HT Cabinet Building Advice (1 Viewer)

[Robert_eb]

I was planning on building an armoire style entertainment center and I was wondering if anyone had advice on the type of wood that's inexpensive but will stand the test of time. Also, if anyone had a blueprint or schematic of various armoires would be appreciated. My TV is a 27-inch but I have 6 components I need to fit inside and I want them easily accessible.

 

[Rob Lloyd]

I'd suggest using a decent birch plywood. It's finish quality but not that expensive. You then face the edges with either iron-on banding or real wood strips.
There are lots of plans available from woodworking magazines.
www.woodmagazine.com
www.rockler.com sells woodworking supplies and also has 3-4 plans that you might like.
There are others but I can't find the links right now.

 

[Dan Long]

I'm in the process of building a cabinet myself. I'm using 3/4" birch ply and 1 1/2" moulding around the edges to cover the edge of the ply. This is a pretty big cabinet, to hold a 62" tv. It's 80" tall x 54" wide, and 30" deep. The wall our TV is on is narrow, and I wanted something to get our components out of the way. The cabinet has 2 shelves above the TV to hold the receiver, etc. I'll mount the left/right speakers to the sides of the cabinet closer to ear level with shelf brackets. It will also have a hinged door on the rear of the shelf part for easy access to the cabling. The entire thing is on wheels so I can roll it out from the wall with ease.

This is my 1st venture into building something like this. My only issue so far is bracing to keep it from swaying side to side (the little bit it does). My plan is, after the TV is inserted in from the back, to install a couple removable cross braces if it still needs it after the trim pieces are put on- it may not by then. This thing is going to be a beast. I can't even fit it in the house from the garage door, where I'm building it. We'll have to carry it around back and into the family room door that's big enough to get it in the house.

Dan