How should I create the bottom shelf?

[Adam Cavaliere]

I have attached a sketchup of a TV stand that I am going to create for my bedroom. It is a "rough" draft as it isn't singular components, but a box I tweaked until I liked what I saw. The next iteration will be all components.

What I am at a loss for is how should I create the bottom shelf to fit in properly and not be too much of a pain to install?

I created a coffee table where the whole bottom had to fit into dados I cut diagonally in the legs of the table. It became a real pain as I tried to also get the top aprons to fit properly. I want to avoid that type of design.

I am planning on doing a lot of M&T where necessary.

Please let me know your ideas.

Thanks!

[Jamie Buxton]

If the shelf is plywood, I'd rely on a glued butt joint with the rails on the sides. You could use biscuits as an alignment aid, if you like. If the shelf is solid lumber, the joinery gets a little tricky. Wood expands and contracts across the grain, so a solid-wood panel needs to be connected in a way that tolerates that expansion. I'd probably M&T it near the front, and near the rear put a tongue on the panel which fits into a dado in the side rail. That tongue and dado connection would be unglued, to allow the panel to move at the rear.

[Jim Koepke]

Can you paste in a picture?

I don't have anything that can open your attachment.

Still stuck in the old pencil and paper kind of sketch up.

jim

[Adam Cavaliere]

Jamie, I am considering doing the shelf out of plywood, so that is an excellent idea.

I am also now wondering how to attach the top properly. I have made many tables where I just put cleats on and then attached the top to the cleats. The problem I am seeing with this design is that I will not be able to get a drill in to screw into the cleats. I have seen table designs like this at Crate and Barrel, but haven't seen how they attached them. Because of the 1/8" slot in the top, I am planning on having it made out of hardwood, though I have considered just making a rail to go around the whole top and have the middle be plywood.

Here are two pictures of it:

[Jamie Buxton]

If your top is basically plywood (that is, plywood with a little lumber edgebanding), you don't have expansion to deal with. You can glue the top to the rails. If your top is lumber, you need to deal with expansion. You could use figure-8 clips. You'd fasten them first to the carcass, then put the top on and mark where you need screw holes. You flip the top, drill the pilot holes, and put it back in place. You only need enough height for a screwdriver. Heck, General and others sell a little ratcheting screwdriver that looks like a small socket wrench, and it is only an inch or so tall.

[Ron Fritz]

Hello Adam, here's a TV stand that I did for my daughter 4 or 5 years ago. Although not exactly the same design as yours, it does have many of the same characteristics. I built mine out of Oak. The sides, top and shelves were 3/4" Oak plywood and everything else solid Oak. Since it was going to hold a rather heavy TV I chose to add additional web framing under the top for added support. You can find the SketchUp model and additional construction notes and photos of the construction in my web site. Creeksidewoodshop.com Good luck. Ron

[Rich Aldrich]

When I make cabinets, I normally include a top piece of plywood (either 1/2" or 3/4" thick) that is glued in a rabbit fit on the top. This helps keep the cabinet square, adds stiffness, and provides a good place to screw the top to the cabinet. It is a little more expensive and makes the cabinet heavier, but I beleive it is worth it.