TV entertainment center

The wife and I were discussing putting the tv up on the wall. This brought up an issue of how to put shelving/storage for the accessories (receiver, console, speakers..etc). It sits right under the tv, the only cable you really see, is the power cable going down to the wall outlet.

For our bedroom tv, I put a shelf up that holds the cable box and dvd player nicely.

Unfortunately, if we mount the tv, we wont have anywhere to put everything. I was thinking maybe some shelving like the bedroom but I don't think it would look that good with all the cabling. Then I was thinking of just a component stand but think that will look kinda awkward.. Then I was like, what if I just build an entertainment stand we can mount the tv to? (Similar to the tv stands with mounts)

The living room tv setup has;
1. 51" Plasma (~43lbs)
2. Receiver
3. PS3
4. Wii
5. 3 Front Speakers
6. Games and DVDs
7. Power strip - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812120413

Am I just over thinking what it would look like? After thinking about the depth of the entertainment center, I am concerned about it being top heavy.

The way I was looking to build it is;
base- some type of legs; minimum of 6
bottom- 2/3x kitchen cabinets 30x12x12 or 30x12x18 with plywood over top and bottom
sides- bookshelf style shelving. possibly with glass shelves and lighting
top- Up in the air, I don't know if I should have more open shelving or just do a nice topper with some trim.
back- 1/2" plywood spanning the entire back of entertainment center.

Also, what kind of wood would you use? I was thinking of birch. From what I remembered it is pretty strong, light and looks good. I am open to other suggestions though.
For stain, was either thinking a black (it goes with everything) or a chocolate color to match the couch. Again, open to suggestions.

This would be the second ec if I build one. The last one was made to fit around a 54" rear projection tv. It was 2 towers with top storage and 3 speakers built in. Unfortunately, it took way too long to build (due to leaving state and moving a couple times). It was overbuilt using 3/4 plywood (forget the type).

1. Would the 1/2" plywood be enough to support a 50lb tv without bowing.


I can't think of anything else. What/How would you do it? Any tips, advice... constructive criticism is appreciated.

Thanks,
Outlaw


Couple options- Obviously not to scale

Current TV-
Best Buy link

Base cabinet/storage style (I would get unfinished)-
HomeDepot link

For the cabinets, I did see they have 30x12x12, 30x12x18 and 36x12x12. Not sure which to go with.

You could head to IKEA and grab one of their set ups, much easier than building and there are plenty of awesome set ups similar to your designs.

Birch would be good and design 2 if youare bbuilding would be my choice.

Thanks. I did tell the wife if she ever takes me there, we have to have money. I was looking at their computer desks too. lol

I did see this which was similar to what I was thinking- http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S49894989/

It looks like they (ones that fit over 40") start around 500 and go up from there.

1/2" Birch sheet of 4'x8' - $40ea x?
3/4" Birch sheet of 4'x8' - $43ea x?
1qt Oil-Based Ebony Wood Finish Interior Stain - $6.50ea x?
med-large box of black 1 1/4" wood screws - $?
Misc finishings - $?

Still have some figuring out. If it comes out less than the $500 tag from ikea, it may be worth it.

Also, as another option, instead of 3x 30" cabinets, they have an unfinished 36". I could use 2 of those for the base, then have one of the towers wider than the other to accommodate the components and the other to hold pictures/speaker/etc. (18" wide left side, 7" wide right side).

Thanks for the input so far!

Outlaw

Really depends on your skill level. You will need to finish the edges of the ply somehow. You will need to be able to cut it accurately. You will need to be able to place the doors and hinges accurately.

From your question above (would 1/2" ply support 50lbs)... no, but you can add other pieces to make it more rigid structurally without messing with the design. You can nail the back ply onto it. You can make a 2-3" tall crossbeam to go under it, and nail and glue that to the shelf. You could get a piece of steel L-channel or square tube and screw that under the shelf. You could place a vertical support at the center of the shelf which would be between a set of door/drawers.

I like the IKEA solution. You still get to plan it out and assemble it, but you skip all the mucking about with the mundane details and parts fabrication. And their prices are extremely reasonable. I just put together what amounts to a huge kitchen island for my CNC machine to sit on. It's about $500 worth of kitchen cabinets, with a central plywood spine, 2x4 base and 1/2" ply over 1/2" ply (glued) with 1/2" MDF skin table top. Table edge is 2x3 pine stained ebony. Solid thing.

I love that besta one and yeah its going to be fairly costly to make it yourself but here is another option work out a very accurate cut list, figure out every part you have. Then get the whole thing cut out of 12-16mm veneer partical board, whether its chipboard or MDF its up to you. However if you do this you can get it all cut up by a kitchen cabinet place, it'll be perfect cuts with their cnc machine. If you plan it right you can also get them to seal all the outside edges with veneer stripping. Then the whole thing only needs be assembled and stained by you and it'll look a million bucks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TLHarrell

Really depends on your skill level. You will need to finish the edges of the ply somehow. You will need to be able to cut it accurately. You will need to be able to place the doors and hinges accurately.

From your question above (would 1/2" ply support 50lbs)... no, but you can add other pieces to make it more rigid structurally without messing with the design. You can nail the back ply onto it. You can make a 2-3" tall crossbeam to go under it, and nail and glue that to the shelf. You could get a piece of steel L-channel or square tube and screw that under the shelf. You could place a vertical support at the center of the shelf which would be between a set of door/drawers.

I like the IKEA solution. You still get to plan it out and assemble it, but you skip all the mucking about with the mundane details and parts fabrication. And their prices are extremely reasonable. I just put together what amounts to a huge kitchen island for my CNC machine to sit on. It's about $500 worth of kitchen cabinets, with a central plywood spine, 2x4 base and 1/2" ply over 1/2" ply (glued) with 1/2" MDF skin table top. Table edge is 2x3 pine stained ebony. Solid thing.

---

Thanks for the info.

I would still consider myself a novice/beginner. I don't have a ton of time logged using the tools needed, but I'm not unfamiliar with them either.

For the edges, I was considering Veneer Edgeband or some trim. For the doors and hinges, they would only be on the base of the unit and that would be a pre-built cabinet like this - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded...7#.Ul3PN1DkuSp

For the tv, if we mounted it to the back, could I just run 2 vertical "beams" running the entire height of the unit where the bolts would go for the wall mount?
Or
could I use a 3/4" plywood piece for the back?

I don't disagree with the ikea solution but they seem so expensive and the one I linked doesn't say what tv it holds up to. Honestly though, I have never been there either. I'm not sure driving 2.5hrs (round trip) to look is worth it. Maybe if we can get rid of the kids for the day. lol

Are you saying to look at them for the parts and pieces needed, and build it through ikea?

Thanks again,
Outlaw

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stonerboy779

I love that besta one and yeah its going to be fairly costly to make it yourself but here is another option work out a very accurate cut list, figure out every part you have. Then get the whole thing cut out of 12-16mm veneer partical board, whether its chipboard or MDF its up to you. However if you do this you can get it all cut up by a kitchen cabinet place, it'll be perfect cuts with their cnc machine. If you plan it right you can also get them to seal all the outside edges with veneer stripping. Then the whole thing only needs be assembled and stained by you and it'll look a million bucks.

---

Thanks for the info. It's worth a look anyways

The veneer sheets doesn't look to be on any of the local hardware stores websites for price comparisons. I assume it's about 1/2-3/4 of the price? Any idea on labor pricing?

The besta one looked pretty nice. After looking at it again, the dimensions are pretty large.
Product dimensions
Width: 118 1/8 "
Depth: 15 3/4 "
Height: 75 5/8 "


Width: 300 cm
Depth: 40 cm
Height: 192 cm

Even at 90" from my option 2, it is extending past the wall and covers some of the stairwell to upstairs (railing side, not the stairs). At 118", that may bee to big.


Thanks again,
outlaw


------------------------------


I was looking at the wall today and actually measured some of the lengths. What if I do it so I just have one sheet of 4x8 spanning the back in 1/2" or 3/4" (the 90" would require the use of 1 sheet and the 60" would be a little small).

Option 3
Use 2x 36" cabinets for base. This would allow me to use the sheet length of 84" to put a shelf or something in the bottom middle or cut the sheet to 72" to match the cabinets. the 48" height would still allow for the 36x12x12 cabinet to be attached as well as some overhead room for small shelving if needed.

If 72"- One tower would be 18" wide, the other 7"
If 84"- each tower could/would be 18" wide

Using a single 4x8 sheet for the back would help reduce cost of material overall.

Couple other options using 72" and 84"

Thanks for the input so far!
Outlaw

You won't find the veneer sheets anywhere other than the kitchen fabrication shops. Price wise they're only a bit more than an MDF or chipboard sheet making it 1/2-2/3 the price of ply cheaper again when you are using nicely dressed ply.

Labour shouldn't be too much especially if you decide to use their cabinet designs. Much like what you already have planned.

Definitely worth a look. Plus the ikea sets are going to be veneer too. No real loss there.

I just need to find a shop around here.


Thanks for the input!

Outlaw


*update*
Guesstimating wood costs-
2x 1/2" 4x8 maple = $35ea
1x 3/4" 4x8 maple = $43ea
2x 36"x12x12 cabinet unfinished maple = $64ea

Total = $241

Still to add;
Stain
Screws
Veneer edging
feet (6 minimum)
lighting (optional)
saw blades

Unless the "still to add" + tax comes out to $259, building may be worth it. still have to see what a shop would charge.

The shops become much nicer the better laid out your plans are and you mustn't forget to specify the direction of grain otherwise things will turn out very interesting.

Also for something like this the cutting becomes rather easy and cheap because all the boards should be the same width. I would probably choose 400deep so you can get 3 boards out of a standard 2440*1220 sheet and then the backing for most of the cabinet would be alright being a 3mm sheet of maple or even cheaper with a ply as its not really visible.

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for the delayed reply.

The depth makes sense and works out too. With the cabinet only being 12" deep, I was thinking of going a little deeper to make it a bit more stable.

With the backing, the 3mm (1/8th) thick sheet would be ok if I don't mount the tv to it. Otherwise I would prob have to use the 3/4".

I would probably still use the maple, just because it will be seen around the TV and in the back of the shelving. Don't want to cut a corner if I'm going to try making it look nice.

----------------------------------------------------

I did show the wife the pictures and some of the measurements on the wall. She said she liked option 3 the most (84" center). She also said she needs to take me to ikea; 1. She wants to get stuff, 2. I've never been there and 3. She wants to show me how you can "build" the entertainment center. lol

I did see there is a cabinet/cnc shop right down the road from my work. I'll have to contact them during the week. http://www.blackforestwoodworks.net/


Thanks again,
outlaw

I probably wouldn't back the center holdand would mount the TV directly to studs in the wall. And enjoy, I love goingto IKEA there is so much awesome stuff there. Recently got a new bed from there with big storage draws under it.

For not mounting the tv to the back, do you think it will just be too much weight and top heavy? or another reason?

Thanks, i have wanted to go for a while, the drive there/back easily put me off though lol. I wouldn't mind a desk from them either but that is also kinda pricey once you get all the necessary parts.

Outlaw


**update**

Apparently I wasn't too proud of the old one. lol. I couldn't find any good pictures of it. I found these 2 partials. I do think it was a pretty good one considering the lack of skills my friend and I had at the time. It never did get finished, but it did have an afterlife of beerpong table from the top of it and shelving for my dads pantry in the basement, lol

Looking left

Right tower (child removed)

I'll chime in my .02.

If you're really motivated to build and it sounds fun and rewarding, then it would be worth it. If all you want is a nice built in media center, then it's probably worth it to just spend the money, even if it's twice as much as doing it yourself.

There's this really great video on the PBS website about making pre-built bookshelves look like a custom built-in. I'm having a hard time finding it now. For now, you can read this. It might be the perfect in between for you. http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot....ok-like_7.html

Like Stonerboy said, a local shop will be much nicer the better your plans on. Make sure you learn the vocabulary before you go in asking questions. Bring a few different ideas for plans and photos of the space and accurate measurements so they have a lot to go off of. Then, have what you think are decent plans, but ask for advice on what to change, what would be easier or how they would do things. You'll show some humility which gains you points, flatter them for valuing their opinion, learn more, and end up with a better end result, which is a win/win.

Good luck!

Thanks for your .02, it all helps!

I think it would be worth it for the reasons you said, motivated to have built it myself. You don't see too much of that any more. I do want it to be nice, but don't want to pay the ridiculous price tag for particle board. I can get that from several local box stores cheap. If a cabinet maker can make it using the particle board for a reasonable price, I'm ok with that. Nothing wrong with supporting a local business IMO. I don't have a prob paying a little extra for local businesses.

I will have to try finding the video. The link did help and I will have to keep looking to see what others are doing too.

As for the drawing, you don't think my pics above will work? lol jk

I think I have some drafting paper around somewhere to make a detailed drawing. I know it won't be perfect, but that is why they are the pro's. I have no problem taking advice and being shown/told how or why something won't work. It's how we learn.

In the end, if I can build it, awesome, if someone else can do it better locally, great. If they can do it and I can still add my addtions, even better.


Thanks!
Outlaw

*update*
For the "not mounting the tv to the entertainment center"

My wanting to do this is just in case we dont' have a wall it will mount to but still want the swivel/tilt not offered by a standard stand. Worst case, we will just leave the stand on it.

lol @ "child removed" and the giant black mspaint blob.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Outlaw

For not mounting the tv to the back, do you think it will just be too much weight and top heavy? or another reason?

Thanks, i have wanted to go for a while, the drive there/back easily put me off though lol. I wouldn't mind a desk from them either but that is also kinda pricey once you get all the necessary parts.

Outlaw


**update**

Apparently I wasn't too proud of the old one. lol. I couldn't find any good pictures of it. I found these 2 partials. I do think it was a pretty good one considering the lack of skills my friend and I had at the time. It never did get finished, but it did have an afterlife of beerpong table from the top of it and shelving for my dads pantry in the basement, lol

Looking left

Right tower (child removed)

---

Now a day's entertainment is everything and putting a TV on wall or putting it on a table doesn't matter. I am great lover of watching TV and I use to watch TV shows at least 3 to 4 hours daily as entertainment helps me to be fresh and active.:D8)