building my own tv bench

[spyddie]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this but I have been looking for a tv bench that look like this

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=17071&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=76529&langId=-1&categoryId=15962&chosenPartNumber=00087531

from ikea, the only problem with this tv bench is it's too small, I check a lot of places, and didn't find one or the one I like is too $$$$. So now I decided to build my own tv bench. Does anyone know where can i find tv bench woodworking plans similar to the Ikea's tv bench provided on the above link.

many thanks.

[PeruvianSkies]

What if you bought the IKEA one and took out the instructions to build it, but modified it for a large size and scale it up to the size you need and then return the TV stand back to IKEA since you aren't actually using it other than just 'borrowing' the instructions?

[kexodusc]

What if you bought the IKEA one and took out the instructions to build it, but modified it for a large size and scale it up to the size you need and then return the TV stand back to IKEA since you aren't actually using it other than just 'borrowing' the instructions?
Geez, that's a pretty creative idea. Kinda sneaky. I like it.

You could build something simple. I'm sure if you searched for "entertainment unit" or "TV stand" plans you'd find more than a few suggestions. Or design your own?

[SlumpBuster]

Umm... Do you have any woodworking experience? That looks like a fairly advanced project. I can tell you as a novice woodworker myself, if saving money is your motivating factor, DIY won't cut it. Lumber is expensive. Tools are expensive. Mistakes are expesive. Time is expensive. The only way you want to get involved in a project like that is if you are doing it for the enjoyment of building the unit, not because you are trying to save a couple hundred bucks. Home workshop wood working is done for the journey, if you end up with a halfway decent widget, then that is a bonus.

[Resident Loser]

...to investigate mags like Fine Woodworking or possibly visit your local library and rummage through their stacks...

As it has been pointed out, unless you have the tools (saws, routers, clamps, jigs, etc.) and know-how (cutting rabbets and dados, using doweling jigs or biscuits), don't plan on saving too much...it's not as simple as expanding on an existing pattern, such an expansion probably won't take into account the additional stress on materials...last thing you want is to develop a sag and then have to put a band-aid on it or wind up making improper or insufficient joints and have the whole thing (including your electronics) wind up in a heap....

And don't forget IKEA uses knock-down fasteners so they can flat-pack items for easier transportation purposes...you'll have to translate those into appropriate solid wood joinery.

Then of course you have the price of hardware i.e. drawer slides, hinges, pulls...and you do know how to mortise hinges don't you? How about applying a proper finish and cutting the glass? Do you really have a place to do the work with a proper exhaust system...and then you have to consider at minimum a 10-15% materials waste factor...and materials themselves aren't as cheap as they once were...hardwood-veneered, lumbercore ply doesnt come cheap and you really have to know how to "read" the wood, you don't want to tear out chunks because you cut the grain improperly or used a rip saw when you should have changed over to a cross-cut.

It's not like I'm trying to dissuade you; woodworking and cabinetry/furniture building can be a rewarding experience, but if this is going to be a first time project...yada, yada, yada...

jimHJJ(...start small and no matter what: always measure twice, cut once...)

[SlumpBuster]

Yeah, just to follow up on RL's post (it sounds like he knows a thing or two about this kind of stuff)...

We are not trying to dissuade you, just trying to give you and idea of what your looking at doing. We are speaking from experience. I have been kicking around the idea of attempting the very project you are suggesting. But I've been thinking about it for six months and still haven't gotten past the sketch phase (drawers and dovetail scare me). I am only thinking about attempting this after having done multiple bookshelves, LP racks, CD racks, birdhouse, subwoofer boxes, tables, and an entire house remodel worth of woodworking.

IMHO this type of furniture needs strong joinery (read: rabbets, dados, dovetail) in order to handle the weight. IMNSHO Ikea is crap. The hardware is crap and will loosen overtime. 99% of furniture that is flatpacked and assembled by the end user is crap. If you only need an allen wrench to put it together, it is crap. If your going to take on such a project, do yourself a favor and don't use Ikea as your model. Go to stores like Ethan Allen, House of Denmark, or boutique/gallery furniture stores and use some of there stuff as a pattern. They won't even think it is goofy if you take in a digital camera.

[SlumpBuster]

Do you really have a place to do the work with a proper exhaust system...

Oh, and just so you don't think we are overstating our case: Hard wood dust causes lung cancer. So it pays to be careful.

[spyddie]

What if you bought the IKEA one and took out the instructions to build it, but modified it for a large size and scale it up to the size you need and then return the TV stand back to IKEA since you aren't actually using it other than just 'borrowing' the instructions?

Acturally, I was going to purchase one and modified it to fit my system but give up the idea because I don't think it will look good due to the two doors on the side. I have basic wood working tools(table saw,router...), one of the reason I want to built it myself is I think I will enjoy it while building it and I am in no hurry so this project can take as long as I want it to. My next door neighbor has a lot of woodworking machines, he told me I am more than welcome to use it.

Thank you for all you advices, this is really very supportive forum:)

[Resident Loser]

...there are a few items that IKEA sells that isn't all that bad...of course most of their stuff will barely make it through a couple of semesters in a dorm, but they do make some stuff that's pretty well engineered and made from solid wood...even if it is a softer wood like spruce...Family heirlooms? Well not quite, but some of their bookshelf units and even this TV unit will stand up pretty well...for a limited time and limited loads...They do use some novel knock-down hardware but when all is said and done, it is built to meet a price point and even the best of their items tend to use phoney-veneered fiberboard as a backplane...

I purchased one such bookcase in a pinch...cost around $200...went together easily and is fairly foolproof...Been holding books and videos for about 3 or 4 years and it's doing it's job...but some surfaces have a fairly rough finish (a colonial blue faux milk paint, which raised some of the grain) that tends to snag dust...it was convenient and, like fast-food, you pay a price for fast-furniture...

jimHJJ(...you can pay now or you can pay later as the saying goes...)

[SlumpBuster]

Perhaps I was letting my "snob bone" get the better of me on that Ikea assessment.... Nah, it's crap. :D

[nightflier]

Spyddie,

Almost everything made of wood that I've bought at Ikea I've had to re-inforce and improve with metal braces (their kid's furniture is notoriously dangerous). The other problem is that the TV stand you chose is from a collection that uses soft wood, so you need to keep that in mind too. What you could do is purchase it and replace some of the supporting pieces with your own hard wood. As it is, it certainly isn't going to last as long as a Billy Bags stand.

On that note, have you considered buildingsomething out of metal? Or maybe creating a metal frame with wood accents? My brother is a professional welder, so I have been spoiled with several metal-framed pieces of furniture that will likely survive a house fire. But wood is definitely easier to work with. If you go that route, there are a lot of DIY sites that have plans for a/v furniture.