How to Make Your Own TV Lift
The purpose of a TV lift is not only to raise a TV so it can be watched, but also to hide the TV from unauthorized eyes when not being used. You can make your own TV lift, provided that you are comfortable working with electricity and wiring motors to use the wall socket for power. A few hardware parts are needed, as is a cabinet that can house the TV. You must also be proficient in using power tools.
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Things You'll Need
- TV cabinet
- TV lazy Susan
- Power drill
- DC linear actuator lift
- 12 volt DC power adapter
- Electric screwdriver
- Microswitch
- Electric wire
- Wire cutters
- Wire strippers
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Power saw
- Vacuum cleaner
- Measuring tape
- Black magic marker
- Rough sandpaper
- Fine sandpaper
- Metal screws
- Household electric wire
- Electrician's tape
- Phillips screwdriver
- TV
Instructions
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1
Purchase a TV lazy Susan, available at hardware or TV supply stores, that is the same dimensions as the bottom of the TV that will be used with the TV lift.
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2
Place the TV lazy Susan on top of the cabinet over the end where there is an inside shelf. Draw around the top of the TV lazy Susan with the black magic marker. Remove the TV lazy Susan.
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3
Cut out the top of the cabinet with the power saw, where the lines of the black magic marker have been made. Discard the cut-out piece of the cabinet. Smooth out the edges of the cut-out top of the cabinet with rough sandpaper, then again with fine sandpaper.
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4
Place the TV lazy Susan on top of the DC linear actuator lift. Draw a dot through the four holes in the bottom of the DC linear actuator lift so as to make marks on the bottom of the TV lazy Susan.
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5
Put the TV lazy Susan on a work surface face down. Drill a hole through each of the dots on the bottom with the power drill.
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6
Turn the TV lazy Susan over and place it on top of the DC linear actuator lift so that the holes in the TV lazy Susan line up with those on the DC linear actuator lift. Screw metal screws through the holes in the bottom of the DC linear actuator lift and into the holes in the TV lazy Susan’s bottom.
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7
Place the DC linear actuator lift inside of the cabinet beneath the hole that has been made in the top. Screw metal screws through the holes in the bottom of the DC linear actuator lift and into the bottom of the cabinet using the electric screwdriver.
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8
Strip 1/2 inch of insulation off of the ends of the two wires attached to the DC linear actuator lift. Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the ends of the two wires attached to the 12 volt DC power adapter.
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9
Wrap one end of one of the electric wires attached to the DC linear actuator lift to the end of one of the two wires attached to the 12 volt DC power adapter, then repeat with the other two wires. Wrap electrician’s tape around each of the two newly connected wires where they are wrapped around each other.
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10
Cut two 4-foot lengths of electric wire with the wire cutters. Strip off 1/2 inch of insulation from each end of the two lengths of wire.
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11
Heat the soldering iron for five minutes. Solder the end of one of the two electric wires to one of the two contacts on the microswitch. Let the solder cool for a minute.
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12
Solder the free end of the wire to the power switch’s positive contact on the 12 volt DC power adapter. Let the solder cool for a minute.
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13
Solder one end of the other electric wire to the other contact on the microswitch. Let the solder cool for a minute.
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14
Solder the free end of the electric wire to the power switch’s negative contact on the 12 volt DC power adapter. Let the solder cool for a minute. Unplug the soldering iron.
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15
Pull the microswitch up through the hole in the top of the cabinet. Place the microswitch next to the hole in the top of the cabinet.
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16
Screw the microswitch into the top of the cabinet using wood screws and the electric screwdriver.
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17
Plug the AC power cord from the 12 volt DC power adapter into a wall socket. Place the TV onto the TV lazy Susan inside the cabinet. Plug the TV’s AC power cord into a wall socket.
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18
Press the microswitch. Wait as the TV is lifted out of the cabinet. Press the “Stop Lift” button on the side of the DC linear actuator when the TV has been raised sufficiently from inside of the cabinet to be viewed.
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19
Adjust the screw on the side of the DC linear actuator by the “Stop Lift” button to set the height of the lift using the Phillips screwdriver. Press the microswitch to lower the TV back into the cabinet.
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Tips & Warnings
You can screw the bottom of the TV onto the TV lazy Susan if you do not mind damaging the bottom. Bonding glue can be used instead of screws if the bottom of the TV is plastic instead of wood.
Improper wiring will render the TV lift unworkable.
