How to create a foating cabinet
If you need a modern additional storage place to keep your TV and electronic equipment build a floating-cabinet entertainment center. Besides the fact that building this unit with your own hands is cheaper than buying a ready-made one from a furniture store, you can customize its design in accordance to the style in your room. Use cheap materials such as plywood or MDF to make your entertainment center.
Necessary tools and materials:
4 2-by-4 boards, 48-inch wood screws, 3/4-inch
wood screws, 2 1/2-inch wood screws, 4-inch
5 2-by-4 boards, 24-inch 2 magnetic latches, 2-part
2 plywood boards, 3/4-by-21-by-48-inch stud finder
2 plywood boards, 3/4-by-21-by-25 1/2-inch drill
plywood board, 3/4-by-25 1/2-by-49-inch washers
4 side-mount cabinet hinges wood drill bits
plywood boards, 3/4-by-18-by-24-inch wood screws, 1 1/2-inch
metal L-brackets, 2-inch 6 2-by-4 boards, 18-inch
How to make the cabinet
- Take two 48-inch 2-by-4 boards and put them one next to the other on their long and narrow sides, in a parallel position on the floor or ground. Leave an 18-inch distance between them; these boards will be the vertical frame of your project.
- Put an 18-inch 2-by-4 board between these both ends of these two boards to create a rectangular frame measuring 21-by-48-inch. Make two holes into both vertical frames and into all ends of the shorter board with a drill. Connect the boards using 2 ½-inch wood screws. Build another rectangular frame following the previous steps.
- Turn the frames in vertical position on their narrow, long parts. Allow a 24-inches distance between them. Introduce a 24-inch 2-by-4 board between every corner of the rectangular frames to convert them into a bigger box frame measuring 21-by-21-by-48-inches. Make two holes into all the ends of the new boards of the frame to create the back and front sustaining boards. Fix the boards using 2 ½-inch wood screws.
- Turn the cabinet vertically with its 21-by-31 inch side down. Place a 3/4-by-21-by-48-inch plywood board against the sides of the cabinet and connect them utilizing 2 ½-inch wood screws. Around the frame, leave a distance of 12 inches between screws.
- Place a 3/4-by-21-by-25 1/2-inch plywood board against the highest and the lowest part of the cabinet and connect it using 2 1/2-inch wood screws. Allow six inches distance between the screws around the frame.
- Take a 3/4-by-25 1/2-by-49-inch plywood board and set it against the front part of the cabinet. Install four side-mount cabinet hinges between the door of the cabinet and the sideboard using a drill and ¾-inch wood screws.
- Use a magnetic latch between the door of the cabinet and the other sideboard. Fix it using ¾-inch wood screws.
- Create the shelves by positioning 3/4-by-18-by-24-inch plywood boards inside the frame. Use 2-inch metal L-brackets to fix the shelves in place. Use ¾-inch wood screws to connect the shelf with the brackets and 1 ½-inch wood screws for the frame.
How to attach the cabinet to the wall
- Use a stud finder to locate existing wall studs. Mark the place of the studs in the wall.
- Set the cabinet against the wall; position the 2-by-4 frame over the studs.
- Make holes into the walls and frame using a drill. Use 5-inch wood screws and washers to secure the frame into the wall.