I would like some advice on how to construct the attached item. It will be above a mantle and be used as a border to a flat screen tv. I am mainly curious as to the type of material some of you may use. MDF, plywood, etc… and how can I get rounded corners with no seams? The final product will most likely be painted to match the mantle that will be repainted.
The mock up is more of the shape rather than the finish.
Any assistance would be most helpful.
Thank-you,
Vancouver, Canada
Replies
I'd glue up poplar and route the edge -
I'm assuming you are going to 'picture frame' the TV? and want the corners to be rounded over also?
What's the radius of the rounded corner?
Is this shape just two short columns or will it picture frame the screen?
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mdf is probably the best. use 3/4 stock and if it is going to be a large roundover, reducing the effective glue area, put a backer peice to give it more strength. use two passes on the roundover and a light sand and you won't see any joints.
interflex.
I would visit my local sawmill and have him saw me a timber that size out of whatever material I wanted..
Cost $20.00 to $22.00
grab a power plane and smooth it out. A belt sander to perfect the little ridges that result. Then a DA to bring it down to finish surface.
Grab whatever size router I needed for the corners and go at it..
If weight is an issue and the ends will show I'd use my milwaukee self feeding boring bits to hollow it out. Then take a saw to connect the holes and a chisel to remove the waste.
Actually I have a groove cutter that would do that task quickly but then few others do..
The corner is approx 1/8 / 1/4.I guess the question is concerning the final finish, smooth or a very slight grain, even when painted. I recently made something out of several 2x8's. I planned them down to the correct thickness and then they were finally painted white. The problem I found is the real wood has grain and it was virtually impossible to get it truly smooth.So I am thinking MDF might be the best for painting if the finish needs to be smooth.Any thoughts?Dennis
Vancouver, Canada
Biscuits in the joints with MDF material rounded over with a router and hand sanded. if you glue up the joints very well you will never see the joints, if you dont glue up so well a light coat of bondo will cover them, nothing better for defect free painting than MDF.
I like the Poplar idea, it will glue better on the long grain to long grain and not telegraph as much as an MDF joint may.
I've made similar in stain grade, and wrapped the core (plywood) with veneer to avoid obvious joints, no reason why you couldn't also do that and paint over the veneer. If you don't have iron on veneer handy, roll yellow glue on both surfaces, let dry, then Iron it on. I have a vacuum bag for stuff like that too, but it can be a hassel to set up.
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