Rope Lighting? Flick It To life!

First, let me apologize for the gap in posts... I had a bit of a 'tool-enthusiast' related injury that sidelined my actual execution.. but I have been collecting ideas on my 'Project Inspiration' board on my Pinterest page.

That said, let me tell you a little story about the 80 feet of rope lights around the inside of our deck rail.
I wanted to add that as soon as we bought the house 7 years ago, both for safety and aesthetics. By running the rope inside the top rail, it lights the house from the yard, and lights the deck for safety once on the deck.

Here was the problem. I changed the entire 80 feet out every year because a 1 ft section would go out here and there. No way to change those bulbs! The lighting I chose came in 10 foot sections and, naturally, the 1 ft section seemed to go out in each 10 foot section.

Let me tell you about a happy accident, that has kept my 80 ft rope lighting going for 3 years running. With a flick of the finger.
As it happens, I was about six sections into my eight section limit on replacement. But as I was rearranging things in the patio one evening, one of my garden stakes fell onto a 'dead' section.. and VOILA .. it went right back on!

Hold on a minute. That was a fluke! Let me just go 'flick' that dead section - and - whoop, there it is!
Now, I'm a flicking machine!! Out:Flick!:On. Out:Flick!:On. Out:Flick!:On.!!
"I'm a genius!!" I yelled! To the cat. Because she was the only one present at the time.

For the past few years, I've been keeping my rope lights alive with the flick of a finger!

I thought it might be time to share this geniusness with you. And yes, geniusness is a word. That I just invented.TM. <----

Until I build again,
Nail that thing!

Laura Pin It

Make Me!!! - Teaser Alert!

Yes! You are going to MAKE THIS in a weekend!

Yes, you are!

If you tried to buy this.. you would pay AT LEAST $1200.. trust me, I looked at EVERY wall unit out there.. and even the tiny, unstable table thingies from box stores were $300!

That's when DIY-McGyver kicked in!

Draw a vague image of what you want, adapt for reality (ie: 3/4" plywood comes in very specific sizes.. who knew?)

So from there... wing it!

And this is the result. And, by tomorrow at this time, you will have all you need to make this. THIS WEEKEND!!!

And guess how much you'll spend on materials? No, really... guess!

Fine. This beauty was LESS THAN $300 in materials.

You know you wanna.... Pin It

Let's Get Nailin'!

Okay girls (and boys)... before you roll up your sleeves and make a mental note of all the great swear words you will inevitably use during the making of the wall unit, here is a checklist of the tools you'll need:
Tool Time!
Table Saw
Drill (with a counter-sink bit & 1 1/2" Wood Bore)
Sander
Wood Glue
Wood Putty
Level
Tape Measure
Iron (yes, you will actually be ironing at one point on this project!)
Box of 2" Wood Screws
Now that you've got your tools gathered around you, it's time to go shopping!
Now, if you have a flat screen that you are building this for, make sure you've taken your measurements of the space you'll require. Ours is a 55", so these directions will work for up to 55" or even 60". You'll just need space around the TV for wiring purposes.

Shopping List:
(2) 8' sheets of 3/4" Plywood: Take the time to pick good, quality pieces with no warping etc. Trust me, you probably won't get lucky that the top two are perfect.. but you might! Now, and this is important: go find a nice, friendly employee and ask him or her to cut each sheet in thirds, lengthwise. Lowes and Home Depot will do this for free! This will save you time and make it easier to transport!
(2) Small , 4' x 1/4" Plywood: These will be used to back the unit. Again, try and pick nice ones!
50 Linear Feet of 1" x 2" slats. These will be used to 'frame' the front of the unit, hiding the rough edges of the plywood. (allowing for waste. Keep the whole boards when possible, you can return unused!)

(1) Package of 1" iron-on wood veneer facing

20 Linear feet of molding: This will be a personal taste choice. It will be used at the top and bottom of the unit to make it pretty :)





Sheet of bead board and 20 linear feet of rounded trim
for the (4) 12" square cabinet doors.

 

And last but not least: hardware! (4) door pulls and 8 spring loaded hinges. Again, this will be personal taste, but keep in mind that your hinges will show, so don't cheap-out :)
This is what I chose. Since you only need 4, you can buy fancy ones!

Okay, I'll let you go shopping..

Up next, the fun part!

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Are You Almost Ready?

Some things to consider while I 'measure twice'..

Be sure that the spot that you plan to put this in has the outlet and cable either behind the unit, or very close by. You will be hiding the cords and cables inside one of the bottom cabinets.

Also, because this is going to be heavy, try to build it in the room where it'll go. Think the "building a boat in your basement" dilemma..

And ours is painted gloss white, which goes with the baseboards and window frames in our living room. I do recommend white, because you can actually buy some of the trim pieces in white, and save some steps.. but any color paint is fine.. would probably look really cool in gloss black too!

I don't recommend staining for a number of reasons; you will be using a variety of wood (and wood grain), and you will be using both wood putty and wood glue, which doesn't lend itself to stain as readily. Paint is very forgiving on wood surfaces! Pin It

Nail It!!

Yep. You are now ready (because I have taken what is in my head and finally put it to words - and numbers.. even fractions!).

Start by laying out a tarp, where you will have access to an outlet for the drill, and ample room to move around the unit. You may have to move some furniture out of the way..

Lay (2) of the 8' x 16" Plywood pieces flat, side - by - side. You will be marking on what will be the inside of the unit.

Measure and mark as follows:
(all measurements will line up with the bottom of each shelf. Keep that in mind while you build).

From the bottom, mark at 3" on each board - use a square or the edge of your level to get a clean line.
Next shelf at 15" from your first line, then at 17" from there and 38 1/2" from there. That should leave you with approximately 9" for your top shelf space.
With the boards laying side-by-side, you will be able to make sure that both measurements are the same.
*Helpful tip: Build with the bottom of the unit closest to the wall where it will be placed, then you won't have to move it as far to position it.

Start with (2) 3" supports glued and nailed to the inside of the bottom side boards for extra support of the bottom shelf.

Starting the bottom, begin to 'glue and screw' the shelves into place using your marks (and a level, to be sure..)
With a helper holding the side board, drill 3 pilot holes..
Use the counter-sink bit so that your screw heads will sit below flush (you will fill the void with wood putty and hand-sand smooth when it dries). Before you put the screws in, run a bead of wood glue along the rough edge of the side board for a secure fit. Wipe excess glue with a damp paper towel or cloth.
Make sure the top board is on top of the side boards, the rest of the shelves will be inset between the outer 'wall' of the unit.

Your helper can go sit down now.

You can now begin screwing the shelves into place, starting at the bottom. Always using the wood glue and counter-sink.

Cut and space the vertical pieces, spaced evenly. Add them as you add shelves, so that you have room to work.
Thirds for the top shelf and the 3rd shelf. Fourths for the bottom space. That is where your doors will go.

Once the shelves and verticals are all in place and level, it's time to back the unit. Easy. Use finishing nails to secure it. Make sure that you cut the pieces so that all seams are hidden by a shelf.

*Helpful Tip: I didn't do this, but wished I had... paint the inside-facing plywood before you nail it in place. At least with primer. It's time-consuming to paint in those small spaces!

Now that the shell is ready, stand her up and position it.

Figure out where you'll need an opening. Use a scroll or reciprocating saw to open up a hole in the back within the lower shelf area.. so you can hide the cords with the doors!
Doesn't have to be pretty, just functional!

Now is the time to start putting on a couple of coats of primer.

After your primer is dry, drill the holes in the back of the shelves where the TV will sit and on the shelf beneath it, in the same spot, so that you'll be able to feed cable and cords to the (concealed) outlets. Using a large wood bore drill bit (the kind that drills doorknob holes).

At this point you say "YAY!" "I'm almost done, sorta-slash-kinda!!"

Breathe.

Okay. Next step, the 'facing' boards. Using finishing nails, and keeping flush with the side edge, glue and nail the vertical pieces first. You will need to use a nail-set to tap the heads flush. Tidy up voids with either the wood putty, or my preference, a lightweight spackle. Yes, you do want it to 'lap'.. it's a 'style' touch!
Since we have a few electronic units, I also cut some removable shelves for the space below the TV, leaving each about an inch shy of the back, so the cords can feed through, and supported them with shelf pegs.

And, after you've accomplished the facing boards, it's time for the molding! This is where your mitering skills come into play! If you are using a table saw, you can adjust the degree.. or you can use a miter-box. The measuring on this is tricky. Be careful! But there is a 'fudge factor' when using wood putty.. you can fill and form any gaps - sand by hand, and paint will forgive all errors.
Measure twice, cut once!

When you have everything in place, it's time to paint the semi-gloss... forever (at least that's how it feels!)

Between drying time, start to assemble your cabinet doors.

I chose to use bead board, cut in (4) 12" x 12" squares. Use the rounded trim to finish (again, mitering, and again, use the white spackle to fill in the inevitable gaps.. paint will cover that too!)
Use wood glue on the trim pieces and let them set. You CAN nail them in place from the back afterward, but I didn't..

At this point.. you can finish on your own, I think.

The hinges are tricky.. had to go back and exchange them 3 times.. it's a learning experience.
My gift to you!

It should come out a little something like this!

If you do make your own, I would love to see it! And feel free to ask questions..

Postscript: Be sure to brace the unit to the wall. I used L-brackets at the top, screwed into the studs. Have a feeling when we sell the house, it will stay :)

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