Floating Entertainment System

[Anonymous No.824262]

I have little experience with woodworking/carpentry, but my dad is a carpenter and I have plenty of tools at my disposal, as well as a basic knowledge of how to use all of them. I have way too much free time and would like to make a floating entertainment center for my room (pic very related) without my dad's help.

Question 1: What type of wood would be best for this project, keeping in mind sturdiness, being light enough to hang on a wall, and a $100 budget? I would like it to have a modern look similar to the picture.

Question 2: With a 40 inch TV, 4 gaming consoles, and quite a few dvds, how big should this be?

Question 3: Am i in way over my head, skill-wise and budget-wise?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Also, share your experiences with similar projects.

[Anonymous No.824367]

>>824262
Q2 gave me the answer to Q3:

YES, you are in over your head if you can't estimate how big it should be.

The easiest path you could take would be to purchase a cabinet/whatever that suits your needs and figure out how to make it float. (instructables dot com)

[Anonymous No.824502]

Anyone knows what kind of speakers that's in the picture?

[Anonymous No.824521]

>>824502
Yeah, shit speakers. They are probably just a row of tweeters with no cross over and some empty box to give them 'depth'. Hidden off screen is a 8 inch subwoofer in a plastic box with an amp built into it. Retail is probably $3,000 USD.

[Anonymous No.824530]

mount tv to wall so less weight?

[Anonymous No.824544]

>>824502
>>824521
>>824502
>>824521
Those are Bang & Olufsen Beolab 8002, active speakers, with active crossovers too, they do pretty well but lack in bass.

[Anonymous No.824579]

>>824262
I'm considering the same thing.

I'd hang the TV off the wall, rather than add its weight to the shelf.

[Anonymous No.824629]

>>824262
If you really want to pull off the look as clean as the pic, figure out how you'll be running power and tv signal in the wall.

I have kids, and friends with kids, so my entertainment setups throughout the house are too high for little kids to mess with, so I ran power and cable further up the wall, behind the tv. Perfectly within code, because code only states the minimum height from the floor, not the max.

[Anonymous No.824645]

>>824262
I hope your dad told you, that you should probably have a hidden cleat screwed the wall. Like a 2x4 or something that way you can slip in to the floating shelf. Make it easier to install by yourself. Assuming you hung it level and your shelf isn't a disaster.

Easy peasy project idea. Just get a sheet of ply and a 2x for a cleat. And make a rectangular box with an open side with 45 mitered edges so its all clean and flush. Pro tip make your mitered edges sharper than 45 degrees. And it'll sit real flush. Nail that bitch together with a brad nailer. Trick to nail the mitered edge together is to overlap one edge by like less than a 32nd of an inch. This way you're using the force of nail being driven to bump it flush. Also a whole sheet of ply could get several floating shelves at like 4"x12" sizes.

[Anonymous No.824647]

>>824645
Also if you're ripping a sheet. Do all your cuts of the same size at same time to keep your shit uniform. Slip the open end onto the 2x screwed to the wall. And nail it or screw the shelf into the 2x. And wood glue all that shit son.

[Dave No.824726]

>>824262
>without my dad's help
This would be a great opportunity to bond with your dad. Ask his advice, perfect fathers day gift.

[Anonymous No.824743]

>>824262
If you want to make that look clean:

1) rip CD, DVDs, Blurays, etc.
2) put in box in attic
3) throw away CD player, bluray player, ridiculous AV receiver
4a) wall-mount TV, fish HDMI cable through wall
5a) fanless HTPC with bluetooth remote somewhere you don't have to look at it

4b) VESA-passthrough case right behind TV. Pushes TV away from wall, but no more than sticking it its stand on a shelf would.

[Anonymous No.824830]

>>824645
>>824647

dis muthafucka right here knows what he's talking about.

I was going to suggest a French cleat (pic related), wide enough that it can screw into 3 studs and you could stand on that shelf. Studs are 16" on center so at least 32" wide, measure your TV and build it that wide. Hang the entire thing over a wall outlet and hide the plugs and cords behind the DVDs just like that picture.

Don't bother hanging the TV from the wall for 2 reasons, 1) even the cheapest shittiest wall mount is cutting into your budget and 2) no way to neatly hide cables without going into the wall (PITA) or getting one of those trim strips that stick out from the wall (ghetto).

What kind of wood to use? Dimensional lumber like oak or walnut is expensive and you're gonna fuck a lot of it up because you have no experience. Particle board and MDF are heavy and look like shit unless you laminate it which is a bitch. Plywood can look ok if you get something nice and void free like Baltic Birch, sand the shit out of it and stain it really dark so the end grain isn't obvious. One sheet of 60"x60"x3/4" Baltic will be around $60 depending on your suppliers (they don't sell good stuff at Home Depot, call woodworker stores), sandpaper and stain adds up unless you have it already. You could go with select pine which isn't too expensive, but even then you're going to have to dig for a nice piece and it's super soft so it scratches easily.

Titebond and clamps, no screws, nails or staples where they'll be visible, biscuits if you have the joiner, interior cleats for strength if you're not comfortable cutting 45 miters (easy to screw up for a newb), you can do this shit. Ask your dad for help, he'll be happy to teach you.

$100 is realistic to DIY it, or you could always get something like http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90294512/ and french cleat that bitch onto your studs and be done with it.

>>824743
faggot.

[Anonymous No.824880]

>>824262
I'm an amateur with a similar skill level to what you describe and if it were me I'd go with the other Anon's idea and buy a flat pack cabinet and work out how to make it float with the help of Google and Instructables.

[Anonymous No.825516]

OP here, sorry it took so long to reply.
Just buying a shelf from ikea and hanging on the wall would be the easiest and smartest option, but i think building my own will be a cool experience and will teach me a lot, so im going for it.
>>824645
Thanks for the advice about the cleat and the 45+ mitered edge. I talked to my dad about these and he said they were great ways to make a sturdy shelf.

>>824830
i'll probably take your advice and put the tv on the shelf. my dad prefers that i not run cables through the walls any more than i have to.
And i'm not sure where to look for the plywood you mentioned, but it sounds like a good material to work with. thanks. My dad says all the plywood he's ever bought came in 4'x8' not 5'X5' though.

As soon as i can find the wood and my dad has a little free time to help me get started, ill be keeping the thread updated with my progress.
until then, share some project stories and keep bumping.

[Anonymous No.825534]

>>824830
Thanks I've built way too many floating shelves for work and side gigs

[Anonymous No.825549]

>>825534
The resolution on that pic made me laugh

[Anonymous No.825683]

>>825549
My phone takes some pretty decent photos.

[Anonymous No.825707]

>>825534
Shelf has a big flaw in the grain.
Stupid receptacle put in plain sight.

Architect and builder should be severely beaten.

[Anonymous No.825908]

Structural eng here, please make sure to dynabolt or similar into the wall studs, check your plans to see if you have any double studs in the wall you can use. This would be horrible if you bolted to plasterboard and then it all collapsed and pulled the sheet off the wall.

[Anonymous No.826584]

>>825534
That stone is pretty awesome.

[Anonymous No.826645]

Can I use this for the material?
It's seems cheaper than Baltic birch and would make less work.
http://www.menards.com/main/mobile/building-materials/shelves-shelving-units/prefinished-shelving/dakota-3-4-x-15-1-4-x-72-horizontal-prefinished-bullnose-shelving/p-2698093.htm

[Anonymous No.826755]

why would you want to hide them?

[Anonymous No.826756]

>>826755
there was another one like this that was a city sky line done with TV and speaker cables. Can't seem to find the picture.

[Anonymous No.826764]

>>826756
How do?
Can the ps3 super slim model hang sideways like that too?

[Anonymous No.826821]

Plywood.
Edge banding
Full length french cleats


Dont over think it. Your just making a cabinet and hanging it.

[Anonymous No.826823]

>>826645
Good luck.


That stuff is not good at holding screws.


Baltic birch will look the best. But if your just going to paint it. Use ac pine, and edge banding.


Build it using a kreg jig or a biscuit jointer.

[Anonymous No.826833]

>>826755
>creating passive resistive loads

Ishygddt

[Anonymous No.826835]

>>825707
By code outlets required on two feet of useable wall space.

[Anonymous No.826838]

>>826645
Looks like particle board core. Nails won't hold well without glue, screws only and glue. It's pre finished so almost no good way for touch ups, also has a bullnose. All exposed ends will need to be factory ends to match or miters no butt joints. New saw blades for cleanest cuts possible

[Anonymous No.826879]

>>826833
The "draw arrows on an image" meme is my absolute favorite.

And you know that at 60 hz there's almost no bending of extension cables that you can do that will really upset something. You'd have to be trying to mess something up because of it.

[Anonymous No.826884]

>>826879
he is extremely autistic, he can't help it.

[Anonymous No.826887]

>>826833
hey that's my city!

[Anonymous No.826895]

>>826835
You could have stuck it behind a vanity panel, no?

[Anonymous No.827236]

>>826835
Thinking that's a wall.
Always following code.

[Anonymous No.827258]

>>826879
>"draw arrows on an image"
The arrows refer to airflow paths, usually used at /g/ for comparing the component and cable layout inside of desktop computers.

[Anonymous No.827689]

>>827258
I didn't know Guessputational Fluid Dynamics was a field now.

[Anonymous No.827707]

>>825683
Is it a lumia?

[Anonymous No.827898]

>>824262
You are indeed over yer head and budget. You can be educated but nobody is giving you money for free. Best you can do with that cash is cheap amazon wall mount for tv and one of those floating shelves from a hardware/department store. If you want better sound than yer tv has buy a soundbar and hang it under the tv set with brakets made for the task. If you want truly good sound....well you need more than a hundred bucks....sound bars are best bang for the cost and space.

If you wan to hide the wires just blow a hole behind the tv and one just above the shelf and fish wires through the wall cavity..fancy cover plates are optional. Be sure you know there is no water/power in the wall before you go drilling willy nilly like. Also ask dad for help. He's either more capable than you or will tell you not to fuck his house up and thus end your project.

[Anonymous No.827903]

>>827236
While im on everones side with that shity outlet. If it's not a wall what is it?

Seriously could have atleast used a black outlet/cover plate. Boss mode would be to hide it though. Or just tell the inspector you'll install it in his ass if he doesn't fuck off. God damn cunts ruin everything pushing the letter of the law when the spirit of the law clearly isnt to fuck up shit just because.

[Anonymous No.827904]

>>824743
>this.

Physical media is for plebs. Having all media on a server or htpc is better in every conceivable way.

Inb4 hard disk is phsical. Fuck off smart ass.