Help with TV wall unit

[Rhino71]

Hi all,

I am a new member & was looking for any advice regarding my first major attempt at furniture building. ( I know, I'm a idiot, should have started off smaller).

I'm looking to build a Television wall unit out of NG Rosewood. Attached is rough plan of what I'm attempting. I have managed to dress around 120 l/m of 125mm x 22mm & my next step is to start looking at joining all that timber ( using biscuit jointer).

All advice is welcome. Thanking all in advance.

[Handyjack]

Start small and think big. What you are making is a series of boxes. Try your joining techniques on panels that are likely to be hidden. If you are happy with the way they turn out - go and do the rest of the panels. If you are not happy, then you can modify your method/settings.

Good luck and enjoy the results.

[Ticky]

g'day mate,

Unless you have a jointer & a thicknesser, you may not end up with the results you are looking for.

While it would be a real pitty to use all the NG rose & not be happy with the result, there may be an easier way that will produce the result you want & leave you with some Rose wood for another project.

Have you thought about using NG Rose veneer board. This will save a lot of very hard work, make for very simple joints & you can trim the edges with the timber you have. Also, this will save a lot of sanding.

I have all the gear, including a 630mm drum sander, & I would still make your design in this manner.

Steve

[Rhino71]

Hi Steve,

I hadn't thought along those lines.:-
Manage to borrow some equipment from mates & have thicknessed all the timber.
I finished glueing up the 2nd main shelf tonight. Attached is a photo of my first effort. 2nd effort included alot more clamps & cauls. I guess theres no turning back now.:oo:

[ian]

What Ticky said
what you have designed is a major undertaking in solid timber -- doable, but a huge undertaking

veneered board edged in solid NG rosewood would be much simplier

what tools, clamps, equipment do you have to build your wall unit?

[ian]

Attached is rough plan of what I'm attempting. I have managed to dress around 120 l/m of 125mm x 22mm & my next step is to start looking at joining all that timber ( using biscuit jointer).how are you intending to join all your panels together at the corners?

Biscuits are OK as alignment aids when joining boards to make larger panels, but the right angle corners of your unit will need something different -- preferably carcase dovetails

[Ticky]

I guess theres no turning back now.:oo:



Mate, you have done a real nice job, & the rose wood really looks great. But it is not to late to still use the veneer board & you can either cut the pannel you have done to make the edging or use it for another job another day.

You have enough rose wood there to make one cabinet, or if you only use it to edge veneer board, you have enough to make a room full of matching furniture. Maybe a new bed head for the wife / GF might free up the cash for some more gear out in the shed.

Steve

[Ticky]

Sorry mate, I just re read the thread & I am pushing my point my point a bit too hard.

You should do what ever you want to do, I know I would. I am only assuming, as you said this is your first major furniture project, that you may not have a lot of gear. It is for this reason that made the suggestion of board.

As Ian said, your design in solid timber is certainly doable, but if you have limited tools etc, you can achieve the same outcome much easier & quicker by using board product edged with your rose wood.

I do make make furniture out of solid timber, but I also use veneer board. have a look at this blackwood project. http://www.woodworkforums.com/f40/tassie-blackwood-wine-buffet-104646/

This ia a combination of solid & board.

Anyway, thats JMO :U

Steve

[rustynail]

As the piece will be your first major project, there is some justification in using solid timber as you will probably want to keep it as a momento. A solid timber piece will outlast a veneered substrate. Be carefull when glueing up your panels, particularly if the boards are bachsawn, make sure you reverse the end grain for each adjoining board. Failure to do so will lead to warping of the panel

[ian]

Hi Rhino

I'm unclear how much knowledge / experience you have
that panel you posted a picture of shows you have done a great job with selecting you boards when glueing up wide panels.

However, I'm concerned that you may not understand how wood naturally moves in a piece of furniture and what joints and construction methods have evolved over the centuries to deal with that movement.

Unfortunately, the methods used by Ikea to join four flat veneered panels together to make a box and then attach shelves inside the box wont last if the box is built from solid timber as you are doing.

would you like some advice on suitable joints and construction techniques?

[Rhino71]

would you like some advice on suitable joints and construction techniques?


Hi Ian,

Sorry that it has taken so long to get back to you.

I would fall into the enthusiastic amateur category. It has been a while since I built a chessboard top side table, and a turned pedestal stand. The only thing that I have built lately is a pergola with a pitched roof with hip, and a cubby house for my son. Went a little far with that as it now has ceramic tiles, roller door, sliding glass door, Caesar stone bench top, plaster lined with lights & light up garage sign. But I did build it all myself. ( see Pic)
It may take me a while, but I just plug away & keep going until finished.

As I said at the start, all advice appreciated. So yes, I would appreciate any advice you or others can impart.

My original intention was to do all joins, including the corners with biscuit joints, glue & clamp. Where possible, i.e. all hidden areas, also screw. Underneath, behind some panels & so on.

The advice that I was given from elsewhere was that this would be more than adequate.
If a dovetail joint is what everyone here recommends would be the best way to go, then I will do as I have always done in the past. Practice. Perfect. Impliment.
Otherwise I am comftable with biscuits, & will use this method if people think that would work ok.

The 7 drawers in the cabinet, I was going to join with dovetails using a mates jig, (and hopefully with his help also).

I do have a range of 10 sash clamps for the project up to 1.8m long which will take care of most things. Along with belt sander, orbital sanders, router with small router table, various saws. Just no bench saw. That would come in handy. But there are ways around that.

I have never been afraid of hard work. And as I say to others at work, always be prepared to adapt. If need dictates, then dovetail joints it is. But I will continue building with the solid timber.

Hopefully with all your help, we can build an amazing wall unit.

Regards,
Ryan.

[munruben]

I think you are on the right track and it will turn out just fine. Look forward to seeing the WIP

[ian]

Hi Ryan
I've been away for the NSW long weekend and didn't get home till late thsi evening
I'll reply in more detail tomorrow.


BUT great cubby house, my son would be more than jealous

Ian

[ian]

As I said at the start, all advice appreciated. So yes, I would appreciate any advice you or others can impart.

My original intention was to do all joins, including the corners with biscuit joints, glue & clamp. Where possible, i.e. all hidden areas, also screw. Underneath, behind some panels & so on.

The advice that I was given from elsewhere was that this would be more than adequate.
If a dovetail joint is what everyone here recommends would be the best way to go, then I will do as I have always done in the past. Practice. Perfect. Impliment.
Otherwise I am comftable with biscuits, & will use this method if people think that would work ok. Hi Ryan

some initial comments for you.
what do you think?

[Rhino71]

With regards to the plinth, I was always intending on doing that. I haven't drawn it in the model, as I am looking at putting the whole thing on castors. A lot of castors. The height of the castors will dictate the height required to hide them.

With the side cabinet, I will have to have a good look at how much room I have to see whether I can fit a cross rail. This is a three level pull out drawer so as to be able to fit DVD's on each side. Currently there is only around 10mm from the top of the drawer to the underside of the carcass. I may need to look at the dovetail option, as I have already glued the boards together for these parts, & they are to short.

Thanks Ian for your advice.

Ryan.

[ian]

Hi Ryan

I've attached a sketch of one construction method for the bottom carcass to help your thinking

[Rhino71]

Just thought I would post some WIP pics.

Next for the drawers & doors.

[ian]

Looking good Ryan

just one question -- Have you checked that the finished unit will fit through the door of the room it's to go into?

[Rhino71]

He, he, he.

First thing that I checked before I looked at building it.

I can roll it out of the garage & back in through the front door, straight down the nice wide hallway to the back of the house.

I even made sure that it would fit between the two existing walls, & all the entertainment equipment would fit in.

I know it does't quite match up with the amazing talents of others on this forum, but as my first attempt i'm having fun, & happy with what I have been able to achieve. It has been interesting lifting all the components into place. There is just a LITTLE bit of weight in the unit!

[Rhino71]

Just thought I would post some more WIP pics.


Still need to attach the drawer fronts to the lower & middle drawers. Also about half way through glueing up the large upper multi shelf drawers. Have currently sanded back to 400 grit, so will do a little more yet.

Still have to figure out what finish to apply to the unit yet. Wipe on poly, orange tung oil, danish oil or something else altogether.

[old pete]

Hi Steve,

I hadn't thought along those lines.:-
Manage to borrow some equipment from mates & have thicknessed all the timber.
I finished glueing up the 2nd main shelf tonight. Attached is a photo of my first effort. 2nd effort included alot more clamps & cauls. I guess theres no turning back now.:oo:


Hi Rhino 71. Congratulations on undertaking such a large project first off. The key will be to get the boards accurately joined into flat panels without any stress built in in going through that process. I've posted on this a number of times before but the secret to achieving flat stable panels is to have the board edges absolutely straight and square. You definitely should not need to tighten the sash cramps up with more than one hand and only moderate pressure art that. There should not be any need to place an upper caul across the panel to force it to a flat plane. If the panel does not come up flat when dry cramped then the edges are almost certainly not square to the faces or the boards aren't flat or straight or any combination of all of those and this needs addressing or the problem will come out as lack of stability and cracked joints sometime down the track. It's also convential wisdom to balance the cramping forces by applying cramps above and below the panel. Another respondent has referred to the difficulty of making the external corner joints particularly the upper one. The easy way and the strong way to do this is to have the top and the base panels extend beyond the vertical end panels. An extension of 30mm is about right for visual correctness. I'd do this joint by use of a stopped dado. Easy to do using a router and home made guide. Finally don't scrimp on glue buy a top quality cross linked PVA such as AV 160 or two pack epoxy. The latter is more convenient if you work on your own as it allows you hours of open time to get the job together. Great Effort. Cheers Old Pete

[Rhino71]

I just thought that I post some pictures of the completed unit. I managed to get the finished unit into place New Years Day.

The large pull out drawers have DVD's on both sides. In the middle down the bottom is a centre channel speaker. I hope you like, I certainly do everytime I watch TV.

[ian]

great job there

well done