove forward! You could install something like this up on the top. Kind of a "Hook and hole" aparatust. Much like a screen door uses. Only yours will be MUCH stronger... maybe even one for each side. Something removable so you can still slide the whole thing out.

Islandview,
Looks pretty cool. My 2 cents. The games above the tv might be a PIA when playing because of the cables, unless you have wireless controllers? They wires will hang in front of the tv.
Also, alot of people are addressing tipping over. Sub Zero refridergators are very top heavy and shallow. They address tipping by using 2 heavy L brackets, about 4" and tie them into studs, then they use a 2X4 across the brackets that the fridge slides under when you install. You might also be able to do something similar if you desire and hide it with the design. This would require being close to the wall.

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful observations.

Regarding the potential for tipping I had planned for the existing book shelves that are going to be on either side of the AV unit to be fixed to the wall. The rolling unit will then "lock" into place between the two of them using a combination of four retractable 1" dowels (evenly spaced on either side of the vertical panels) and a 1' wide 3/4" painted plywood "cap" that will be secured to the top of each bookshelf spanning the gap. There will also be 2 1" retractable dowels inserted down from the "cap" into the top of the AV cabinet. Does this sound sufficient?

I appreciate all of your helpful comments and look forward to the results in the New Year!!

Cheers
K

The best way is a simple L bracket(s) mounted up top and anchored into the wall.