TV Stand Assembly Instructions

When assembling a TV stand, it's important to read the instructions that came along with it, as they vary. The stand will use multiple panels and fasteners auch as screws, pins and small dowel sticks. Make sure you have all of the fastenera and panels you're supposed to have and know where each one goes. Keep in mind that many newer stands may be designed for lighter LCD TV sets, making them unsafe for larger tube-based sets.

Basic TV Stands

A basic TV stand can contain multiple open shelves to store other components. The "legs" of these stands are typically divided into parts. Connect the bottom "foot pieces" to the bottom shelf using foot bolts. Shelves are then connected by inserting I-shaped bolts into the assembled leg pieces, then repeating for the next level of shelves. Once the final top shelf is assembled, the bolt ends that stick out are covered with plastic or rubber caps for safety and appearance. The stand may also have a rear plate, which is sometimes called a "cable tidy," since you can route the TV cables through it. The way to Install this piece depends on the stand, but it often involves inserting screws or pegs into the panel to balance the middle shelves and bolting it to the top and bottom shelves.

Stands with Cabinets

Assembling a TV stand with cabinets is much like assembling a set of cabinets themselves. The rear and side panels are often the first things you connect. They can be screwed on or they may also have brackets on the side panels that slide into slots on the rear panel (or vice versa).
Attach the front panel to the side panels in the same way you connected the rear panel. If the front panel's doors are already connected, attach the knobs to the door. The bottom panel goes next; it may have hooks that fit onto brackets on the bottom of the front and rear panels. The dividers for the cabinets then go into the stand. These can be held by grooves in the front or rear panels. The top panel is now placed onto the assembly, often by inserting retainer pins in the side panels for balance and small dowel sticks in the corners to hold it in place. Any shelves within the cabinets are then installed by balancing them on shelf pins inserted into the side panels.