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Woodworking Furniture DIY

help me repurpose this cabinet!

4 years ago

I have a cabinet that I am trying to retrofit to fit my TV with a built-in look. I'm stuck at this point and don't know what the next step would be.

1) the 3 doors originally used inset 35mm cup hinges. I would like all 3 doors to bifold to the left (facing the cabinet). The unit is made of maple and the doors are quite heavy; I don't think I can have the doors all fold to one side on just a pair of cup hinges. What hing should I use to attach the doors to the cabinet box?

2) what type of hinging should I use to connect the doors to each other to fold against each other an out of the way? They need to fit pretty tightly next to each other when extended. I want them to trifold to one side and then swing as far out of the cabinet as possible- 120 degrees or more would be ideal for maximum TV viewing.

photo of the cabinet:

So I would want all 3 doors to fold and open to the left (is that even possible?) and am not sure how to attach them to each other or to the unit. The inside of this cabinet right now is one large box opening.

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Comments (2)

AnnKH
4 years ago
I can't help you with the hinge problem - but are you sure you want your TV that close to the floor? I suggest you put your TV in front of the cabinet for a while, watch TV for a few hours, and see if that location is comfortable for you.
toxcrusadr
4 years ago
^^ Good advice.

That said, I think this could be done, but I'm not sure what hinges to use.

First the left door is hinged to the cabinet. You would want a hinge that allows opening past 90 degrees. I notice the doors are all inset into the cabinet front, so either the hinges have to be applied to the surfaces, or the doors will have to be trimmed a bit to make room for them.

Then the second door is hinged to the first door, and the third to the second. To have them fold like an accordion, the second and third hinges will have to work in opposite directions.
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