Author Topic: Room for a larger TV (Read 667 times)

Flyin6 · « **on:** March 19, 2023, 08:24:34 PM »

We have a house full of TVs. I couldn't begin to name all of them, but one thing I have noticed is that as Kat and I age, we are not going downstairs anymore to watch our giant projection TV. Ya, it's a favorite on game day or when the grandkids want to binge on Disney on a sleepover. Mater of fact, there are still blankets and pillows on the floor down there from the last sleep-over.
Well aside from that we seem to have a number of 42" TVs and I was pretty OK with that, but one day I mentioned to Kathy that we should move up to something like a 65" unit.

I should have never said that because right there I launched her on a quest. She's a value shopper. The fun is in the seeking and all that. She's deadly with the local shopping club and she has just been waiting. When I was doing the lift on the Jeep, she pulled in, popped the hatch on her Caddy and did her best Vanna White.

Yep, a new 65" TV. I think she picked that up for under $300 so she made a score...But...What I really wanted was an 80" TV. :-(

Flyin6 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 19, 2023, 08:25:35 PM »

Here's what I am currently working with, and that is a 42" TV

Flyin6 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 19, 2023, 08:26:25 PM »

Oh, yes, I always seem to wake up with chores created the night before by that big hairy dog!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 19, 2023, 08:29:51 PM »

Now, I also planned to paint the wall unit when I was finished and start to turn our wood trim into painted trim. The builder who put this together while I was slinging bullets in Afghanistan just stained the wood trim and gave it one coat of Poy with no further sanding...El cheapo.

I don't like it, it looks like it was a rush to finish. So I felt Either I need to steel wool everything and give it two more coats or just sand it, seal it, and paint it.

Anyway while I was tearing things out and scratching up the pretty maple, she declares that we need to just leave everything wood!!!!!!

Tear out started...

Flyin6 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 19, 2023, 08:32:17 PM »

I decided I could just cut the appropriate sice hole out from all that shelving while it remained more or less intact. The tool for the job was this style saw. I normally only use Japanese saws, but I gave this Irvin a try. I can report, it did not survive. It was missing teeth by the end of the day!

Flyin6 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 19, 2023, 08:33:59 PM »

It took quite a while to make all those cuts. Like going full steam on a rowing machine. I used tape on adjacent surfaces and that seemed to keep scratching to a minimum.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 19, 2023, 08:36:51 PM »

I spent the next couple of hours reattaching the shelves which got loose, then cutting in the trim pieces. I tried to use as much of the original pieces and placed them back where they came from and for the most part that worked out.

Now I have a much larger opening, which I just happened to size for an 80" Television... ;-)

Farmer Jon · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2023, 07:19:57 AM »

Looks like that will work out just fine.

stlaser · « **Reply #8 on:** March 20, 2023, 08:00:43 AM »

Nice work big D!

oklawall · « **Reply #9 on:** March 20, 2023, 04:18:42 PM »

Looking good

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Flyin6 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 20, 2023, 05:57:17 PM »

Day 2.

I should wrap this up in one more day. I split the day, today because it was 50+ outside which means I switch from inside work to outside work. I still got a few hours in on it.

I spent some time sanding everything in the "Affected area."

Flyin6 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 20, 2023, 05:58:49 PM »

We decided it would be impossible to hide the old non-stained areas so we just opted to paint it a dark gray. I liked that idea because when the TV is off it should sort of blend into that dark hole along with cables and the sound bar and DVD player.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 20, 2023, 05:59:51 PM »

After sanding I was wiping it down with home paint thinner to get all the oils off and it actually started to soften to old polyurethane.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 20, 2023, 06:00:48 PM »

Pic 1 is after the first coat of paint.

Pic 2 is a couple hours later after the second coat of paint

Flyin6 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 20, 2023, 06:01:58 PM »

While all that was drying and before I schedaddled outdoors, I built the stand that will give some space beneath the new TV

Flyin6 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 20, 2023, 06:02:46 PM »

Then it got a final touch up coat

Bigdave_185 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 20, 2023, 07:01:29 PM »

What’s the back wall material? 1/4” something?

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Flyin6 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 20, 2023, 08:40:27 PM »

Quote from: Bigdave_185 on March 20, 2023, 07:01:29 PM

What’s the back wall material? 1/4” something?

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Looks like 1/2" birch veneer panels

Flyin6 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 20, 2023, 08:52:37 PM »

Our custom home builder did not do a great job on that piece. When I was measuring it for the trim pieces, it was off from one side to the other. Now, that will drive me crazy and makes me want to tear it all out and build my own thing there...maybe I will. The smartest thing would be to just let it remain and save time/money/effort.

I think I might steel wool it and give it two more coats of poly, and maybe build some real cabinet doors for the bottom part. Those doors on there are warping, they are so cheaply made. I recall he built them almost as an afterthought. The house was winding down and Kathy reminded him of the cabinetry that was to go there. I think he just tossed that thing together as it looks fairly cheaply made and as I said, its measurements are off!

I was over in Kabul/Kandahar during most of the build which took over a year. If I would have seen that going in, I would have torn it out myself.

I don't want to talk about dollars, but this house is an expensive one. With 5123 living space and over 7500' counting garages, workshops, and mechanical spaces I expected the best. I think we got "Pretty good." I came home every once in a while to see progress, and I thought it was the best. 2X8 walls on some sides like the big, tall ones. poured 10" concrete basement walls, and even the basement has a minimum of a 9' ceiling height. It's over-insulated, wired for security cams, home stereo built-in, and granite in every room...No cultured marble, all granite, even in the laundry room. All that and I would have expected a lot more from that cabinet...

Bigdave_185 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 20, 2023, 09:37:11 PM »

Quote from: Flyin6 on March 20, 2023, 08:40:27 PM

Quote from: Bigdave_185 on March 20, 2023, 07:01:29 PM
What’s the back wall material? 1/4” something?

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Looks like 1/2" birch veneer panels

Had the material been thicker I would suggest just getting a wall mount for the tv to be suspended in the cabinet. But I don’t think you could talk me into hanging a tv from 1/2 even with these tvs weighing almost nothing

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Flyin6 · « **Reply #20 on:** March 20, 2023, 09:39:00 PM »

I don't want a wall mount. I seem to need to access the back side quite often. Sitting it on that shelf I created should work fine.

JR · « **Reply #21 on:** March 20, 2023, 11:53:51 PM »

Nice mod and the dark color helps.

We have a 50 in the bedroom mounted up in the vaulted ceiling so you look up at it and a 70 in the LR. Wife unit REFUSES to watch them full screen or in HD.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #22 on:** March 21, 2023, 05:25:58 PM »

There's still more to do, but I can call this done for now, and just in time since the weather seems to be warming, meaning the farm work is nearly here.

I finished the stand only to find I built it 2" too narrow. So, I get to do that again, but I'm using it for now.