Media center / Bookcase Built-in - General Concepts and Cuestions

[Rasiel Rodriguez]

Hello,

I plan to build a built-in during the holidays to have a dual function of audio center and bookcase.
I need to work on the plans, but we are talking roughly a 6 feet wide by 10 feet tall structure.

I plan to build 2 x 3 feet cabinets with 2 doors each, and aprox 20 inches deep.
I will then rest on this cabinet the shelves for the bookcase, which will be 12-14 inches deep (the bookcase will also be anchored to the wall studs)

Some general questions:
- I'm considering 3/4 oak plywood (cabinets, except the counter) and potentially shelves, with some lipping - Is this OK or would you rather use solid wood for the shelves?
- What is the max width you will allow for a given opening in the shelf? (to avoid sagging)

Any other recommendations based on similar projects?

Thanks,
R.

[John TenEyck]

Hello,

I plan to build a built-in during the holidays to have a dual function of audio center and bookcase.
I need to work on the plans, but we are talking roughly a 6 feet wide by 10 feet tall structure.

I plan to build 2 x 3 feet cabinets with 2 doors each, and aprox 20 inches deep.
I will then rest on this cabinet the shelves for the bookcase, which will be 12-14 inches deep (the bookcase will also be anchored to the wall studs)

Some general questions:
- I'm considering 3/4 oak plywood (cabinets, except the counter) and potentially shelves, with some lipping - Is this OK or would you rather use solid wood for the shelves?
- What is the max width you will allow for a given opening in the shelf? (to avoid sagging)

Any other recommendations based on similar projects?

Thanks,
R.

This will provide some guidance about span vs. material dimensions and type: https://woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/

John

[Jim McCue]

It's ok to use plywood for the shelves, I don't see much upside in using solid wood for the shelves unless it's free. Save the nice wood for more visible spots like the counter and maybe door fronts.

I'm OK with 30" for shelves and would check the sagulator if 36" or more. A lip on the front can stiffen things up.

If you haven't built things in before, don't expect anything to be square. Might have to make it a little small and cover the gaps with molding or scribe pieces to fit the edges.

[Mark Gibney]

I'd say go for it, enjoy the build, and if your plywood shelves sag you can always replace them with solid wood shelves.

[John M Wilson]

I plan to build a built-in during the holidays to have a dual function of audio center and bookcase.

Having built a couple of these, I highly recommend having all of your A/V stuff on a shelf that slides out.

Wiring several components together from the back is tough, and you end up with a rat's nest of wires that are very difficult to re-configure (when you get new stuff) or troubleshoot (when something is not working the way it's supposed to).

If your A/V stuff will be behind cabinet doors, an Infrared repeater will allow you to control all your things with the doors closed.

Don't forget about ventilation -- even the stock cable box from your cable provider puts out a fair amount of heat. If you are running an amp, it gets pretty hot pretty quickly.