busbus wrote:


So I was thinking about slapping one together myself using 2x4s and
either 3/4" MDF or plywood. Needless to say, I want this thing to be
as cheap as possible! I was thinking about gluing two 18" 2x4s
together to make an ELL for each of four legs and then lay a piece of
3/4" plywood or MDF on top. Maybe use a 1" board to connect all four
legs together at the top and then another set of 1" boards halfway
down to put a shelf in plus it should help it stay together.

Does this sound like a plan? Of course, I originally thought of a
couple 2x12s and some 12" concrete blocks but the moms puked. Ain't
nothing going to be cheaper than that!


You would be surprised at the weight that a seemingly light duty stand, will
carry. There's no need to use two-by lumber for this type of project -
one-by will work just fine. Take a look at how lighter weight materials are
typically used for applications like this. You can use 1/8" luan plywood
for the top if you build structural framing under it, for example. It's
largely a matter of taste, but I don't like the look of two-by lumber for
furniture. Looks too clunky for my tastes. 150 pounds is not a lot of
weight to support, and it's not a concentrated weight - it's spread across a
32" span. That is actually in your favor. It's worth looking at the
commercial stuff that is on the market and seeing if you can get some ideas
from that. Just remember that you don't need to go the route of building
materials that are typically used to support houses, for a simple TV stand.

--

-Mike-