TV Enclosure 1G (first version) was over a decade ago, to "house" the then 50 inch plasma TV. First photos are a brief review (from an earlier blog) of its construction and what it looked like then. It was relatively massive. It was to hide the then flat plasma screen's side and back views over an existing cabinet. Its other function was naturally to cover up the usually messy-looking tangle of wires & cables and exhaust fan to evacuate all the heat generated from below.
The "old" enclosure had to come down. The new "smart" TV is slightly bigger at 55 inch. That is, by the way, just about the most that will fit on the existing built-in lower cabinet.
Thus begun the construction. It was going to be less massive - a fraction of the weight of the original but it will hide everything behind the flat LED screen. Like the old version it will be made from a good quality pine (smooth and flat and straight)
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| A little bit of hand tool works |
I cannot emphasize enough the utility of the Krenov saw horse. (Check my earlier blog on how I constructed my version of it).
A quick dry fitting.
One problem. The TV's feet. I needed to do something to hide it.
Well, I hid it this way.
Holes had to be drilled for the three front speakers of the surround system.
The enclosure is open at the top for ventilation (a critical feature for managing heat) but the other "innards" have to be hidden. The exhaust fan extricates the heat from below where all the other electronic devices sit in shelves.
With the enclosure upside down, one of two feet "slippers" is shown.
A couple of cross-braces for rigidity.
The paint dried. The enclosure was ready to be hoisted up. The idea was for the whole assembly to just slide across, enclosing the TV with just the screen showing in front.
All the measuring, over and over, paid off.
Front surround speakers
And here is the other reason for the new enclosure. AT&T streaming device and system - a mere 6 X 6.5 X 1 in. package that is lighter than a tablet, is now the new conduit to how TV images come into our home, new to our household anyway, since many may already have had streaming services for a while now. I think AT&T's streaming system is very capable. Anyway, the new device had to be accommodated, together with the new TV light indicator.
There is the inevitable question. What happens when a new or different device comes along or what if I sign up with another provider later where the device may have different dimensions? I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Another reason for a woodworking project?
