TV Enclosure 2G

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)

 Pocket screws are effectively quicker for the joinery assembly and invisible from the front. 

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.

 With the side door (to the left) removed.

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?

 So far, so good.

Let There Be This light

A philosophy of wood working I subscribe to is that of "cutting from large piece/s into as small dimensions as possible and putting them back together and hope one ends up with a working finished project". Okay, I made that up to explain why most of my projects are that way as readers of this blog will readily observe from many of my projects.  Actually, it probably makes more work.  However, if you plan it right, basic parts are easier and safer to work with, including during the sanding and finishing phase of the project.

Here, this grow light fixture can be put together with two knurled knobs at the top ends without tools. (Except, of course where screws were used to fasten the feet to the uprights initially). With the bottom "T" in place at each leg, this fixture can be assembled and disassembled by hand.

The special light spectrum put out by the grow light is needed for indoor growing, even including normally outdoor plants, such as papaya and tamarind.  Both these plants (grown from seeds) will be transplanted next spring. Meanwhile, they serve as indoor CO2/oxygen exchangers. One tamarind tree outside made it through last winter and it is four feet tall now.  Papayas don't do too well in winter. A warm winter one year gave our papayas a two year growing season.

This is the latest of 5 pieces now around the house that have sort of a similar theme in their design.  Let me explain: 

(1) It started with the mantle above the fireplace that came with the house (photo below)

(2) The top ledge of the TV cabinet which I did years ago took that same round-over shape as in the mantle.

(3) The light fixture shown here that has a grow light for the in-ground house plants below it was fashioned the same way.  I almost made it look exactly like the mantle.

(4)  I replaced the original light fixture (top of photo, below) again with the same theme.

The compulsion to stick to the "theme" is indeed a woodworker's compulsion (on my part). One  may stand from one point in the family room and see all five of these "themed" pieces, including the light fixture that is by the hallway next to the front door in the living room. It is true  woodworkers do have their idiosyncrasies.  (Enlarge the photo to see why). Guilty as charged. And any future similarly themed project will have to be viewable from the same single location. Idiosyncrasy, what else is there to say.

One more tip: Notice the round planter on a white pedestal (photo below)? It rotates on ball bearings.  See next photos farther down.

I designed this rotatable pedestal with a pivot rod and globe ball bearings for easy access during watering (the glass non-draining planter is heavy, a standard Lazy Susan hardware may not hold up over time) and for even exposure to the light source. I or my wife will just have to from to time manually rotate the planter.