Entertainment Unit

[BobR]

My son has just doubled the value of his house by installing a massive wall mounted TV screen with all the associated electronics. As a result of this he spent a great deal of time looking for unit to house everything, but without success. Just too fussy. I showed him one that was in a recent FWW magazine. This he liked. However the drawers needed to be made narrower (is there such a word) and an extra electronics bay added. In all this would make the unit just over 2000mm in width.

The cabinet interior is made from plywood with a jarrah veneer. This is the first project that I constructed using plywood - and will be my last. It is just not possible to get the same finish on veneer that is achievable with solid timber.

Image 1. This shows the interior dividers waiting for the shelving holes to be drilled. The jig has a stop down one side that rests against the respective edge. A centre line across the jig is lined up with a centre line on the material to be drilled.

Image 2. The jig is clamped to the cabinet divider with the centre line visible. Blue tape is for the start/stop marks on this particular project.

Image 3. The drilled divider.

Image 4. Using biscuits, the interior end piece is connected to an interior divider by a fixed shelf. After a chat with Sachys Robertson, I settled on the Maxx screws for the plywood. Absolutely no problems. This was another first - I would not usually use screws in a project such as this, but was intrigued by the technique described in the FWW article.

Image 5. With two "H" pieces made it was time to fit them to the base along with the centre divider.

[BobR]

Image 6. Following the above, two pieces were attached to the top to add both rigidity and a base for the top to be attached to.

Image 7. The ends of the unit have a frame and panel construction. This image shows the panels being constructed.

Image 8. Next was the frame. When this was glued up a router was used to create a rabbet for the frame. The corners were squared off by hand.

Image 9. The front stile of the frame wraps around the cabinet. The piece at the front is taken from the stile prior to glue up so that the grain wraps around the front. The joint is a miter. The blue tape is clamping the glueup.

Image 10. The finished frame and panel.


Image 11. In this photo the wrap around described in 9 above can be seen.

Image 12. As the unit is still up on the assembly table I took the opportunity to fit 6 non swivel wheels.

Image 13. The unit now on the shop floor.

Image 14. Making the drawers using the Leigh jig. Purists look the other way.

[BobR]

Image 15. Smoothing the dove tail joints and sides.

Image 16. The drawer fronts are just sitting in the opening for rough sizing and grain matching.

Image 17. The Accuride slides are now installed and the drawers tested.

Image 18. The fronts have now been fitted to the drawers and fine adjustments made to the slides to get the fronts even.

Image 19. Another shot of the fitted drawers.

[BobR]

Image 20. Next the back was cut out.

Image 21. As I mentioned earlier - not happy Jan when it comes to veneered plywood. So after forking out for the jarrah veneer I set about covering it. I cut 3mm strips, book matched, then glued them up. This was then put through the drum sander. First time at trying this. Lets just say, and interesting experience.

Image 22. Clamped up and drying

Image 23. The finished veneering.

[BobR]

Image 24. With the veneering finished it was time to fit the edging. Here the front edge is fitted first.

Image 25. Next the end edging is fitted using two clamps gripping each other to gain the distance. Biscuits were used here.

Image 26. The top resting on the cabinet for a trial fit.

Image 27. A look at the top.

[BobR]

Image 28. When it came to finishing I was not sure what I wanted to do. I got in touch with Evan Dunstone who had written a number of articles for Aust Wood Review; one on jarrah. He suggested that if I was going to use Danish oil, then apply about 5 coats as a wipe on and buff straight away. Then for a final coat use Feast Watson Fine Buffing Oil also as a wipe on and buff straight away. I am more than pleased with the finish.

[ajw]

BobR, that is a very nice unit. How many man-hours do you reckon it took you?

Allan

[Harry72]

Nice work Bob.

[Glenn_M]

Great piece of work there Bob. looks great!
Cheers,
Glenn

[Pops]

Hi Bob,

Yes, very nice job. Well done, and the top came up beautifully. :2tsup: Good finish too.

I reckon you just trippled the value of your son's house. :D Seriously though, a mate had one made to order, not unlike yours but a bit taller, it was mostly solid but had some ply also, and get this, he paid over $4000 for it.

Thanks for all the photos. We likes lots of photos.

Cheers
Pops

[Al B]

Excellent work Bob, well done :2tsup:

[Gaza]

wow

[philf]

Hi Bob,
Very nice unit job well done, nice trick with the clamps not being long enough also.

[BobR]

Thanks for the comments.

ajw, guestimate only. In excess of 200 hours. However, this is just taking my time, coping with workshop restrictions, and working out new processes. Someone who was all setup, plenty of room, and not breaking any new ground may halve this. Although glue time and finishing time are hard to reduce - just waiting.

Pops I could believe the price. Materials for this project are in excess of $2,000. This includes everything from consumables that may have a quantity left over (screws, sandpaper, oils), ply that has offcuts, not too much jarrah was left though.

[AlexS]

Great job, Bob, and an excellent WIP too.
Was the jarrah veneer cut by peeling it off the log? I've found it very boring and hard to get a good finish on. Cutting your own 3mm as you did seems to be a lot better.

[BobR]

Alex, the veneer was about as thick as a cigarette paper. This only allows for about one go at sanding with a fine grit. There is no way that the surface can be prepared as well as the solid timber. This was ROS sanded to 400 then after the first and second coats of Danish Oil further rubbed with oooo steel wool. After the fifth coat of Oil, which was just wiped on, no wait, then buffed the surface was like glass. I am thankfull that the visible ply veneer is all internal.

I failed to mention the shelf supports. These were obtained from Lee Valley. Each hole has a threaded brass insert. The support post screws into these. No way will the support fall out. Nearly went bonkers hammering them into all the holes though.

[Wongo]

Wow Bob, that is really beautiful. I've got some veneer but still haven't had a chance to use them. Must give it a go one of these days.


:2tsup:

[Claw Hama]

Sweet job Bob!

[Screamin TE]

awesome work Bob. Was it a difficult project?

[BobR]

Screamin TE, overall not a difficult project but it contained a few new procedures for me. I had never cut 3mm veneer in this quantity before, nor veneered a large ply wood area before. So I had to make the cauls and prepare for a major glue-up. The "swinging"of the front end stile around the corner was also a first for me. With all the front edging on the ply cabinet attention to measurements is critical, as there are many T joints between the top cabinet rail, base, vertical dividers, and fixed shelves. So I guess it was not too bad.

[hutch]

very nice unit bobr in the proccess of building one myself can you tell me how deep you made yours

[BobR]

hutch, the interior dividers are 508mm (20") deep with a 19mm solid jarrah dress piece on the front making the total depth 527mm. The top is 578mm deep. This allows for an overlap at the front as well as the back. The back has some space behind it for loose cables.

[hutch]

the wife loves yours and it will fit perfectly so if your son does not like it my wife would love it for xmas:D:D:D

[BobR]

hutch, too late! Talk about boys and their toys.

[hutch]

oh well now i will have to make her a blackwood one :doh:

[ciscokid]

Amazing bit of work. Real craftmanship. Excellent step by step tutorial as well. I enjoyed it. :)

[HandyAndrea]

You beat me to it! I have that magazine, and was planning to build the unit in my woodworking night class, where all the machinery is available. I'm going to have to get my skates on if it took you over 200 hours, though. Mind you, I was going to make it as per the "recipe".

Nice job!:)

[BobR]

Go for it! Don't let the 200 hours get in the way. If you are just going to follow the bouncing ball, the time will be greatly reduced. Those hours included everything. Remember that I ended up cutting my own veneer for the top, making a sheet, then glueing it to the top ply. Quite a few hours there. Also, the type of finish you use will affect the wall clock hours involved. If you do it as per the article, using mainly plywood, then things should go fine. Good luck.

[Alastair]

Lovely work Bob!

I am in process of a smaller build, but to a self design, m+t carcase, frame & panel, in Cedar.

Wish I had seen yours before, as I would have changed my design, to make construction easier.

Where did you get your veneer ply?

regards

[BobR]

Hi Alastair, The ply came from Yates Wood Products at Ingleburn. Delivery to Winston Hills was $60. I could have picked it up but the round trip would have cost me more than that in fuel. The man is Colin Jones - Sales Manager Panels. A top bloke and very helpful. The veneer is applied after you order the ply; takes ablut three weeks. Colin doesn't have a problem if you want to go over and select your own veneer. Something I would do if I was to go down the ply path again as colour matching with the solid wood component can be critical.

[Alastair]

Thanks for that Bob,

I'll contact him and enquire about Cedar veneer.

It might be offer a better option for the internals than what I have started doing.

regards

[HandyAndrea]

Hi Bob

Yep I don't have that many toys, so don't need the Giant Super-size! And I certainly don't think I'm up to veneering yet.
Guys, if you don't subscribe to the magazine, it was in the shops here in NZ only just over a month ago, so there may still be copies about. I thought it was quite a clever, straightforward method of construction which should give a classy looking result, given a bit of care. Good Luck!

[artme]

Excellent workmanship and design, as always Bob.:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Thanks for the details on the finish. I shall file that in the memory bank.

[uniquo]

what is the name of the magazine and which edition is it?

thanks

[HandyAndrea]

It was Taunton Press's "Fine Woodworking Magazine" Issue 200, September/October, 2008. Hope that helps.

[BobR]

Thanks Andrea. Did not see Uniquo's RFI.

[uniquo]

It was Taunton Press's "Fine Woodworking Magazine" Issue 200, September/October, 2008. Hope that helps.


Yes that does heaps. WIth Taunton being an American magazine what adjsutments does everyone usually make when making the furniture from the magazine?

I know it seems strange but I'm a complete noobie.

TGHanks