Home Media Center Project

Kicking It Off

Click Here to Download a PDF of the Carcass and Plinth Exploded Views and Materials List.

Developing a cutting list was easy, too: we simply took measurements from our mock-up, another benefit of a prototype approach to woodworking design. There are several major parts to this project.

Assembling the plinth is the most important part of this process, as it has to hold up under the weight and be level as you set it up.

The plinth, or base, holds everything off the ground. The two side drawer cabinets share a common base panel that covers the plinth and becomes an attaching point for the bottom glides on the center console. The center console is attached to a sub-top that’s flush with the casework beneath it, and this in turn is attached to the solid cherry top which overhangs the casework by 2-1⁄2″ at the ends and 5/8″ at the front.

Cutting splines into the corner has the dual effect of helping you align the joints and adding strength to the corners of the base.

I started with the easy stuff. I built the plinth using solid cherry for the front and sides for durability on these high traffic parts and cherry veneered plywood for the back and middle parts.

Using these corner blocks on the carcass are an age-old tradition to reinforce pieces that have to endure heavy loads like this media center.

I decided to spline the mitered front corners and plowed dadoes for the cross members, then used a fun little trick called glue blocks to reinforce all the corners. As woodworkers through the ages can attest, glue blocks deliver amazing strength with just a small amount of effort and material. I glued and clamped the plinth together and then allowed the glue to cure.

Use heavy duty levelers like this on both the front and back of the casework to ensure it stays level once your work is done.

Once everything was set, I mounted six heavy-duty lifting levelers to the front and back — it is important to have the ability to level a big piece of casework like this — without using old carpenter’s shims in your living room!

Use a long gluing caul to keep consistent clamping pressure on the carcass during glue up of the cherry wood edging of the plywood.

Before I went any further with the casework, I decided to glue up the top. It is a bit out of sequence, but I could come back to it as I waited for other clamped and glued subassemblies to cure. The top is a simple, butt-glued panel. After I jointed and planed the stock, I examined the grain patterns and composed the pieces. I glued the top together and then set it aside for future attention, once I had built everything else.