Need help designing a floating TV Stand

[ragrawal]

Hi all,

I have little experience with wood working. For this summer, I am thinking of making a floating TV Shelf similar to one over here:

However I am not able to figure out complete design. Ideally I would like t o design it in such a way that its easy assemble and disassemble. I am thin king of doing something like Elfa custom closet where I have one horizontal steel rail attached to the wall and two vertical rails hanging from it. Fi nally I can attach plywood on the vertical rails. Wondering is this feasibl e or if there is a simpler idea.

Thanks Ritesh

[hubops]

Don't forget the cables ! ... power-bar; audio-video cables; power cables etc. A beautiful design & build can be ruined by ugly cables dangling .. < unless you're all wireless > Best to design-it-in now - rather than a patch-job later. John T.

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[dadiOH]

1. Piece of 3/4 ply painted black
2. Barnwood pieces screwed to ply through ply

3 Shelves screwed in place through barnwood; ditto drawer sides.

1. French cleats on wall and back of ply. Lift the whole works up and hang on the wall cleat. Attach TV (before lifting) with bolts through ply and barnwood into a steel plate fastened to the integral sockets in the back of the TV.

The ply need not extend top to bottom of the barnwood. Cables and electric could be in a box behind the ply with a cutout in the ply to access it. The box could also be in what appears to be a drawer in your link.

If you want the TV to be removeable by itself (leaving the ply & barnwood on the wall), another pair of french cleats would work; that would add more thickness unless toy cut out the barnwood to accomodate them.

Nice design, BTW, I may make one for myself. Don't want barnwood, though...if I did it would be cheaper and easier to just buy the one you linked.

[Leon]

It is feasible, and this is what I designed and put up in my house. More than a little wood working experience will be very helpful.

I used french cleats to hang the panels and the panels float 3/4" from the wall. All wiring is hidden behind the panels and cabinet.

The cabinet hides storage, electronics, wiring, center and front speakers.

[Leon]

Actually looking at the link you provided again, you might do better by buying that one. You will likely spend more if you design and build yourself unless you are looking to go much simpler.

[Ritesh Agrawal]

Thanks dadiOH, Leon for all the info. I think I have some homework to do on what is actually barnwood and french cleat. I quickly did google and I can see how french cleat can be used. However I have few more questions:

• I will end up with separate french cleat for each of the three ply panel. I am wondering it will be difficult to perfectly align them vertically so that all the panels look perfectly aligned.

• Should I put TV wall mount on plywood ?

Also I am wondering why this will be more expensive than buying for $250. Here is my cost estimate

1: 3/4 plywood panel (2): about 50-60 dollars 2: french cleats (6): about 80 3: drawer rails (2): about 20 dollars 4: barnwood : ??

So I am looking about 200 dollars (including misc items and wastage I do). Am I under estimating expenses. Also I already few plywood pieces and I am thinking of reusing them.

[Leon]

Alignment can be very difficult unlesssssss.

OK, Try to keep up here and good luck. This is where the basic working knowledge of wood working comes in.

My walnut panels are 8' long so alignment was very critical so that they remained parallel to each other.

In the picture in the link below you see the walnut panels face down with a lot going on.

Basically you see the panel side of the french cleats screwed to the backs of the panels. Those are the very long pieces. Also the shorter pieces near but not at the very center, on both sides of the cut outs. The short pieces at both ends and perpendicular to the long and short cleats are to keep the panel from bowing. If you are using 3/4" thick material this step is probably not necessary.

From there you see slight shorter, wall side, french cleats in position with the panel side of the french cleats. They also appear to be thinner. And finally you see two spacers between the panels to insure that the panels stay properly spaced and parallel to each other.

NEXT you see 4 strips running perpendicular to the cleats, 2 on each end screwed to the wall side cleats only. These hold the wall side cleats in perfect alignment with each other and will enable you to lift all of the wall side cleats as a unit and perfectly spaced.

Next take that assembly of wall cleats off odf the back of the wall panels and flip upside down. Add 4 more of the retainer strips on on the opposite side as the original 4 retainers.

Flip upside down again and remove the original 4 retainers.

You remove the originals because they are on the wrong side of the wall cleats but must be there to hold the wall side cleats in place as you attach the opposite side retainers.

Now you can carry that assembly to the wall and attach the wall side cleats to studs/the wall.

Finally remove the outer 4 retainers. All of the wall side cleats should be in perfect alignment if you were careful.

Yes, to shim the TV out from the wall. The panels will make for a tight fit if you do not. In my picture above you see the cut out section in the middle. That gave me wiggle room to place the TV plywood panel wiggle room so that the plywood could be mounted directly to the wall. I then attached the TV metal mount to that section of plywood. DO NOT mount the TV to the floating panels.

Considering the steps I mentioned above, Is your time worth anything? Can you produce the same finished results as the kits offer?

[OFWW]

Sweet!