Hi all, I'm in the process of buying a new house at the moment - The missus says it needs a fireplace putting in, I say it needs a big telly in the centre of the room (where she wants the fireplace!). I've just seen the solution on this site:

http://www.picturehousecabinets.com/

problem is the cost! Now I know we're a resourceful lot on here - has anybody got an idea how you could make one of these? I know plasmas are bloody heavy. I was thinking of some pulley system with an electric motor with some vertical sliding rails like drawer runners. Probably need some rachet safety mechanism to stop your expensive screen smashing down to the floor if the motor broke. Could be a nice little winter project now my cars finally sorted but am I mad to even consider it?

Paul

It's only OK if you're having an electric fire, these only put out 2KW, any other fire, gas or solid fuel will fry your TV in minutes.

What is it with women and fireplaces???

My wife insisted we left the fire suround in place when we move in last year and had me lay the new flooring carefully around the hearth. Now she's on about an L shape sofa to "make the best use of the space" and the fireplace has got to go. Guess who's going to have to remove it and relay the floor - yes ME



If I were you - I'd buy a normal wall mount for your plasma telly and try and sidetrack the wife with something else like getting the curtains sorted

It'd be an electric fire anyway and these suck in cool air from behind, heat it up, and push hot out the front so if anything the tv should be cooler! To be honest, she'd be fine having it above the fireplace but I think this would be cool and I need a new project to give me an excuse to stay in the garage!

Might be worth considering a projector and screen, and drop the screen from the ceiling. It would be much easier and potentially cheaper, also means you can get a much much bigger screen

Having said, that you could use one of our Studio range of fires, they're more a visual thing. You could have a plasma above this.
Rescued attachment 437_1.jpeg

Wow - I like the look of them! Unfortunatley SWMBO wants a traditional fireplace.

Been looking at projectors, in particular this one:
http://www.audiovisiononline.co.uk/erol.html#13404X17640

its a bargain for HD with a screen but aqgain its a no go for some stupid female reason.

You need a big room for that one it's 1200mm wide

Sounds perfect to me!!!!

why not just mount the TV in the fireplace fixed and play a fireplace video DVD?



James

Sounds like the best solution of the lot to me - the bloody house has got central heating anyway!

quote:

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Originally posted by jroberts
You need a big room for that one it's 1200mm wide

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What is it with the girlies - modern houses have central heating so what use is a fireplace anyway? It just plays hell with placing a screen and surround sound speakers.
I ripped my fireplace out and stuck my 42" rptv in its place. SWMBO loves it now but we had a few 'tense' moments at first

Looks easy to me - new fire place mounted a few inches further forward than normal. Electric Winder mechanism etc and up it comes.

Not sure how to stop battery acid leaky on carpet!!!!!

I bet there not much to them. It quite surprising what you can make with MDF and stone effect spray paint as well. With fireplace mounted in front it will be great. Doesnt have to be romote control lift. You could use a 240V engine hoist / winch from Makro etc (£60 ish) as they have a lock as std in case of power failure and i guess also have a limit stop. Just then need to mount pulleys and TV housing. What i havent sussed is hiding the DVD / Sky box etc so no wires but still accessible.

here is your winch
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AMAZING-12V-6000LB-BOAT-CAR-TRAILER-ELECTRIC-WINCH_W0QQitemZ170049677421QQihZ007QQcategoryZ36632QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Just need a box making the same size as fireplace, some pulleys and a guided shelf.

[Edited on 20/11/06 by DarrenW]

I know - our current house (my old batchelor pad!) has no need for a fire - just a lovely 42" rear projection in the middle of the room with my 5.1 floorstanders dotted around. I do want HD now for my Xbox 360 so dont mind getting shot of the tv.

Cheers for the winch suggestion Darren I'll look into that!

just seen this on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-Car-Jack-12v-Automatic-Vehicle-Lifting_W0QQitemZ110055049005QQihZ001QQcategoryZ9891QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZ ViewItem

Because its a scissor jack if the motor fails it wont drop, if only it lifted higher it would be ideal. Maybe I could use the motor off it and get something similar but larger welded up...

[Edited on 20/11/06 by Paul G]

how about a counter balance weight system so that if the motor conks out it wont drop. the motor wont be under much strain either then.

Locost option -

Does it have to be inside the fireplace ?

I've a plasma above a fuel effect gas fire and have no issues with overheating.
Was a PITA to get the cables through the wall though...


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Counterbalance sounds like a good idea if i dont go the scissor jack route.

It doesnt HAVE to be in the fireplace really, i just think it'd be really cool and give me something to tinker with. Theres no fireplace there now anyway so if I'm putting one in from scratch nows the best time. It also saves cutting channels in the walls for all the cables

The electric scissor jack is just a motor and leadscrew. Other option is therefore to do away with the scissor bit (which doesnt look to have sufficient lift) and use a long screw. Maybe something like a long length of M12 and 2 nuts. The top nut powering the horizontal shelf up and down from the centre - each end of shelf having a support bar down to meet the lower nut (like an inverted equilateral triangle). This way with no power it would/should just stay put (subject to testing of course).

The tricky bit seems to be guiding it all so that it goes up and down very smoothly and level otherwise it will look a bit naff if it wobbles and shakes as it is moving. The cheal way of guiding it i guess will be a set of those ball bearing drawer runners either from a kitchen drawer or more robust from steel workshop drawers.


If you are handy with woodwork its surprising how good a job you can make of a diy fireplace with good MDF and a router. As usual its all in the detail and finishing. Either that or buy suitable width fireplace and just make the back box to suit.

Thats a good idea - I was looking at these

http://www.powerjacks.com/Power-Jacks-Screw-Jacks.htm

to raise the platform with draw runners attached to the wall and frame to stabilise it all

Looking at the power jacks gives the concept. Quite overkill on their own. I like the idea of a ball screw if only cos it allows a larger 'thread'. Im sure M12 studded bar is big enough though as long as the stablising system can be thought through.
Nothing stopping a counterbalance being added anyway, it could be a crude as a brick on string around a pulley i guess - no-one will normally see it.

I wonder if the bought cabinets have something that prevents the TV from being switched on whilst stowed away? Ie a power isolator. Again this shouldnt be too hard as you could have a switch mounted such that a finger or probe brushed passed and switched on when going up and off on way back down. Just thinking that im sure ive read Plasmas need circulation when operating which they wouldnt get inside a box - you may not have this bother but im sure my kids would find a way to switch it on when stowed away without an auto isolator.

Overkill as well as overprice no doubt! problem is I'm going have difficulty making something like that from scratch thats why i liked the idea of getting an electric scissor jack for about £40 pulling it apart and using the basics (motor, gears and electronics ) from that and getting my mate to weld up a bigger scissor mechanism. Well thats the idea anyway....

Didnt think about cutting power when closed but will prob have it all remote controlled then use a macro on my remote so pressing the 'lower tv' button also fires a command to tv and switches it off