# How Would You Build This???



## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Allrighty...

So I see the wife intently sketching something on her nifty little skecthpad.......I say, "whachya sketchin honey?"......she says, "oh just a little somethin.".....I say, "Can I see?"......she says, "Sure, make this for me"

hmmmmmmmmm.............I have no idea.......


So everyone, how would you begin to approach this? I am new to all of this. I've built a little table. I am thinkinin this will be a little harder.....

HELP!!


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## beanie (Feb 25, 2009)

I would do the cabinet by itself with no top.
The legs to the left would be as high at the cabinet tminus the thickness of the top.
Run a stringer connecting the legs on the left side then two stringers (fron and back) connecting the legs to the cabinet.
Knotch the legs before assembly to accept the shelves then screw the shelves from the inside of the cabinet.
Cover the entire thing with the finished top.

Atleast thats how I would do it LOL


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*Pretty much*

What Beanie is trying to tell you is that moving this style piece will be a very delicate operation. While you are building this piece and finishing it, it will have to be lifted and rolled over several times. To make life easier, his suggestion is to build it in sections and assemble in place. I agree.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I am curious about the height dimensions. It is lower than a standard desk top yet taller than a coffee table or side table.

You are showing a max of 50" long. Personally I do not think that is sufficiently large to be worried about handling.

G


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

GeorgeC said:


> I am curious about the height dimensions. It is lower than a standard desk top yet taller than a coffee table or side table.
> 
> You are showing a max of 50" long. Personally I do not think that is sufficiently large to be worried about handling.
> 
> G


Her idea was to be able to use this as a table/cabinet under the wall mounted tv. The height dimension is based off of a little sofa type table we have there right now. She likes the height of that.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

GeorgeC said:


> You are showing a max of 50" long. Personally I do not think that is sufficiently large to be worried about handling.
> 
> G


The handling problem would not be a problem based on length but rather based on design. You have a very strong carcase on one end and a more delicate design on the other end. This is all connnected by an apron and a top. Most of the weight is on end. This is awkward at best for one person to handle by himself without causing dents.


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Tony B said:


> The handling problem would not be a problem based on length but rather based on design. You have a very strong carcase on one end and a more delicate design on the other end. This is all connnected by an apron and a top. Most of the weight is on end. This is awkward at best for one person to handle by himself without causing dents.


 
well let me ask you all this........neither my wife or I are designers by a long shot.......how would you tweak or change this design to improve it, keeping in mind it's intended use?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I would change the design slightly. To me it appears out of scale. The right side looks too heavy and the left side looks too flimsy. The thin shelves just being attached to the legs and cabinet side appears to me to be a second thought. 

In holding to that basic design, I would make cross rails and leg stretchers to be like a frame for each shelf. They can be M&T'd to the leg. If a front to rear rail is chosen along the cabinet side, it can be fastened from inside the cabinet. If no rail is desired there the ends can be attached via a stub tenon into the side of the cabinet. The top inside edge can be rabbeted to drop in the shelves. It would add quite a bit of stability to the whole structure, and balance it out visually, and give some aesthetic appeal to the shelves by trimming the edges.

I would make it in one piece, as it wouldn't be that heavy. Or, make the whole table like a one piece credenza, with full outside sides, and a full back.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*TOM, as an old student of the Arts...*

"I would change the design slightly. To me it appears out of scale. The right side looks too heavy and the left side looks too flimsy. The thin shelves just being attached to the legs and cabinet side appears to me to be a second thought." Posted by Cabinetman. :yes:
I agree, You could mock it up with pieces or strips of cardboard, taped to the wall where it will go or a sheet of 1/4 ply just to get a sense of the design and the proportions. The width of the legs seem too great as like they are part of a deck or something very heavy. I know it's just from a sketch, but as an Art student, I know the sketch is just to generate the initial idea/concept. In Design it's all about proportion, and I wouldn't want you to go to all the trouble to make it, for your honey and not have it look in proportion = great! I would also make it in 2 section for reasons of ease of handling and finishing. It would make both of these much easier. The idea is to make the 2 pieces look "integrated" into one. Just a thought here is that the panel on the left side of the cabinet should be wider to appear more like the right side leg of the shelf unit. A rail across the top under the table surface will tie the 2 units together visually. Another thought, would be to close in the left end to make it look more like the other side, a cabinet with shelves, rather than a cabinet with a shelf unit attached. This would not show in just the front view mock up however. I'd go for the cardboard mockup to check these concepts out.:thumbsup:
It's easy to cut different widths of cardboard and arrange them. You might consider 1 sheet of Luan 1/4" ply and rip that into strips for rails, legs, doors etc. for about $15 at HD. Better to "muck up your mockup" than make mistakes real life. JMHO.bill:laughing:


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

Thank you VERY much guys.....

I have so much to learn. I think what's intimidating me a bit here is that while I have built a couple of tables, I have never built a cabinet of any kind and am not really sure where to start. I think i can learn it but right now it's ALL new. I ordered a couple of the books that were recommended in a very recent thread about suggest woodworking books so i am hoping that will serve to give me a little more of a clue.

Now that a couple of you have expressed your suggestions about the design, I can totally seer what you are saying. Something about it didn't quite sit right with me either. It seemed far to heavy on one side and way too flimsy on the other.

I will defintely use stretchers and aprons to tie the two sides together. not exactly sure how to do that joinery but I think i can figure it out. It's building the cabinet part correctly that stumps me a bit. I am sure i could make something that resembles a cabinet but to do it properly is where my learning curve will be....I'll need the experience because one of the next projects is going to be kitchen cabinets at our cabin in the northwoods of Wisconsin....YIKES......:blink::blink::blink:


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Tom,
go to one of the big box stores and look at their cabinets up close. You'll see how they are made. No sense reinventing the wheel. Camera phone could come in handy (wink,wink).
Mike Hawkins


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Integration without busing!*

After re-reading my post, I agree with myself even more! :laughing: It shouldn't look like a table and a cabinet that got "hitched", but rather a cabinet with exposed shelves. It should have an Integrated look. My opinion. By enclosing the left end and "eliminating" the leg look you can achieve this. A slightly narrower leg with a bottom rail and top rail will help. This is why I suggest the mockup.:laughing:
TRY STUFF, stand back and here's an old designers trick squint your eyes down so you just see the big masses and that's the essence of the design. I used this for years designing cars at GM. Good suggestions from others are to look at other cabinets, fine furniture, and try and determine why you like one more than the other.:thumbsup: Casework or cabinetry is quite different from furniture in that joints are for the most part rabbets or dados, not motise and tenon, since most of the "joinery" doesn't show in cabinetry. There are variations in between that combine the two. It all depends on what You want and how you want it to look. My advice to you, Bill


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

thank you all for the time you have taken to give feedback and advice......i think the finshed product will look very different than the skecth based upon the great input i have recieved....

I think I'll try the mock up approach and see how it looks first


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Hey Tom I just Discovered SketchUp*



Tom5151 said:


> thank you all for the time you have taken to give feedback and advice......i think the finshed product will look very different than the skecth based upon the great input i have recieved....
> 
> I think I'll try the mock up approach and see how it looks first


After hearing/seeing SketchUp mentioned here I thought I try it out. WoW. :thumbsup:For an "old Guy" learning new tricks can be challenging, but I think this would be a great tool to design in, ask questions, post drawings, etc. I'm just a newbie at it, like 20 mins. total time, but here's what I came up with sort of thinking about your project. Just a Thought, you might like to try it...shhhh it's free. Google: Download SketchUp 7 free version. I tried to upload the picture I made but it's an *skb ?? file this forum doesn't like those?? I printed it so I can scan it in. Doin' this as I type... WoW! That worked! It has to be a jpeg. Here we go now...
I know there is lot's wrong with it but Iwill learn.....maybe.
Does anyone out there know how to attach a file from SketchUIp that this forum will accept without printing and rescaning it as I did. I need some help here, please. bill:smile:


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## Chiefwoodworker (Jul 17, 2008)

You didn't need to go through all that work. You can export from SketchUp directly to a png, bmp or jpeg file. See below.

By the way, I have a number of SketchUp tutorials, also free, at http://www.srww.com/google-sketchup.htm .


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## the miz (Feb 24, 2009)

Tom5151 said:


> Allrighty...
> 
> So I see the wife intently sketching something on her nifty little skecthpad.......I say, "whachya sketchin honey?"......she says, "oh just a little somethin.".....I say, "Can I see?"......she says, "Sure, make this for me"
> 
> ...


Funny you asked that here. You will probably get a multitude of answers as cabinetmakers all have different way of attacking things. If you like I can do a measured drawing (I'm a cad guru) of the way I would do it. But, like I said there are several ways to do this and it all depends on the material you are using, the finish you desire, the size, and the function of the piece. Is it a TV stand, a coffee table, etc.?


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

woodnthings said:


> After hearing/seeing SketchUp mentioned here I thought I try it out. WoW. :thumbsup:For an "old Guy" learning new tricks can be challenging, but I think this would be a great tool to design in, ask questions, post drawings, etc. I'm just a newbie at it, like 20 mins. total time, but here's what I came up with sort of thinking about your project. Just a Thought, you might like to try it...shhhh it's free. Google: Download SketchUp 7 free version. I tried to upload the picture I made but it's an *skb ?? file this forum doesn't like those?? I printed it so I can scan it in. Doin' this as I type... WoW! That worked! It has to be a jpeg. Here we go now...
> I know there is lot's wrong with it but Iwill learn.....maybe.
> Does anyone out there know how to attach a file from SketchUIp that this forum will accept without printing and rescaning it as I did. I need some help here, please. bill:smile:


Wow....that's awesome....

Thank you so much for taking the time to skecth that up for us. That gets the creative juices flowing a little bit more for us and opens up some fresh ideas....Can't thank you enough for doing this....


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

the miz said:


> Funny you asked that here. You will probably get a multitude of answers as cabinetmakers all have different way of attacking things. If you like I can do a measured drawing (I'm a cad guru) of the way I would do it. But, like I said there are several ways to do this and it all depends on the material you are using, the finish you desire, the size, and the function of the piece. Is it a TV stand, a coffee table, etc.?


Well thank you very much for your offer as well....

I will never turn down help. if you have the time to skecth something up that would be great. Woodnthings was gracious enough to do that and it really opened our eyes. Any additonal input would be most appreciated.

Essentially this is going to sit along the wall right under our wall mounted flat panel TV. So the idea with the shelves on the left side was to be able to put a DVD player, Cable Box, Receiver, etc. there. The drawers on the right side would be for storage for things like CDs, DVDs, manuals, etc. The top would basically function as a table top for pictures, flowers, etc. 

The wife envisions the length at about 48 inches, the depth at about 14 inches and the height at about 28 inches or so.....


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## scribbles (Mar 2, 2009)

I think it needs to be a little deeper than 14" the drawers will not operate well that wide and shallow unless you build them perfect, but I really like the revised design. I was going to mention adding a bottom plate and feet at the 4 corners, but you already got that. What wood are you thinking? That can make a huge difference.


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## the miz (Feb 24, 2009)

Tom5151 said:


> Well thank you very much for your offer as well....
> 
> I will never turn down help. if you have the time to skecth something up that would be great. Woodnthings was gracious enough to do that and it really opened our eyes. Any additonal input would be most appreciated.
> 
> ...



What kind of materials? Is it painted or stained or clear wood?


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

the miz said:


> What kind of materials? Is it painted or stained or clear wood?


Well the wife started out wanting it painted but now has changed to wanting it stained but nothing dark. Something very natural looking.

Right now i think the plan is to use birch plywood and either poplar or maple for the solid wood peices (i.e. edging, etc)


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## rich marino (Mar 3, 2009)

*Solutions*

:thumbsup:I looked at your wifes scetch I see that this is a tv stand, is this a good guess. Well anyways it can be fairly easy, and cheap. E-mail me I will give you what I worked up.


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

rich marino said:


> :thumbsup:I looked at your wifes scetch I see that this is a tv stand, is this a good guess. Well anyways it can be fairly easy, and cheap. E-mail me I will give you what I worked up.


Hello sir...

You are right. It will go right along the wall under our wall mounted flat panel tv...

I'll pm you with my email addy.....


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## the miz (Feb 24, 2009)

Tom5151 said:


> Well the wife started out wanting it painted but now has changed to wanting it stained but nothing dark. Something very natural looking.
> 
> Right now i think the plan is to use birch plywood and either poplar or maple for the solid wood peices (i.e. edging, etc)



I would use maple with birch because they have the same color and grain due to the fact that they are in the same family of diciduous trees.


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## scribbles (Mar 2, 2009)

Please don't use poplar, it looks horrible when finished clear, IMHO, why not use maple ply, and maple 4/4 its price has dropped dramatically lately. I hate to mix wood unless a contrast is desired, inlay and such.


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