[smkoberg]

I'm finally showing off my first woodworking project - a simple entertainment center.

The top, bottom, and sides were made out of 3/4" oak ply and the shelves and dividers are made out of 1/2" oak ply. The TV support is made out of 2" galvanized conduit which is held in place with a flange bolted to the top of the entertainment center. I welded a wall-mount to the conduit to hold the TV in place and painted it black to make it look nicer. The feet are store-bought and simply glued to the bottom of the unit, which seems to work fine. I plan on adding doors to the left and right sides when I have a little more free time to get into the garage.


almostDone by prodork, on Flickr

testFitting by prodork, on Flickr

puttingItAllTogether by prodork, on Flickr

 

[Reclaimed Wood Blog]

Looks good.

http://reclaimedwoodblog.com/

 

[frankp]

A fine first project, well executed. Did you dado the dividers in place or glue and screw (don't see any hardware) or what?

 

[SebringDon]

I'd like to add a TV mount like that to my entertainment center, but I don't weld. Do you think a couple of U-bolts through the mount and around the conduit could handle a 55"?

 

[smkoberg]

A fine first project, well executed. Did you dado the dividers in place or glue and screw (don't see any hardware) or what?

I did dado the dividers and the insides of the top/bottom/sides for the shelves and glued them all in place. Because this was my first project, and I didn't think too far ahead, the dado's run the length of the shelves/dividers, which are about 4" shorter than the total depth, so there are some unsightly exposed dado's on the backside. If I had planned better, I would have routed just enough for the shelves/dividers and used a chisel to square the ends of the grooves.

I'd like to add a TV mount like that to my entertainment center, but I don't weld. Do you think a couple of U-bolts through the mount and around the conduit could handle a 55"?

In theory, yes; however, you would have to really crank down on the U-bolts to make sure they're secure. Or, you could add in some sort of safety on the top of the conduit that hooks into the opening in case the U-bolts fail. Just make sure you test the weight limit before you mount the TV so if there is any failure, you wont ruin your screen.

 

[SebringDon]

In theory, yes; however, you would have to really crank down on the U-bolts to make sure they're secure. Or, you could add in some sort of safety on the top of the conduit that hooks into the opening in case the U-bolts fail. Just make sure you test the weight limit before you mount the TV so if there is any failure, you wont ruin your screen.

I could run a screw or two through the conduit and mount as a safety. The stand top is doubled 3/4" ply, so there's plenty of strength in the top. I'm going to drill a hole through the top so I can run my wiring through the conduit. It won't be as tall as the TV, so the wiring will all be hidden that way.

 

[SgtSteve]

I did dado the dividers and the insides of the top/bottom/sides for the shelves and glued them all in place. Because this was my first project, and I didn't think too far ahead, the dado's run the length of the shelves/dividers, which are about 4" shorter than the total depth, so there are some unsightly exposed dado's on the backside. If I had planned better, I would have routed just enough for the shelves/dividers and used a chisel to square the ends of the grooves.


In theory, yes; however, you would have to really crank down on the U-bolts to make sure they're secure. Or, you could add in some sort of safety on the top of the conduit that hooks into the opening in case the U-bolts fail. Just make sure you test the weight limit before you mount the TV so if there is any failure, you wont ruin your screen.

Looks good and sturdy. Have you considered adding a face frame around the cabinet and shelves to conceal your dado's? That will give your shelves a thicker look as well. Nicely done project!

 

[gus1962]

You managed to create a detailed piece with an impressive design. Very well executed.

 

[<*(((><]

Looks good! If you want to cover up your exposed dado's buy some oak hardwood down the road and rip it down to create a face frame to hide the joinery.

Good job on it thought, looks like it's functioning well!

EDIT: Just realized SgtSteve just mentioned the same thing as me.