How to Build a Do It Yourself TV Stand

Cut out the pieces and glue up the legs

Cut out the pieces to the dimensions given in the Cutting List that you’ll find in ‘Additional Information’ below. I built a deluxe table saw sled to cut the tapered legs, but any jig that slides along the table saw fence on one side and holds the board at the correct angle on the other side will do the job. To find the angle, just measure and mark 3 in. in at the top and 5 in. in at the bottom of your 23-in.- long 1×6 blank. Align these marks with the saw kerf in the jig and tack your cleats to the jig. With this setup, you can cut exact repeats all day long.

To add a bit of extra rigidity to the front frame, the lower rail has curved braces at the bottom. To make this bracket shape, just cut blocks from scrap and glue them to the ends of the lower rail. Once the glue is dry, sand the joint smooth and trace the curve. The exact shape isn’t a must; I used a flexible steel ruler and bent it to make a smooth curve along the block from bottom to top. Next, cut the shape and smooth it with a drum sander or a sanding block.

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DIY TV Stand Details

TV Stand Overall Dimensions: 54′ wide x 23-3/4′ high x 16-1/2′ deep

Assemble the face frame and back

Drill the pocket holes in the back side of the rail ends and the edges of the plywood back. Assemble the face frame with the legs tapering to the outside. The back is constructed in virtually the same manner as the face frame. But instead of having an upper and a lower rail like the front frame, the back frame has a solid panel fastened between the outer legs.

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Assemble the cabinet

Cut the sides and the three shelves from 3/4-in. plywood following the Cutting List in ‘Additional Information’ below. Drill all pocket holes into the shelf, the subtop and the base (E). The subtop and the base have the same drilling pattern. For the shelf, don’t drill holes in the lengthwise edges, only on the ends.

Also drill pocket holes in the sides to attach the face frame and back later. Position the subtop and the base against the sides. Make sure the top of the base (E) is 4-1/2 in. from the lower edge of the sides. Screw the subtop, the base and the shelf to the sides.

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Set the cabinet on 1/2-in. spacers and drive pocket screws into the legs. Next, attach the front face frame in the same manner, then align and screw the subtop to the face frame. Then, carefully flip the assembly upside down and attach the base to the front and back frames as well. Alignment is critical at the base, so measure to prevent any sagging.

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Install the shelf and dividers

With the cabinet upside down, cut 9-1/2-in. spacers and install the shelf. Then, add the dividers, nailing them into place through the base and on the underside through the shelf. Be sure the dividers are evenly spaced in the opening. Glue and nail the shelf face (J) and the divider faces (K2) in place. Cut the plywood top (H) and glue and nail the edging to the top. With the cabinet still inverted, position the top under the assembly, and screw it to the subtop with 1-1/4- in. screws.

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Build and mount the drawers

The drawers are just simple boxes made from 1/2-in. plywood with 1/4-in. plywood bottoms. To size the drawer width, measure the openings between the divider faces. Subtract 1 in. from this width to determine the drawer widths (1/2-in. clearance for each drawer slide). Make sure the drawer height is at least 3/4 in. shorter than the opening height.

In order to fasten the drawer slides to the cabinet, you’ll need to add 1-1/2-in. x 1-in. x 13-1/2-in. cleats onto the base (E) between the front and back legs. You’ll also need to cut 1/8-in. x 1-1/2-in. x 13-1/2-in. spacers and glue them to the sides of the dividers (K1). These cleats and spacers will allow the drawer glides to align with the faces of the shelves and the legs.

Fasten the drawer slides to the drawer bottoms and to the cabinet. Position the front of the slide so the drawer sits back 3/4 in. from the face of the cabinet. To finish the drawers, measure the opening of each drawer, subtract 1/4 in. from the height and width and cut the plywood drawer faces to that dimension. Attach iron-on edge banding to the drawer front and trim and sand the edges.

With the drawers placed in the cabinet, apply double-stick tape to the front of the drawer assembly. Carefully align the drawer face to the drawer with 1/8-in. spacers resting between the faces and the lower rail. Press the drawer fronts (M) into place and then screw them from inside the drawer box. Check the fit and then drill the holes for the drawer pulls.

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Finishing

Sand the project with 150-grit sandpaper. Be sure to blend the edge banding and ease any sharp edges. Vacuum the project and then wipe it down with a clean cloth moistened with mineral spirits to remove any residue. I finished the stand with stain, plus three coats of Minwax Wipe-On Poly, and let it cure for a full week before installing components. I then positioned the components, planned the cable routes and drilled generous 2-in. holes in the back of the stand for wiring.

Additional Information

• Materials List
• Cutting List
• Figure A: DIY TV Stand