Table From Old TV Stand

I found an old TV stand, at my Dads.  It was rusted and didn't turn well anymore.  I thought of making a table.  Since my boys like to play games, I made this one into a gaming table.  However, you could make this into a nightstand, craft table, desk, or whatever you want.  I'm not putting a lot of measurements on this one, as it will depend on what you want to do with it.  I reused the stand, used scrap plywood I had, and the stain, poly, and hardware are all things I had kept from projects in the past.  Take a look and enjoy.

Old TV stand
3/4" birch plywood
1 1/4" screws
table saw
drill and bit to fit screws
stain
polyurethane
hinges
chain
smaller screws
screwdriver

I had to clean the stand, sand the rotating deck, clean the bearings, and finished with a coat of paint.  Once the deck was dry, I used WD-40 to lubricate the bearings.  All of this is pretty self-explanatory.

I decided how big I wanted the box to be, and cut the base to that size.  The stand deck has two bends to keep the TV from sliding off.  I cut one groove for the front bend that didn't have to go all the way through.  The back bend is the same height as the wood thickness.  So, I cut all the way through, but not to the ends.  It fit great.  I next cut the boards for the games/CDs.  I measured the length, and double the height.  Keep in mind to leave enough for the thickness of the saw blade.  I cut grooves every 3/4" until I couldn't cut any more.  Then I cut the board in half.  Doing it this way, the grooves line up easily.  I cut the two sides the same way, but without the grooves.  The back piece I cut to extend to the bottom of the base, to hopefully give it a little more strength.  The top, I cut two inches bigger than the base, to give it a bigger surface area.
 

Once the wood was all cut, I sanded the pieces, and wiped them with a damp cloth to get the dust off.  Then, I applied two coats of red oak stain, followed by two coats of polyurethane.  When all of this dried, it was time to assemble the box.  
I secured the base to the deck using holes that were already in the deck.  I would suggest pre-drilling all of the holes so that the wood doesn't split or bust.  I attached all four sides, putting one grooved board on the front.  I then attached the second grooved board by using a CD to size the distance.  Make sure you place the board in so that the grooves line up right.  Also, don't make it too tight for the discs, or it might scratch them.  Once all boards were attached, I added a few more screws to tighten everything up.
Next, I placed the top piece, back edge flush with the back board.  I used four small brass hinges to attach the top to the box.  If you have larger hinges, you shouldn't have to use but two.  I am building this for teenage boys, so I wanted more strength.  To finish it up, I applied a small length of chain to keep the lid from flipping over the back, and pulling the hinges out.  Now the only thing left is to fill it up.

After all the work is done, put it to use.  I made it for gaming.  It can hold several games, with enough space between grooves to see the title of the disc.  There is enough room for controllers, batteries, etc.  With the lid closed, the top can be used as a table.  The TV stand swivels, so it can be turned easily (after the cleaning).  Good luck!