Working Projcet

Entertainment center and SketchUp

The entertainment center is giving me a lot of SketchUp practice. Bear in mind, this is a really crude drawing, but its my first attempt. After a lot of evolution, I have boiled it down to a design that I kind of like, and is very minimal. The idea here is that a small shelf on top will hold the TV, and the two lower shelves will hold the components. The rear support (leg) is for cord management. I think Ill include a power strip inside. I might turn the front legs, but for this illustration, Ive just got cylinders.

I havent included any joints that will hold the backs of the shelves into the rear support. (It took me long enough to get to this point!) Im thinking possibly dados, or even just small cleats beneath. But its the top shelf that Im not sure how to deal with. It needs to support the TV, which is pretty light...maybe 30 pounds, but I dont want front legs (dowels) that would interfere with the components on the large shelf.


So right now, the top (TV) shelf is just magically floating there. Any ideas (in the real world, with actual wood) how I can make that shelf sturdy enough to support the TV, yet only attach on one side?  I suspect thats not really practical.