How would you build this?

[James Manning]

:confused: LOML wants me to build the break-front built-in below and I am puzzled at how to go about it. I think the thick vertical partitions are two 3/4" ply panels with some 1by or 2by blocking? Can you build it like normal case construction in the shop and then screw the case's together on install, or do you have to build it on-site? If built on-site how do you get the backs on and keep everything square? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Per where are you? I need your help bud........:)

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[Joe Scharle]

From the pic, I see 5 cabinets joined with face frame stiles hiding the connecting boxes.

[David DeCristoforo]

Not to any scale but this is how I would build it. I would make a seperate "cap" with the crown attached to tie the top together. Each "unit" would be seperate, tied together with the "pilasters" and assembled "on site". Shelf "pin" holes are a good place to hide the connecting screws....

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[Peter Quinn]

I would build five separate units with blocking and the face frame member, or pilaster, attached to the side closest to the interior unit in each case, leaving the appropriate overhang to cover the next case side, and possible a rabbit to accept the side. I would attach with screws hidden behind shelves and in the lower closed portion of the unit, and build the top with crown as a single unit, probably around the assembled unit in the shop and reassembled on site. I suppose you could use knock down hardware generally and possibly something with a cam action to attach the pilasters as separate units also. Here's a rough idea.

[keith ouellette]

I have no experience with anything like that but I'll throw in my 2 cents any way. I would build all five cases separately with the idea in mind that they would be joined together on site. I would not attach the crown molding till after all five cases were joined the same way as if I were putting in kitchen cabinets.

I would also change the plan a little. from the picture it looks as though the cabinet doors on the inside right and inside left sides would open right against the side of the adjacent case. I would try to change that by adding a couple of extra inches of width to the four smaller cases while leaving the doors the same size.

[Karl Brogger]

I'd do 5 seperate boxes too.

The "ribs" in the back of the center cabinet are just there to cover up the joints in the back. I'm guessing its more than 48' wide, probably has a 1/4" back and thats the easiest way to staple a back on.

I wouldn't bother with a 3/4 back. Especially if its just going to be a free standing piece.

Crowning it before you get it in place or not really won't matter. The ends are flat, just cut it up to the edge and call it good enough. If you really want to get psychotic about it, you could dado the face frame into each one the adjoinging finished ends and run the crown just a hair proud so it doesn't bottom out in the dado. But that's way more work than its worth.

edit- crown idea wouldn't work, I thought the heights were staggered as well.

[James Manning]

Thanks to all that responded, great ideas from all! You guys have definately cleared up a few things for me. I was hoping I could do 5 boxes and then tie them together just wasn't sure about how to do it and maintain that clean look. Dave I like the bottom connection in your pic and I also will use Peter's suggestion about the pilaster overhanging to cover the next case edge.

Keith, I think she is changing her mind on the small doors on the small outside pieces...hopefully won't have to do them:D

Karl, I plan on raising the center section to 8ft and the outside units will be 7'6, LOML loves the staggerd height look.

I will keep you guys posted, as I will probably have more questions, this is going to be a fun challenging project for me and I have all week to get it built, painted and installed. I just finished installing a normal bookcase built-in in my 5yr olds BR thurs night, I still have to tie in the crown and base moulding and do some touch up caulk and painting.

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[Karl Brogger]

Just to make life easier, make the center 96", the next level out 90", and the end sections 84".

A foot difference will look huge, and actually even bigger when you're sitting on the couch looking up and you have height and depth working together to set them apart visually even more.

If I were to guess at widths, the center section is probably 60", and the four side cabinets are 24" each. so 108" long. How much room do you have?

Here's a drawing of how I'd do it. Most of it being based on being lazy.

I'm not sure I'd put a door in the farthest out section. If that cabinet is 12-1/2" deep, its useless to have a door on it, I'd run book case all the way to the floor.

In one of the 28" wide sections I'd made another set of doors with cloth panels, and not put a bottom in that cabinet for a subwoofer. Not having a bottom helps keep things from rattling, and cloth allow the sound to escape more easily than just cutting vents in the toe or bottom rail.

If you want me to tweak the numbers on these drawings let me know. I can also email you the file in a different format so its a little clearer.

[James Manning]

Just to make life easier, make the center 96", the next level out 90", and the end sections 84".

A foot difference will look huge, and actually even bigger when you're sitting on the couch looking up and you have height and depth working together to set them apart visually even more.

If I were to guess at widths, the center section is probably 60", and the four side cabinets are 24" each. so 108" long. How much room do you have?


Here's a drawing of how I'd do it. Most of it being based on being lazy.

I'm not sure I'd put a door in the farthest out section. If that cabinet is 12-1/2" deep, its useless to have a door on it, I'd run book case all the way to the floor.

In one of the 28" wide sections I'd made another set of doors with cloth panels, and not put a bottom in that cabinet for a subwoofer. Not having a bottom helps keep things from rattling, and cloth allow the sound to escape more easily than just cutting vents in the toe or bottom rail.

If you want me to tweak the numbers on these drawings let me know. I can also email you the file in a different format so its a little clearer.

Karl,

I have to keep the center section at 8' tall, my ceiling height is 9' with a air vent right in the middle of where this center section will be.

LOML & I really appreciate your input on this and we would love to keep the staggered effect along with the arched top rails....she loves it. This will be a "L" shaped on the left side, there are door casing to the right side and the left side around the corner. Top of door casing is 86" so it looks like the heights have to be between 86" - 96"

We are designing this based on our 42" plasma tv........actual is (40" 1/8 by 30" tall. Since I was thinking the pilasters look like 3" wide the tv center section would be 3+3+40?, total run down long wall is 158" minus 14" for the bookcases to tie together on the left side. We were thinking the small case's would 14" deep then 16" for the next sections and finally the TV cabinet would be 18" base on the av components that I have to store in the center section.

No need for the subwoofer in the case as it is wired in across the room behind everything, but center section will house the large center channel speaker above the tv, and the left/right front speakers will set in the adjoining side units off the tv case. See drawing for dimensions for the short and long wall, 158" working room for long wall and 63" for the short wall.

thanks again for your help!! :)

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[Karl Brogger]

8' = 96":confused: Working in feet is way to difficult for me.

14" is about the right depth for a bookcase. Most of it is a waste anyhow, and odd sized books like atlas' will usually stick out anyway, even at 14" deep. I make mine 12-1/2" just because the material works out well.

If the outside cabinets are 84", you'll be real close to 86" by the time you add crown.

I wouldn't make it L shaped. I guess with out seeing the room its hard to say, but I'd think the corner would be a bit crowded that way. Anything you do will be sort of odd. You don't have a room on the left on the long wall to shrink everything and still keep it balanced, yet leave room for even a shallow box on the shorter wall.

Plasma's are making the traditional way of building entertainment centers difficult. No longer do you need a 30" deep cabinet to accomodate a 65" TV. 12" is plenty, and it kinda messes with the way things have always been done.

[Karl Brogger]

Just tweaked it again. Too lazy to save/copy to new format/ upload.

If you do 3" stiles on the center cabinet, bump the width out to 48" that will give you a little room for the Plasma to breath, and you won't need to splice a back. Further more the side sections will only need 2 sheats of 1/4" to do the backs. The whole thing works out to 144", or 12' for you foot type people.:D It should come out pretty decent for material usuage.

Center is 20" deep, next out 18" deep, and the ends are still 12-1/2" deep.

[James Manning]

Karl,

Thanks for all your help, I will spend the rest of the afternoon digesting to see which way LOML wants to go.........I am easy either way..:D

In the original picture I do not like the bottom she does, I want to wrap the bottom with base moulding flowing around the room. I really like what you have drawed up and will probably work towards some parts of that design.

Stay tuned..........;)

[Brian Peters]

I like the above idea of adding another stile to each of the cabinets so they could be built as sep. cabs and add blocking in the back and screw them together. David's idea of hiding screw holes in the line bore is the way to go.

[David DeCristoforo]

Karl's idea of adding the second stile to each section is good. But the resulting unit will not look like the original design. Breaking up the top by stepping the heights is good too but again it will not look like the original drawing. If I were going to build something like this, I would probably want to go more in the direction of Karl's drawing. But if a designer asked me for something like the unit shown in the OP's original picture, I would not have any problem making it like that. I don't think it would be any easier either way and it would be a matter of personal preference which looked "better".

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I'm with Karl. Make it in 5 pieces and use a trim you make to cover the join lines Then screw it together and there ya go.

The toughest part of that project will be the molding on top.

When you are done it'll look fantastic.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Make it in 5 pieces..."

It can be made in five pieces either way..... Actually, If I were going to dupilicate the original design I would build it in at least six pieces with the sixth being a cap with the crown attached. Karl's varaition offers the option of attaching the crowns to each individual section without having to worry about fitting them together when the unit is assembled.

[James Manning]

After the LOML seen Karl's stepped sketch she changed her mind......are they allowed to do that? :cool:. I told her after I start ripping the ply no more changing and she just had this big ole :D on her face!!! I ripped down 5 sheets this afternoon and started the ole pocket hole machine......if you guys do a bunch of PH's you got to get one of these....SWEET:D:D:D:D. I made a side rest for sliding the case sides into the foreman, works great. I will post as I go along if anyone is interested.......thanks again for all the input guys.

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[David DeCristoforo]

"...she changed her mind......are they allowed to do that?"

They are. You are not. So sorry. That's just the way it is.....

[James Manning]

"They are. You are not. So sorry. That's just the way it is....."

I tried telling her I was the head of the household.......:p and she told me that she was the neck....:confused: and then she said the neck can turn the head anyway it wants........:D:D:D

[James Manning]

Wanted to say thanks for all who helped me come up with this design, special thanks to Karl Brogger for the drawings they really helped me. I have been finished with it for awhile and thought I would post a few finished shots. The LOML loves them and so does everyone who has seen them,

thanks again guys......

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[Scott Rollins]

Great Job! I like how you did the managed the corner. I may have to borrow that.

[Peter Stahl]

Wow looks great, better not let my wife see this.

[Jon Stinson]

That looks amazing...too bad my wife already saw it... :rolleyes:

[Ken Shoemaker]

First let me say, That is FINE work. Be very proud of it. Second, I hope my SWMBO ask for such a project, I already have a list of new tools that are a must BEFORE I start...... What did you get???? Dream big.....:D

[James Manning]

Thanks for the kind words........this is my largest built-in project to date and I am pleased with it. Makes a great conversation piece when friends and family come over.......:) OTOH I have recieved no-less than 4 request from said guests to do something similar for them.....:eek: