Lack wall mounted home Theater

This is really just a modification or practical application of wonderful hacks that I found on this site. I take a step further by incorporating moderate handy-man skills to turn just a few bucks of Ikea stuffs into a real slam of a home theater system.


I used the Lack long and medium shelves to build the frame, and the Lack side table to do the entertainment center. The wires go into the wall behind the TV and come out on the OTHER SIDE in my bedroom near the baseboards, travel to the far wall, then return behind the bikes, and run below the heaters all the way to the entertainment center. (A little less than 50ft of cable for each device.)

The whole home theater is no more than a 5.1 stereo with optical input, a PS3, a Wii, and a DVR hanging from brackets under a Lack side table, with some 50ft of cables running to the TV, but stashed in the wall. The TV is then framed as you like with the Lack medium and long shelves.


I should be clear that I think that any Ikea furniture in the Table/Shelf arena needs a fresh coat of paint. Ikea's veneer will bubble quickly if you put something hot on it, or will scratch easily and look unsightly. I put a polyurethane coat of black, high-gloss enamel. (Took 30 minutes once I laid down a tarp. This coat makes it shiny, looks nicer than the stock paint, and protects it incredibly well from just about everything.

The entire project took 8-10 hours, and required the following tools:
Lack side table and Lack wall shelves
Hand Drill with bit-set
Paint, pan, tarp, roller
L-brackets, heavy copper tape, aluminum dowels. (For the side table
dry-wall saw (it's like a really skinny hand saw that you can punch through the wall to start)
Chisel (to cut a trench in the drywall)
A HEAVY DUTY extension cord (to lay in the trench)
Spackle... lots of it, to hide all your destruction from the Super.

To do the entertainment center, use L-brackets attached to the legs, measured for the height of each component and screw them into place. You will likely find that your conmponents aren't long enough to use the same technique for the back, so instead hang a heave copper or metal tape from the middle of the table on the sides, then drill holes and run a metal or wooden dowel across, supporting the back end. Here is a list of other things that I used from Amazon.com.

OUTLETS
2x Datacomm Electronics 45-0001-WH Gang Recessed Cable Plate (White)
Datacomm 50-3321-WH-KIT Flat Panel TV Cable Organizer Remodeling Kit with Power Outlet (White)
(It is important not to illegally, or dangerously run electrical cables behind the wall. It's against code, and maybe mice or space rabbits will nibble on them and cause a fire, I'm still unclear. Instead install an electrical outlet where you want it. It was done like so:
1) Mark where you want your TV to go, hopefully directly above the electrical outlet near the floor (so 90s)
2) Use a box cutter and chisel to dredge out a 1/2-3/4" deep cavity that you will run a wire in and staple into place.
3) Wire the positive and negative leads to the corresponding outlet below, and then to your new one as you set it in place.
4) Lock the box into place by following the directions like an adult. Don't wing it, you'll regret it.
5) Punch a hole on the other side of the wall near the floor and install a cable-hiding-wall-plate to pull the cables through.
6) Same hole-punching to bring it back across and run it along the baseboards to your entertainment center.)

CABLES
Steren RGB RCA Coupler - 3 x RCA Female to 3 x RCA Female - Plastic
RiteAV - SVGA Monitor Cable with 3.5mm Audio - 50 ft.
50 FT 3-RCA Stereo Audio Video A/V AV Cable Patch 50ft
2x HDMI M / M Cable, 50 FT / 15 M
Wii Sensor Bar Extension Cable, 50 ft
16 AWG Flat Speaker Wire 100 ft.

TIES
Zip Tie Mount, 1/2 X 1/2, 25 Pack (These are essential when dealing with long cables.)
Nylon 6/6 Self Locking Cable Ties 8" L, 2" (Pack of 100)