Is this design stable?

[Dan Lyman]

Hi,
I'm planning a long TV stand (tv's keep getting bigger ) and am planning on using veneer plywood for the top and the bottom shelf and solid wood for the ends. I have to build as I could not find a commercial one short enough for the space.

Is it ok to connect glue the plywood shelf to the solid wood ends? I'm trying to figure out if wood movement on the end pieces would cause a problem at the joint. I have not yet decided if it will be dadoed into the ends, or biscuit glued and pocket screwed. Might depend on the answers here. The end pieces will be 2.25" thick with a panle inside.

Thanks

Dan

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Having a hard time picturing your image.

If you intend to to use side pannels with dadoed shelds in a small-ish wide-ish stuby-ish book case geomerty on which to put the TV (??) then Think on using the back panel as the primary structural element to prevent racking.

To accomplish this cut a rabbit along the inside edge of back pieces save for the bottom member ( bottem shelf) which will be shorter in depth than the other pieces to allow you the full width (3/4") of that bottom shelf component to use for screwing the back panel thereto.

In that geometry the shelves will not need to add strength, and can slide into dadoes or float on pins.

[Andy Fox]

Dan, I think the design sounds very questionable, but I think we'll need diagrams or sketches or something to be able to tell for sure.

Panels usually float (not glued) inside a frame of thicker wood, and you don't want a panel bearing any weight. Now if the shelf were dadoed into the frame only that might work. Plus, you wouldn't have any significant wood movement with 2" wide or so frame pieces.

[Andy Fox]

You'd definitely want good mechanical support for the shelf, such as a dado, pins, or brackets.

[Chris Padilla]

Dan,

Thornton, CO, eh? I went to Northglenn High School...Thornton was our rival!

I don't think you need to worry about movement of the hardwood ends but in visualizing your stand, I'd worry about sag of the shelf supporting the TV. I'd make the shelf solid hardwood and the ends plywood! At that, your shelf may need a variety of "tricks" to allow it to support a decent span.

Provide us some numbers for the dimensions of the stand and we can help you further.

[Dan Lyman]

OK, maybe this will help. This guy did a nice job on his TV stand and I'm planning something very similar. No doors. The top will be 63" long x 23" deep with a 1.5" overhang all around. I don't plan on adjustable shelves as it will be so short (14" or so), I'll just have to stack components. I do plan on the dividers for support of the top. I will either put feet in the middle that are visible, or maybe recessed so the are not visible. Ideally, I'd like to put it on wheels, but haven't figured that out yet so you don't notice the wheels. For allowing heat to escape I was thing of leaving the back open. I think it will be low enough you won't see all the wires and such.



As to my original question, The base shelf would be connected to the solid wood end frame and not the panel itself. The end frame will be about 2.25" thick so I could dado or just screw it oruse biscuits or a combo. I was just worried about gluing the plywood shelf (solid wood edging) to the solid wood end frame. It sounds like there may not be enough movement to worry about.

Hope that helps.

Thanks

[Chris Padilla]

Dan,

That looks fine but posting links to another forum is a big no-no in this camp. Expect that link to disappear soon! You could just post those pics here if you like.

[Dan Lyman]

Hey Chris, thanks for the heads up. I didn't realize that and will try to delete the link. As for theproject, I'll give it a shot and see how things come out.

Hope you like California, it's alot different than Northglenn

[Jerry Olexa]

If i imagine correctly what you're saying, on a recent project I needed to attach drawer frames to a solid wood sidepiece. I ended up Dado's, glue, pocket hole joinery and allowed one loose end (no glue) on the frames to permit wood movement in the slots.It worked so far...

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

For allowing heat to escape I was thing of leaving the back open.

I'd use a panel on the bacl and screw it to a rabbit cut. Then I'd hole it for ventilation.

Lots of holes or a couple big cut outs. I wouls still use that back panel. This, even if all you are using is luan for the back.