All,
I have been staring at my piles of lovely QS white oak, and my drafting board, for a couple months now. I’m stuck. I need to design a cabinet to hold my stereo components and many many many CDs.
Because of my poor eyesight I cannot read the little writing on the edge of CD cases. I need to look at the big image on the front. This, of course, means they must go in drawers.
Each of the four components requires a space around 18″ square. I’d like to keep their shelves open in the back to keep them from over heating. The cabinet can be sized for the components to be in a single column, or two abreast: I.e., either 18″ or 36″ wide.
I want about eighteen drawers 10″ or 12″ deep for the CDs. (A CD holder is approximately 6″ wide and 5″ high.)
The cabinet can be just about any height. I’m a sort of tall person, so for the top drawers a height of 65″ or so wouldn’t be too much.
The problem is that with all those drawers the design looks extremely top-heavy. So far I have considered:
1) Putting a general purpose drawer or two under the components, to get them higher. They could then be in the middle of the cabinet, in a single column, flanked by CD drawers.
2) A design reminiscent of a mule chest or gentleman’s cupboard. To remind you, a mule chest has one or two side to side drawers on the bottom; above those, along one side is a door that opens onto shelves or a space for hanging clothes; with drawers alongside the door; and perhaps more drawers across the top.
3) Mix up the banks of CD drawers with open shelves, larger drawers, and perhaps the components on different levels and sides. Then (I must try to) balance all this a la Mondrian.
4) Half-height drawer fronts.
5) Doors to cover both the components and the drawer fronts. (This could be a problem because sans a repeater, the doors would have to be open for the remote control to work.)
So far none of these really rings my chimes. Does anyone have any ideas? Please.
TIA,
Alan
Replies
Alan --
I have one suggestion: don't use those CD holders. They have four bad features:
1) They're generally designed for single-CD jewel cases, and don't handle other sizes well. My collection has double-thickness cases for two CDs, thin jewel cases from recordable CDs, box sets, and CDs in cardboard sleeves.
2) They may not handle the next generation of music storage. Fine furniture will probably outlive CDs.
3) They're space-hogs. For each CD you store, you also have air space between the CDs. You could fit 50% more CDs in a drawer if the CD holder wasn't there. (Fewer drawers might affect the other design issues you're pondering.)
4) They're a pain to use. With your large collection, you probably have some organization. What happens when you acquire a CD that should slot into the middle of a CD holder? You have to pick up all the CDs in that holder and move them one by one so you have space to insert the new CD.
Instead of using the holders, I suggest you stack the CDs in columns running front to back in your drawers. Use full-extension drawer slides. Cover the bottom of the drawer with non-skid shelf liner. Put a cleat across the bottom of the drawer at the back. Secure the cleat by screwing up through the drawer bottom, through the shelf liner, and into the cleat. The non-skid liner stops the CDs from sliding around. The cleat holds the liner, and also sets up the columns of CDs to lean back against the back wall of the drawer. You can open the drawer and just flip through the columns of CDs like you used to flip through bins of LPs in record stores.
(Non-skid shelf liner, if you haven't encountered it, is a thin rubber-covered net. It has no adhesive, but has lots of friction. It can be found almost anyplace shelf liner is sold. You can even get it in a variety of colors.)
This approach addresses all the faults of CD holders listed above. Heck, it is even less expensive!
Jamie
Alan,
Just a quick suggestion, put the component shelves on drawer slides. I built my entertainment center this way about 2 years ago and I am thankful everytime I purchase new equipment/run components differently. Basically you are building a shelf that will slide out. It makes connecting components a breeze. Cleaning is much easier and when I know I am going to really heat things up I will pull the shelves out. You can use basic drawer slides for up to about 25 lbs without any noticable problems. Any heavier and you will want to get ball bearing slides.
Ryan
Alan,
Sounds like a great project. FWIW, you might try to arrange all the drawers across the bottom and sides and put the component "cubbies" or whatever you decide for them in the middle. This gets the equipment up around face height, much more useful when adjusting, changing components, etc. (I hate lying on the floor with a small maglite in my teeth trying to read the writing on an RCA jack or button!) I kind of see this large "wall" of music; hardware in the middle an software surrounding it in drawers. (Think the set of "Jeopardy" but it's wood instead of TV screens.) With the wood you've gotten, take the time to make the drawer fronts something special and weave the wood patterns across the piece.
As far as the other's input on slide out shelves for the equipment, I agree with the notion although cables then can become problematic if they're too short.
CDs in drawers with the non-slip stuff and the small ridge at the back to allow space for flipping through them is the way to go. I built a piece with those kind of drawers about ten years ago and it beats everything else. CD holders are for Ikea.
Just my two cents.
Kell
Separate pieces is probably better in the long run. Definately more flexible. Perhaps a Tansu design with the equipment behind a door that looks like several drawers? Reduce the number of drawers by using the slim CD holders or sleeves. You can save the original jewel boxes for posterity. I'm thinking of doing the same thing with my CD and DVD collection. I built Norm's Shaker Linen Press a few years ago and it's packed to the gills. I have another 250-350 CD's in boxes that are in a closet somewhere . I may have to build a second one for CD's and DVD's. We're contemplating new uphoslstered furniture and a plasma which will free up some space and yield better 5.1 speaker placement. I'll need a new equipment cabinet too. Especially so since I want to get my turntable back in service. Of course then I'm going to need a deeper cabinet for the 500 "licorice pizzas" in boxes too.
John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
a quick suggestion to build convenient sized crates to hold your CD's, which in turn store several to a drawer - I built in a rack/cupboard to hold my hopelessly retro 70's Sansui equipment - crates of CD's slide into shelves behind a door - really pretty nice, but filling up - - separate section for the turntable/albums, but with the same problem - - never can have enough space - BTW, I built in a pull out shelf at a comfortable working height to serve as a work surface during recording, and racks on the inside of the doors to hold the jewel cases, album covers, and tape cases of recordings that are in the machines - -
All,
Thanks very much. There are some good ideas.
I was obviously not clear when I described the elements I want to include. I was not planning to use any kind of rack or holder for the CD cases. I want to put them all in drawers so they will face the front, sith enough room that I can flip through them.
With my eyesight (it really is pretty bad) and my broken back I want to bend over or crawl on my knees as little as possible. So I would like the CDs as close to eye level as possible. I have a separate amp and tuner--which can both go on the bottom shelf because they can be completely operated with the remote. I was planning to put the CD and cassette decks on the next higher shelf--or even higher?--so I can stick in a CD or a tape.
Hmmm. Thanks again. You've all given me several good ideas on which to ruminate. As they say, back to the drawing board.
Alan
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled