Stabilising my cab

[Richy]

My cab is an upright cab based on lusids plans, the trouble is, it is quite unstable and rocks back and forth. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make it moke stable. I was planning on butiing diagnol pieces of wood between the bottom and sides to hold it in place. Are there any better suggestions?

[spidermonkey]

Reasons for a rock-a-by cabinet
1: Pieces were not measured and cut correctly.
2:  Pieces were assembled without using a square,straightedge,level,clamps,glue ect ...
3:  Not enough gussets (corner braces) or reinforcing supports throughout the cabinet.
4:  Seriously uneven floor  (highly unlikely)
If you didn't use glue (which you should have) I would take it apart and rescrew it back together making sure everything is square and even. You will have to fill in the old screw holes so that the new screws don't chase the old holes. Shove a toothpick with glue on it into the hole and break it off flush with the surface. Fill any remaining crevises with wood filler like "Plastic Wood" brand. wait for it to dry and sand it smooth. If reassembling isn't an option than you might consider using some ajustable leg levelers from Happ Controls or even Home Depot might have something similar. Leg levelers are used for a variaty of cabinets and furniture so check the hardware stores first. Happ Controls may not ship such a small order If you haven't ordered buttons and joysticks then add the levelers to the list. Remember if you don't straighten the cabinet now it will haunt you throughout the rest of your project. Especially trying to measure and line up your moniter, making a bezel, cutting plexi for the marquee ect... Nothing will fit quite right.
Hope this helps and best of luck !  
S.M.

[Darkstalker]

Does your whole cabinet flex, or is the floor uneven?

If it's the floor, just get some adjustable height feet for the bottom.  If it's swaying, you can do what you suggested and build some cross-braces between the floor or top of the cab and the sides.  Keep in mind you should make the braces long enough so that the outside edge of both braces are touching in the center between the two sides.  

You could also just get a 1x6 and screw it in nice and snug about halfway up your cab, about where the monitor is.  Just line it up with the backside of the cab with the 6" side up and down.  Once you've got a couple screws in the side, anchor the back of the cabinet to the new 1x6 and it shouldn't move at all anymore.

[spidermonkey]

Richy
If your cab is just top heavy than you could probably attach a couple of barbell weights to the underside of the cabinet providing the floor of your cab is recessed enough to fit them up in there. Just an idea.
S.M.

[Thorn]

I would buy leg levelers and legs from Bob Roberts. Four legs for $3.00 and for $6.00 you can get metal plates to bolt the legs to the bottom of your cabinet. Pretty cheap if you ask me.

[slug54]

Get some adjustable leg levelers from Rockler or ace hardware. I used the kind with the pivoting metal glide pad.
Once they are adjusted the cab is solid as a rock, But if I want to move my cab I can get down low and push it and it will slide pretty easily accross carpet.
If you use something like these I would recomend fastening some wood triangles to  each corner (The front ,back and sides should be resting on these) and then install your levelers in these. The idea is to have the weight of your cab carried by the front,back and sides of your cab and not the bottom which may bow under the weight.

                                  Slug54
 

[Richy]

Well the base is level. It's just the sides sort of sway, bacuse of the weight of the moniter. I don't feel like taking it apart though. Any other suggestions.

[Darkstalker]

Well the base is level. It's just the sides sort of sway, bacuse of the weight of the moniter. I don't feel like taking it apart though. Any other suggestions.

Unfortunately, any descent suggestion is going to involve some disassembly.  Just to make sure I understand, it's more of this kind of sway?

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The only thing you can do without some sort of visible bracer on the outside of the cabinet and not take it apart is to put more screws into the front, back, and control panels to keep the sway to a minimum.  The only way to get rid of it completely is some sort of brace on the inside.

If you hear a squeak/moan sound when the cabinet moves, that means your screws aren't holding.  You need either more screws, or a different kind, or both.

[Richy]

Yeah thats the type of sway.  I reatached the bezel, and it's mostly gone away no, but the bezel looks kind of bad. I had to attach it stuck to the sides on the front of my cab.