We needed a TV console in our new house. I designed this with Sketchup, so I’ve made the model available in their 3D warehouse. It’s called “Floating 8′ long TV Console“, if you have Sketchup you can just download it. The model includes cut-sheet layouts for the 8×4′ hardwood plywood sheet and the sheet and a bit of 5×5′ Baltic birch plywood. You can get everything out of one sheet of hardwood plywood – except the false back, I had an extra piece of scrap from another project that I used for that piece. Also the edging I used was left over from another project, but a good trick is ripping a 1×1 down the center to get two pieces of 5/16” edging, a single 8′ 1×1 is enough for the project or you could use heat bonded veneer tape which was my original plan (which is why the edging isn’t in the Sketchup model). There is also a spreadsheet on Google docs with just the cut-list.
Build Gallery
First step, gluing oak strips to the plywood edges with painters tape, the cheapest clamp available!The scariest cut of the whole project, 14″ beveled crosscut on both end of an 8′ plywood board. As you can see, I don’t have a lot of room, or working surface in my basement.End miter joints are just glued as I don’t have any fancy domino or biscuit cutters. They will be well supported when the rest of the piece comes together.Center section assembled, I’m using pocket screws for most of the joints.Bottom is on, and the piece is flipped over to be right side up. Finally the end of those miter joints aren’t hanging out in fresh air.Two 8′ 1×8 oak boards crosscut into the five drawer fronts, and one piece ripped into three strips for the support cleats.Support cleats installed with plenty of pocket screws and some holes cut for routing wires through the back of the piece.Some detail on the cleats that hold the false-back of the center section. It’s just pushed into place, pushing on the top locks it, pushing on the bottom will release it.More detail on the false back. The top edge is rounded over (towards the back-side) so that it can rotate into place.Sitting on paint cans more or less in position. But there’s a problem.The wall is waaay off straight! There’s about a 0.5″ gap at on end.The gap to the wall doesn’t look quite so bad once the piece is bolted to the with 3.5″ 5/16″ steel lag bolts. I’m going to hide it with a plant until I can get the energy up to patch it.Wires all cleaned up with all the electronics installed. As you can see the finish matches my dog.Sheet and a quarter of 1/2″ Baltic birch plywood all cut up and ready to make into drawers. I hate making drawers.Much work later, drawers are made and installed.Hardwood drawer fronts installed.Finished article in natural light.
