Thread: TV cabinet project

I like the open design.
This is a challenging project.

The dovetails are fine and the joints will be strong enough. The problem I see is making the cabinet stable.
You will probably fit a plywood sheet to the back, either in a recess or in a groove. This add stability. I would add some additional support.

The internal shelf needs some stabilising.

I recently made a similar size cabinet. It had drawers, shelves and doors. Probably twice the amount of timber to your design. The timber, celery top pine cost $600.
As a guide blackwood would be close to your budget and look good.

Hope this is some help.

Thanks scally, I had planned to close the back with some 3 or 4mm ply/mdf and the internal shelf will be firmly attached to it also. do you think it would need more stabilising than that?

The 3mm backing will be strong enough... but it'll look ugly with this design.
To improve racking strength an upright at each end thats attached to the top and bottom and the side, for the center an upright on the rear that attaches the top to the center shelf.
If you keep the 3 uprights the same size it will look good, either make them the same wood as the rest or black them out... or even some stainless steel or aluminium(brushed/mill finish) with holes drilled in it ...give it that industrial look touch!

Good idea harry, so an uprights say 100mm wide? Could even use 4, one either end like you suggested and one at either end of the shelf as well (underneath that is).

So any ideas on how to actually cut the dovetails? Perhaps i will consider some different joints.

Why not try a splined mitre joint so no end grain is exposed, to add interested use some keys at each end or something like that. An example of a key is in this picture frame, not an ideal example but you get the idea.

I'd go along with Brettc on this one. The splined mitre joint would look good.

Splined mitres would look good, but would be quite difficult to clamp as this is not a continuous rectangle like a picture frame. I wonder if my club has a lock mitre bit...

Just put a spacer to make it act as a box shape

Originally Posted by Harry72

Just put a spacer to make it act as a box shape

Duh, thanks harry. I'm starting to wonder why i spent he last 5 years studying engineering! While yo're on the good ideas, how about an easy way to cut the splines? some sort of router jig that sits on the corner of the frame perhaps...

Tablesaw on 45 degree to cut the spline groove after cutting the mitre joint. Can use a flat tooth blade to get a square kerf if you are going to leave the ends of the spline exposed but it may not be a good look. Make the splines out of any hardwood.

Yup as Brett said, tablesaw will do the job the easiest, its possible with a router but you'll need to make a jig that will give you a flat surface to run the router along at a 45°to the jointed edge.
A biscuit joiner can be used also... just make one long slot... but be very carefull of the direction of feed always cut against the direction of the spinning blade , other wise it may self feed(not good and very dangerous).
For maximum strength make sure you spline has its grain orientated across the joint not along the joint DAMHIKT!