Wednesday, 8 November 2017

MY CABINET/CONSOLE BUILDING PROJECT COMPLETED AT LONG LAST!




So here it is. My Cabinet Console project now finally completed. It seems almost
like I've been working on it for nearly a year. In fact I actually started
the cabinet transformation over two months ago. Prior to that I spent quite
a while gathering up all the knick knacks and materials needed. Things like
timber parts, suede material, metal beading and some vintage speaker cloth,
eventually purchasing a 19" flatscreen tv as well as a TEAC Stereo hi-fi unit.

I've been buying up quite a little collection of vinyl LP's over the last year
so I'm finally enjoying them at last. Particularly vintage music like Jazz and
1950's Rock n' roll, music that was first heard on those old original Consoles.
I particularly like the feel and look of the record player section. And as
you line up the arm to play the record, your hand automatically brushes against
the plush suede lined side panel.
And the tv sounds good as it is permanently connected to the TEAC Stereo
unit via the AUX plug giving it an almost cinematic sound. And that hi-fi unit
also has a CD and Radio player.

Just sitting under the tv is a Panasonic hardisc tv recorder and dvd player.
Last night I was watching some old tv shows like 'Bilko' and 'I Love Lucy.' They seem
so suited on this updated version of a Console.
Thankfully I kept an old (non HD) Sky tv receiver so we can watch many
channels on it, and record them if needed.

I managed to use all of the front panels and draws from the original cabinet
so as to keep in with the cherry mahogany wood theme. So yes, I'm thrilled
with the way it all turned out. And of course it's now my favourite piece
of furniture in my flat.

I hope to do a youtube video of it very soon. I might just send out a few
links to some of the many youtube Console hi-fi enthusiasts. Maybe then I
might break that truly bizarre deadlock of only having 2, yes 2 subscribers on
my new youtube channel.

Below: More images of the console hi-fi cabinet. 


It was when I first saw this image above of an original vintage
Console that started the whole thing for me. I kept thinking
that maybe I could just make a contemporary updated version 

of the same thing.
Amazing how just that one image fired me up and got all
my creative juices flowing.

I first saw it posted up on Evan's tumblr PUBNAVE, who
appreciates all things vintage.

Above: This was from a few weeks ago when I started work
on the right hand side of the cabinet having stripped out
all it's draws and panels.
It was here and then that I was fixing in the right hand side
speaker cover. Just making that itself was a time consuming
job as I had to make it the exact same size as the speaker on the
left side.

Above: This is where I started to line the cabinet sections with some
tan/fawn suede material, giving the panels a nice plush feel.

Above: This was the last piece of the puzzle, trying to fit the Alba
19" flatscreen into the cabinet. It required making a perfectly
measured frame lined in suede to fit onto the tv then the whole
thing is attached into the cabinet.

Above: The tv is finally and successfully attached from behind
using metal corner brackets. I was worried that the tv would be
lop sided but it worked out perfectly. Yet at that moment it
felt almost climatic, like shooting the last scene in a film.
It was a great moment. And it was the end of a long project.

8 comments:

  1. Wow Dee!! Very nice job!! It looks GREAT!! You have talent!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Pete, glad you like it. It was a lot of hard work. Will make a video of it soon.
    Dee.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's a brilliant piece of work. Take a bow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Andrew, The last couple of weeks was tough with lots of late nights
      as I really wanted to get it finished. Now I can relax.
      I'm just listening to the radio on it at the moment.

      Dee.

      Delete
  4. I love a man who is good with his hands. I waa going tp suggest you could watch DVDs of Steptoe and Son - the brilliantly written and acted dialogue still stands up 50 years on. But you beat me to it with Sgt Bilko. I Love Lucy though was never funny. Kudos. - Ian

    ReplyDelete
  5. Glad you enjoyed all my hard work.

    Lucy not funny! w-h-a-t!!!???

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hugely irritating. Up there with Jerry Lewis, Phyllis Diller, Red Skelton etc. George Burns was far funnier than Bob Hope and likewise Laurel and Hardy funnier than Abbott and Costello. The problem with these comedians is that once you have heard their shtick usually in ten minutes, there is nothing left. Its predictable and so were their lame jokes. British comedians were streets ahead. Jerry Seinfeld once said his show was about nothing. And after watching a few episodes, I agreed. - Ian

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes, Jerry Lewis, Phyllis Diller probably a bit annoying. Maybe Jerry Lewis wouldn't get away with his act these days what with all this political correctness. His whole image was bordering on a handicapped individual.
    Of course Laurel and Hardy were streets ahead of Abbott and Costello. Both Laurel and Hardy were individually funny.

    Thankfully I have some of the original box sets of those great British comedies where the original lines are there to hear, unlike the current tv shows which have cut out a lot of the so called politically incorrect lines.

    Recently saw on tv 'The Fast Show' once a popular BBC comedy. I couldn't believe how they literally cut out a whole punchline which ended by saying "Yeah, not like those poofs and lezzies.'

    ReplyDelete

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