Looking for walnut "furniture" that can be configured as a stereo stand

nfafan

Well-Known Member
If anyone recognizes what I am trying to describe and knows where I can find this - please advise...

I have no pics of what I once owned, so it goes like this: (need to use the way-back machine to the mid-late 70's when this was fairly common in stores like JCP, Dillards, Sears, Macy's, others)

Mix 'n match assemble it your way walnut-stained furniture-finished shelving "boards" of about 20" depth and available in about 4' rectangles and 24" squares.
You purchased matching lathe-turned posts of varying lengths with embedded male screw posts at one end (to pass thru the hole in the shelf boards) and a female end, along with "knob" ends that could serve as feet or decorative tops.
You built the bottom shelf first and just kept adding layers of shelves at whatever height posts you wanted to use to space-up the shelves.​

Great for apartment dwellers in that you could mix/match shelves, posts, in order to create coffee tables, end tables, shelving units with zero tools needed - just screw posts together.

I bought the shelves, posts, feet, tops so I could assemble a sturdy, "walnut" shelf unit about 5' tall that was large enough and configurable enough to have a bottom shelf of about 4' x 18" to fill with albums, two upper shelves of about 4' x 12" for receivers, tape decks (this was the 70's...), reverb, and on the very top shelf - the turntable so you could fully open the dust cover.

If this rings a bell with anyone as to a modern equivalent - please advise. It's not something you would find in Ikea, and I am beginning to believe it would be easier to find Jimmy Hoffa than using Google to find something like this for sale these days.

Thanks all in advance!
 
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IMG_20170804_224943.jpg Salvation Army Thrifts and other similar stores. That's where some of them end up.
Not seen them new in years. The closest new equivalent I know of are the Flexi-racks. If not familiar search here.
This is not the same, but similar, from about same era. Legs thread into and through shelves.
 
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My parents had a shelf unit as you described, which held our encyclopedia set. I think its still in my Moms garage. This was the IKEA of its day, I suppose. Haven't seen it in years. I'll take a photo next time I'm there.
 
I used two Lane ™ end tables as stereo shelves. Both are of equal height and depth and rock solid.
They made perfect shelves and will accommodate the standard 19" width equipment.

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I know exactly what you are describing! I had a set in wood colored vinyl veneer. I inherited a set when my parents divorced in the 70s. If I recall correctly, I had two 4' shelves and two or three 2' shelves. I think I used it all the way through high school.

You are right about album storage on the bottom shelf.

Mine supported this in middle school:

Realistic_Stereo_Mark_III_1972.JPG
 
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Thanks all for the replies! I may have to end my quest and move into the realm of "flexi racks"...

Being the 70's as it were when I bought the shelves and finials to build them, home decor of the day was a LOT different back, the massive Early American walnut-trimmed furniture, earth-toned colors, and wood-laden CRT TV floor consoles were common - not so anymore. Oh well.

Thanks!
 
Yeah my dad made some quick & dirty TV stand/bookshelf stuff with that in the early 80s. Haven't seen that in years, but some home centers carry table legs of varying sizes, some with center bolt posts and some without; depending on what you find, maybe something can be made of those. You'd have to figure out how to fasten/reinforce it all if no center bolt is included. As to walnut, good luck finding that anywhere outside a woodworking shop (solid or veneer).
 
I've gotten several pieces from Westelm.com for my apartment. They call the finish "acorn" and it looks pretty close to walnut. Check under bookshelves and shelving.

Looks much better than the walnut veneer side board from IKEA.

IMG-20170805-WA0000.jpeg
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If anyone recognizes what I am trying to describe and knows where I can find this - please advise...

I have no pics of what I once owned, so it goes like this: (need to use the way-back machine to the mid-late 70's when this was fairly common in stores like JCP, Dillards, Sears, Macy's, others)

Mix 'n match assemble it your way walnut-stained furniture-finished shelving "boards" of about 20" depth and available in about 4' rectangles and 24" squares.
You purchased matching lathe-turned posts of varying lengths with embedded male screw posts at one end (to pass thru the hole in the shelf boards) and a female end, along with "knob" ends that could serve as feet or decorative tops.
You built the bottom shelf first and just kept adding layers of shelves at whatever height posts you wanted to use to space-up the shelves.​

Great for apartment dwellers in that you could mix/match shelves, posts, in order to create coffee tables, end tables, shelving units with zero tools needed - just screw posts together.

I bought the shelves, posts, feet, tops so I could assemble a sturdy, "walnut" shelf unit about 5' tall that was large enough and configurable enough to have a bottom shelf of about 4' x 18" to fill with albums, two upper shelves of about 4' x 12" for receivers, tape decks (this was the 70's...), reverb, and on the very top shelf - the turntable so you could fully open the dust cover.

If this rings a bell with anyone as to a modern equivalent - please advise. It's not something you would find in Ikea, and I am beginning to believe it would be easier to find Jimmy Hoffa than using Google to find something like this for sale these days.

Thanks all in advance!

Yes, I remember exactly what you are describing. They were sold in the basement of my local J.C. Penney store, near the Cub Scout/Boy Scout section.

All the pieces were sold individually, so the possibilities were only limited by your imagination (and budget).

There were shelves in various widths, and spindles and finials in three or four different styles (modern, early American/Colonial, etc.). I believe everything was made from pine, or perhaps birch, in available in two or three different stained finishes (dark walnut, honey pine, etc.).

The shelves had holes near each of the four corners where the spindles and finials attached (very similar to the Flexi Racks in this regard). Everything screwed together by hand, no tools required, using short coarsely threaded plastic rods that were about 2.5" or 3" long. The ends of the spindles and one end of the finials were drilled and tapped to accept the short plastic threaded rods. I don't recall if the spindles/finials used mating plastic threaded inserts (I believe they did, but I'm not sure), or if the coarse threads were tapped directly into the wood.

The other thing I remember was next to the display were large pads of forms, probably 11"x17" that you used to create your parts list for your design. All the items were listed and you simply wrote the quantity in a box next to each and checked a box for the style and finish desired. I remember this very distinctly, because as a young lad of 13 or 14, I actually designed my own custom stereo stand and excitedly filled out one of these forms only to have my dreams dashed when I totalled up the cost of my bill of materials. It was way beyond my very modest means. So, I never actually built anything using this system.

If you just want to replicate the DIY nature and flexibility of this system, the Flexi is the way to go. Like the original system, it is infinitely configurable and customizable to meet your specific needs.

If you want to take it one step further and also recreate the look of the original system, you could do a Flexi rack, but use wood spindles and finials to cover the all thread threaded rods. If you have a lathe, you could turn them yourself. If not, look online for pre-made wooden furniture legs, or perhaps some stiles from staircase railings could be cut down to size. These come in lots of styles (obvious pun), and you'd need to bore a hole though each to slip them over the all thread. I think making your own custom Flexi with wooden spindles and finials concealing the all thread would be a great trip down memory lane and a great homage to the original DIY system you described in your first post.
 
I used a stripped down wooden console and it's classy while having the look. I've seen some incredible TOTL consoles that were converted to hold EQ. Just a suggestion anyway.IMAG1756.jpg IMAG1756.jpg
 
If you could find a beat up old buffet, and have a little woodworking skill and some ingenuity, that would get you something nice.
 
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