My Media Wall Cabinet(How To/DIY)

[Rob71]

I have been asked by a few people how I built my wall cabinet, so I thought I would make this thread and go into a little more detail. The tools I used were:

Table Saw
Miter Saw
Drill/Kreg Jig
3/16" Drill Bit/ Drill Stop
1/8" Drill Bit
Impact Drill
Iron
Edge Trimmer
Palm Sander

And the Materials used were:

4' X 8' sheet of 3/4" Birch Plywood
4' X 4' sheet of 1/2" Birch Plywood
1 1" X 2" Poplar board
1" Glue On Wood Veneer
Glue, 1 1/4" wood screws and Pocket Hole Screws

The first thing I did was to make two 10" rips on the 3/4" plywood. Then using the Miter Saw I took the first 10" piece and made two 42" cuts. And on the second piece I made two 40 1/2" cuts. Next I made two 9" rips on the 3/4" plywood and using the Miter Saw made four 40 1/4" cuts.



I glued a strip of veneer along the long edge of all pieces using the Iron to activate the glue. I took the Edge Trimmer and shaved the veneer down and sanded using the Palm sander. Using the Drill and Kreg Jig I drilled three pocket holes along both 10" sides of the 40 1/2" pieces. I next laid out the pieces and using the Impact Drill and Pocket screws(and a little glue) assembled the cabinet like so:





Next I double checked my measurements to be sure I ended up with a 42" X 42" square box(I did) and then using the Table Saw I ripped 6"(using the outside edge of the blade) off two sides of the 1/2" Plywood to end up with a 42" X 42" square.



Now I laid the veneered side of the box face down and ran a small bead of glue along the edge and set the 1/2" Plywood on top. Starting at one corner I pre-drilled a 1/8" hole with the Drill and using the 1 1/4" screws and Impact Drill attached the back of the cabinet, using about four screws for each side. Standing up the box now use the pegboard as a guide to drill the 3/16" holes to support the shelves:



The next piece is used purely as support for all the weight of the Blu-rays. I cut the 1" X 2" Poplar down to 40 1/2" and glued it in the top of the cabinet. When it is attached to the wall, be sure to drill the mounting screws through this and into the wall studs.



If anyone has any questions I'll try and answer them.

[Riff Magnum]

Sweet Job man!!! My wife is getting ready to build something like this for us, along with a tv stand, component rack, and some bookshelves. My question is the wood. That birch plywood looks much classier than the pressboard crap i see at home depot. Just wondering where you got it and how much?

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Sweet Job man!!! My wife is getting ready to build something like this for us, along with a tv stand, component rack, and some bookshelves. My question is the wood. That birch plywood looks much classier than the pressboard crap i see at home depot. Just wondering where you got it and how much?

I get mine from a cabinet shop I sub-contract work from. But Home Depot or Lowe's should have it. I've gotten it from HD for around $40 a sheet before. Also got the glue on veneer edge banding from them also.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by Rob71

I get mine from a cabinet shop I sub-contract work from. But Home Depot or Lowe's should have it. I've gotten it from HD for around $40 a sheet before. Also got the glue on veneer edge banding from them also.

Did you stain the plywood? Just wondering because i think most of our stuff will need to be stained black to match the tv, speakers, receiver, etc.
What would you estimate the total cost being and how many BD's do you think you can fit in there?

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Did you stain the plywood? Just wondering because i think most of our stuff will need to be stained black to match the tv, speakers, receiver, etc.
What would you estimate the total cost being and how many BD's do you think you can fit in there?

I haven't yet, I'm trying to find the time to make two more, hopefully before the end of the year. Then I'll either paint them or put a black stain on all of them. I made the wall cabinet and a matching base cabinet 35" tall from a sheet of 3/4 birch and 1/2 birch plywood. Roughly $70 in materials, plus the veneer which is about $5-6 a roll. I used some scrap leftover pieces for the shelves, so you'd need to account for that. I have about 250 movies and about 10 PS3 games on the bottom 2 shelves(plus the bottom of the cabinet). I'm getting some 1/4" glass cut to make some shelves, hopefully I'll be able to squeeze another row in.

Since you are planning to do a lot of projects, get some graph paper. Make each square 2-3" and draw out all your cuts onto the paper. Mix and match your projects also to get the optimal use of the plywood. You'd be surprised how much you can save by doing that. Another thing. Occasionally you can find pieces of plywood that have a corner blown out or some surface damage. Sometimes they'll sell you these at a reduced price. Doesn't hurt to ask if you see a few pieces.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by Rob71

I haven't yet, I'm trying to find the time to make two more, hopefully before the end of the year. Then I'll either paint them or put a black stain on all of them. I made the wall cabinet and a matching base cabinet 35" tall from a sheet of 3/4 birch and 1/2 birch plywood. Roughly $70 in materials, plus the veneer which is about $5-6 a roll. I used some scrap leftover pieces for the shelves, so you'd need to account for that. I have about 250 movies and about 10 PS3 games on the bottom 2 shelves(plus the bottom of the cabinet). I'm getting some 1/4" glass cut to make some shelves, hopefully I'll be able to squeeze another row in.

Since you are planning to do a lot of projects, get some graph paper. Make each square 2-3" and draw out all your cuts onto the paper. Mix and match your projects also to get the optimal use of the plywood. You'd be surprised how much you can save by doing that. Another thing. Occasionally you can find pieces of plywood that have a corner blown out or some surface damage. Sometimes they'll sell you these at a reduced price. Doesn't hurt to ask if you see a few pieces.

Sweet, thanks man!! I will pass this info on to the old lady. She will be in charge and i will simply do what i'm told. Way better than paying 200-300 a pop for every piece of furniture. Component racks and tv stands seem to be especially expensive and are never ever the exact dimensions you need.
Thanks again man.

[teknipper]

I like the pegboard idea for lining up the holes. I build some shelves and used some clamps and a speed square. If anyone is interested in how, there are some pictures in my gallery.

Tom

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by teknipper

I like the pegboard idea for lining up the holes. I build some shelves and used some clamps and a speed square. If anyone is interested in how, there are some pictures in my gallery.

Tom

Yeah, after building quite a few cabinets I saw Norm Abrams do it on his show and had a moment. Been doing it ever since. If I ever get of my butt and open my own cabinet shop I'll just buy one of these,

dm-drill-machine-cad-32mm.jpg

There's just not enough people that want custom cabinets, everyone wants stock particle board cabinets anymore.