Floating Media Center Cabinet

[Scotty Gadlin]

Hi everyone,

I am interested in building a floating media center cabinet similar to 

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Broadway-Black-Altus-Plus-58-i...

I am very confused on how to attach it to the wall.  Could I use a heavy duty french cleat system like:

http://www.hooksandlattice.com/heavy-duty-hangers.html

Do I need to recess the hanger into the piece in order for it to fit flush against the wall.  Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

[Don Foley]

Scotty,

Looking at the picture of the media center's back on Overstock.com, there is a strip of metal with several elongated holes.  This looks like a fastening strip.  Screws would be placed in the holes and into the wall stud.  The french cleat system you are thinking of would work as long as its designed to hold the weight of your planned media center and is firmly attached to the back of the project and secured into wall studs.  You are correct in it having to be recessed in order to sit flush against the wall.

As an alternative if the cabinet you're building will have an open back like the one referenced you can include a strip of wood where they have the metal fastening strip and screw it to wall studs.  Another alternative is to build a french cleat system into your piece.  Use a strip of wood as mentioned above but rip the lower edge at a 45 degree angle.  Mount this piece on your cabinet with the bevel facing away from the wall.  Machine another piece of wood the same length with a 45 degree bevel on the top.  Mount this piece to the wall securing it into studs with the bevel facing the wall.  To mount the cabinet, lift it over the wall mounted cleat and lower until the two bevels interlock.

Any way you decide to go a home built piece with good quality joinery is sure to outlast that piece of particleboard they're selling.

Hope this helps, if you'd like I'll draw up a design of the integrated french cleat system and post it here.

Don

[Scotty Gadlin]

Thanks Don, that would be great.  I am planning a simple design, with moderate weight bearing 10-30lbs

Thanks again
Don Foley said:

Scotty,

Looking at the picture of the media center's back on Overstock.com, there is a strip of metal with several elongated holes.  This looks like a fastening strip.  Screws would be placed in the holes and into the wall stud.  The french cleat system you are thinking of would work as long as its designed to hold the weight of your planned media center and is firmly attached to the back of the project and secured into wall studs.  You are correct in it having to be recessed in order to sit flush against the wall.

As an alternative if the cabinet you're building will have an open back like the one referenced you can include a strip of wood where they have the metal fastening strip and screw it to wall studs.  Another alternative is to build a french cleat system into your piece.  Use a strip of wood as mentioned above but rip the lower edge at a 45 degree angle.  Mount this piece on your cabinet with the bevel facing away from the wall.  Machine another piece of wood the same length with a 45 degree bevel on the top.  Mount this piece to the wall securing it into studs with the bevel facing the wall.  To mount the cabinet, lift it over the wall mounted cleat and lower until the two bevels interlock.

Any way you decide to go a home built piece with good quality joinery is sure to outlast that piece of particleboard they're selling.

Hope this helps, if you'd like I'll draw up a design of the integrated french cleat system and post it here.

Don

[Don Foley]

In the attached drawing is my cleat design.  The drawing shows the edge of the cabinet with the dotted lines indicating the recessed cabinet section of the cleat.  This piece should run the entire length across the back of the cabinet and is securely attached or is an integrated piece of the cabinet.  The second part of the cleat system is attached to the wall through the studs.  You would need to insure this piece is level.  To attach the cabinet lift it up, hold it against the wall and lower onto the wall mounted half of the cleat.

To help clarify think of the cabinet piece of the cleat as replacing the metal mounting strip in the Overstock.com picture. 

Don

[Don Foley]

Scotty,

Hopefully this pic will help clarify things more.

Don

[Scotty Gadlin]

Thanks!! That is really helpful, still trying to figure out how much to recess, I suppose w would want the edge of the cleat to be even with the bottom of the cabinet?

[Don Foley]

Scotty,

The cleat would be recessed in the back of the cabinet so it is flush across the back.  This way when hung the cabinet would hang flush with the wall.

Don

[Scotty Gadlin]

Thanks, moving in a few weeks, will post back when I try to make it.
Don Foley said:

Scotty,

The cleat would be recessed in the back of the cabinet so it is flush across the back.  This way when hung the cabinet would hang flush with the wall.

Don