DIY Built-in Media Console

I sanded the doors with 150 and 220 grit using my random orbital sander. I then used a sheet of 220 to hand sand the edges and soften the feel. Next, I stained the doors with an awesome color called Briarsmoke by Rust-Oleum.

When working with stain, I always wear nitrile gloves (latex can’t stand up to the solvents in stain). I also love these staining pads they sell at Home Depot.

I applied the stain and wiped it off after a minute or two. This is the only picture I took, because once I get going, things get messy, and I’m not able to take pictures.

While the doors were drying, I started to work on the countertop. I sanded the shiplap using 150, 220 and 320 grit sanding discs with my random orbital sander.

I gave the shiplap a coat of pre-stain followed by a coat of the Varathane Briarsmoke.

To finish both the countertop and the doors, I first gave 2 or 3 coats of glossy wipe-on polyurethane, followed by a coat of satin wipe-on poly. It is better to start with gloss and then finish with satin than to do all the coats with satin. You get a clearer finish by starting with gloss.

In between the first few coats, I sanded with 400 grit. After the last coat, I sanded with 1500 grit, just to get the pieces smooth to the touch.

Moving back upstairs, I started measuring and cutting the crown molding. If you haven’t experienced the joys of working with crown molding, let me give you a fair approximation.

Go outside. Find a tree. Make sure you are standing 20 paces away from the tree. Now, start running towards the tree. Lower your head. Increase your speed. Slam into the tree with your head. Pick yourself up off the ground. Retreat 20 paces. Repeat.

It took me half a day to get the damn molding cut properly. I even built a jig to hold the molding in place while I cut. But the best jig in the world won’t help if there is not consistency of product. I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t get proper joints, no matter how careful I was. Finally, I turned my attention to the molding itself. I had bought three lengths of the same style molding. I compared two of the lengths, first measuring angles and then measuring heights. They were different! Not by much, but more than enough to make perfect corners a sad and distant dream. Dammit, Home Depot, you really failed me on the crown molding!

So I did the best that I could with what I had, then gave the pieces to Handan for painting. I installed them with brad nails, then filled in the holes and gaps with wood filler. On some of the bigger gaps, Handan used caulk and shaped it with her fingers.

I installed the shiplap one plank at a time and secured each plank with two screws at each end and two in the middle.

Handan wasn’t around to take pics while I did this, so I re-enacted it later. I first drilled and then screwed up through those three screw pieces that I added to the console after it had been painted. I used 1 1/4 inch #8 wood screws.

Since we needed to run power cords into the console (there is an outlet in there), I had to cut out a hole to run the cords through.

I had ordered some glass to be custom made for the doors. My next job was to install the glass and the hinges. I started with the hinges and installed them onto the sides of the doors.

With the hinges in this configuration, only the hinge joint would show once the door was in its place. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out so well. I thought I had my dimensions correct to account for the hinge width, but the doors wouldn’t fit, so I had to unscrew the hinges and use them on the face of the doors, as you’ll see in the final photos. Not really a big deal, and we like it better with the hinges showing. It looks more rustic and farmhousey, in my opinion.

“Rustic” and “farmhouse.” They are just euphemisms for “dinged” and “dented,” right? Seriously, a farmhouse is a working house, not a museum. When we were attaching the doors, we goofed on a screw hole. Handan got a little worried, but I said, “Doesn’t matter – it’s farmhouse style!” That has since become our rallying cry whenever we make little goofs here and there.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s farmhouse!”

“Farmhouse! Who cares?”

After the hinges, I installed the glass panes. I was surprised at how inexpensive it was to get four panes of custom-cut glass: only $15!

This was my first time working installing a window pane, so I was just winging it here. To affix the pane to the frame, I grabbed a tube of E6000. Handan swears by it for her glass projects, so I thought it might work for this project.

In the movie in my mind, applying the E6000 and affixing the pane played out something like this:

Distant explosions rattled the windows and shook the walls, but Our Hero took no notice as he readied his tube of E6000 Wonder Glue. He unscrewed the cap as a Super Cobra attack helicopter rose above the treeline, missiles locked on the house in which he stood. With four deft movements, Our Hero applied a smooth and even bead of E6000 to the frame. He screwed the cap back on and placed the tube on the table. The Super Cobra pilot flicked the safety switch on his trigger. He awaited the order from his commander. 

Our Hero grabbed a window pane and gently lowered it onto the frame. The E6000 Wonder Glue grabbed it and held it firm. Satisfied the bond was perfect and secure, Our Hero picked up the frame, really an advanced laser targeting lens, and placed it in front of his DiY laser cannon. Just as the Kill Command issued from the pilot’s headset, Our Hero flicked on his laser and destroyed the Super Cobra in a ball of orange flame.

As burning pieces of the attack helicopter splashed in his pool, loud rock music started playing from an unknown source, and four bikini clad women showed up and started dancing by the pool.

In reality, things played out somewhat differently. Have you ever worked with E6000? I was expecting it to have the consistency of normal glue. No. It is like working with partially melted rubber bands mixed with melted mozzarella and bread dough. My original plan to squeeze it from the tube onto the frame would never work. Instead I had to squeeze the tube with my waning strength in order to get a small blob onto a piece of cardboard. From there, I used a plastic knife to “spread” the unruly goop around the frame.

Oh yeah, the fumes almost killed me. I had to take a break after two frames. After the final frame, my head was pounding, and I was dizzy.

But it did adhere the glass to the frame.

Just without the explosions.

Or the dancing girls.

I solicited Handan’s help to hang the doors. I had designed the doors so that there would be 1/8 inch clearance all around them. To help with the spacing, I found a thin strip of wood in the basement that was 1/8 inch thick. I placed it on the shelf of the console, and then placed a door on top of the strip. While Handan held the door in place, I marked and drilled the guide holes, and then screwed the hinges onto the face frame.

After we hung the four doors, we attached the surface bolts. This was a difficult job, so I let Handan take over. She has an easier time hovering around the floor than I do. Joints and bones start to strain, pop and protest if I loiter too long on the floor.

Click on ‘Next’ to continue.