Making a DIY TV cabinet from solid beech panels, by Jan

Preparation

• Everything starts with a good plan; What do I want, what dimensions, what height is comfortable for watching TV, where will the TV be placed and where do the cables need to be routed, how should it be assembled, what wood thicknesses do I need for appearance and sturdiness, what tools do I have and what do I need to purchase (in my case, a pocket hole drilling jig (Kreg), a long PZ2 screwdriver bit and a cup hinge drill bit (Presch Forstner drill bit)), which screws are needed (Spax PZ2, 5x35, 4-cut), which hinges (Blum Blumotion soft-close, easy to adjust), which feet are needed underneath. Where am I going to build, because you want to leave everything in place so you can easily pick up where you left off later, and finally, how should it be finished (paint or varnish, etc.). Next, all panels were laid out to make the wood grain pattern run continuously as much as possible (for example, the top panel extends into the side panel; the 3 cabinet doors also have a continuous, joined wood grain pattern. (Advice: remove the stickers and mark the panels with a pencil at a specific spot.) which will not be visible). After that, I used saw remnants that I had had delivered along (this is an option when ordering) to make test drillings to determine the drilling depth and to see how two panels join together and how sturdy that is. For the back wall, I still had a matching 9mm plywood sheet of my own.

Montage

• If step 1 is well thought out, this assembly step is not that difficult. Work very precisely! Do check very regularly to ensure everything fits together nicely at a right angle (if you do this too late, you won't be able to correct it properly because all the drill holes will be as they are and difficult to change). So, also think carefully about the most convenient assembly sequence. Use quality screws as well, because that works much better than the standard stuff from the hardware store. The Kreg drilling jig for angled drilling and screwing the panels works fine, provided you clamp it very tightly. If you don't, the jig shifts as soon as the drill hits the hard wood (this might not be an issue with chipboard or softwood panels, but it is with these beech panels). When clamping, also use small wooden plates between the clamping parts themselves and the panel wood to prevent damage. Finally, the Presch Forstner drill bit works fantastically in beech wood, provided you use the specified low drilling speed.

Finish

• To achieve the best result, I removed all parts of the cabinet that would be clearly visible (top and doors). Next, I sanded the entire cabinet with P180 grit sandpaper (rounding the wood edges slightly as well). Then I wiped off all the sawdust with a brush and subsequently used the vacuum cleaner. After that, I applied clear lacquer (Skylt; the same as on the beech floor) in two coats and finished with Skylt topcoat. I sanded very lightly between coats with P240 grit. All panels have been treated on all sides to prevent warping. I also bought beautiful round solid beech legs online (IPEA brand; 10 cm high, 6 cm diameter) and finished them in the same way. These legs have a centrally drilled screw that is attached directly to the bottom panel using a slightly tight drill hole (use a little white candle wax shavings as a 'lubricant'; works great and leaves no stains on the wood).
• After drying for two days, the cabinet was screwed back together and placed in position. To prevent sagging, two sturdy corner brackets (20 x 20 cm) were screwed to the wall, supporting the cabinet in the middle between the legs. The cabinet was perfectly horizontal, so no further adjustment was needed there. The doors, however, naturally had to be properly adjusted using the hinges.