Looking for an idea

Thought I would toss this out for ideas. In the next couple of months I will start on the Entertainment center. Going to build it from some Black Cherry a neighbor, now deceased, gave me. So the wood is special and I have been saving if for the right project.

I don't want to use any plywood. I want it to be all solid wood. Well, the backs will be plywood but thats all. My plan was frame and panel ends. But then I have a problem with joining the sides to center section because of the recess in the panel. I have a couple of ideas but thought I would toss it out and see what you guys come up with.

Jeff Horton said:

Thought I would toss this out for ideas. In the next couple of months I will start on the Entertainment center. Going to build it from some Black Cherry a neighbor, now deceased, gave me. So the wood is special and I have been saving if for the right project.

I don't want to use any plywood. I want it to be all solid wood. Well, the backs will be plywood but that's all. My plan was frame and panel ends. But then I have a problem with joining the sides to center section because of the recess in the panel. I have a couple of ideas but thought I would toss it out and see what you guys come up with.

View attachment 4773 View attachment 4774​

Click to expand...

Hi jeff,

I've been told I have less good taste than Paris Hilton so take my suggestions on a FWIW basis only.

Overall I like the presentation of the piece. The opening over the screen, although I understand the necessity, seems either too small in proportion or perhaps the top rail looks as though it's blocking some of the opening.

The side cabinets are nicely proportioned and I like the look. The bases under the side cabinets however give the impression that the side cabinets are 'leaning into' the main cabinet. I think I understand where you're going with this, but it just seems to throw them out of balance.

Like I said, all my taste is in my mouth. Just my $.02.

Hey Jeff,
I don't claim to be fully wired in the taste department either, but I really like your design. The cloud lifts and the square pegs are nice touches.

Does the shelf above the TV float to allow for a taller TV some day. I had the same reaction as Rennie, it seems a little awkward. I wonder how it would look if the back went all the way up?

Where will the dvd player and other electronics go - on the top shelf, in the side, or in a drawer (I like in a drawer myself).

One idea for attaching the side pieces to the center would be to split the panels on the center piece vertically so that you have a horizontal member (I never can remember which are rails and which are stiles ) near the top of the side piece. Then you can attach the side piece rail(?) to the center piece rail. Of course you should probably do that in a way that will allow for a little movement, e.g. a screw through an elongated slot...

Keep us in know on your progress, this is going to be a great piece!!

Oh, another idea just escaped from this thick skull . Maybe instead of connecting the side pieces to the center, you could hang them on the wall with a french cleat, and then slide them in snug.

I'm still thinking, Jeff, not ignoring you.

The design is still on going, so nothing is set in stone. As for the upper shelf......... I hate it! Thats where the wife wants the DVD-VCR ect to go. Did I mention I hate it?? But this is for show and tell and will show the wife how ugly this is going to be, hope she agrees!

Main concern is just attaching the sides to the sides. I am thinking about a couple of things. Splitting the panel with a center stile. (Remember rails like a fence rail, ) Or adding a couple stiles. Either way I can add some screws (or just dowels??) to hold them together and plug the holes. Of course I need to be able to take them apart. But that is my best idea so far.

We are going to go with a Flat Screen so the back of the cabinet is pulled forward so that TV isn't to deep. I want to use a mount so I can pull the TV out for access and better view from the kitchen.

As for the Tuner, DVD ect I want to look at two things. Raising the TV up some and put a shelf under it. Wife doesn't like the idea but maybe once it is drawn she will see it's not so bad.

Other thing I want to look at is the remote sensor so I can hide the stuff behind on the doors out of site. Have no idea what these are called or cost but I know they are available.

I think the bases on the side cabinets need a little work. The scale is not quite right. And I agree Renee they look out of balance on here. But I think once it is done and down below your field of view it will work out.

Jeff Horton said:

The design is still on going, so nothing is set in stone. As for the upper shelf......... I hate it! That's where the wife wants the DVD-VCR etc to go. Did I mention I hate it?? But this is for show and tell and will show the wife how ugly this is going to be, hope she agrees!........I think the bases on the side cabinets need a little work. The scale is not quite right. And I agree Renee they look out of balance on here. But I think once it is done and down below your field of view it will work out.

Click to expand...

Jeff,

First of all, I'm flattered.

Second, it sounds like you have really (I mean REALLY) got a good handle on the design process. PLEASE keep us posted on the evolution of this design!

Jeff you could put the components in one of the side cabinets and use a fabric or mesh door so you could use an infered to control everything. Or maybe substitute the top 2 drawers for you components and still leave the bottom 2. Any way it looks good. I want to design something for a flatscreen myself an am having the same problem. First I was going to hang it on the wall but decided to build a low shallow cabinet and set the TV on top.


Doug

Did I mention I hated the shelf on top of the TV??

I removed it last night and I like the look a lot better! Much improved.


Of course this creates a new issue! The cabinet is now only 66" (5" 6") tall. That looks short to me. If raise it up the opening for the TV gets to big looking. Rasing the TV is going to put it too high. Seems it its always something.

Told my wife this morning I can not believe how picky the two of us are (yes me too). I guess that is because both of us are house junkies. Don't care about driving a new new car, owning new fancy clothes, buying new tools etc. But we sure are house junkies. Not trying to impress anyone other than our selves, but man are we picky about how the house has too look.

Anyway, I found some component models in SU and put them in just for looks and I like them better on side. Also found a universal remote for around $100 that uses IR and will work throught walls (so it says). So I could place the components behind the doors and have them hidden.

I am thinking at this point that I may want to model the whole room so I can see the cabient in the room Maybe it will look better than we expect. Besides it would fun to try.

Jeff, I like this latest version better. I don't mind it being shorter. In fact I think the proportions look better that way. One thing still bothers me but I haven't figured out a solution. That is where the side cabinets meet the main cabinet. I don't like the side cabinets joining into the panels of the main cabinet sides. The only thing I've come up with would be to use solid sides on the main case. I'm not totally sold on that either but it seems better than the frame and panel thing.

Oh, I'm not sure about that purple panel on the side cabinet either. It doesn't quite "go" with the style of the piece.

Jeff,
I like the look without the top shelf - it even helps to balance the side cabinets a bit better.

We purchased a remote extender for our church that allows me to control the projector from 80' away. It has a receiver that we keep in the control booth and an emitter that we placed in front of the projector's receiver up on the ceiling. It picks up the signal from the remote and retransmits it via a coax cable to the emitter. Works like a charm and cost us under $100.

Dave, I have been back and forth on this and solid side is the only good answer. But I am not really crazy about that either. I don't want to use plywood because it will be hard to stain it to match the cherry. I am not sure I have enough wood to do solid sides though. I need to get that cherry moved into my shop and see exactly what I have.

Thanks Renee, that may be what I end up doing. Just add that to the price of a new TV.

Jeff

Gee I sure am enjoying Sketch up. I think that the cabinet is going to be fine even with the shorter height.


Jeff

Very nice, Jeff. I agree with you.

Jeff Horton said:

I . . . thought I would toss it out and see what you guys come up with.

Click to expand...

Jeff, there's a good article in FW for-pay section about designing with pleasing proportions. It might help with your determining dimensions that pass the test of time-proven techniques. Here is a pic of a portion of the article's first page. Copyright restrictions prevent my sending the article to you, but if you are a member, do a search using "A Guide to Good Design." BTW, I think access to FW's full site is a great deal . . . less than $20 a year if I recall correctly.

Jeff, I appreciate the offer and would enjoy reading it I am sure. However I am pretty sure that your sharing the article would violate FWW copyright. So in all good conscious I must decline, but I appreciate the offer.

I am thinking about subscribing to FWW. There has been several references to their pay site lately and I am thinking it would be worth the cost to me.

Jeff (too )

Jeff,

My two cents may not fit your situation, but it seems to me your making a custom cabinet for a TV that is already out of date.

To use my experience as an example - About 10 years ago SWMBO and I bought a $$$ Stickley entertainment center to hold a 27 inch TV . . . Five years later, our new 36 inch $$ TV would not fit, so I built my own entertainment center based on Stickley / mission style designs . . . . Last year we bought a somewhat larger flat panel HDTV for less than the original 27" TV. And of course you guessed it, the latest TV does not fit the custom cabinet in width. Plus, if it did, it would be a waste of space behind it.

And although we only use the TV a few hours a month to watch rented movies, I foresee a larger flat screen in our future someday. I'm not sure you can even buy a tube TV anymore. And the flat screen prices are dropping fast. If I build another EC, it will be more modular.

I’ve liked all your designs and remodel posts since the first one I saw on SMC - your garage doors. So I hope this does not sound too negative, but i think this EC already looks outdated. Just my .02 as they say.

rick

Jeff,

Athough it pains me to say it, I have to agree with my brother on this one. Because the side units , due to their design, would never be used individually, I think going with solid panels on the center cabinet is the answer. Besides, there is not much of the panel exposed so I don't think anyone would ever notice that it isn't consistant with the ends of the side cabinets.

Of course, I must come clean here. I am still using a particle board, Target special, shelf unit to hold up my TV. Even after 6 years in my new house because I haven't come up with a design I want to build.

Can I get a copy of the assembly drawings?

Steve

No problem Rick, I don't mind constructive comments like yours. And everyone is different.

Actually I am buying a new TV. Not building this one for an old one. Heck we are still watching the TV we bought just after we got married. But it is (finally) dying. The wife and I are very different when it comes to TV's. We don't have any desire to have a movie screen sized TV. We have looked and done some home work and decided we want something in 32" or MAYBE 36" screen. That is the right size for our room and our tastes. Just no desire for anything larger. So outgrowing the cabinet shouldn't be a problem.

I was leaning toward a Sony tube TV. Even though they are falling from favor and some people think they old technology. For the money they are hard to beat when you compare picture/life/price. The problem is the big screen models weight in close to 175 lbs and the thought of the two of us moving that beast has turned me off. So we have settled on a flat screen LCD. It has a couple of advantages. Big one other than the weight, is I can put it on a swinging mount so the wife can move it where she see it in the kitchen.

I am going to make the opening larger than the TV just in case I need to replace it and the new one is not the exact same size. Unless it dies or there is some dramatic change in picture quality I will have this one for a long time.

Since most of the new TV's are available with black cases I am going to paint or stain the back panel black and perhaps the sides of the opening black so that the TV blends in better with background and is less distracting. That should help with the fact that opening around the TV is larger too.

Jeff

Jeff, Just wondering out loud. If you are going with a flat panel, then why push the center unit out further than the electronic components? There are many pull-out-and-swivel hardware mounts if you want to bring the picture into the room more. rick

Jeff Horton said:

Jeff, I appreciate the offer and would enjoy reading it I am sure. However I am pretty sure that your sharing the article would violate FWW copyright. So in all good conscious I must decline, but I appreciate the offer.

I am thinking about subscribing to FWW. There has been several references to their pay site lately and I am thinking it would be worth the cost to me.

Jeff (too )

Click to expand...

Jeff, I agree and have edited my post above. Thanks.