Thread: TV cabinet... from rubbish

Here is the raw material:

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Making panels. Please appreciate the highly technological method utilized to apply weight while the glue dries.

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Hey, if it works it works!

Do you have a plan you are following, or are you “making it up as you go along” and seeing how each element turns out?

We can say that I already have the "final" shape in my mind but the actual final "size" is coming out while adjusting a few sawing errors...

I have used the bed rails to keep together the two panels and create a sort of 'frame' for the top of my cabinet. There are HUGE gaps, but considering it is the first time I am doing this and that the timber is coming from somebody's garbage, I feel quite happy.

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It's starting to take shape. I think we can agree the finished article will never grace a stately home but this is good learning experience for you! Have a good think about what you've picked up with this build so far; and if you had to make another using the same materials and tooling, what would you do differently?

Ok; the lengthways frames are very robust, but what about transverse? Do you intend to fit end rails between the long frames to prevent them from splaying out? If there is nothing there then you could end up with the table legs splaying in and out with seasonal movement; the boards can cup (curve) to make the top go concave or convex which will affect the legs. On a tiled floor they should move, on a carpet they may dig in and possibly split the top down it's length.

End rails can either be attached to the side rails by screwing them through from the outside (looks messy but you can hide the screw heads with plugs) or screwed from the inside using pocket hole joinery; although that is another tool to buy or borrow.

Traditionally you would build the frame first, then lay the top either on top of the rails, or within them with a clearance to allow for expansion. The top would be attached to the frame either with 'buttons" or Z-clips; or by screws but with elongated screw holes to allow the boards to expand and contract.

Keep it up; I'm enjoying the journey too!

Thank you Chief!

You are right. Actually the two transverse pieces of the frame are still missing. I cut them two days ago and still not assembled with the rest of the top.
I will also post more pictures of the bottom (to show three supports which are already under the top).

I am aware that I am not doing the steps in the usual order, but I also know why I am doing this: because I am aware that my cuts are never accurate (I started to cut with a handsaw...). So I am trying to exploit the existing straight pieces the most as I can. I have no jointer, no planes, no table saw... so crooked edges will stay crooked. To match the edges which had the smaller gaps was a bit like playing tetris.

After that the top is done, I will be able to see the "leftover" materials which remain for the legs. It's a delicate balance, because my purpose is to recycle that bed frame, without adding any timber from other sources.

Anyway, I am having a lot of fun !

Originally Posted by Kuriatko

Anyway, I am having a lot of fun !

And THAT is the important bit

Hi Chief (and other forum's friends). As promised, this is how the bottom of my top looks like. The pieces on the short sides to "close" the frame are still missing.

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To fill the gaps I have used timbermate.
I also used timbermate as a grainfiller (very liquid, with a brush) on the two short sides, so when I glue up the missing pieces of the frame the glue should work better.

I am sanding the top to make it 'perfect' but I am not yet very happy with the result. Smoothing the gaps filled with timbernate is not difficult, but there are some other humps and mismatches on the whole surface and where the panels meet the side frame that would probably require something more aggressive than sandpaper.

Perhaps is it time to learn how to use a plane? The main issue here is... I have never had and never used a plane in my life. Electric planer? Hand plane? Any suggestion?

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I would probably leave the lumps and bumps as they are unless you really feel they need to go. Imperfections add character and there is still furniture being made with the most distressing... erm, distressing applied for the distressed look. Deliberate angle grinder swirls and “flying electric planer performing touch-and-go landing practice” are my pet hates . Talking of which, stay away from electric planers! These are brutally efficient tools designed to remove a lot of material very quickly but they don’t lend themselves to taking smoothing cuts particularly well.

What are you using to sand with, do you have an electric sander or are you doing it by hand? The overall look of the piece wouldn’t be spoiled by leaving sanding marks; you can get a remarkable finish using 80 grit to remove the high spots and then burnishing with a piece of polished hardwood.

Handplanes are things of joy to use when properly set up, tuned and sharpened; if only there was just one definitive way to achieve this! If you really want to dive down this rabbit hole I suggest starting a new thread but in brief you can pick up a Stanley/Record/Falcon-Pope/Turner for about $20-30 at a fleamarket and get it tuned and sharpened with nothing more than some pieces of MDF and wet-n-dry emery paper. BUT you really need to do some reading up on how they work and how all the elements interact with each other; sole flatness, frog bedding, mouth opening, cap iron profile and position... and that’s before you get to the blade.