Thread: I need to make a TV table that will hold 170 lb TV

Originally Posted by mgamiet

Greetings!

I want to make a TV Stand on wheels that will safely hold my 170 lb TV.

Does anyone have a calculation that I can use to design this stand?

Thanks,
Marcina

Welcome to the forum mgamiet. It is good to have you here!


I have my doubts about building what you want out of wood. I would recommend you weld one up out of square section steel


Cheers,

Chipman

170lbs is only 77kg. It would end up being a pretty solid unit but I have seen bigger people dancing on some pretty light weight coffee tables. Sorry I can't help with calculations Marcina but I am sure someone in here will come to the party for you.

Corbs

Originally Posted by mgamiet

Greetings!

I want to make a TV Stand on wheels that will safely hold my 170 lb TV.

Does anyone have a calculation that I can use to design this stand?

Thanks,
Marcina

Hi Marcina. As Chipman suggested, steel is probably a vital ingredient. I use it to make built-in bookcases, and then clad the steel with timber so that it all looks like pure timber framing. If you use angle iron, the case will be rigid. If the top of the cabinet is held on using it, it can't sag. You might reinforce the joinery with it as well on the inside corners. Another way to ensure rigidity is to install a piece of "I" beam steel, running under the top along its length, mid-way along its depth. Hey, what kind of a TV weighs 170 lbs, anyway? Have fun building it. You can do anything with a bit of lateral thinking!

Cheers,
Michael

I think I would start by thinking about the wheels. I assume you will be using castors. Possibly with a pair of swivel castors at one end to help navigation. The size of the castors you chose will determine in part the size of some of the structural members. Another consideration is the height. A short stubby stand could be fairly easy out of wood. A taller stand, say up to bench height would need to be a lot more rigid and stable against twisting and buckling and, as some of the others have suggested, might be helped by some square steel tubing with diagonal braces and welded joints.

I think Corbs and Fencepost are on the right track. 77kg is about my weight, and I've sat or stood on quite a few tables I've made over the years, including this one.

If you think about how chairs are made, doesn't take big bulky posts or welded steel to support that amount of weight. In this thread, you'll see a photo of about 160 kgs (over 360 lbs) standing on a chair that at first glance wouldn't look like it would support the weight.

Don't know a formula, but most of the TV stands found on the forum (use the search function or google search) would easily support the weight. If you want casters, they will need to be able to take the weight of the TV as well as the weight of the stand. If you figure 77kg for the TV, probably the same or a bit more for the stand if you're using solid wood, call it 180-200 kgs all up, then you'd want four casters that can each handle 50kgs. Cheap plastic furniture casters are typically 30-40kg load, so you only have to go up a notch to get something that will easily handle the weight.

I'd say the key is straight legs, and good joinery - mortise and tenon or floating tenon. Good joinery is really the key to the zig zag chair strength in the second thread.

Welcome to the forum, hope this helps.

Tex

Originally Posted by mgamiet

Greetings!

I want to make a TV Stand on wheels that will safely hold my 170 lb TV.

Does anyone have a calculation that I can use to design this stand?

Thanks,
Marcina

Marcina

can't add much to what's already been said, except to stress that you first source your casters — I suggest you oversize the casters by a factor of two
say your TV plus stand weighs 150kg you'd want four casters that each will support about 70 to 80kg, especially if your stand is to be used on carpet. Higher strength casters typically have larger wheels.

AND the whole thing needs to be stable when you move it arround
I you've got one of those flat screen TVs you may need some sort of hold down


ian