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Built-in audio shelves/cabinet?
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ShortcutToMoncton
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Nov 14, 2012, 10:13 AM
 
I've got a built-in nook that runs about 23 inches wide by 22 inches deep by about 7 feet high. It is open at the top (9-foot floors...one side of the "nook" does not go up to the ceiling, as it's the back of a closet built into an adjoining room). I've run various cables (HDMI, speaker, power with dedicated circuit, cable) to wall plates at the back of the cabinet. I was planning to start the shelf about 20 inches above the height of the floor, just to show off some nice detailing in the hardwood floor underneath the cabinet. (Hopefully it won't look too awkward.)

Originally my plan was simply to make it an open-shelf concept to house: cable modem, Plex/AppleTV/Mac Mini, turntable, Blu-ray player, DAC, preamp, amp. (Obviously a number of those items would be combined into one shelf.) As there is no stud to tap into on one side of the nook (and my turntable/amp in particular are 40+ pounds per shelf), I thought about screw/glueing some decent-looking 1x2 wood strips (maple? etc.) vertically up along the front and back corners, with 3/4" gaps for each wood shelf, and then continuing those strips along the horizontal plane under each shelf, along the front/sides/back (there will be a cutout at the back of each shelf for cable passthrough, and then probably a vertical false wall to hide the cables. I hate cables). However, especially on the higher shelves in an open-concept system, this means everyone would be able to see all the horizontal bracing underneath the cabinets.

So I'm starting to fear that would look too amateur-ish - this is right in the living room, I've got a classy place, and I don't want this cabinet to stand out as an obviously home-built affair. Also, with the open-concept style it just may look too cluttered. I'm not much of an ideas guy, so I figured I'd ask if if you creative types had some good ideas on what I could do - whether it simply be cabinet doors (glass/solid/etc.), or an entirely new approach, or what have you. Thanks for any hints/tips.

Pictures to follow.
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subego
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Nov 14, 2012, 10:53 AM
 
Throw as much as possible in the closet. Get an IR blaster for your remotes. They have nice looking ones which mount inside drywall (or whatever you want to pop a hole in and can get at from behind).
     
subego
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Nov 14, 2012, 10:55 AM
 
Here's mine. Sorry for the dim exposure.

     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 14, 2012, 11:13 AM
 
Never heard of IR blaster before....will have to check it out.
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subego
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Nov 14, 2012, 12:18 PM
 
"IR repeater" will probably have better SEO.

Here's where I got mine:

http://www.smarthome.com/_/Remotes_IR_Repeaters/IR_Repeaters/_/5/1Rj/nav.aspx


This site is a big pile of geek crack BTW.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 14, 2012, 01:23 PM
 
6676/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 14, 2012, 01:24 PM
 
Yes, that's just the camera angle making that look out of wack.....
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sek929
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Nov 14, 2012, 01:48 PM
 
Well your idea of "cleats" to hold the shelves up is pretty much what I would recommend. They do not need to be very wide, and you can even make use of a small moulding of some sort to dress it up a bit. Paint them the same as the shelves and it should look very good, and be very strong. At nearly 2 feet wide I would also recommend no less than 3/4" 7-ply plywood, especially if you are going to have a heavy receiver sitting in there. I would avoid any door fronts, since you don't want to trap heat inside. You can fish the wiring behind the sheetrock if you want everything to look really clean, or what I would do is cut out the sheetrock and install a permanent PVC chase pipe to aid in any future wiring.

When I built the home theater built-in library for my friends I included a couple secret hatches and a pipe chase, since then it has been used a couple times to re-wire and run new wiring.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 14, 2012, 04:17 PM
 
It's actually lath and plaster behind........hence why I cut as few holes as possible! I was hoping to cut out a strip at the back of each shelf and then add a vertical piece of wood (maybe 6 inches wide) running in front of it - an artificial drop wall if you will, so I can easily run wires and still keep them relatively hidden.

Great call on the moulding. Maybe I can simply use a wide moulding for the braces.
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 03:23 AM
 
Originally Posted by sek929 View Post
 I would avoid any door fronts, since you don't want to trap heat inside.  
Yeah I was wondering about the best way to approach that problem if I do need door fronts - possibly cutting a few smallish circular holes at points through each shelf, to facilitate hot air rise. The closet (wall on the right) is actually the only gyproc on the main floor, and open-fronts onto the cold porch, which does not have a heater (which I may need to rectify at some point given Canadian winters).... I was also thinking about possibly adding a side wall vent at the back of the bottom shelf, and another at the top shelf - a small fan would blow hot air out of the bottom shelf (where the amp sits, the hottest piece of equipment) into the cold porch closet, with possibly the side benefit of a slight warming effect on hanging clothes. The air circulation might possibly suck cold air from the porch into the top shelf vent, which would settle down through the shelves....or I would just use another inward-blowing fan to generate some cold air flowing into the top shelf.

That site subego linked to has some pretty cool ideas....I didn't look for a little temperature-sensitive equipment fan, but I would not be surprised if that sort of thing exists.

I don't know if the natural air-exchange system will work.....it won't be necessary for open shelving, but I'm getting some negative feedback from the wife on having my ugly-ish electronic equipment exposed to all our guests, which I'll admit (not to her) is a pretty valid complaint. (Unfortunately I have a bit of a mish-mash of gear, which means it's not all the same colour/style) But if I put doors on, I definitely see the potential for a heating problem....
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Nov 15, 2012, 04:45 AM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
cutting a few smallish circular holes at points through each shelf, to facilitate hot air rise.
What about a screen, painted the same color as your walls?
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 04:48 AM
 
Bingo....automatic cabinet cooler fan. Other options as well.....not bad.
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 05:06 AM
 
Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton View Post
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
cutting a few smallish circular holes at points through each shelf, to facilitate hot air rise.
What about a screen, painted the same color as your walls?
Through the shelves? A screen would probably work for hot-cabinet-to-cold-closet wall passive heat transfer (although that fan looks to be ideal for this purpose). But for the shelves, I'm not sure a screen would be terrible useful - although now that you speak of painting, for the higher shelves it's true that holes in them might be visible on the bottom to someone looking in the cabinet from the front, which might seem a little weird. But do you think a screen would be equally visible?
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 05:21 AM
 
Also: I had planned to put the turntable in the middle cabinet. Now I think I might make that shelf a slide-out one. Mine doesn't have a dust cover, but it would be pretty cool to simply slide it out to replace records etc. (and the shelf wouldn't have to be quite so high as it would need to be to allow easy in-cabinet record changing access). Of course I'd need to figure out how much play I'd need to give the power and stereo cables, but an extra 18 inches of play should be relatively easy to account for I think....
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Nov 15, 2012, 05:26 AM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton View Post
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
cutting a few smallish circular holes at points through each shelf, to facilitate hot air rise.
What about a screen, painted the same color as your walls?
Through the shelves? A screen would probably work for hot-cabinet-to-cold-closet wall passive heat transfer (although that fan looks to be ideal for this purpose). But for the shelves, I'm not sure a screen would be terrible useful - although now that you speak of painting, for the higher shelves it's true that holes in them might be visible on the bottom to someone looking in the cabinet from the front, which might seem a little weird. But do you think a screen would be equally visible?
In front of all of it. Since you seem to be already working with something that's essentially a closet without a door, you could just put a screen across it where the door would be, and no one would even think to look at it twice.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 05:49 AM
 
Well, it would obviously need to be accessible. You mean like cabinet doors, but with a screen instead of glass/wood/etc?
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Nov 15, 2012, 06:37 AM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
Well, it would obviously need to be accessible. You mean like cabinet doors, but with a screen instead of glass/wood/etc?
I'm thinking just like a window screen: accessible when necessary, but invisible otherwise (except you would choose a denser screen to make it look solid instead of transparent. You can get a kit to size the screen to the exact shape and size of the opening; I've done it for windows, it's really easy.
     
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Nov 15, 2012, 06:41 AM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
Also: I had planned to put the turntable in the middle cabinet. Now I think I might make that shelf a slide-out one. Mine doesn't have a dust cover, but it would be pretty cool to simply slide it out to replace records etc. (and the shelf wouldn't have to be quite so high as it would need to be to allow easy in-cabinet record changing access). Of course I'd need to figure out how much play I'd need to give the power and stereo cables, but an extra 18 inches of play should be relatively easy to account for I think....
Be careful with the sliding turntable concept. all you need is one hiccup and the stylus will be bouncing over the platter.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 07:34 AM
 
Yeah, you're right: I definitely think it would need some type of locking mechanism for the "closed" position. That raises another good point about vibrations though - sliders would definitely not be as stable a platform as having the shelf screwed down. The turntable itself is pretty heavy and weighs in around 40 pounds, but even a large-mass plinth is probably susceptible to vibrations if on rollers. I may need to re-think that idea.
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 07:47 AM
 
Also, I'm not sure on the screens. It doesn't really strike me as an elegant solution....having to take them off to put in a BR, or change a record, or press the amp's power button if it's powered down. I can't see it passing the wife approval test....
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Uncle Skeleton
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Nov 15, 2012, 08:00 AM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
Also, I'm not sure on the screens. It doesn't really strike me as an elegant solution....having to take them off to put in a BR, or change a record, or press the amp's power button if it's powered down. I can't see it passing the wife approval test....
That's easy, leave the top shelf un-screened. It will look like a pedestal.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 08:45 AM
 
Pedestal for what? Multiple items will need to be accessable on a semi-regular basis. The idea is that the turntable, BR player, amp, etc. will go on separate shelves. And they all probably should be in the bottom (i.e. reachable) half, anyway, as the shelves will top out at about 7"4.

I'm not sure about the aesthetics. Do you think that would look good?
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 08:49 AM
 
Although, I had simply planned to but the amp on the bottom - it's the biggest and heaviest item and just seems to naturally fit there - but it's also the hottest piece, and would probably make most sense at the top from a heat-exchange perspective (i.e. not heating the entire cabinet by itself).
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Uncle Skeleton
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Nov 15, 2012, 09:03 AM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
Pedestal for what? Multiple items will need to be accessable on a semi-regular basis. The idea is that the turntable, BR player, amp, etc. will go on separate shelves. And they all probably should be in the bottom (i.e. reachable) half, anyway, as the shelves will top out at about 7"4.

I'm not sure about the aesthetics. Do you think that would look good?
I think I misunderstood your goal. I thought you were talking about hiding things. I don't have any of those things that still require physical access in my home theater, so hiding things is pretty much all I think about now.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 09:34 AM
 
Well....I mean, it would be a 7-foot painted screen next to an old-fashioned bay window in a 14x16-foot living room with 9-foot ceilings, huge plaster mouldings and a big chandelier. Maybe I'm just imagining it wrong, but I sort of get the feeling it would stick out like a sore thumb....?
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Nov 15, 2012, 10:35 AM
 
Well I'm not going to convince you. Do heating vents stick out like sore thumbs?
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 10:54 AM
 
I'm not sure you understand. Take a look at the picture. The heating vent would be at the back of the nook, on the right side, venting into the closet in the adjoining porch (the back of which is the box projecting into the room in the picture). And the vent says it's paintable, so it would be the same colour as the wall. It would not be visible from the living room.
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Nov 15, 2012, 11:13 AM
 
I'm not sure if you have gone this route; but there is a company, can't think of the name, that makes built-ins just for this. Think server racks, but for A/V gear. Each shelf individual slides out on rails AND rotates for access to back for hookups. Options include "silent" fan trays for amps. Front of the rack can be custom from "screens" to glass doors (hence the fan trays) with logos/etched art designs, etc.

Let me do some googling. It might have been a product company at smarthome, but will do looking first. It was something I was looking into for my home theater until i just went with built in shelves as I designed the back of it to be open and accesible from another room.

edit 1: yes, smarthome caries some and accessories, but not the exact one i was going to go with. still looking.

edit 2: brand name is Middle Atlantic

http://www.middleatlantic.com/

Slide out equipment racks; midway down on that link.
     
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Nov 15, 2012, 11:17 AM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
I'm not sure you understand. Take a look at the picture. The heating vent would be at the back of the nook
I was talking about normal vents, the kind every house has. The screen would be painted to match the walls too. It would look like a heating vent or something innocuous.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 15, 2012, 11:41 AM
 
Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton View Post
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
I'm not sure you understand. Take a look at the picture. The heating vent would be at the back of the nook
I was talking about normal vents, the kind every house has. The screen would be painted to match the walls too. It would look like a heating vent or something innocuous.
This house has massive cast-iron radiators. Hydronic heating system. No heating vents, sorry.

Again, I'd like to see a picture of this before making a decision either way, but there's a difference in my head between a 4"x8" heating vent, and a 2' x 7'4" screen taking up an entire corner of the room. I just get the feeling it would be a bit of an elephant, no? Unless it's actually more innocuous than I'm imagining?

Thanks for the rack-mount link, RE. Looks like they ship via distributors only - and I very much doubt they have a distributor in my neck of Canada - but I'd like to check out their prices, as that looks like it could be pretty fantastic.
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Nov 15, 2012, 11:53 AM
 
Here is some random online shop, selling a particular model...

http://www.lashen.com/vendors/map/racks/pull_out/asr.asp

Gives you some idea on the prices.

And info about CA sales

For Custom Residential orders in Canada, please contact:
Middle Atlantic Canada
113 Iber Rd., Ottawa, ON K2S 1E7
Tel: (613) 836-2501
Fax: (613) 836-2690
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 16, 2012, 04:53 AM
 
I'm really diggin that if I do a built-in closet, with door....would be great to just pull all the equipment out. Having said that, it looks like the entire rack pulls out, not just individual shelves - so I would still have a problem with the turntable, being that it won't be able to slide out individually.

They've got a lot of options so I'll look at some of their stuff, or perhaps just give them a call. Thanks for that.
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residentEvil
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Nov 16, 2012, 07:50 AM
 
Well, instead of then that particular one, look at the rack one you pick all the options; including fixed and sliding shelves.

All of which can stay in place and slide the entire thing out (for cabling), or just a sliding shelf shelf or two come out individually and all the fixed shelves stay in place. Best of both words. But then again, costs go up. I just picked the first one that came up as an example, not as one to fit all your needs.
     
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Nov 16, 2012, 07:52 AM
 
It may require two separate models or types of shelves/slides/etc if you will, in one in-wall rack system. Mix and match in their product lines.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 19, 2012, 05:00 AM
 
Well I called them and a couple other cupboard places - I'm probably going to avoid the full pull-out shelf system based because of cost/convenience factor. I'd almost certainly need to get doors with those, anyway, as they have a semi-industrial look - so when you include shipping and taxes, I'd be paying between $1200-1500 for the racks alone, and then several hundred more dollars to have cupboard doors custom fitted for this width.

Whereas I can build a nice custom wood cabinet for about $300 worth of wood (assuming I use something nice like maple or oak etc.), and then the doors on top of that. And I'll likely make the turntable shelf to be slide-out with a simple locking mechanism to hold it firmly in place when in use, to minimize vibration.

Yes it will be slightly more work, but also less shipping downtime, and well......I'm not sure it's worth an additional ~$1000 more just to have all the racks be pull-out.
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Nov 19, 2012, 05:10 AM
 
Understood. Was just a suggestion. Building your own is also more fun
     
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Nov 19, 2012, 06:10 AM
 
Haha yup! I just got a new table saw last week, so now I'm itching to put it to some use. The local Home Depot has finish-quality maple 4x8' 3/4" plywood on sale this week as well, so it may be a sign.

I actually got to thinking that having the entire shelving unit be pull-out might be cumbersome as well, as I've run a number of wires directly to wall plates at the back of the cabinet, as you can partially see in that picture (power/speaker/HMDI/cable/etc.). If all the shelves were pull-out, all these cables connected to the wall would have to have 18-20 inches of extra play....so instead of a 1.5-foot HDMI cable running from the Blu-ray directly to the wall outlet on that shelf, I'd need a 3' or longer cable. Seems like it would get pretty messy in the back....
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Nov 19, 2012, 07:08 AM
 
Cable management. Coming from the data center world, it's all on how you dress your cables. Not messy at all if done correctly

But again, was just offering another solution. All comes down to your preference/your desired out come.
     
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Nov 19, 2012, 11:29 AM
 
Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton View Post
The local Home Depot has finish-quality maple 4x8' 3/4" plywood on sale this week as well, so it may be a sign.
Inspect that shiz with a magnifying glass, the veneer is paper thin and any scratch or mark won't be able to be sanded out because you'll sand right through the veneer easily.

Are you planning on staining? I assume not painting because well, why get veneer plywood if you're just gonna slap paint on it.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 19, 2012, 11:36 AM
 
Yeah, I was thinking staining and coating might give the appearance more of a richer finish - my concern being that I can find doors that will actually match. Still up in the air on which way I go - may just be painted, in which case I won't go veneer.
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sek929
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Nov 19, 2012, 11:49 AM
 
Not the greatest picture in the world, my camera's flash is much to powerful to take a properly moody picture. At any rate here are the built-ins I made for the Media Room/Library. All dimensions and measurements were calculated from the beginning to maximize the veneer plywood, I barely ended up with any waste at all. This here is Birch-faced ply with a stain called English Chestnut, the face and mouldings are all standard pine, although the crown moulding turned out a bit darker. Several coats of poly on all faces. Hardest part? Coping the crown moulding at the corner area. Everything was stained and given one coat of poly before I started cutting anything, which is really the way to go, but miter cuts and the like need to be spot-on.



Looking back I would change about a million things, but I had an incredibly limited budget and I built it in my spare time on the weekends.
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Nov 19, 2012, 12:07 PM
 
Yeah, that's a fantastic built-in cabinet. I'm partial to sleek modern non-wood-finish lines myself, but realize that I have to make this stylistically fit within a 90-year-old house. How are the shelves braced? I can't see from that angle.
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sek929
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Nov 19, 2012, 12:58 PM
 
Each upright is slotted a little over an 1/8" deep with a 3/4" Router Bit where it meets the shelf. The shelves slide into their slots and are held by liberal amounts of wood glue and brad nails to keep everything tight while the glue dries. This method leaves a clean box, nearly seamless, and is also incredibly strong. A while ago my father made a wooden jig that when clamped to the work guides the Router perfectly straight. Of course slotting the veneer plywood and not chipping out the surface requires.....practice.
     
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Nov 20, 2012, 02:13 AM
 
Hahaha I hear you.....I took a smaller piece home yesterday and made some cuts, just to see what it was like. Not easy, and I would definitely need access to a router as you say. I do have a woodworking training shop nearby, so I may wander over there if I decide to go with it.

I'm going to head to a cabinetry shop first and see what they say about my doors, and get a final price. That may determine my finish choice in any event.
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Feb 6, 2013, 11:24 AM
 
Well after much delay (basically, the other renos have been taking precedence - it's hard to justify to the wife taking a few weekends to work on an audio cabinet when the bathroom has a toilet, shower, and no walls or floors) I've gotten back at designing this cabinet.

I've decided on a slight modified design similar to yours, sek - I'm running 3/4" wood up each side of the cabinet, about 20.5 inches deep, to the total cabinet height of 71". I'm leaving 3/4" gaps to insert each shelf; rather than router them out, I'll probably just cut the side boards to the height dimensions of each shelf, which should be a little easier. The shelves themselves will all be the same size of course, and the same depth as the side pieces, with cutouts at the back for cable runs.

I'm going to leave the above about 3/4" short of the front of the cabinet space, and then run 3/4" by 1.5" finished maple up the sides and along the front of each shelf. That should give it a nice bordered look around each shelf, and keep it flush with the existing wall.

The shelves will all be different heights to fit various pieces of gear, so I've also measured them to be able to fit 30" doors if we decide to make (or buy) them later; there will be 30" between the top two shelves (one for records and another storage), and 30" between the bottom 3 shelves (for amp, preamp, DAC, and Mac Mini + router/modem etc.). In the middle of those 30" spaces will be an 8.75" open shelf that will hold my turntable on slide-out locking hinges; when that's in use (or to change records or what have you), the turntable will be able to slide forward out of the unit, which should be a nice little touch.

I'm thinking of using two different types of wood: grade-A solid pine for the shelves and side boards, and solid maple for the front borders. My thought was that since equipment will be sitting on each shelf, and they're all deep and fairly narrow (height-wise), you'll barely be able to see the insides much anyway; it's the front border that will be most visible to everyone. So I found a really nice piece of maple board (3/4" by 8" by 8') with a curly pattern that has more than enough wood to be able to rip all the border. Then I can give it a great varnish to bring out the awesome curly-maple pattern. I'll finish the pine in the same way, but of course it will look somewhat different - but I don't think it'll be visible enough for most people to notice the different woods. (The pine is easier to work with - maple in that size is only available in veneer plywood form and has to be special-ordered around here, and as you noted is not at all easy to work with - very easy to dent, chip, etc. Pine can be bought as solid 3/4 by 24" by 60" sheets.)
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residentEvil
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Feb 6, 2013, 03:36 PM
 
too much to read i skimmed. sounds like you found some nice finished wood (maple) to cover all the borders. very nice. but do you really want to varnish? why not just some clear poly to protect it and be done with it?
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Feb 6, 2013, 04:53 PM
 
Yeah...maybe you're thinking of a stain? The varnish is clear.

I'm hoping that the tung oil will be enough to bring out the curly maple effect (whatever that's called)....otherwise I might give it a slight stain of some sort.
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ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Feb 7, 2013, 01:42 PM
 
Cabinet diagram - pretty ho-hum stuff, but, you know
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sek929
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Feb 7, 2013, 02:07 PM
 
So the sides of the unit are going to be actually little pieces cut to the height of each shelf?
     
ShortcutToMoncton  (op)
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Feb 7, 2013, 02:33 PM
 
Running the depth of the nook, yeah; so for the bottom shelf, say roughly 20" deep, by 10" wide (or high, depending on how you look at it). The shelf opening is 9.25" high, but since the front piece is about 1.5" and the shelf only 3/4" thick, the space inside the shelf will be slightly bigger (which would be good to allow a little more space for airflow). I figured it would allow me to add a very shallow brackets underneath the front-middle of each shelf, tucked behind each horizontal strip.
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