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New TVs change the rules for designing cabinets.
By Robert W. Lang
Pages: 66-69
From the June 2006 issue #155
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A few years ago, I called a contractor I was working for to confirm the size of his customer’s television set. It would be going in some expensive custom cabinetry, and like most entertainment centers, nearly every design decision would be based on the size of the TV. His reply? “Too wide by too tall by too deep. Just like always.” While he was joking, it was humor based on bitter experience. One of the worst experiences a woodworker can have is investing a lot of time in a project only to discover at the end that the TV won’t fit, the doors won’t close or you get a crick in your neck when you sit down to watch.
This article is about developing workable designs, and not about construction. We turned our illustrator loose to build a “virtual” cabinet and take you through the process of developing a design to fit your room and your needs.
The techniques for building entertainment cabinets are the same as for building any other type of casework. A box is a box and a drawer is a drawer. Our Woodworking Essentials series on casework construction (issues #150 through #155) will help you make the cabinets; this article will help you decide what to make.
From the June 2006 issue #155
Buy this issue now
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