Record Player Cabinet

So I wanted a cabinet to hold my record player, some speakers and a few great records, but there was nothing out there that met my needs. That's when it's time to build one for yourself. For this very reason, I'm not going to go into lots of exact measurements that I used, I want to encourage you to customize your own cabinet to fit your speakers and record player.

As for what I had to work with... I had one of those cheap usb record players that only has a usb port and rca hook-up. I ran that to some old computer speakers that have been collecting dust, but still sound excellent. As for my wood supply, I used a couple of pallets, one regular and one with a plywood top. I also repurposed some burlap for the speaker enclosure. The drawer slide that I used was rescued from a road side piece of furniture that was destined for the land fill. All said and done, I didn't spend a single penny making this project. However much you spend is entirely up to you, and just how thrifty you can be.

Supplies Needed:

Record Player

Speakers

Pallet Wood

Plywood

Burlap

Full extension drawer slide

Nails and Screws

Wood Glue

Step 1: Preparation

I don't like to give a required tool list because that may deter someone from taking on a project because they don't have some certain tool. The fact of the matter is that most every action in woodworking can be accomplished many different ways and with many different tools. I used dovetail jig on this build, but if you don't have one, you could cut them by hand or just use a simple butt joint. Not having a tool should never hold you back.

After taking lots of measurements to know what size will work for me and the space I had to fill, I started by cutting a piece of plywood for the two sides. After they were cut, I placed them on top of each other and cut them at the same time to ensure two pieces exactly the same size.

Next I ran them through the router table using a straight bit to make a groove for the bottom shelf to sit in, just a couple of inches from the floor. My plywood had some nasty nail holes and whatnot on the sides, so I framed the outside of both sides with strips of pallet wood.

Then I cut two pieces of wood for my two shelves. I used a stop block and cut them with my miter saw to make sure they were the exact same length.

Finally you need to take all the planks from your pallet and plane them on all sides. These will be used for the chevron style table top and they must fit together nice and snug for a finished look.

Step 2: Table Top

At this point, you should know what size you want the top of your cabinet to be. So cut out a piece of plywood just a tiny bit over that measurement. Then take all your pieces of pallet wood and cut both ends at parallel 45 degrees. Once they have all been cut, you can start placing them on your plywood.

I did this by drawing a line straight down the middle length wise, then down the middle of the width. This created four quadrants to line up my planks, with them all meeting in the middle. Once I had them arranged just right, I coated them with wood glue and put them in place. I put a couple of 2x4s on them with a bunch of bricks on top and let it sit overnight to let the glue do what it does.

The next day I used the circular saw to cut all four sides flush to my finished table top dimensions. Then I turned it upside down and framed the table to hide the plywood and to just overall give it a good clean look. To do this, I simply cut some pieces to size, glued them on, clamped them in place and tapped in a couple of nails to hold it all together.

Step 3: Assembly

Now you can place the two sides on to the table top while it's still upside down. I attached the sides with three screws each and a line of wood glue. Just make sure to use a square of some sort to make sure your angles are just right. Once that's done, you can flip it over and slide in your bottom shelf. If you have measure right, it should fit in there nice and snug, so add some wood glue to each side and pop it in place.

To install my full extension drawer slides, I measured down from the top leaving enough room for my record player. I drew lines there, then used a piece of scrap wood to hold up the drawer slide while I screwed it in. I recommend using a level while you install these.

Step 4: Speaker Enclosures

Like I said earlier, you can build the boxes for your speakers any way you want. I decided to use dovetail joinery, because they are very secure and I really like the look of them. I used a dovetail jig and a router, which is a really quick and easy way to make a nice looking joint. Then I simply glued them in place, using a couple of screws to make sure they weren't going anywhere.

For the front of the enclosure, I simply cut a rectangular piece of wood out. Then I cut out the middle of the piece, creating a really simple and effective frame. I put the frame down on a piece of burlap, sprayed the wood with spray adhesive and stretched the fabric out and glued it down.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

I set the burlap pieces aside and stained the entire cabinet. I used so many different types of wood in this project, that the stain really brought it all together and gave it a uniform look. After fifteen minutes or so, I wiped off the stain and let it sit overnight.

The next day you can come back and wipe it all down with a damp cloth. Now all you have to do is put in your burlap pieces to cover the speakers. Mine fit in their place very snug, but I decided to tap in a couple of finishing nails just to keep them there.

Now your ready to slide you speakers in through the back, put in your record player and play one of your favorite albums.