Shelving Advice

[Youthman]

I'll be picking up a Parasound Amp tomorrow and need to add some form of shelving system to my false wall/entertainment center. The center cabinet space is 30" W x 27" H x 25 1/4" D. For some reason, the guy that built the cabinets made a bottom shelf out of wood and spray painted it black but did not make one for the left and right cabinet. He was supposed to make some form of shelving that would slide out so I could easily get behind the equipment to change out wires, add new equipment etc but long story short, that didn't happen.

Here is where I need some advice. Should I get some 3/4" Plywood and cut shelves, paint them black, and put dowels in the sides of the cabinet with the metal pins? Or do you have another suggestion?

Currently, I do not have a lot of equipment. My sub is located in the bottom left cabinet. My Receiver, PS3 and Rabbit Ears (don't laugh), are located in the bottom center cabinet and I will be picking up a Parasound 2205a amp tomorrow that will likely sit beneath the receiver. The right cabinet contains misc remotes, DVD's & CD's.

I know I need to add a bottom shelf for the left and right side cabinet since my subwoofer and DVD's are actually sitting on carpet since the guy didn't install a bottom shelf for the left and right cabinet.

Bottom Left cabinet

Photo of the bottom center cabinet which is beneath the screen.

Currently, all my equipment is sitting on the bottom shelf.

A shot looking up into the false wall. It's hollow behind the screen.

You can see here the bottom "shelf".

[Rich_Guy]

I think I would leave the sub on the carpet. If you were to add a shelve under the sub I think it would probably rattle your false wall entertainment center. But shelves above your receiver would definitely be nice. Maybe a shelve above the sub if there is room, I can't tell for certain by the picture, probably not much room is my guess. Maybe 1/8" aluminum angle screwed into the sides to support the shelves in place of the dowels, one thought.

[Youthman]

I think I would leave the sub on the carpet.

I was just thinking it was sitting too low as you can see in this older pic. With the sub on the capet, there is 10" above the sub to the front frame. If I added a bottom shelf, it would raise it 4" off the floor making it 6" from the top. It is hollow above the sub though.

[Rich_Guy]

If you think it is too low I would add a spacer under the sub that was not attached to the entertainment center to avoid rattling the center.

Here is what I meant by 1/8" aluminum angle, it would be a length as wide as the shelve. I was just using this for a project of mine.

[Rich_Guy]

Either a thick slab or a shelve with legs under the sub, but not attached to the entertainment center itself, so as to not rattle the center.

[samson]

You could always get a riser for your sub. Check out the Auralex sub risers, I have the great gramma and it works nicely.

[Rich_Guy]

You could always get a riser for your sub. Check out the Auralex sub risers, I have the great gramma and it works nicely.

Exactly, a riser for the sub.

[Rich_Guy]

Something like this http://www.amazon.com/Auralex-Subwoofer-Isolation-15x15x2-inch-Charcoal/dp/B001140OZ0

or build something yourself.

[samson]

You beat me to it! http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolation_subdude/subdude.asp

[Youthman]

Thx for the advice guys. I like the idea of the riser instead to reduce any transfer of vibrations to the cabinet. It might keep down the rattle but even now, my entire screen vibrates when the bass is heavy. [] [Y]

The L brackets would offer more support than the adjustable shelving with dowels. I might just go that route. I REALLY wish the guy that built it would have done what he said he was going to do. I told him from the beginning that it was really important for me to be able to slide the entire shelf forward so I could get behind the equipment. Oh well. I'll have to come up with something on my own. Probably isn't an easy way to get behind the gear. Even if I could build a shelving system that slid forward, I would have to climb inside the bottom right cabinet, climb over the middle wall and into the middle cabinet. LOL

[Rich_Guy]

Not really an L bracket. I mean 2 lengths of extruded aluminum one on each side the length would be the same length as the shelf is wide and about 1 1/2" size of the L shape in each direction.

Here is a link for some http://www.brunnerent.com/Tools/Portfolio/frontend/item.asp?type=5&size=0&lngDisplay=0&jPageNumber=15&strMetaTag='> http://www.brunnerent.com/Tools/Portfolio/frontend/item.asp?type=5&size=0&lngDisplay=0&jPageNumber=15&strMetaTag= but you can find a local seller I'm sure. You would cut the lengths to approximately the width of your shelf, one used on each side of the shelf, it's very strong and looks nice.

There would be several ways that a shelve could be made to slide out if you wanted to as well, either directly at the brackets or one of the simplest ways might be to use 2 shelves at each position a stationary shelf and a sliding shelf above connected with a pair of rolling slider guides.

[Youthman]

Not really an L bracket.

Sorry, I understood what you meant, just used the wrong term. To me, it's a L bracket cause it looks like a really looooong L. []

I'll check to see where I can find some locally.

[Rich_Guy]

I'll check to see where I can find some locally.

Yeah I just posted a link that came up on google. There are places around me that sell it by the foot or even scrap pieces by the pound. It's not very expensive at all.

[Thaddeus Smith]

dimensions of the space? build a mini flexi rack (4 legs instead of 3) for your spaces out of plywood, 5/8" threaded rod, nuts, and washers. if your cabinets will fit the 24" square sheets of plywood (at lowes) then your fabrication efforts just got a lot simpler. if not:

cut the plywood to fit

drill 4 holes about 2" in from each corner

create your nut/washer/plywood/washer/nut sandwiches per level.

completely customizable for your various component heights and super sturdy. let me know if you need pics or additional design info..

[Youthman]

dimensions of the space?

Stated in the first post. 30" W x 27" H x 25 1/4" D []

if your cabinets will fit the 24" square sheets of plywood (at lowes) then your fabrication efforts just got a lot simpler.

Does Lowes already have the squares cut? Do they have a finish on them or are they just plain plywood?

Were you the one that posted pics of your rack in another thread? They had a cherry (or similar) finish. Looked very nice. I called Lowes and no one knew what I was talking about. LOL

Picks would be definitely appreciated.

[Thaddeus Smith]

doh ..sorry. yes, my lowes has pre-cut raw plywood (birch and oak) in 24x24" squares. see below .. i've also made a desk using the threaded rod method, reused some old ikea tables with the rods, etc ..i might try and build a house out of these things.

[Stolenrs]

I haven't tried this myself, but I have thought about it quite a few times, what about mounting drawer rollers on each side and build your shelf to attach to the rollers and then pull it out when needed and push it back in when done. I have a computer hutch that the printer pulls in and out, that is what made me think of it. Anyway I really like your room, someday I am gonna have that dedicated room!! []

Oh ya, I was always told to use 3/4" - 1" mdf over plywood, what do you think is plywood better?

Good luck,

Ross

[Youthman]

Most places are closed so I stopped by Lowes. They had one three foot piece of 3/8" Aluminum Angle 1 1/2 x 1 1/2". Cost $12.00. Probably could find it much cheaper somewhere else but I want to get the shelf built tonight so I can hook up the new amp and test it out. I grabbed a bag of 12x3/4 Flat Philips Wood Screws. Not sure if I should have gone with the round head instead of flat since the flat is angled on the back side of the head. I'm hoping that if I drill the holes the same size as the screw diameter that it should be fine.

Does that sound like a plan?

Oh ya, I was always told to use 3/4" - 1" mdf over plywood, what do you think is plywood better?

I found a piece of scrap 3/4 plywood that I'm going to use. My guess is MFD doesn't flex as much as plywood will (at least that was the case back in the day when I was building speaker boxes for my car)

I mean 2 lengths of extruded aluminum one on each
side the length would be the same length as the shelf is wide

I'm assuming you mean the same length as the shelf is deep?

I'm planning on cutting my Aluminum Angle in 1/2 so that will give me two 18" lengths to work with. The Yamaha is 15.5" deep from front to back.

Once everything is cut and installed, I will need to paint it flat black, let it dry, then install everything. Might not be until tomorrow before I am able to install it. Depends on how fast the paint dries.

[Youthman]

Ross, I'll probably not go with the roller route since it really won't benefit me much unless I can get it to roll completely out in front of the cabinet about 4" - 6". Getting inside the false wall would be a little tricky but I have done it a time or two.

[Youthman]

Holes are drilled in the Aluminum Angles, shelf has been cut and painted. Will need to wait until paint is dry before installing.