Industrial Record / Turntable Shelf

Welcome to my Industrial Record Storage / Turntable Shelf instructional.

Hello Instructables! Long time reader, first time poster. Very excited to share this project, and I hope everyone enjoys. I came up with this project after moving to a new apartment, and some extra space to finally create a custom piece of furniture to display my records and turntable.

I design my plans on dotted graph paper. I created a custom design using paperkit.net. This is a great tool, and highly suggest it to anyone he likes graph paper for sketching ideas out. Just use a 3 hole punch and a standard notebook to stay organized.

• 1 Can Matte Black Spray Paint
• 1 Matte Black Paint Pen
• 1 Can Minwax Prestain (optional)
• 1 Can Ebony Stain/Poly (Color of Choice)
• Wood Glue
• Brush/Craft Sponge
• Clamps
• Tarp
• Sand Paper
• Steel Wool
• Handheld Sander
• Electric Drill (not pictured)
• Tape Measure
• 36"x18"x3/4" Craft Board / Pine
• 48"x3"x1/2" Pine
• #10 1/2" Screws
• (8) x 12" x 1/2" Pipe - Click Here to Purchase
• (24) x 1/2" Flange - Click Here to Purchase

I purchased all of my pipe and metal pieces off of Amazon. Links provided above. It was much more affordable purchasing online versus the local big chain hardware store.

I purchased my wood at the local big chain hardware store near my apartment. While there, I had them cut the 2 extra pieces of 48" long x 3" wide x 1/2" deep wood into 4 x 18" long pieces to match the width of the boards I was using for the shelves. If you have your own saw, I would highly suggest doing this yourself. One of my pieces ended being about 1/2" too short on one side. Very frustrating, but I am able to hide it against the wall thankfully.

Using your wood glue, apply a hefty amount to both pieces of wood. Use a scrap piece of wood to make sure that the glue is covering every inch of the areas to be glued. Place the 3"x18" board on the edge of the 36"x16" board and use your clamps to hold in place while the wood dries. Allow to set for at least 24 hours.

Repeat this step 3 more times, so that 2 of the 3 36"x18"x3/4" Boards have the extra pieces on each end. By adding the extra pieces of wood, you are allowing enough space for a standard vinyl record to comfortable sit on the shelf.

Once the glue is dried, I used my trusty hand sander to remove any excess glue and smooth out the wood in preparation for staining.

I sanded each piece of wood using 80, 120 and finally 220 grit sand paper. Once this was finished, i wiped everything down with a soft towel to make sure I had removed any excess dust for pre-staining.

Once each piece is sanded and all of the saw dust removed, I applied a MinWax Prestain/Wood Conditioner. You could skip this step if you wanted, just make sure that you have sanded your wood well, and removed any excess dust.

After the pre-stain was able to soak into the wood for about 1-2 hours, I began applying the stain. For this project I used a MinWax Stain/Poly. I would suggest just using a stain, and applying the polyurethane afterwards if you want the added protection. I was matching another table in the same room that already used the same stain/poly color. If you decide to go with the stain/poly combo, DO NOT use a brush as it suggests on the can. Use a craft sponge. It will apply much more evenly, and take you less time.

Once you have the first layer of stain applied, sit back and relax with your favorite tasty beverage ;)

In between each coat of stain, I used steel wool to smooth out any ridges or excess in the stain before applying an additional coat. This really shows in the finished product, making the wood very smooth and the stain much more even.

In between coats of stain, I took all of the hardware out to the backyard for some personal time with a rattle can.

Before painting each piece, I cleaned some of the metal pieces using some dish soap in water. Some of the bars had a little grease or oil on them, that would have made it difficult for the paint to truly adhere to the surface. I simply towel dried these afterwards.

Using a standard can of Black Matte spray paint, I applied 3-4 coats to each piece allowing them time to dry in between.

After everything is stained, painted and dry. It's time to finally assemble everything!

Using #10 screws I began spacing each piece in the corners of the wood, and securing them in place. I used a small drill bit to make pilot holes before screwing down each piece.

I suggest starting with the bottom of the very top piece. Once you have your spacing, work your way down and make sure that each piece lines up from the top.

Once the shelf is assembled, I used a paint pen to paint each screw to hide the silver metallic color. This is just personal taste, but I thought the silver was a real eye sore against all of the dark metal and wood.

Now the final step...set up your record player and enjoy!