Drill & Plug or not?

11/19/07, 1:34 PM #1

Bob from GB
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Drill & Plug or not?

Bob from GB

>I am nearly finished with a nice cherry TV stand for my new LCD TV. To assemble I normally would drill from the outside to aid in my glue up, support the dado'd shelves + the added structural integrity.

I have this urge to go to extremes to "not" drill into the outside - just a shame to disrupt that pretty wood. But, hey there is no Nirvana.

I thought of using all cleats on the inside, but this would be a lot more work, not sure if it's worth the bother.

Am I just going weird on myself?

Bob

Re: Drill & Plug or not?

11/19/07, 2:06 PM #2

Dan Donaldson
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5,264 posts

Registered: 9/17/01

Re: Drill & Plug or not?

Dan Donaldson

>Depending on the rest of the construction, glue should be more than adequate to hold the dados and for structural integrity, especially if it has a back on it.

- - -

I have been woodworking for about 25 years now, and would consider myself an enthusiastic amateur. My claim to fame (or infamy) has always been fixing stuff. I spent time in the Air Force in the 60's then went to work as an electronic technician for civil service. I finally got my EE, and being fed up with the civil service nonsense, took a job with Ford Motor Company until I went with the split to Visteon last year. I got interested in music and started playing in a bluegrass band. I wanted a new guitar, and that kind of led me into woodworking. I bought some books, a few tools, and built a guitar. Luckily, I didn't know any better than to try that as a first ever project. I still play it when I get a chance, so it must not be too bad if it can live for over 20 years. After a stint in Mexico for my job, I moved into a new house and built a small shop. Since then I have been collecting tools and skills, probably more of the former than the latter ;-). Finding this site has done more for my skills and enjoyment than anything else. I have learned a lot and really enjoy the friendships that I have made here. I have been married to LOML (Lori) for 32 years now and have 6 kids. When they are all gone, I want to get a 1 bedroom house (so there is not room for them to move back in) and at least a 6 car heated/air conditioned garage for a shop. (Dream on...)

Re: Drill & Plug or not?

11/19/07, 6:06 PM #3

Bob from GB
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Re: Drill & Plug or not?

Bob from GB

>No back on it. There will be a structural cleat running across the top. I will also allow a chamfer to allow a possible thin panel for the back. The base is 36" wide, 17" deep and 25" tall. It has a 42" top. Sort of a giant end table, but will hide all the electronic goodies. The no back is to allow heat to flow out - not seen anyway.

Bob

Re: Drill & Plug or not?

11/19/07, 9:44 PM #4

Tony Zaffuto
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213 posts

Registered: 2/3/04

Re: Drill & Plug or not?

Tony Zaffuto

>Sounds very similar to what I was doing 4 weeks ago! I built a stand for my new 40" LCD. Top was 46", open back, two shelves at 38" each. I used four 1-3/4" x 1-3/4" legs for an open look with dados cut for each shelf. After completion I drilled, screwed and plugged through each leg into the shelf. I also added a skirt board across the back, under the top to prevent racking. The table was probably plenty strong without the screws, but my concern was more wear and tear, combined with potential racking issues.

The table is made from cherry, as are the plugs. They're virtually invisible, as long as you are careful to orient the grain the same.

Drill & Plug or not?

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