| Project by Scot T | posted 232 days ago | 451 views | 2 times favorited | 16 comments |  |
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This is an entertainment center we decided to build in 2004.
After moving into our current home, we figured we needed a larger TV (the old 27” looked like a postage stamp in the room), which of course necessitated a larger entertainment center. “Well, if I have to build one,” I thought, “it’s gonna be a one time deal.” (never mind that it was my first attempt at building a beast like this in my garage with only a few cheap power tools).
The requirements were to have a space large enough for the 53” standard rear projection TV we had recently purchased, DVD storage room, plus room to grow, and don’t forget the video game systems and other components and air vents to shunt the heat they’d all be kicking out. It also needed to be BIG so that it wouldn’t look dwarfed in the room (22 foot high ceiling), have lights for the knick-knacks that were going to live on the shelves, and match the fluted trim in the room as well as the maple cabinets in the kitchen (or at least be in the ballpark). Finally, it needed to be built in small enough sections that it could be hauled into the house from the garage by my wife and I. UGH!
The end result has been well worth all the effort. It’s got its little errors, but I’m still proud of it. The DVD drawer pull-outs are about 2’ x 5’ and have routed finger grips on the TV side and ball bearing 500# rated glides to allow easy opening. They each hold about 250 DVDs. Additional storage in the bottom drawers was actually an afterthought and each holds about 30 video game discs and 4 controllers.
Maple ply with maple veneer edge banding and solid maple fronts and cove moulding.
Overall dimensions are 8’ wide x 9’ high x 2’ deep. Side open-shelf cabinets are 18” deep x 2’ wide. Center base is 4’ wide x 2’ high x 2’ deep.
Sanding sealed, sanded with 150grit, then 3 coats of satin polyurethane with 400grit before the final coat.
-- Scot, SW Washington
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16 comments so far
ND2ELK
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2479 posts in 259 days
posted 232 days ago
Great looking entertainment center Scot. I really like all the storage area you have with this unit.
Tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
mrtrim
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1546 posts in 365 days
posted 232 days ago
i agree with tom , very nice unit . you got some nice features there. great job scot
Scott Bryan
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9086 posts in 307 days
posted 232 days ago
Very nice project. I really like the dvd storage as well. I’ve got two standing orders to make something something like this for two big screen tvs. I will have to favorite this one.
Thanks for the post.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
gene
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2132 posts in 368 days
posted 232 days ago
You did a nice job on this.
God bless
-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia
toyguy
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451 posts in 322 days
posted 232 days ago
Just what the doctor ordered. I really like the drawer pulls… Good job.
-- Brian's Table Top Toys http://home.mountaincable.net/~bgraham/
DaveH
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241 posts in 263 days
posted 232 days ago
Way cool! Where did you get the accent lighting?
-- Dave Herron, Boise, ID -- “That which does not crash the browser, makes it stronger”
Bob #2
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1948 posts in 506 days
posted 232 days ago
Nice job Scot. I really shows off your wood skills and makes a great contribution to the room decor.
You’ve made a great use of the space availalbe for concealed storage as well.
Did you have to allow for ventilation ?
Bob
-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner
GaryK
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8486 posts in 473 days
posted 232 days ago
Looks great! I like the way the sides are set back
I have one of these on my list of things to make.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
CharlieM1958
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4192 posts in 703 days
posted 232 days ago
Really nice to look at, and that pull out storage is fantastic!
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Critterman
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481 posts in 295 days
posted 232 days ago
Great job Scot, I really like the DVD drawers, expecially since you don’t have to bend over to look for movies…what a great idea. And it is well hidden too. Great design that looks great.
-- Jim Hallada, Chesterfield, VA
roman
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439 posts in 378 days
posted 232 days ago
Not bad….........Challenging too is my bet!
-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/
WhiskeyWaters
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69 posts in 290 days
posted 232 days ago
The drawers rock.
The force was with you on this one…
Whiskey.
John's Woodshop
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106 posts in 501 days
posted 232 days ago
Excellent Job! Nice storage solution for the DVD’s!
John
-- John -- Racine, WI -- Woodworking..."It's not just a Hobby, it's an Adventure"
Scot T
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11 posts in 261 days
posted 232 days ago
Thanks for the praise everyone!
Way cool! Where did you get the accent lighting?
Dave: Home Depot! They’re 20W halogens with UV filtered glass and run on 120 V. They sell them in 3 packs and they instal pretty easily. In retrospect, I should have used low voltage lighting instead – the halogen bulbs are spendy to replace (~$4 each bulb).
Did you have to allow for ventilation ?
Bob #2: Yes – the component shelves only go back about 18” of the total 24” base cabinet depth, and there is a large V shape (about 4” x the entire width of the cabinet) cut out in the top of the base cabinet to allow warm air to escape. The pasive air circulation method seems to work well enough, though I believe I’d need to add some air holes in the bottom somewhere to allow cool air in if I had a few more components running all the time.
The force was with you on this one…
Whiskey: LOL! I grew up with the SW series so I’ve got a few select goodies.
-- Scot, SW Washington
rikkor
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7632 posts in 359 days
posted 231 days ago
This is great. I like the columnar look.
-- Maplewood, MN
Carroll
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50 posts in 230 days
posted 228 days ago
Great looking unit, I like the storage idea I must remember that one.