Think you can’t build furniture because you only have a few basic tools? Well, check this out! This walnut low entertainment center was built using three primary tools: a circular saw, a router, and a drill. But that doesn’t mean I skimped on quality and design. The unit has sliding doors, good ventilation, a little shelf in the back for a surge protector, and all of the trim is beveled at an angle for a more interesting visual effect (even the trim on the shelves features this bevel).
This video series is full of tips and tricks that will help you get professional results from these simple power tools!
And here’s a great clamping tool guide, very similar to the one used in this episode:
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Quick Links:
Low Entertainment Center Pt. 1
Low Entertainment Center Pt. 2
Low Entertainment Center Pt. 3
Low Entertainment Center Pt. 4
Low Entertainment Center Pt. 5
Hey I remember this! This is how I found you Marc, I saw this on FWW.com and never looked back. I had to stop working to watch it again, and I liked the little add-on’s (if I am right about that) with the blade teeth and dado. I also thought when I fist watched it how cool it was that you showed your mistake. I’d suppose you will be posting the rest soon? This was a great project to watch.
Oh cool. I didn’t know that’s how you discovered the show.
And I have been playing with some extra graphical stuff lately just for fun. I thought it was a cool way to get a quick tip out there.
I will be posting the rest over the next few weeks.
I liked it, it is a cool way to get a tip out there. I will watch when you post it then. Hope all is well!
Great video. Looking forward to the next episodes. What is the estimated material cost for the finished project? Us newbies on a limited budget really like knowing ballpark figures. Thanks!
Well lets see. Materials would be about 2 sheets of 3/4″ ply and 1 sheet of 1/4″ ply. Then you need a couple boards for the solid trim, which probably doesn’t amount to more than 3-4 board feet.
So use those figures to approximate cost. Obviously its going to depend greatly on the grade and species of material you choose.
deja vu? I thought this was posted a few months back? or is this a different take/edit on the project?
Good news. You are not going crazy and its not a glitch in the Matrix. :) This series was originally released by FineWoodworking.com. I promoted it here with a blog post and a short intro video. But I never posted the entire project. And unless you were a paying member at FineWoodworking.com (which I highly recommend by the way), you would not have seen the series.
So I promised everyone that as soon as I able to, I would post the project here on TheWoodWhisperer.com for free. I would guess that for most folks, this is new stuff.
oh thank god… I guess I can stop looking for morpheus then.
I’ll second the subscription to FWW online , they have a huge library of articles, and 99% of them are of great value and in good spirit. everything is nicely illustrated, and explained well.
It’s been a full year for me, in which I absorbed a tremendous amount of ww related wisdom, so I guess I lost track of where I saw the video, and since it was YOU in the video, I always assumed it was from your website. it all makes sense now.
Thanks again for bringing this out, this is indeed a terrific lesson in “basic needs” and artistic possibilities. awesome entertainment center as well!
P.S. were the plans on FWW ever modified? I remember you mentioned that the plans were done prior to the video, and the actual project was slightly different in dimensions?
The more time goes by, the less details I remember, lol. The actual project should be the same as the plan. The FWW plan was modified a couple times but only because of errors. The plan we are currently making in Sketchup shouldn’t be all that different. If we catch any more errors we’ll fix them and if there is some way to improve on something, we’ll include that too.
i think its a pretty sweet design its simple but elegant at the same time i cant wait to see the next video. keep up the good work marc
when did you make this video? why don’t you use the festool tracksaw for the plywood cutting?
Almost two years ago if you can believe it. And using the tracksaw would have defeated the purpose of the lesson. I wanted to show how it can be done with ANY circular saw.
Great video Marc,
One of these days I will break down and get a subscription to FWW. I am pretty tight with my money or just plain cheap. Anyway, this is the first time to see it for me and I really enjoyed it.
One thing I found works great for cutting plywood on the floor is a sheet of that 3/4รข
Hey Marc,
just a couple days ago (friday 14th) I found the intro video for this. I found the concept (low key tools) very interesting. I took a FWW subscription just to watch this video…
You didn’t even giggle when you said “a nice flat bottom”. I thought you’d play that song as it faded out! (lame, I know)
Bravo Marc!
I think it’s a great demonstration of how to make do with what you have. Not everyone can afford a fully equipped shop, and this is “woodworking for the rest of us.” (to borrow a concept from Apple)
Modest equipment may reduce your speed of production, but it doesn’t have to reduce your creative possibilities. One of the great things about being an amateur is that you can afford to take your time and do things the slow way. And surprise..they still get done!
DD
Looks good so far, and I love the retro early 80s look of it. And BTW, an 8 foot piece of 2 inch angle iron works great as a long straight edge for your circular saw too. Just try to pad the bottom with something to prevent damaging your stock.
Great video! This is the sort of material that brought me to your site. This is a perfect video for someone who’s just curious about woodworking – it de-mystifies everything. It also demonstrates a “can-do” project that really meets a need, as opposed to a bird house, cutting board, or pencil holder. I’m not knocking those, but no one says, “Hmmm, I need a pencil holder and I just can’t find one that I like, I guess I’ll have to build it myself!”
One thing that would be great – if you could add a list of the tools needed (in addition to the materials). For a first project, it’s a bummer if you have to run out halfway through for a flush saw. And, maybe suggest that if you don’t have a chisel you can make do with a utility knife.
My shop is finally and now I think its time to try some of these projects. I really appreciate your video style, makes it easy for the beginner (like me) to follow. Thanks a million Marc.
Marc,
As always, I love your teaching and demonstration style. It is very helpful for us amateur woodworkers.
Is that ply you’re using MDF core?
Yeah I don’t normally use MDF core, but that was all I could find at the time. For a project like this that doesn’t receive much in the way of stress, it should be fine. But if you have access to good quality traditional plywood, that’s what I would go for.
Thanks for posting these videos marc! I noticed that there is a BIG difference between the version on your site and the one at FWW. The version you posted here has a lot of extra details and tips – stuff that was quite frankly missing from the version at FWW. They must have heavily edited your video down after you submitted it! Glad to see you gave us the full version!
Any idea’s where you are going to build your new shop, I would guess your not going to mess up that beautiful back yard with a big shop. I cant wait to see the shop plan, as I’m thinking of building a new shop also.
We have about an acre to work with on the new property, so there’s plenty of space for a shop.
When we actually start building, I’ll make my plans available.
Are you going to attach it to the house, or free standing? Is that a walking path in the back yard? I bet the dogs love it.
Free-standing, but attached via a breezeway. And yes, that is a walking path. You are right, the Dogs LOVE it. They have both lost weight because of it. They actually prefer running on the path instead of the grass, lol.
Mark, if my wife see’s this video, she is going to ask why I have to have a shop full of tools when you can build a very nice piece of furniture with just a few tools :)
I can just hear it now……”but honey, I really need all of these tools”.
In all seriousness, this reminds me of when I first started in woodworking…and I used the same tools that you did for this project. Ah, the good old days!
Nice job on the project.
This project is exactly why I got into woodworking. I can customize anything to meet my needs. The center section on the back where you place the power strip, I wonder if cutting a cord slot on the vertical sections inside the area would make it better for cord management rather the hanging the cords through the ventilation slots.
Just an observation :)
Marc,
The timing of this project is perfect. “We” decided that my next project is a smaller entertainment center than we currently have because it dominates the living room. In the past few days I’ve combed the I-net for inspirational images, collecting them in a computer folder. Whatever I make will have a Greene & Greene look to it.
Watching the video gave me two good ideas; a cooling vent and the wire cubby. However, I have a question. Is it worthwhile having two vents, one high, one low to provide a natural convection air flow? Maybe there’s not so much heat generated that one is sufficient. What do you think?
Nice project. Just to mention that if you are going to be cutting down a lot of 4 x 8 plywood sheets, you can’t really beat the Festool TS-55. Its the one obscenely priced Festool that just might be worth its cost.
Considering a good regular circular saw will likely approach $200 – and then you need to replace the blade – for maybe $50? – double that and you have the TS-55 ‘for life’. I made the decision to only get a cheap Ryobi table saw (also works well for the money) and instead put the cash toward the TS-55 a year ago – and am very happy I did.
I use the TS-55 at my outdoor ‘Adirondack Shop’ (outside the ex-mower – now tool storage shed). You can see some of the cuts you get with the stock blade at: http://www.cfnet.net/yc/
I have a full-size sheet of sacrificial 5/8 CDX sheathing underneath – so I don’t have the ‘falling cutoffs’ problem you mentioned.
Keep up the good work!
Chris
Hi Marc, I’m new here to your site, but not to woodworking. I notice when you set up the clamp-N-guide for the dado you had the fence on the left side and appeared ready to push the router away from you. A cut done in this manner would keep the router against the fence. Next scene you changed sides of the panel and therefore had the fence on your right side. When you pushed the router across, you were actually climb cutting with a tendency to pull the router away from the fence. I notice there were some marks where the cutter moved away from the fence. This is a common mistake, even Norm does it.
I’ve watched a couple of your videos and love your presentation.
Bob
Yeah that’s one of those details I tend to forget when I am filming…….trying to get the best angle and all. I guess the results from climb cutting were never bad enough to make it a priority in my mind. Maybe a little burning here and there but that’s it. But thanks for the reminder. I need to keep that in mind so I can provide the best example.
Hi Mark,
One thing you might want to mention is to have the good side down when you use a circular saw to cut plywood. At least I always have better luck that way.
Ken
You just did! ;) Thanks man.
Awesome! Talent and ingenuity to create without a myriad of advanced tools. Loved it.
Wow thanks Russ!
Throwback,
Your right Brady Bunch in an episode I seen Peter build it in wood shop class
Or was it Greg.
Looks nice I will attempt to build it, first I need to find my old corduroy big bells.
Mark,
I very much like your website and your project videos. Regarding this latest low entertainment centre there is one major comment I have which I come across in most furniture designs from factory or from hobbyists like us: although you considered the total pushback against the wall and provided the recess for the power multi-socket the design does not include a provision to lead the power and signal cables of your flatscreen from the top of the cabinet via the back-end of the topsurface to the backside of the of the cabinet.
I find that such provision for avoiding hanging leads/cables at the edges of any furniture always adds a lot of value to the design looks.
Looking forward to next parts of this project.
Regards, hans
This is easily solved with a hole in the top that would allow the cords to pass directly into the power strip area. I didn’t do it in this video because I actually forgot about it. But once I put a TV on it, I remembered. So a little hole with black grommet did the trick.
Nice to have you back Marc.
long time since we had a movie to watch – keep up the good work and if you need help, just let you re fans know !!
Nice to see you “kickin’ it cheap school”. Using construction tools for furniture…who’da thunk it? Best woodworking website on the net…bar none. You been workin’ out?
Haha thanks Dan! If by workin’ out you mean “not working out and eating more than I should”? Then yes! :)
At the end you use chisels to square up tha dado. I assume this is for the end of the plywood and end of the dado to match locations. Why not cut the dado say an inch shorter than the ply, and then cut an inch off the corner of the ply where it goes into the dado?
Nothing wrong with that method at all. Great idea!
What differentiates your excellent instruction from others’ work is that you don’t assume too much. You start with basic tools that most people already have and show us how to do it in detail. Then, rather than just saying that you do it “this way”, you explain why you do it “this way” too–”to prevent tearout along the grain of the dado”
By being so specific about your techniques and use of tools (chisels) I am confident I can get similar results. Thank you!
I look forward to the next project in the “minimal tools” series.
Awesome video, Mark! It’s great to see someone showing a really beautiful piece of furniture that is built with limited tools. I love catching glimpses of your amazing shop. You’re really stocked with some great things that are visible in the background. And I often wonder… Is it the unbelievable selection of tools that makes a craftsmen a “master”?
I’m currently stuck in a space that’s small enough to slice my elbows with my wall mounted chisels, but I’ve been turning out some large pieces that I’m really proud of with minimal tools and maximum ingenuity. Thanks for the inspiration!!!!!!!
Man, this is some good stuff. I REALLY appreciate the detailed description fot us newbies. You definitely have a knack for instruction. “Information…with a dash of lunacy.” ;-)
Hey Marc
Maybe you have thought of this and maybe not. On the back where you have split the panel for air movement and the wires you should notch that area for the wires so they don’t rub against the wall.
It should be easy to do, or even bore a large hole in that area.
Hey Tim. There’s really no need. The trim on the top and bottom of the cabinet will set the back panels at least 3/4″ away from the wall. So you certainly could notch the vertical partitions if you wanted, but 3/4″ is plenty of room for a few wires.
I stumbled onto your site from something mentioned on a forum I believe and I’m glad I did. I just recently picked up woodworking cause I wanted to build my own crib for my baby on the way. I have minimal tools so these types of videos are greatly appreciated. I can’t wait until I can afford some of the higher end stuff and really make some fine pieces of furniture. Thanks for your hard work and great site which I’m sure helps a lot of beginners like me.
Your wiring area is excellent! I wish I would have seen this before I did something similar. I built a very narrow entertainment center to go below a wall mounted TV.
As I only had about 18 inches of depth I shortened the shelves to 7 inches deep in front of the wire area, this made a perfect shelf dept for DVD’s and VHS tapes. Having such shallow shelves keeps the media right up front so you do not have to duck down to see them and with a large (maybe too large) wiring area it is easy to route and plug in everything.
I only found this site about a month ago (found you on the Festool site) my new projects will be much more professional thanks to your training.
Hi
I saw your vedios in you woodwisper /youtube .. very impressive. I follow it when ever I have time . This long weekend I am going to convert my circular saw to a table saw ..any tips you want to give in that .
Hey thanks Daniel. Much appreciated. As for the circular saw to tablesaw conversion, I can only say that I wouldn’t recommend it. Generally speaking, its just not safe. Although I have seen plans out there, I really don’t think its worth the risk. Just my opinion of course. Good luck and be safe!
Thanks for the warning ahead … I would probably wait and buy a table saw .Thanks !!
Hey Marc!
Your video is very informative and you are great at conveying instructions in a simple understandable way. I love when someone is very particular and neat with wood working because it reminds me of my dad before he passed.
Luckily he left behind a beautiful workshop with all of his tools in which I have just recently started using to continue on his hobby. It’s also a nice way to remember him and be in a place where I used to help him with wood projects.
Your project was the first one I did because I needed something simple for my new HDTV. So THANKS!
One Tip: This is outside of the woodworking world and pertains more to your videos. I see you have some nice production on your How-To videos but I did notice one issue that you could easily fix.
When you transfer video to your computer, depending on the source, it will be interlaced and cause the horizontal scan lines on anything that moves including yourself.
What you want to do is load up your videos into something like VirtualDub or any video editing software that allows filters and use a “Field Bob” or similar deinterlacing filter. This will remove all of those static lines that can sometimes be distracting while watching the videos.
VirtualDub is open source and free! Download it and the Field Bob filter and add a Smooth option to both frames and you will be all good to go. I promise you’ll see a tremendous difference!
Your square bit is out there, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI-15fovYEY