Soft Maple Entertainment Stand

[pghmyn]

I bought my first Festool to start this project (TS55) [wink]

The top is 1" thick Soft Maple, and the face frame is 3/4" thick Soft Maple. The rest of the material is 3/4" thick Hard Maple plywood.

The whole thing is still a work in progress. I need to cut some biscuit slots in the carcass and face frame to attach it accurately. I also need to drill shelving holes along the side storage areas.

I am having a bit of trouble though. I am going to make raised panel doors for the side storage areas, and then the bottom one in the middle. I want the joints to be tongue and groove instead of me using pocket hole screws on the reverse side. I know my client, who is a good friend, would not mind if he saw the screws at all - but I would. I want something that looks great. My problem comes down to my tools. I do not have any chisels and my router table is completely inaccurate. I was thinking about cutting the grooves and the tenons on the table saw. I would have to take the flat tooth blade off my miter saw then, which isn't a big deal. I just hope my table saw is accurate enough to produce clean results.

 

[erock]

Looking good!

How are going to finish it? Stain or just poly?

Also, if you have an inaccurate router table, how are you going about making the panels for the doors? 

Are you going to use your table saw and bevel the blade to cut the panels?  If this is the case, I think you can make some good raised panel doors with just

a table saw and a dado blade set.  It would look more like a craftsman style door.  A router table with the right style bits would make this process a lot easier

and Festool did introduce the CMS a coupel days ago  [poke].  But it will be nice to see the doors when you make them and post those pics!  [big grin]

Eric

 

[pghmyn]

Looking good!

How are going to finish it? Stain or just poly?

Also, if you have an inaccurate router table, how are you going about making the panels for the doors? 

Are you going to use your table saw and bevel the blade to cut the panels?   If this is the case, I think you can make some good raised panel doors with just

a table saw and a dado blade set.  It would look more like a craftsman style door.  A router table with the right style bits would make this process a lot easier

and Festool did introduce the CMS a coupel days ago  [poke].  But it will be nice to see the doors when you make them and post those pics!   [big grin]

Eric

I probably used the incorrect term. I didn't really mean raised panels. I mean just a sheet of 1/4" plywood with a frame around it [big grin]

I have done raised panels before, but I did that with my shaper. It is also inaccurate, but not as much as the router table.

 

[tiralie]

I have done raised panels before, but I did that with my shaper. It is also inaccurate, but not as much as the router table.

Can you fix them?
Shame they don't work properly.

Tim

 

[pghmyn]

I have done raised panels before, but I did that with my shaper. It is also inaccurate, but not as much as the router table.

Can you fix them?
Shame they don't work properly.

Tim

It's a matter of sitting down and tinkering with the adjustments to make sure they are straight. The router table uses an older model router that would no longer raise/lower. I created a shop-made router lift for it. The lift is dead accurate, but the mounting mechanism I used inside the table it came with was just dreadful. I am in the process of creating my own router table, but that has not been completed yet. The shaper on the other hand just needs some fine tuning. But, the down side to that is it only accepts 1/2" bits. I do not have the part to reduce the shank to 1/4" bits [sad]. A domino would really come in handy here [blink]

 

[tiralie]

. A domino would really come in handy here [blink]

Think, CMS with a 1400...ya, CMS.

Seriously, like Eric says you could make these with a portable table saw.
Good luck.
Tim

 

[pghmyn]

. A domino would really come in handy here [blink]

Think, CMS with a 1400...ya, CMS.

Seriously, like Eric says you could make these with a portable table saw.
Good luck.
Tim

Not quite in my tight budget But I wish.

If anyone is interested, here are the plans I put together for the entertainment stand.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ze03fx4jnk9sbw9/entertainmentstand.skp

 

[Kevin Johnson]

Could you use a 1/4" bit with a 1/2" shank?

Or, my original router table was a piece of plywood with a router mounted to it.  Obviously, there was hole on the middle for the router bits. For a fence, I used a straight piece of 1x clamped on both ends with C-clamps.

The while thing was then set over a trash can or you could use a box.  It was crude, but accurate.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[pghmyn]

Could you use a 1/4" bit with a 1/2" shank?

Or, my original router table was a piece of plywood with a router mounted to it.  Obviously, there was hole on the middle for the router bits. For a fence, I used a straight piece of 1x clamped on both ends with C-clamps.

The while thing was then set over a trash can or you could use a box.  It was crude, but accurate.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

I would have to buy the 1/4" bit with a 1/2" then. I did think about making a crude table like you mentioned, but would it not be easier to create these grooves and tenons on the table saw?

 

[erock]

tenons on a table saw with a tenon jig.

where do you live?   I have a Tenon jig for the table saw that I never used if you want to borrow it.  I bought the Tenon jig a little before I bought my

Domino.

Needless to say, but I never used the Tenon jig after I received my Domino.  Took the darn jig out of the box for it to collect dust!

Eric

 

[pghmyn]

tenons on a table saw with a tenon jig.

where do you live?   I have a Tenon jig for the table saw that I never used if you want to borrow it.  I bought the Tenon jig a little before I bought my

Domino.

Needless to say, but I never used the Tenon jig after I received my Domino.  Took the darn jig out of the box for it to collect dust!

Eric

I live up in Wisconsin. No worries about the tenon jig. I planned on creating a repeatable process of cutting the shoulders precisely, then nibbling away the rest. Finally, cleaning up whatever I have. When I go to the store, I am going to pick up a chisel or two. I could use some around my shop. I can't believe I have survived this long without them.

I'm thinking something like these should do for now.

 

[Kevin Johnson]

You could do it either way. however I liked the router table idea because it it's easier to start and stop your grooves for the panels before the beginning and end of the cut.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[pghmyn]

You could do it either way. however I liked the router table idea because it it's easier to start and stop your grooves for the panels before the beginning and end of the cut.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

This is the exact joint I intend on creating:

Just without those fancy bits

 

[erock]

easy to produce with just a table saw ! ! ! 

sounds like you have a plan.  Post some pictures when you get it all done.  You have a nice project in the works with what sounds like a limited collection

of tools.  You should be proud of yourself!  Keep up the good work!

Eric

 

[pghmyn]

easy to produce with just a table saw ! ! ! 

sounds like you have a plan.   Post some pictures when you get it all done.   You have a nice project in the works with what sounds like a limited collection

of tools.  You should be proud of yourself!  Keep up the good work!

Eric

I look forward to coming home from class tomorrow and running a couple test pieces. And, yes, I have lots of tools - but they are not all "quality"

The only tool I really take pride in right now is my TS 55. After that, my Porter Cable orbital sander is really nice.

 

[pghmyn]

I also wanted your guys opinion on the price of the entertainment stand. I do this as a hobby for friends and family. As stated, my tools are not top notch, and I will have the occasional error that I can usually cover up without anyone but myself knowing it is there.

If you make something like this, what do you think would be a fair price?

The dimensions are 18.50" x 50.00" x 1.00" top. The carcass is 17.00" x 48.00" x 24.25" (depth, width, height). There will be four doors.

 

[pghmyn]

Update on the project so far:

Doors are created and mounted, and the small bits are all done. Just need to cut and attach the back and then attach the top.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mpqirmbdk6t27yr/PB020941.JPG

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ahvpt7b9ud0b0p/PB020940.JPG