Securing An Angled Spanning Cabinet

[Julie Moriarty]

We just set the angled top cabinet for the entertainment center. It was a bear to get it to sit right. I'd like to make something that would both support it and make installing it easier. This is what I have right now:
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/GrtRm/EntCtr/EntCtr_030.jpg

To set it flush on top I screwed in some cleats. The gap between the cabinet and bookshelves is one thickness of 3/4" plywood.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/GrtRm/EntCtr/CabCon_02.jpg
Problem with this is the back of the cabinet has no support so it drops down.

So I put in some temporary braces to level it out and that fixed the leveling issues. Even if I made walnut braces, it would look like the after thought it really is.
http://julimorcreations.com/2220/GrtRm/EntCtr/CabCon_01.jpg

For hanging the cabinet I could permanently install walnut cleats to the bookshelves and to the wall, if there's a stud there but I'd rather make something more visually pleasing.

Any ideas?

[Paul Girouard]

Put a back on it. You’re not planning on leaving it open backed are you? Stuff will fall off the back into the void , and IF you put a TV in there , assumed, even a back painted flat black would look better than see the walls behind when the TV is on the shelve.

Use 1/2” plywood attached to the two cabinets would support the long cross over upper cabinet.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with the back idea that Paul mentions and will up-size the recommendation to 3/4" material so you can use a wall mount for the screen, rather than sitting it on a stand on the "table" surface. It will look 800% better floating like that, is safer (no potential tipping) and offers better options for routing cables to the screen back without them ever being visible. It also is easier to keep clean over time. That same "back" can provide a place to measure and mount the upper cabinet with good support.

[Julie Moriarty]

The problem with a back is it cuts off access for wiring. I'll have holes in the back of the center base cabinet, left and right, from which all the wiring for the turntable, TV, speakers, etc will pass. If any of those components needs replacing, I'd have to break down the whole thing. The receiver and DVD are 15 years old. The turntable is almost 50 years old. I have to leave the back open.

I was thinking of making up some panels that match the sides of the bookshelves, unless a better idea comes along.

[Paul Girouard]

Cut a large access hole , 20” x 20” , maybe even 28” x 28” in the center of the back , you could even leave that hole open the wires could be run thru the access hole and you could even attach the back via that access hole the perimeter of the plywood back would give you the strength you’d need to hold the spanning cabinet in place.

TV’s these days are generally very light in weight , so removing the TV to adjust , add or change wires isn’t the major pain that it was five or ten years ago.

[Wayne Lomman]

Fit a filler panel in the space between the adjacent cupboard end panels. You need a good close fit with adjacent ends. Permanently fix this to on of the cabinets.

Screw fix the ends together. Locate the screws where they are least visible.

Screw fix through the angled back of the overhead unit to the wall. If there is no stud available, use 4 plasterboard fixings in each panel.

This will now be solid but also can be uninstalled when/if ever required. Screw heads are treated in whatever way matches your final finish.

FYI, it is better to construct the overhead unit with all 4 of the end panels full height so that the whole lot rests on the benchtop. It doesn't change the look and it doesn't impede cable access. You still leave the back out as you have correctly done. Cheers

[Julie Moriarty]

Thanks guys. I'm submitting all this to the engineering department (my brain) to see what happens. It's a mess up there right now so I'm not expecting any miracles.

[David Gutierrez]

can you screw the sides of the cabinet that hit the wall into the wall?

[Don Jarvie]

+1 on adding the back. You can cut an access hole under the TV mount for wires and it will be hidden by the TV.

[Derek Meyer]

if you're worried about being able to fish cables from the TV location to the cabinet bottom in the future, you could add a 2" conduit to connect your access holes together. You've got plenty of room for it behind the angled back, and 2" is big enough to fish HDMI, DisplayPort and even power cables and DVI cables.