| Project by fred | posted 2263 days ago | 2056 views | 2 times favorited | 8 comments |  |
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I had been using a couple of room dividers against a wall in the family room to house the television and some stereo equipment. The more I thought about it the more need I had for a ‘proper’ entertainment center. I researched the magazines and the internet to come up with a picture of something that would work for me. Nothing really fit, but I got some good ideas.
I wanted the center cabinet to house the future TV and equipment. I also wanted the subwoofer in the center and slide out drawers on each side to store tapes and DVDs. There is a niche in the family room so I designed it to fit. To give it some balance I built matching cabinets on both sides of the center cabinet flush with the front of the niche. The center cabinet only takes up an increased 9” of projection into the room.
The center cabinet is 52” wide and 24” deep and about 76” high. After building the box I measured everything up and found that the only way to get it in the house was through a window in the family room. I could bring it in either the front or back door but couldn’t make the turns to get it in the family room. Oh, oh, I also couldn’t tilt it up to get it in place without obstruction from the ceiling. I fixed the problem by cutting off the top portion where the TV will sit and assembly them back together once in place. Then to hide the seam I would apply ¼” veneer to cover the entire sides. I also cut out a 6” high section of the entire width of the wall and screwed in a 1” x 6” nailer to the wall studs to the cabinets would be secure. That’s always a good idea but in earthquake country it is even a better idea.
Then I made the side cabinets. Installation took about a day. Face frame next and then measuring for the drawers and doors. Half way through the project I ran out of storage room in the Shop so I converted the living room into a temporary storage area.
I eventually replaced the TV in the picture with that HD Television I wanted.
-- Fred Childs, Pasadena, CA - - - Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
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8 comments so far
BassBully
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#1 posted 2263 days ago
That’s really nice. Now you’re going to have to petition your wife for a bigger T.V.
-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!
oscorner
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#2 posted 2263 days ago
That’s a nice entertainment center.
-- Jesus is Lord!
Dan Lyke
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#3 posted 2263 days ago
Looks good! I’d have thought the doors in front of the shelves would be kind of weird, but that middle picture makes ‘em look like a good design decision.
So I assume that the main wood involved is veneered ply (and you say that you re-veneered the entire sides when you re-assembled it for installation), how’d you do the fronts? Veneer? Strips of wood? Something else?
-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke
Don
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#4 posted 2263 days ago
Nicely done, Fred.
-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.hillsbiblechurch.org/
Todd A. Clippinger
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#5 posted 2263 days ago
Nice piece Fred. you put a lot of thought into it and it certainly shows. A great design, it looks good in the room.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com
fred
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#6 posted 2263 days ago
Dan -
The cabinet boxes are 3/4” oak veneered plywood. The center cabinet was too large so I cut it in half and made it in 2 pieces. Once it was assembled in the room, I used 1/4” oak veneered plywood to cover the sides of the center cabinet so you would not see the two pieces. It appears that it is just one cabinet. The fronts are all face frame with 2 1/4” x 3/4” oak.
In picture #3 you can see the two halves of the center cabinet in the front. The 1/4” veneer has already been applied to the sides. I also made a chase in the back of the center cabinet to hide the cables and power cords.
-- Fred Childs, Pasadena, CA - - - Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
Dick, & Barb Cain
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#7 posted 2261 days ago
Very nice Fred
It’s hard to keep up with the trend of things nowadays. People that built TV entertainment centers a few years ago, didn’t realize they’d be owning a large screen TV, so what can they do about it. Your smart that you planned for a larger TV.
Where I live we don’t have earthquakes, But we have aTaconite Iron Mine about a mile away from us that creates a small earthquake every Wednesday, when they do a large blast.
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
Diane
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#8 posted 2238 days ago
I love it with all that storage that you wouldn’t expect was even there. I love the matching cabinets to the side and that they hold treasure to enjoy.
Diane
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