100% Amazing DIY TV Lift Cabinet Project

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Finding design-savvy ways to magically create extra space in your home isn’t always easy. While unsightly organizers and bulky dressers are always an option, it pays to get creative when coming up with neat and stylish storage ideas.

Does your living room have a huge flat-screen TV? Is it dominating the room? Wouldn’t it be nice if it was out of view when not in use?

Here’s a great solution to make that flat-screen TV disappear when it’s not in use. And you can do it with the hit of a button! This great-looking cabinet will hide the television using a lift mechanism and universal remote control.

What’s great about this cabinet is that it looks so natural, you won’t even know that it hides that television, unless you’re aware of its purpose. It also stores and hides your remotes, DVD players, game consoles, and other home entertainment items.

DIY TV Lift Cabinet

Do you want your TV to magically disappear when not in use? Then learn how to build this DIY TV lift cabinet!

Click on any image to start the lightbox display. Use your Esc key to close the lightbox.8-)

Materials:

  • 1 Firgelli Lift FA-TVL-170-24-36 (includes IR detect and remote)
  • 5 sheets of 3/4″ Birch Plywood
  • 1 sheet of 1/4″ Birch Plywood
  • 4 Hinges – soft close
  • 4 rolls of Birch Edge Tape
  • 1 bottle of Wood Glue
  • 20 feet of 1.25″ x 3/4″ Wood Panel Molding
  • 30 feet of 1″ x 1/4″ Wood Panel Molding
  • 5 pairs Drawer Slide
  • 1 Piano Hinge
  • 1 IR repeater to hide components and IR receivers
  • 4 Drawer Pulls
  • 2 Door Pull Knobs
  • 4 Bolts, Nuts and Washers for the Firgelli Lift
  • 1 pack of strong Velcro

Tools:

  • Table Saw
  • Jig Saw
  • Compound Mitre Saw – or Mitre Box
  • Drill Press
  • Electric Drill
  • Clamps – assorted
  • Tape Measure and Small Steel Ruler
  • Right Angle Square
  • Orbital Sander – with 60 and 100 grit Sand Paper
  • Sanding Block and loose 60 and 100 grit Sand Paper
  • Iron – for applying edge tape
  • Sharp Box Cutter – for edge tape trimming
  • Drill Bits and Forstner Drill Bits
  • Countersink Drill Bit – for drywall screws
  • ¼” – ½” Dowel Center Transfer Plugs and a few 1/4″ Dowels
  • Nail Gun and Compressor – to hold the wood while the glue dries.
  • Putty Knife – for spackling
  • Socket Set
  • Screwdriver
  • Hammer

This is a video showing the TV Lift cabinet in action:

This video shows how to remove the front panel for access to the inside of the TV Lift Cabinet.

The following Word document contains top, front, and side views of the TV Lift cabinet. It also contains a list of wood parts that should be cut.  Some of the parts are 3/4″ plywood.  Some are 1/4″ plywood and some are trim moulding cuts. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9NRwEqGVuzmMm1sNkZJdUhRREE/edit?usp=sharing

There is also a plywood cut sheet with recommended cuts from each sheet of plywood to allow maximal efficiency of your plywood panels.  The sheets can be pre-ripped in your lumberyard or home centre for easier carrying in your car. Of course, all measurements should be double-checked for your application and may be converted to metrics.

The documents are in Word so that you can easily modify them for your needs if your application or installation is different.

When choosing your plywood sheets for your TV lift cabinet, be sure that they are not warped or bent.  Line each one up and sight it with your eye.  Reject the warped pieces.

Cutting large sheets of plywood can be tricky.  If you have access to a panel saw with a good plywood blade, you are golden.  If not, there are some tricks.

– The first is somewhat dangerous and you need a helper.  Set up your table saw outside with the fence and guards removed.  Mark your lines on the wood and pass the large sheet of plywood through the table saw blade with you pushing and your helper catching.  Go slowly and accurately.

– The second method is to lay some 2 x 6 pieces on a smooth floor.  Lay your marked plywood on the floor and slowly cut your lines with a skill saw with a plywood blade installed.

– Please double-check ALL the measurements and dry-fit your parts before drilling, nailing, or gluing.

– You may find it useful to cut parts from the larger plywood sheets as the project progresses.  It gives you a better ability to check for errors.  The downside is that you have to set up the table saw each time.

Assembly:

You’ll need a helper for this first assembly step.  Most of the other ones can be done solo. Reference the top view drawing.

Before you start assembling the carcass, make sure that you will have enough room and a plan to get the TV lift cabinet to its final location.  This TV Lift cabinet is 26″ wide which should fit through any doors BUT it is 87″ long so it may be tough to get around corners.

– Lay the Bottom piece “G” on a flat work surface.  I use an old door on adjustable sawhorses.  Set up your TV lift cabinet so the back and right sides are hanging over the edge of the work table.  You will be shooting nails up into this area.

– Put Glue on the bottom of the back piece “Back” and get your helper to hold it in place.

– Put Glue on the right side of the “Back”  where piece “E” will connect to it…

– Put Glue on the bottom of the right side piece “E”  and get your helper to hold it in place against the back piece.

– Shoot 3″ framer nails to secure the right piece “E” to the “Back” piece.  Shoot nails from underneath into the bottom to secure the Back and piece “E” to the bottom.  Your helper is done!

– On the back of the carcass, mark 42.75″ from the right edge and draw a vertical nailing line on the back.  Drill a few small holes through this line to carry through your vertical nailing line to the inside.

– Put glue on the back and bottom of “C2” and centre it on these nailing holes you just drilled. Check with a square that “C2” is 90 degrees square to the back and to the bottom. Nail through the back to secure “C2”.

– Put Glue on the front of “C2” and on the bottom of “C1”. Center “C1” on the front of “C2” and nail through “C1″ into C2”.

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We will continue adding the vertical members to the carcass here.  Reference the top view drawing.

– Mark the inside back and bottom of the carcass with a line that is 11.5″ away from the right edge.  Drill a few small holes 3/8″ to the left of this line on the inside back.  Go to the back of the carcass and connect the holes with a straight edge to make a nailing line…

– Add glue to the top back and bottom of piece “D”.  Install it with the rightmost edge on the line you just marked so the inside dimension is exactly 11.5″.  Go to the back and nail piece “D” in place.

– Go to the left side of the carcass and mark a line on the back that is 25″ in from the left-back edge.  drill holes 3/8″ over to the right of this line.  Mark this line on the back.   Mark another line 25 3/4″ over from the left side bottom edge.

– Put glue on the bottom and back of piece “B” and nail it from the back on the 25″ line.

– As shown in the drawing, draw a line 18.5″ parallel to the back.

– Put glue on the back and bottom of the “H” piece.  As viewed from the left side of the carcass, it should attach to the right side of “B” and be on the right side of the 18.5″ line you drew.  Nail from “B” into “H”.

– Put glue on the back and bottom of “A3”.  Attach “A3” as shown in the diagram.  Nail from the left side of “A3” into “H”.

– Put glue on the back and bottom of “A4”.  Attach “A4″ as shown in diagram 10 7/8” from “A3”.  Nail from the middle of “H” into “A4”.

– Add top panel support piece “FS”.  It goes between pieces “B” and “D” as shown in the drawings…  Apply glue to both ends of “FS”.  Carefully nail into place from each end.  Use clamps or a helper to get this right.

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After the glue on the Carcass dries, we can drill the holes for the lift and the Vent holes.   The glue should take a few hours to be rock solid.

– Remove the top assembly from the Firgelli lift to make it a little lighter.

– Position the Firgelli lift in the centre of “C1”.   Mark the 4 holes with a pencil.  Remove the Lift.

– Drill 4 holes as straight and accurately as you can.

– Drill multiple vent holes with a 1″ bit as shown in the pictures below.  These holes allow component heat to leave the left side component cabinet AND allow your wires and cables to pass around the cabinet.

– Secure the lift to “C1” with nuts and bolts.  I used a carriage bolt, nut, 2 smooth washers, and 2 lock washers on each hole.

– Plugin your lift and test its operation with the remote and manual switch.

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