I am an ideas person. Pinterest is that friend who is fun to hang out with but you really, truly shouldn't. I think you know where this post is headed.
About 30 years ago my parents bought a television. Long story short, I acquired it when I was 26 and was very thankful to get it.
Fast forward to June of 2016. The above television is STILL working with the help of a digital converter box, but the picture compared to our tiny high definition television was terrible. Being the practical people that we are, we kept saying "When this one breaks down we'll pick out the one we want." Except this television never broke down. Not ever. I even watched it during an electrical storm hoping for a repeat of the death of the tv that happened when I was 5, but no such luck. So in June of last year when it started messing up a little with the volume, we were not disappointed. I verbally informed Bobby I thought this holiday season when everything was on sale we would get a new one. And the dumb thing started behaving again. So I have to say I felt VERY guilty about replacing it with a new model. It still worked!!! But replace it we did, and then I was left with a piece of furniture that has been with me most of my life. And Pinterest had some really cool ideas on what could be done with old television sets.
The back come off relatively easy, once I acquired the proper screwdriver.
But the screen was STAPLED into the top front of the cabinet, which could not be reached because of the big picture tube in the back. So I called dear old Dad, who suggested flipping it on its back and using a flat head screwdriver or putty knife to pry the staples off. That worked.
And now I have the gutted cabinet, ready for some woodwork and enhancements. Did I mention this cabinet has wheels on the bottom that make it very easy to move?
The guts were not quite so easy to get rid of. For one, they were VERY heavy. As in so heavy that they ripped this box within 2 minutes of being inside, and I had to slide the box and then the tv guts on top of the old backboard into the van. I don't think the guy at the recycle place was very happy that I had gutted the television, but there was no way I was going to throw away a very nice piece of furniture (with wheels!!) when I could make a use for it. My parents and my husband think I'm a little crazy, but they've thought that long before I ever started this project, and I think (provided I can do the woodwork fairly decent) that I'm going to be very pleased when it gets done. Mind you, we hauled the parts off on Saturday (we drove to North Raleigh Friday only for the place to have closed 4 minutes before we got there), and I've still not measured the insides for the wood pieces I need. It very well may sit in my living room for another week or two before it is finished, but at least it step one is completed. Considering I've never been able to drive a straight nail very well, phase 2 could be very interesting indeed.
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