Book Stand and Media Equipment Shelves
I long have had a dictionary and a Bible, each too large to keep on my working desk or too heavy to keep on a shelf and take down every time it was needed. So it was a waste of great resources.
​
I finally solved that problem when I needed to build a better stand for the media equipment I have in my mancave: a large screen TV, a set-top box, a VCR player and, yes, the requisite DVD player and a Bose radio.
​
Nothing really fancy about the piece, made from poplar and painted. The wide sides and top are biscuit jointed. The book tray on top is also biscuit joined. All is then bordered on all sides by another 1×1-1/2 in edge piece. I did that so all sides would match the near edge which needed a trim piece with a lip as the book-stop.
​
The sides of the stand are angled up at the back so the dictionary leans forward for easy reading.
​
I inlaid the adjustable shelving rods to give a more attractive look to the unit. Years ago I purchased a bookshelf (before I started doing woodworking) and these shelf-support strips were just attached to the inside of the carcass and I’ve never really liked that look.
I decided on not having a back for the unit, something a little different. When it comes to the shelves, I put a nice back edge on each. With expensive equipment or my VCR collection (yes and I have LPs also) on the shelves this prevents things from being pushed too far back and falling off.
I allowed a little toe room for the stand to avoid shoe marks on the front plate. I placed felt pads on the 4 corners to provide a soft contact with the hardwood floor.
​
The paint is a black milk paint. Depending on the light, it can appear pure black or ‘milky’ as seen in the shot of the top edge.
​
When I finished this, I made one very similar for the Bible and for the collection of the aforementioned VHS cassettes.
