Good news is that the new Subwoofer shower up today. That was fast, ordered it on Monday, saved 58% on the price, and it was here by noon today Friday.

The bad news is, the wife deiced that the subfoower is now a Christmas gift, as we are cutting back like every one else. So instead of buying more stuff this is a Christmas present. That means it STAYS in the box.

So I guess i can still do the prep like modifying the screen wall, running the power, and pull the signal cable. That way it will be all ready to just plug in and GO.

Just sneak out of bed late one night and swap the sub with an old bread box or something, and put that sucker in. No one will every know the difference come Christmas morning. :D

We are not waiting until Christmas. I started the modification, for the second sub, this last weekend. Pulled the RG59 cable and cut out the opening in the screen wall.

Pulling the RG59 was not too bad. First I had conduit to the area where the second sub was being placed. And second I had a pull string already in the conduit along with the existing speaker wire. So I just attached the RG59 and a new pull string. Then pulled them both through. This way I will again have a pull string reaming.

The tough part was pulling all the staples out of the fabric with out any damage (pulls in the fabric). It was a slow process. Plus I had to pull the screen down.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/Pic/mod_2ndSub_befor.jpg

I installed the second sub and had a conversation over in the sub-woofer forum about how to set the phase switch. The consensus was the phase switch should be the same on the two subs. So I set both phase switched to zero to start with.

My daughter and her husband watched the new Batman movie and said that sometimes the base, form the sub woofer, displaced/overpowered the balance of the sound track. Now what?

The guys in the Sub-woofer forum suggested that i get a SPL meter and calibrate the subs and the speakers. Need to learn how or hire a professional?

Never though two subs would produce too much base???

I installed the second sub and had a conversation over in the sub-woofer forum about how to set the phase switch. The consensus was the phase switch should be the same on the two subs. So I set both phase switched to zero to start with.

My daughter and her husband watched the new Batman movie and said that sometimes the base, form the sub woofer, displaced/overpowered the balance of the sound track. Now what?

The guys in the Sub-woofer forum suggested that i get a SPL meter and calibrate the subs and the speakers. Need to learn how or hire a professional?

Never though two subs would produce too much base???
Yup, sounds like you need to calibrate your subs.

Easy method - use a Radio Shack SPL meter and DIY (there are some charts that you need to use with this SPL meter).
More complicated method - You can get an EQ and some software and really calibrate your room. You might just have some peaks at certain frequencies that you need to reduce. Without an EQ this is not possible.

There is free measurement software you can get over at home theater shack:
Room EQ Wizard (http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/). There are some helpful forums over there as well.

I have two subs, but haven't taken the time to get them calibrated yet. But from what I understand, calibrating two of them is tricky, and you may have to play around with position a lot.

if you are interested in the discussion on setting up two identical sub-woofers, here is the thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1096139

Thanks for the pointer. I've got two HSU vtf3-mkIII's to set up in the next week.

Just a quickie- you may have already mentioned, but I didn't notice. Where did you get the fabric you used on your walls?

Greg

A question about the staples.
I think my research turned up that you used a 1/2" crown stapler.
What length staples did you use?

What technique did you use in removing all those staples? Awl, flat bladed screwdriver, needle-nosed plyers?

Thanks
George

Just a quickie- you may have already mentioned, but I didn't notice. Where did you get the fabric you used on your walls?

The GOM fabric was purchased from Silent Source.

A question about the staples.
I think my research turned up that you used a 1/2" crown stapler.
What length staples did you use?

What technique did you use in removing all those staples? Awl, flat bladed screwdriver, needle-nosed plyers?

Thanks
George

I use both 1/2 and 3/8 stables, The job would be impossible with out an pneumatic stapler.

The remodel on the additional sub was tough. All I could think of was pulling a thread and causing a huge snag in the fabric. To remove the staples i used a flat head screwdriver and a lineman's pliers. It worked great but took a whole day to pull all the staples and cut the hole.

Re-attaching all the fabric to all of 30 minutes.

Now I have spent more money on a SPL meter and several hours trying to get all the levels balanced out. Also look at REW software but that will take some time to figure out

Here's a view of my finished theater after much work. Greg, you were one of the people who really inspired me;


http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z268/Robert487/DSCF1844.jpg

Here's a view of my finished theater after much work. Greg, you were one of the people who really inspired me;


I'm honored to have contributed to your desire to create such a wonderful looking Home theater.

I too drew allot of inspiration and how too information from this forum. Could not have built my home theater with out this forum.

My very first exposure to affordable home theaters was the Dave Bote (spelling?) Nate.

Got a photo of the screen wall finaly... Still need to work on the cameras white balancing. As the lighting causes the color to be out of Wack. Wacked, that is a technical term ya-know..

The fisheye lense makes the 110" screen look small. Maybe I need to start thinking about upgrading to a constant height, wall to wall screen with a new LCD projector?

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/HtFe_Screen.jpg

I got inspiration from this thread on building the fabric squares and I wanted to add what I did. I can't imagine spending all that time routering all that wood. I think I missed it, but what was the problem you had with the table saw?

I had the luxury of building my frames to be deeper than those in this thread, but I used 1x3s standing on their edges to build my frames. They were very cheap, very easy to cut and are sufficiently strong as well as light and offers more face area to have insulation in. I'm sure they could have been cut down to be smaller than the 2 1/4" they came out to be and still be strong. I'm not sure how small you could go though.

Unfinished:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/TazmanianDevil/Frame1.jpg

And wrapped:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/TazmanianDevil/Frame2.jpg

I put a bit more detail on how I built them in my own build thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15896901#post15896901

I am sure this is stated somewhere but I have not found it after hours of searching. And I am sure most people on here could answer my question in all of 3 minuets.

Am I correct that you put drywall (anything need between studs i.e. insulation for sound proof?)

On top of drywall goes Linacoustics / Duct Liner to ear level.

On top of that goes these panels which are wrapped in GOM. But they are attached to the Linacoustics how?

Am I correct on all this or did I miss something, if so where.

-Fill your walls with pink insulation prior to drywall. Don't overstuff/compress.
-Then drywall (consider multiple layers if you want to sound isolate.
-Then, if you make panels, add rigid fiberglass (e.g. Linacoustic) to the panels or leave them empty (or poly fill batting) depending on the overall acoustic plan.

So the rigid fiberglass or poly batting are actually built into panel?

So I would make a frame and put fiber glass on front of it (attach with glue or ?) then cover all that with GOM?

Or would the fiber glass go between the boards (like the glass of a picture frame) ?

Then just finishing nails to attach them to wall - and they will just blend into the fabric.

Take a look at the first few posts in this thread.

O. Thanks. After reading your explanation the first few post (I had read them before) made a lot more sense.

So the rigid fiberglass or poly batting are actually built into panel?

So I would make a frame and put fiber glass on front of it (attach with glue or ?) then cover all that with GOM?

Or would the fiber glass go between the boards (like the glass of a picture frame) ?

Then just finishing nails to attach them to wall - and they will just blend into the fabric.

Here is a photo of a frame that is half solid (right side) and half Linacoustics (The black stuff on the left). The Linacoustics is just pressed into the frame. Friction holds it in place. The solid side is the MDF side for an electrical outlet.

Hope this helps.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/HTFrames11.jpg

I had seen that picture. Thanks for explanation. And great work. I am hoping the same idea will work for larger panels. Small ones look so nice but I can tell you put in a lot of work. I am hoping to do it a little quicker and cheaper (uses less wood). Anyway Nicely done.

Wow, gotta be one of my most like room/ treatment I've seen. A+++

Real nice....

It took me more than 2 hours to read the whoe thread, but it was certainly worthy. I thought I was done with the design phase of my HT, but I gotta incorporate at least some of the stuff shown here... I do really really like the most walls with the frames, but in my case, acoustic is not that much of a problem, and I would use them to house Auralex 2'x4'x2" boards. Without cutting the boards, I will probably have to use 1"x2" in the similar way Taz has used with 1"x3" to make some bigger frames between columns...

Many thanks for the good ideas and info.

Real nice....

Many thanks for the good ideas and info.

That is what the forum is all about, the exchange of information. This forum was the initial inspiration for a home theater. The very first affordable Home theater is saw was the "Nate" built by David Bott. From there is was all down hill. But this forum provides direction, information, material selection and inspiration.:cool:

I have been looking over this thread for months and will begin soon. I do have a questions about the frames. I will probably build my frames as 2'x4' and wanted to know why I couldn't use 2"x2" and run the edges through a table saw to get the beveled edge?

Sotwell,

Your question was already asked (a few times) in thread. You can make your frames anyway you want. It typically gets down to what equipment the homeowner has and how comfortable they are with woodworking.... and what their expectations are. Greg mentioned early on that in order to get the results he was looking for he had to go with a routered edge. He also only wanted his frames to be 1" thick. You can make your's whatever size you want.

I will caution you that larger frames will bow under the stress of pulling frabric across them so you may need additional supports. I just built some hinged frames for my stage to cover the LR speakers. The frames were made out of 1x2's and are 17"x75". I had to put one support in the center to keep them square.

Best of luck. Bud

Has anyone tried this source for Frames/Fabric?

They sell pre-cut, built, bevelled wood frames, pre-built panels, even pre-sewed "pillowcase" style fabric for direct use on 4'x2'x1" or 2" or 4" OC703 / absorbtion material of your choice! Cheap!

http://www.acoustimac.com

The only thing I don't see is a fire rating, and I was wondering if anyone has seen the "pillowcase" finished product. They also sell corner straighteners/reinforcers, and to attach them to the wall, screw-on impaling clips and metal slip clip thingies.

The material looks better than GOM from the website pictures and is available in some dark colors that GOM is not!

Has anyone tried this source for Frames/Fabric?


http://www.acoustimac.com



Looks like a great resource even for the DIY'er. They will even build the frames for you.

I have been looking over this thread for months and will begin soon. I do have a questions about the frames. I will probably build my frames as 2'x4' and wanted to know why I couldn't use 2"x2" and run the edges through a table saw to get the beveled edge?

Here is a photos of frames make out of plywood on edge. You can make it any depth you want. They might bow when you pull the fabric, but you can make them exactly 1" or 2" deep and not be concerned with the thickness of the material. Photo borrowed from acoustimac.com.

http://www.acoustimac.com/images/image/BEVELED%202X24.jpg

Here is a photos of frames make out of plywood on edge. You can make it any depth you want. They might bow when you pull the fabric, but you can make them exactly 1" or 2" deep and not be concerned with the thickness of the material. Photo borrowed from acoustimac.com.

http://www.acoustimac.com/images/image/BEVELED%202X24.jpg

If the frame is a near perfect match to the 2'x4' OC703 or what not panel, which is semi-rigid, do you think the panel itself would provide enough support to prevent bowing? (just wondering)

Another idea I thought about was instead of cutting a bevel, to buy 2 boards for each edge; a 3"x1 (which is really 2.5") and a 1"x1 (which is really 1.5"). Then glue the two boards together with the 1x1 approximately in the center of the 3x1. This configuration would give the appearance (under fabric) of a beveled edge, and would probably be extremely rigid (sort of an I-joist), fairly cheap, and would avoid the need for a table saw or router to get the bevelled edge. Not sure if the finished product would actually look good though.

Eventually I'll stop lurking and build something... I still have a few other projects to finish in my media room before I get to the fabric frames...

If the frame is a near perfect match to the 2'x4' OC703 or what not panel, which is semi-rigid, do you think the panel itself would provide enough support to prevent bowing? (just wondering)

If you build a frame, you are going to want to wrap it in fabric prior to inserting the OC703. The tighter you pull the fabric, the more bowing you are going to get with the frame members on edge.

I built my frames out of strips of mdf on edge, which were about as stiff as a wet noodle. The first frame I wrapped had about 1/2" worth of bow in it. I just removed several staples, and inserted a couple of cross members, and re stapled using less pull.

Link to backside of panel with cross members (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12845199#post12845199)

This made all the difference in the world. I think with some of my panels, I just used a single cross member, and got better at not over tightening. For smaller panels, there is no problem.

You need to pull the fabric tight enough not to sag. But not too tight. If you over pull the fabric you will get stretch ripples in addition to bowing the frame.

If the frame is a near perfect match to the 2'x4' OC703 or what not panel, which is semi-rigid, do you think the panel itself would provide enough support to prevent bowing? (just wondering)

Another idea I thought about was instead of cutting a bevel, to buy 2 boards for each edge; a 3"x1 (which is really 2.5") and a 1"x1 (which is really 1.5"). Then glue the two boards together with the 1x1 approximately in the center of the 3x1. This configuration would give the appearance (under fabric) of a beveled edge, and would probably be extremely rigid (sort of an I-joist), fairly cheap, and would avoid the need for a table saw or router to get the bevelled edge. Not sure if the finished product would actually look good though.

Eventually I'll stop lurking and build something... I still have a few other projects to finish in my media room before I get to the fabric frames...

If you do not want to use a table saw or router you could do a composite edge something like was discussed in message number 165 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6690273#post6690273)

If you do not want to use a table saw or router you could do a composite edge something like was discussed in message number 165 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6690273#post6690273)

LOL. Good point, I think I read that one some time ago and forgot about it / stored it in my subconscious.

I have another technique to suggest over my previous points that I just added to my build thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1064413). If you want to build frames thinner than I did for my squares, you might consider doing what I did for the frames covering my bass traps. I built them out of really cheap 1x3s and used metal ties to screw them together. They were really easy to build and I didn't need to worry about using a router or building a composite frame. A table saw and chop saw did the job pretty quickly.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/TazmanianDevil/BassTrapFrame1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/TazmanianDevil/BassTrapFrame2.jpg

If you want your frames to be thicker than the 5/8" or so thick a 1x is, you could use a 1x and cut the 45 off to get the beveled look and then nail a thin 3/8" strip on the back to increase the thickness.

Here is the first of several photos taken by Dan Phan, he is a pro. The photo shoot lasted about three and a half hours where Dan took hunberds of photos, testing lighting and shot composition.

After all the shot were thaken he then picke the best and then went to his Apple Mac and started to use several applictions to darkroom the photos. The one below is the first one that is total ready. And they are a lot better then the one i took in post 515 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15745108#post15745108).

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/HT_Rear-Quarter.jpg

Here is a photo of a frame that is half solid (right side) and half Linacoustics (The black stuff on the left). The Linacoustics is just pressed into the frame. Friction holds it in place. The solid side is the MDF side for an electrical outlet.

Hope this helps.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/HTFrames11.jpg

Is that an outlet/low volt box I see in that frame? Even if not, when you had things like light switch boxes and outlets, how did you stretch the GOM and make it work? I have no trouble stretching the GOM across the 4 outside corners of the frame, but then trying to make the inside 4 corners of the outlet openings, it bunches up.

if u are going to build a frame with straight edges (90 degree), is there any need to use mdf or is just plywood ok?

also if i plan to place 1" linacoustic in the frame, should i build a frame 1" thick or 1.25" thick?

thanks for any help

if u are going to build a frame with straight edges (90 degree), is there any need to use mdf or is just plywood ok?
Check my posts #516 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15896935#post15896935) and #537 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16151537#post16151537) to see if that gives you any better ideas. If you're going to build 1" frames, I think you could try using 1x3 furring strips like I did. I'm not sure if you cut them down to 1" and stood them on their edges if that would be sturdy enough. If you lay them down flat, you'll need to add an additional layer of wood to make them 1" thick but that should be easy to attach.

Or two layers of 1/2" plywood would probably by fine too. I don't really see the need for MDF, even to get the beveled edge which I did without MDF.

Gpowers,

Just saw the write on your space, very nice and Congratulations!

It was a nice write up and they did a nice job of capturing the space in the pics.

Article in Electronic House hit today:

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/diyer_gets_fabulous_with_fabric/D2/

Gpowers,

Just saw the write on your space, very nice and Congratulations!

It was a nice write up and they did a nice job of capturing the space in the pics.

Thanks, the photos were taken by Dan Phan. He is our lead Designer here at Work. I took some photos originally and they were all the wrong lighting, too yellow. Dan had all the tools to do the job right.

if u are going to build a frame with straight edges (90 degree), is there any need to use mdf or is just plywood ok?

also if i plan to place 1" linacoustic in the frame, should i build a frame 1" thick or 1.25" thick?

thanks for any help

Mine were slightly less the and inch deep and I used 1" Linacoustic.

I would build a test frame the way you want. Cover it with fabric and see if you like the end product. If it works for you then your ready to go.

shawnwalters: Is that an outlet/low volt box I see in that frame?

GPowers: Yep. it is being used and a box extender. It mates up to an existing box in the wall.

shawnwalters: Even if not, when you had things like light switch boxes and outlets, how did you stretch the GOM and make it work?

GPowers: You do not need to be exact as the faceplate overlaps the box whole a little. I cut a V in each of the corners, then wrap the fabric from the front to the back and staple it.

shawnwalters: I have no trouble stretching the GOM across the 4 outside corners of the frame, but then trying to make the inside 4 corners of the outlet openings, it bunches up.

GPowers: By cutting the V's in the corners it will not bunch up.

shawnwalters: Is that an outlet/low volt box I see in that frame?

GPowers: Yep. it is being used and a box extender. It mates up to an existing box in the wall.

shawnwalters: Even if not, when you had things like light switch boxes and outlets, how did you stretch the GOM and make it work?

GPowers: You do not need to be exact as the faceplate overlaps the box whole a little. I cut a V in each of the corners, then wrap the fabric from the front to the back and staple it.

shawnwalters: I have no trouble stretching the GOM across the 4 outside corners of the frame, but then trying to make the inside 4 corners of the outlet openings, it bunches up.

GPowers: By cutting the V's in the corners it will not bunch up.

Thank you. I ended up doing the "V" cuts on the internal corners and it worked great. :)

Here's a view of my finished theater after much work. Greg, you were one of the people who really inspired me;

Robert never realized that you are right here in Southern California and the we both used Doug to fine tune our projectors. You are just to the east of us.

Started replumbing the bathroom that is outside of the theater. I never realized how much plumbing when into body sprays in a shower.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/Bathroom_bodysprays.jpg

I'm not a plumber, but that looks like way more joints than are needed. I would think you could do the same thing with one cross and two elbows. Is it for more even distribution of water to the 3 heads?

I'm not a plumber, but that looks like way more joints than are needed. I would think you could do the same thing with one cross and two elbows. Is it for more even distribution of water to the 3 heads?

yep, that is what the plumber said. If you did a manifold it would over pressure the first head and the last head would just drible...... The method used in the picture creates even pressure to all three heads.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/HT_Rear-Quarter.jpg

Hi GPowers -
Great thread and impressive theater!

One thought on this image, coming from an aspiring pro photographer... usually in architecture shots, it's desirable to keep vertical lines vertical, ie not converging or diverging (I believe the term is parallax.) They even make special tilt/shift lenses which can be bought (or rented for the occasional job) which allow you to tilt the lens for composition purposes but keep the sensor or film plane parallel with vertical to address the lines.

You can also use stitching software and a tripod and a longer lens. The longer the lens you use the more frames you will need to stitch, but the less distortion will be present.

Love your setup! If we weren't on opposite coasts I'd offer to take some photos myself :)

was thinking of doing this finish to my theater when I started a long time ago .. but lost the thread.. not to fear.. I just tagged ya...

Hlomax - I highly recommend Gregg's frames. I'm just finishing my theater.... 68 frames and it worked out fantastically. We are really, really pleased with the results.

And... we are 15 miles outside of Pittsburgh!

I will post pictures as soon as I can get good enough ones that how well the room looks in person.

Bud

I am planning on similar frames as well, but a modified version. My frames will be 3'x6' with 3 stacked on top of each other to fill a 9' wall. I will have columns in between each "row".

Keep in mind what material you are going to cover them with. I wasn't sure what I was going to use and I built my panels 64" tall. When it came time to cover them, GOM was the only material I could find wide enough to cover without wasting a lot or having a seem. I think most of the GOM is 66" wide. Just something to think about.

Hlomax - I highly recommend Gregg's frames. I'm just finishing my theater.... 68 frames and it worked out fantastically. We are really, really pleased with the results.

And... we are 15 miles outside of Pittsburgh!

I will post pictures as soon as I can get good enough ones that how well the room looks in person.

Bud

I will look into that.. Thanks.
Which side of Pgh.
I and the wife are from East Pgh.
Braddock and Plum Boro. but we have now moved to Atlanta Ga.
family still there though so we are up there often.

Yes, the frame size is important if you want to make the most efficient use of whatever material you are using to cover them.

Greg (or is it Gregg ?) made that point clear in one of his early posts and it stuck in my head long enough for me to remember it whenever it came time to do my panels.

I believe the nominal dimensions of my panels are 21-3/8" x 30-3/8". The 30-3/8" dim is the critical one and it allows you to get two panels out of a 66" wide piece of GOM, assuming a thickness of 1"... just barely.

I also modified Greg's design slightly by mounting my frames using french cleats on all but the top row of frames. I was going to use glue and nails like Greg suggested however the material that I used was not able to hide the nails so I had to find another solution.

Hlomax - we're on the complete other side of Pgh - south and west of the city down rt.79.

Here is my implementation of Greg's frame design. The photo's aren't great as the color is way off.... my frames are not this red and my columns are darker grey than they appear in the photos. The room is only 10ft wide but the photo's make it look even smaller. I also need to get a wider angle lense.

Thanks for the inspiration Greg.

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu48/sydneylondon/Theater/13.jpg

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu48/sydneylondon/Theater/16.jpg

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu48/sydneylondon/Theater/27.jpg

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu48/sydneylondon/Theater/25.jpg

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu48/sydneylondon/Theater/3.jpg

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu48/sydneylondon/Theater/41.jpg

Tip-top stuff Bud.

Very nice! Nice clean lines.

love the door.

Thanks for the comments. I'll start my own thread when I get new pics.

The door is more complex than it looks... while being simple at the same time. It's a standard, steel door so it has full weatherstripping with a threshold.

But the inside face of the door sat back about 2-1/2" from the other frames in the room. Because of that setback, if I just mounted frames to the door I would have had to leave a 3" gap on the right side (hinge side) so that the frames would clear the door frame.

What I decided I wanted to do was to have the frames the full width of the door but have them slide out away from the hinge as the door is opened and then move back into position as the door was closed.

How I did it was to mount 2, 24" wide ball bearing chassis slides to the inside face of the door. Then I mounted a piece of 1/2" MDF to the mating pieces of the chassis slides and then mounted the frames to the MDF with french cleats and velcro. So the mdf (with the frames attached) was now able to move left and right. I rigged up a pivot hinge and piece of steel angle and mounted that angle to the door and the pivot hinge to the door frame. You can see it on the right side of the door.

So, when I open the door the mdf panel slowly moves the about 1.5" or so automatically to the left which is just enough for the frames to clear the hinge side of door frame when the door is open 90 degrees.

I had to buy 2 sets of door knobs and weld them together to get a shaft that would span the entire 4" or so of door thickness.

It's pretty cool and a subtle detail that I am proud of. Thanks again.

EXCELLENT work Bud. Start a thread and post some photos of the door treatment install if you could. I'm looking to do something similar and sure could use a path to folllow.

CJ

Here is my implementation of Greg's frame design. The photo's aren't great as the color is way off.... my frames are not this red and my columns are darker grey than they appear in the photos. The room is only 10ft wide but the photo's make it look even smaller. I also need to get a wider angle lense.

Thanks for the inspiration Greg.



You are welcome. I would not have a Home Theater ether if it was not for all the great information on this Forum. I found a lot of inspiration here.

Your theater looks great. I too like the door. Plus it is nice too see a fellow CRT user. Now start watching some movies.

Thanks Greg!

Greg (or is it Gregg ?)

Just Greg, no double gg stuff. Thanks

I gotta say, it was great to have Greg over to my my place. He's a really nice guy, full of enthusiasm and knowledge. I owe much to him for how well my theater turned out.

What projector is that, Bud? I love the black color!

Mine is a little older then yours, robert. It is a NEC 9pg plus. One thing we do have in common is that Doug has worked on both of our projectors and we both have Moone HDMI cards.

Again thanks for opening up your home to us all, and your wife put on one fine lunch.

Bud, Painting the plastic case black is a neat idea. Is the paint holding up, or dose it chip easy?

RobertR - my projector is a Barco 1208s/e

I painted the projector flat black.

My Sony BDP-S560 Blu-ray Disc Player shipped yesterday, should be here this Friday. It has been a wait. I ordered the new Sony blu-ray player over a month ago.

I can not wait to replace the problematic LG BH100. True it is two years old, but i still have disks that will not play. And i have the latest firmware installed.

To GPOWERS and all who have contributed to this thread: thanks for showing us how to 'get frames done' and making this thread such a great resource. Though my design is different than yours, the info here was really helpful.

Cheers,
Jason

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn98/jlachanc/HT/FinalLB.jpg

Here is a shot of my recently completed theater (just prior to seats coming in) -- sorry picture quality is not as good as it could be. Thanks to GPowers for the inspiration to build the frames that make the theater pop.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad267/mjg091969/DSC_1349.jpg
http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad267/mjg091969/DSC_1365.jpg
http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad267/mjg091969/theater1.jpg

To GPOWERS and all who have contributed to this thread: thanks for showing us how to 'get frames done' and making this thread such a great resource. Though my design is different than yours, the info here was really helpful.

Cheers,
Jason


There is no set configuration that frames need to be done in. I did mine small for looks and not knowing how the frames would hold up to stretching the fabric. Others have also varied the configuration. Your looks great with the large frames. Thanks for posting your theater here and Congratulation. Now go enjoy your theater.

Here is a shot of my recently completed theater (just prior to seats coming in) -- sorry picture quality is not as good as it could be. Thanks to GPowers for the inspiration to build the frames that make the theater pop.

Pretty cool. It really does POP! Is Tron hiding in there somewhere? :)

CJ

EXCELLENT work Bud. Start a thread and post some photos of the door treatment install if you could. I'm looking to do something similar and sure could use a path to folllow.

CJ
Ditto here! Would love to see more detail on this
Jeff

JeffC - follow the link in my signature... it's a thread I started months ago that has some of the info you ask about. If you have any further questions, please post them on that thread so that I am not highjacking this thread.

I've posted here (for anyone interested) a cheap and fast way to do fabric frames and make it to where you can remove them easily. You can see where I pulled out the frame and it leaves the acoustic wrap attached to the wall. You simply staple the acoustic wrap (yellow) to the wall with the frames in place, and then when you pop out the frame, it leaves the acoustic on the wall in perfect pattern. Make sure you put alot of staples right next to each other so that when you plug the frame back in (with the GOM fabric attached), the yellow wrap won't get in the way. The top section you just staple the batting in the exact same way...:) This is really going to speed up the progress on my theater...;) These fabric frames fit so tight that I won't need to use anything to affix them to the wall...If you wanted to, I guess you could use velcro or some other easy method...I am purposely making them fit tight.

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr302/chuckken12/003-4.jpg
http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr302/chuckken12/008-5.jpg
http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr302/chuckken12/001-8.jpg
http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr302/chuckken12/006-8.jpg
And here is the completed wall...(Whole wall took six hours to build).
http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr302/chuckken12/036-1.jpg
Left wall and rear view of both
http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr302/chuckken12/007-7.jpg
http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr302/chuckken12/005-8.jpg

Here is a shot of my recently completed theater (just prior to seats coming in) -- sorry picture quality is not as good as it could be. Thanks to GPowers for the inspiration to build the frames that make the theater pop.



Love the blue, you have tied it all together! Very high tech look.

Greg

Greg, where did you get your carpet from? / What kind?

Greg, where did you get your carpet from? / What kind?

It is a Shaw commercial carpet. Not sure of the design or color name. Might not even be available today as we purchased the carpet several years ago.

Plus if I was installing new carpet I would not use this stuff. Way too stiff....

Just getting ready to order my GOM fabric for my frames. And I have to say these are the classiest frames I have seen. My questionis this: I am planning on using the 701 black for the lower portion of the walls and stage, but my sample appears to be quite see through. Is this an issue? Do I need to paint the frames first? the insulation is yellow, will it show through?


Thanks,


Audie

Just getting ready to order my GOM fabric for my frames. And I have to say these are the classiest frames I have seen. My questionis this: I am planning on using the 701 black for the lower portion of the walls and stage, but my sample appears to be quite see through. Is this an issue? Do I need to paint the frames first? the insulation is yellow, will it show through?
Thanks,
Audie

I did not paint the frames, the compressed fiberglass was black and the top half Poly fiber fill was white. I did not have a problem. But your fabric is different. So just try one frame and see if it is a problem. Make sure you check with the same light level as the room will normally have as the lighting level will effect the transparency.

Good luck and make sure you post a few of you all done photos here.

If you didn't use GOM fabric, what did you use?

If you didn't use GOM fabric, what did you use?

I did use GOM fabric, just not any from the 701 line.

Gpowers, if I remember correctly you were able to shoot some finish nails to fasten your frames. I did a test on a small piece of fabric (I have the Dazian, Janus line) and while the fabric is acoustically transparent it doesn't have noticeable openess. When I shot the trim gun to test it on the scrap, it pulled the fabric and caused the threading to be pulled in with the nail. Very bad!! Any suggestions if you in fact you did this? TIA.

Gpowers, if I remember correctly you were able to shoot some finish nails to fasten your frames. I did a test on a small piece of fabric (I have the Dazian, Janus line) and while the fabric is acoustically transparent it doesn't have noticeable openess. When I shot the trim gun to test it on the scrap, it pulled the fabric and caused the threading to be pulled in with the nail. Very bad!! Any suggestions if you in fact you did this? TIA.

Fabric material will make a difference for sure but also consider the nailer, type of nail used, line pressure, and depth adjustment on the nailer if any. Have you played with any of the latter things to get it to shoot in further so that it just rips or punctures the fabric quickly and recesses in to the frame material?

No broad testing yet. Just quick and dirty to see what would happen. Compressor set 90psi, using approx 2" brads and each one recessed in fairly well. I'll have to test it better as I get closer to installing my frames. I plan to shoot from the side and panels will butt flush agains each other so if I have to I will make small holes to shoot the frames thru.

Gpowers, if I remember correctly you were able to shoot some finish nails to fasten your frames. I did a test on a small piece of fabric (I have the Dazian, Janus line) and while the fabric is acoustically transparent it doesn't have noticeable openess. When I shot the trim gun to test it on the scrap, it pulled the fabric and caused the threading to be pulled in with the nail. Very bad!! Any suggestions if you in fact you did this? TIA.

I was worried about snagging the fabric, but it never happened. I guess I was just lucky. The black fabric I used on the stage was a some what fine fabric the the Gray and dark red fabric. I shot several brads through it when installing the base trim. Never has a snag.

When I shot the trim gun to test it on the scrap, it pulled the fabric and caused the threading to be pulled in with the nail. Very bad!! Any suggestions if you in fact you did this? TIA.What gauge is the nail you were using? I just finished my frames (I'll post soon) and though most were friction fit, a few needed brads due to unevenness in the walls. I used about 20 of the 18ga 2" brads and only one snagged the fabric. When I tried my 15ga finish nailer, it snagged every time.

After reviewing the entire thread I can't seem to find out how you made the frames. Did you just overlap the two materials and nail/staple together? How did you maintain the squareness?

Thanks,

Audie

After reviewing the entire thread I can't seem to find out how you made the frames. Did you just overlap the two materials and nail/staple together? How did you maintain the squareness?

Thanks,

Audie

http://stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/HTFrames03.jpg

Corners were overlapped and a carpenters triangle (not sure that is the correct name of the tool) was use when nailing the corners, see the photo above. The two pieces were also glued.

Because your are right, if every frame is not perfectly square the frames will not go on the wall correctly.

Your other option, to keep things square, is to build a jig to hold it square as you assemble the frame.

What gauge is the nail you were using? I just finished my frames (I'll post soon) and though most were friction fit, a few needed brads due to unevenness in the walls. I used about 20 of the 18ga 2" brads and only one snagged the fabric. When I tried my 15ga finish nailer, it snagged every time.

I believe they are 18 ga. but I'll have to double check. I'll to really dig into it once I'm ready to start placing the frames.

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas! I read through the whole thread and the FAQ, so I really apologize if these questions were already answered. I am pretty new do DIY stuff, so some questions may be very basic:

1) What type of glue did you use for the lap joints -- is any wood glue fine? Did you use screws or nails to hold the boards together while the glue dries?

2) Has anyone tried using furring strips for the frame? I want to avoid MDF due to health concerns and found both 1x2 and 1x3 furring strips. Other than having 1.5" thick frames, is there anything I'm overlooking that would cause this not to work? My idea is to either double up the 1x3 furring strips with a lap joint and bevel the top .75" or to use the 1x2 furring strips on top and offset from the 1x3 and hope that the wrapped fabric will create the bevel "out of thin air".

Thanks,

Matt

Has anyone tried using furring strips for the frame?

I did. I made a post about it a few posts ago: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15896935#post15896935

Concerning how to fasten the frames - I planned on using Greg's technique of using nails but in the end, I settled on French cleats instead. It worked great for my room and the frames are easily removable if they get damaged. The french cleat locks the top of the frame in and I used Velco on the bottom of the frames (only on those that wouldn't hang flat against the wall).

Best of luck and thanks again to Greg for his inspiration.

I ended up using just velcro to attach the frames to the wall. I decided that I didn't need them to be completely hanging so all of my frames are actually resting on the floor. Because of that, all I needed was a little bit of velcro on each segment to keep them from falling over.

1) What type of glue did you use for the lap joints -- is any wood glue fine?
Just used regular wood glue.

Did you use screws or nails to hold the boards together while the glue dries?
I used the air gun and brads

2) Has anyone tried using furring strips for the frame? I want to avoid MDF due to health concerns and found both 1x2 and 1x3 furring strips. Other than having 1.5" thick frames, is there anything I'm overlooking that would cause this not to work? My idea is to either double up the 1x3 furring strips with a lap joint and bevel the top .75" or to use the 1x2 furring strips on top and offset from the 1x3 and hope that the wrapped fabric will create the bevel "out of thin air".
If I were to build the theater today I would use the plastic strips that are now available to the DIY'er. Or make the frames and instead of laying the wood flat I would stand the wood on edge to create the frames.

Good luck

http://stargateunofficial.com/images/alt_ff_00.jpg

http://stargateunofficial.com/images/alt_ff_01.jpg

Here is an alternative frame style that I saw at a local PF Chang's Restaurant. These are fabric walls created with plastic channels. Could be something like fabricmate track system or the like. But the big difference is the space between the fabric frames instead to the 45 degree bevel. The space create a whole different look.

If I were to build the theater today I would use the plastic strips that are now available to the DIY'er


:confused: any more info on this product?

If I were to build the theater today I would use the plastic strips that are now available to the DIY'er


:confused: any more info on this product?

Sorry I thought that was already answered. Some suppliers are:

http://www.fabricmate.com/

http://www.zeronoise.com/

http://www.wallmate.net/

Fab-Trax (http://www.cascadeaudio.com/commercial_residential/fabric_wall_system.htm)

Or do a Google search for "fabric track "

Thanks! I was thinking this was something different. Thanks for the links
Jeff

has anyone tried hanging these frames with a nail gun using GOM Anchorage fabric? I have read that most have hung these using a nailer but using GOM 701, I will be using Anchorage and was curious if the nail would sink below the Anchorage like the 701?

has anyone tried hanging these frames with a nail gun using GOM Anchorage fabric? I have read that most have hung these using a nailer but using GOM 701, I will be using Anchorage and was curious if the nail would sink below the Anchorage like the 701?

I used the Spinel line of GOM and had no problems.

I used Anchorage on my frames - and I did not nail it because I was concerned you would see the nail head or it would cause the fabric to be pulled. There is a big difference between Anchorage and the Spinel I used on my columns and the 701 I used on the screenwall and on the soffits.

I used a french cleat to hang my frames. I used the same plywood/mdf sandwidch as Greg but I made the top side of my frames 3" wide instead of 2" (like the other 3 sides). Then, I simply ripped a french cleat out of the plywood layer of the top side, and marked it so each french cleat stayed with the frame it was ripped from. I did this just to make sure it matched.

I glued and nailed each french cleat to the walls as I hung the uncovered frames. After I had them all hung, I was able to lift off all the frames and then I covered each one starting at the bottom of the wall and working around the room row by row.

Now, I am able to easily remove any frame if it gets damaged just by lifting off the frames above it.

Best of luck.

I appologize if this was covered, but how did you get the beveled corners? I had planned on running my boards through a table router with a 45 degree bit and then screwing them together. But, this will not take care of the corners. What am I missing?

I appologize if this was covered, but how did you get the beveled corners? I had planned on running my boards through a table router with a 45 degree bit and then screwing them together. But, this will not take care of the corners. What am I missing?


Be careful where the screws are, then run the whole frame through the router.

You can use pocket holes in the backside to screw together, or use 2 layers to make the full frame, with the corners overlapping, use glue (stronger than screws when dry), and a few brads to hold until dry. then route away.

so its better to build the frame first (i like the pocket hole jig idea) and then run the assembled frame throught the router?

I think it is easier.

I glued and brad nailed my frames together first.

Then I used a jointer as needed to trim the frames to fit and line up with the adjacent frames. You have to allow a certain amount of room for the fabric so the jointer was used on almost every panel.

Once they were all fitted, then I ran them through the router table.

budk - when you brad nailed, did you miter cut or just flat? Where did you place the brads to avoid the router from hitting them? What is a jointer? Sounds like something from college :)

I would think 2 layers of frame would make it stronger than mitering. Two 1/2" layers will make up your 1" depth, make the edges overlap.

A jointer is a tool that shaves a narorw bit of wood off, kind of like sanding, just not as smooth and allot quicker, more like an electric hand plane. Remember, if you are building a 2 frames that cover 4 feet, you actually need the frames to be just smaller than 2 feet each, the fabric has a thickness that must be taken into account. Bud is building it to measured size, then shaving just a little off to take this into account.

Try looking way back in this thread, I think GPowers did the multiple layers overlapping, and has great pics of it all.

I had planned on not doing the overlaping 2 layer method. My local lumber yard carries 5/4" board which actually measures 1'. For free, they will rip a 5/4"x4" board for me. This should save a lot of time not ripping plywood/mdf. Now I just need to figure out how to assemble my cut 5/4 boards.

I appologize if this was covered, but how did you get the beveled corners? I had planned on running my boards through a table router with a 45 degree bit and then screwing them together. But, this will not take care of the corners. What am I missing?

All the fabric frames were assembled first, Then the edges we run through the router. Actuality I clamped down the frame and ran the router over the frames. I do not have a decent router table.

Ony the edges that butted up to one another were routed. If the edge butted up to the soffit, floor, column or corner the edge was not cut to a 45 degree angle. They were left square.

Another option is too leave all the edges square and create a space between the frames. Look at the photos in post number 599 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17688041#post17688041).

Hope this helps.

I did mine almost exactly like gpowers, except I incorporated a french cleat into each frame. So, I cut the boards to the nominal length and used a self-squaring jig and glued and brad nailed the sandwich of mdf and plywood together.

Then I fit them on the wall and if they needed trimming to allow for fabric, I ran the edges through a cheap jointer.

I made a router table out of scrap wood so that I would have a big surface to lay the frames on and frankly there were many times that my router bit cut right through a brad, even though I tried to keep the brads away from the edges to be routered as much as possible. I also followed Greg's lead and only routered the edges that butted against other panels.

I purposely did not use 5/4 wood because my experience with solid wood like that is that it tends to warp easier than the sandwich of mdf/plywood. Also, and maybe more importantly, the sandwich idea provided a easy way to build the frame.

Looking back, building and fitting the frames was probably the best part of the build... I was dreading doing it but once I had a system in place it was "fun" and it certainly provides a Wow factor to the room... especially whenever I tell everyone that I built them.

Anyone have any luck using the Fabric-track type product?

Yes, I used Fabricmate track on the underside of some of my soffits and I used it extensively on the top of the stage.

It's pretty expensive but it works great and gives you the ability to easily replace the fabric if it gets damaged.

where did you guys get the 1" batting for the top frames?

I think I found mine online, but you can usually get it at any fabric store including Walmart. Sometimes it's only a 1/2" thick but you can double it up to get to the 1" thickness.

Bud - do you recall where you bought it? I just got back from walmart and I am going to end up spending more on the batting than the linacoustic.

Sotwell - I'm sorry but I do not recall where I bought it. Where ever it was, it came in a roll that was 48" wide and probably 100ft long. I ended up giving what was left, which was about 75% of it, to my sister for use in quilting.

Did you look at JoAnn Fabric or other similar stores. I don't remember it costing much $ at all.

If you have a JoAnn's Fabric, get on their mail list. Or have your wife do it. They always have 40-50% off coupons for a regular priced item.

I was curious if anyone knew the answer to this question? I have 14 extra acoustic ceiling tiles 2x2 ft. and was considering covering them with fabric as my wall panels? would this benefit my sound at all or just be decoration? They are a 1/2 inch thick and I was going to use 2 per panel...any help would be greatly appreciated. Just trying to save a lil $$$:D
here is a link to the tiles I have and they won't take them back so I'm trying to make use :)
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=40684-61-949&lpage=none

They will likely be no different than just having drywall. I assume they are very dense which would do nothing positive for your acoustics.

They will likely be no different than just having drywall. I assume they are very dense which would do nothing positive for your acoustics.

yes they are kinda :(dense I figured I would give it a shot???

They are dense to act as a (poor) barrier to sound transmission when used in a drop ceiling. They are not going to provide the treatment you are likely looking for.

They are dense to act as a barrier to sound transmission when used in a drop ceiling. They are not going to provide the treatment you are likely looking for.

Thank you very much for the quick reply I looked everywhere to try to find the answer:)

I've got something like this http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/rigid-acoustic-wooden-fiberboard-insulation-panel-146276.jpg on my walls and I would like to try and do what the OP has done but I don't think I can use glue (I think it won't stick on the these panels?) and if I use nails that will look bad.

Any ideas on what I can do? Or if glue (or a particular type of glue) would work?

I've got something like this http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/rigid-acoustic-wooden-fiberboard-insulation-panel-146276.jpg on my walls and I would like to try and do what the OP has done but I don't think I can use glue (I think it won't stick on the these panels?) and if I use nails that will look bad.

Any ideas on what I can do? Or if glue (or a particular type of glue) would work?

I did not glue the compressed fiberglass to the wall just the wood frame. so if you build wood frames you should be OK.

Built a Poster light box baised on chinadog game box design.

http://stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/posterframe_side.jpg

http://stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/posterframe_back.jpg

http://stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/posterframe_complete.jpg

Thanks for the design Bud. So far the wood construction is working out great, Need to buy some rope lights and some diffuser film and then mount the poster frame to the wall.

This has been a project that has been on the back burner for a long time. Thought I was going to do this over Christmas but just got to it this weekend.

Cool! Can't wait to see it finished!

Bud

That looks like a ton of work for the beveled ply/mdf frames. No debating that you get what you put into it, there are some really supurb looking installs in this thread. Personally, I think the bevel is more work and results in a slightly dated look - so we'll be going the route of a square edged panel with a reveal for a little more modern approach.

I was curious if anyone has used the professional fabric wrapped panel method of a hardened resin edge of OC703 (or similar)? Here are a couple of photos of some panels for a 600 seat theater - 2" thick material with hardened edges and z-clips set in the resin. The boards are very rigid, especially with the hardened edges and the z-clips keep them tight to the wall. These are close to a full sized 4' x 8' sheet and trust me, very rigid.

Cut panel to size, apply resin to the edge, set clips and spray mount fabric. Done.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4453794811_f14f2b63bc.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4453794781_90dc03d081.jpg

Has anyone tried this approach?

I have gone on a tool buying binge. I have always wanted a router table. Thought of building one but the Kreg unit looked sooo cooool. That I could not resist. So I ordered the Kreg stand, table top, self squaring fence, lift, micro adjuster, on/off switch, casters, Rockler Feather board kit, Rockler coping sled and the porter cable 7518 router motor. Told ya I went over board.

Man did the boxes start to show up it became an all after noon Saturday project. Four hours to put all the stuff together. Here is a photo of some of the boxes.

http://stargateunofficial.com/images/kreg_boxes.jpg

The old NEC 9PG+ failed in the middle of a movie. Dam!!! Now I just have too buy and new projector and screen. :D

I sure do like the Panasonic PT-AE4000U and maybe a AT screen, that is wider then 110".....

The JVC and its derivatives (Anthem, etc) are going to be one of the closest things you will get to a CRT in terms of true contrast. Double the price of the Panasonic though. Good luck.

The JVC and its derivatives (Anthem, etc) are going to be one of the closest things you will get to a CRT in terms of true contrast. Double the price of the Panasonic though. Good luck.

The budget for a new projector is around $2,000.

We bought the NEC about 15 years ago form USC University hospital when business started moved to smaller LCD projectors. It has been a great run with the CRT. Started off using it in the garage with a big bed sheet on the back of the garage door. Then moved it too the theater.

My wife will be very happy to get rid of the bulk and the loud fans of the NEC 9PG+.

That looks like a ton of work for the beveled ply/mdf frames. No debating that you get what you put into it, there are some really supurb looking installs in this thread. Personally, I think the bevel is more work and results in a slightly dated look - so we'll be going the route of a square edged panel with a reveal for a little more modern approach.

I was curious if anyone has used the professional fabric wrapped panel method of a hardened resin edge of OC703 (or similar)? Here are a couple of photos of some panels for a 600 seat theater - 2" thick material with hardened edges and z-clips set in the resin. The boards are very rigid, especially with the hardened edges and the z-clips keep them tight to the wall. These are close to a full sized 4' x 8' sheet and trust me, very rigid.

Cut panel to size, apply resin to the edge, set clips and spray mount fabric. Done.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4453794811_f14f2b63bc.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4453794781_90dc03d081.jpg

Has anyone tried this approach?

would the fiberglass go through the fabric if you touch it? i.e. would my guest itch all over if they lean against the panel like touching raw fiberglass insulation? if not, is the fabric acoustically transparent enough to be useful?

Called Visual Apex today to get in line for a Panasonic PT-AE4000U Projector. Hopefully they will have some by this Friday. Then Fed-ex ground shipping, so maybe We will have a new projector by May, 7th.....

would the fiberglass go through the fabric if you touch it? i.e. would my guest itch all over if they lean against the panel like touching raw fiberglass insulation? if not, is the fabric acoustically transparent enough to be useful?

I have linacoustic fiberglass behind the the GOM fabric and there is not problem with anyone being itch.

I have gone on a tool buying binge. I have always wanted a router table. Thought of building one but the Kreg unit looked sooo cooool. That I could not resist. So I ordered the Kreg stand, table top, self squaring fence, lift, micro adjuster, on/off switch, casters, Rockler Feather board kit, Rockler coping sled and the porter cable 7518 router motor. Told ya I went over board.

Man did the boxes start to show up it became an all after noon Saturday project. Four hours to put all the stuff together. Here is a photo of some of the boxes.

http://stargateunofficial.com/images/kreg_boxes.jpg
Nice Rig! How do you like it. I almost went that route but ended up with the cast Bench Dog iron table saw extension and BD pro lift. What router you using with it?

edit ahhh I see you have the PC that looks like the same one I have, great motor!

Nice Rig! How do you like it. I almost went that route but ended up with the cast Bench Dog iron table saw extension and BD pro lift. What router you using with it?

edit ahhh I see you have the PC that looks like the same one I have, great motor!

You are correct I bought the Porter Cable 7518 replacement motor. That way you save some money. I did not need the handles, as I plan to keep the 7518 mounted in the table 100% of the time. I have the Festool OF1400 for hand work.

Below is a photo of the Porter Cable 7518 beast mounted in the Kreg lift.


http://www.stargateunofficial.com/images/img_2079.jpg

Changed my order to Projector People as that have the AE4000U in-stock and will ship it out so I get it by the weekend. Now I just need to order a universal mount and a long HDMI cable from Monoprice.

Took the NEC9gp+ down last week. Replaced it with the Panasonic PT-AE4000 LCD 1080p projector.

UPS delivered it at 8:45PM. The call the day before and told us the delivery required a signature. UPS request that your are available from 9:am until 7PM. The that show up at 8:45PM. Our normal UPS deliver is between 11:30am and 1:30pm. But the day I really want something they are so so late. I guess it is better deliver vs being delayed until Monday.

The Panasonic PT-AE4000 is great very bright. So bright what I put the projector in econ mode. I was a little disappointed with the Monoprice mount. That was discussed in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1246637)

Now I just need to deal with reorganizing the rack and finalizing the mount.

Took the NEC9gp+ down last week. Replaced it with the Panasonic PT-AE4000 LCD 1080p projector.

UPS delivered it at 8:45PM. The call the day before and told us the delivery required a signature. UPS request that your are available from 9:am until 7PM. The that show up at 8:45PM. Our normal UPS deliver is between 11:30am and 1:30pm. But the day I really want something they are so so late. I guess it is better deliver vs being delayed until Monday.

The Panasonic PT-AE4000 is great very bright. So bright what I put the projector in econ mode. I was a little disappointed with the Monoprice mount. That was discussed in this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1246637)

Now I just need to deal with reorganizing the rack and finalizing the mount.

I have a Chief RPMAU for my AE-4000U and am pleased with it.

+1 Chief Brand, I don't have the Panny, but never had a problem with my Optoma.

Just a quick update on the new projector purchase.

At first, as stated above, I called Visual Apex as they were her on the west coast. Problem was that were waiting foer thee shippment. So I could be waiting for over a week just to ship.

Then I called Projector People, but now it was Tues and it takes 5 working to get stuff from Florida. So I paid the extra $25 to get the projector 3 days ground.

The next morning rolls around and I checked the UPS tracking status on UPS. It shows GROUND with a schedule delivery of next Tues. So I call Mike at projector People and he said it was their fault. Great but that means I will not get the AE4000u for the weekend. Mike said not to worry. They will recall the first projector and send another one 2 day air, at their expense. Now that is great customer service!

Well Friday I got my projector for the weekend. Thanks Mike

They did the same thing with me back around Christmas. Same thing happened with the UPS ground mix-up, and they offered the same solution. Had it the next day. Great service!

Got a few pictures of the new projector. This one shows the size difference between the Panasonic LCD and the old NEC CRT projector.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/images/panasonic_Nec.jpg

Business must be good, boat load of new tools and a new projector. Have fun.

Here is the modification that was necessary to get the Monoprice spider adapter plate to work on the Panasonic PT-AE4000. The first photo shows the longer leg that needed to be fabricated. I used a tee-track from Rockler. The tee-track was strong and rigid. It also had the tee-track slot that I could slide the nut into to make the attachment to the adapter easer.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/images/mod_leg.jpg

The second mod was necessary to keep the mount at the balance point of the projector. I had to abandon the mounting holes at the ends of the spider legs. Thats why you see large fender washer use in the spider leg slots.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/images/mod_leg2.jpg

This mount is only temporary as it does not keep the projector locked in. So I need to replace it with a more substantial mount. Most likely the chief mount on a 6" pole.

Great thread. Just finshed "GOM'ing" the front of my theatre black. I will seriously consider doing to the sides and rear of the theatre. I bought enough GOM to keep going.

Great thread. Just finshed "GOM'ing" the front of my theatre black. I will seriously consider doing to the sides and rear of the theatre. I bought enough GOM to keep going.

your need to do the entire theater you will like the results!

I added some pictures at the end of my thread for my fabric frames solution to a hidden wall for the rack components. Here are the pics:


This is quite an old forum, and Gary maybe gone :eek: but if your still here did you still have your photo's listed somewhere I could see them? Starting a new HT build myself and been reading forums for at least 60 or 70 hours to get a good idea of what I want. There are many solutions which are quite beautiful, but way out of my budget. I cant post it yet because I have just been lurking up to this point, but it the Fiber Room with the Red seats and columns.. I read the first 50 or so pages.... WOW

I really like the wall panels and would like to see what you have done as well. To attach them I'm not sure if I want to use the liquid nails as its extremely permanent, and the speaker grill plugs that some have suggested I see being trouble. I don't think it be hard to get it to line up as you can use a JIG to center everything, BUT I see them pulling out of the dry wall since they do not get attached into anything really solid. I'm linking the French Cleat option, but like others have mentioned could be afraid of rattling. Anybody used the French Cleat design and how did it work?

GPowers amazing work. I'm just on page 9 right now and reading. Is there anything you would of done differently and how has it held up? I think you said you used the X-10 product for lighting, I gave it a quick read seems pretty inexpensive, Is there a good place to really learn about it and how I can use it really effectively?

The frames serve both aesthetic and acoustics. The lower frames are backed with compressed fiberglass. As is the bottom of the soffit.

What was the determining factor of how high up the wall you used the compressed fiberglass?

What was the determining factor of how high up the wall you used the compressed fiberglass?

Acoustically "tuning" a room can either be a trial and error or a scientific effort requiring testing equipment. There are some "Pros" that hang out here that may or may not offer their advice for free but you will get plenty of opinions based on some general principles that may or may not work in your situation.

You ought to read up a little on the topic and you can start here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1063494&highlight=faq

If that gets you interested there is a master sticky thread on acoustical treatments up top in this section of the forum.

Gpowers is still around, photos are at http://www.stargateunofficial.com/ht

Spelling in the link corrected.

Spelling error - should be http://www.stargateunofficial.com/ht

Thanks!! Jumping and reading it now. The wife is getting a little sticker shock <grin> I have toned down alot of what I wanted, trying to get her to buy into a theatre room vs. a movie room.

Spelling error - should be http://www.stargateunofficial.com/ht

Sorry iPhones are a bitch....

Hi guys,

I am about to start building some fabric frames and was wondering whether people thought butt joints or mitre joints were the best way to go?

Cheers,
Simon

Hi guys,

I am about to start building some fabric frames and was wondering whether people thought butt joints or mitre joints were the best way to go?

Cheers,
Simon

I just built frames using both techniques. For the style I built similar to Gpowers methos (I used 2 layers of 3/4" thick stock for 1.5" finished depth), I did butt joints at corners with a Kreg jig. If you keep your butt joints at 90 degree angles it should square up nicely.

For the deeper panels (mine were 3.5" and 2.75" deep) I used ripped 3/4" stock on edge and mitered those corners. Just brad nailed them and then nailed a triangle on each inside back corner to help keep square.

Fotto,

Sounds interesting, do you have any pics? :)

I just built frames using both techniques. For the style I built similar to Gpowers methos (I used 2 layers of 3/4" thick stock for 1.5" finished depth), I did butt joints at corners with a Kreg jig. If you keep your butt joints at 90 degree angles it should square up nicely.

For the deeper panels (mine were 3.5" and 2.75" deep) I used ripped 3/4" stock on edge and mitered those corners. Just brad nailed them and then nailed a triangle on each inside back corner to help keep square.

Thanks fotto

I think i'll just stick to butt joints then an make sure things are nice and square. I'm going to go pick up a corner clamp tomorrow that should make the gluing and screwing a breeze :D

Cheers,
Simon

Hi guys,

I am about to start building some fabric frames and was wondering whether people thought butt joints or mitre joints were the best way to go?

Cheers,
Simon

I used the lap joint to make the frames square, easier to assemble and stronger.

You could use a butt joint or a miter joint. Ether joint would need a loose tenon joinery or something. You could use the Festool Domino to make it stronger and easer to assemble (vs the traditional mortise and tenon joint). But unless you already own the Festool Domino machine (http://www.festoolusa.com/products/domino-joining-system/domino-df-500-joining-system-574307.html) I do not think it would be cost effect. The Festool Domino kit runs around $800.

Or you could use some of Marc Sommerfields Tools router sets to join the corners. Or even a biscuit joint, but a biscuit would not be as strong as a Domino joint.

I would think using a miter joint, is more work then is needed as miters are used to hide end grain. With fabric frames, the whole frame will be covered with fabric. So why go through the hassle of a miter joint.

Even the butt joint, with pocket holes, you need a square cut to get a nice square frame (you need to 100% square for the four corners to line up). With the lap joint I just put a speed square in the corner, then added some glued and air nailed the lap joint square.

If your a tool buff then buying a Domino might be no big deal. It would be the most fun joinery for the frames.

Hi guys,

I am about to start building some fabric frames and was wondering whether people thought butt joints or mitre joints were the best way to go?

Cheers,
Simon

I agree with Greg. If you're looking for the simplest way to build frames, the lap joint works great.

I have been building a lot of frames in many different sizes. The system GPowers developed, I believe, will give you the easiest result to get a great looking fabric frame theater.

Good luck,

Pete

Thanks guys.

I've managed to get my hands on a little corner clamp that does a pretty good job. Like GPowers mentioned I have to make sure the ends are cut square but apart from that it makes the assembly pretty quick and easy!

I'll put up some pics when i'm done.

Cheers,
Simon

My design includes individual frames that are spaced 3" apart. The challenge was to attach them to the wall so that they are evenly lined up. Any variation in the angle of a cleat would be magnified 4 feet later at the bottom of the frames. I thought about a french cleat, but in addition to the problem of attaching them to the wall perfectly, another problem is that the height of the frame will be affected by anything that prevents the frame from seating fully on the cleat (e.g. variations in the wall, or the thickness of fabric wrapping the frame, etcetera).

So I came up with a modified cleat design. The cleat on the wall has a rabbit cut out at the top and against the wall. On the bottom of the frame's mating surface, I installed two screws so that they extend down and rest on the bottom of the rabbit. Now, I can simply turn the screws to make millimeter-scale adjustments to the height and angle of the frame. The screws slide along the rabbit to adjust horizontally. Works perfectly. The frames are heavy enough that they won't move easily. If movement were a problem, a small tab of velcro would solve it.

Hope that helps someone.

raZorTT, RichardU, do you guys by any chance can post some pics? Thanks!

GPowers writes:
Gray on the soffit and columns: Spinel 3582 color 021 Obsidian
Black on the screen wall: Sensa 9218 color 718 Black
Wall frames: Spinel 3582 color 022 Garnet

I am ordering a bunch of sample fabrics and the GOM sample ordering website doesn't even show Spinel 3582 color 022 Garnet is available as well as Sensa 9218 color 718 Black. I did another search on google and found these fabrics listed on GOM's website but they are "code yellow". Does anyone know what that means? Are they on backorder, discontinued, etc? Were they replaced with other names possibly? Thanks!

I just ordered red and black from fabricmate, and I just got an email saying that my order is back ordered until 12/28/10, so it could definitely be that it is back ordered.

.. Any variation in the angle of a cleat would be magnified 4 feet later at the bottom of the frames. I thought about a french cleat, but in addition to the problem of attaching them to the wall perfectly, another problem is that the height of the frame will be affected by anything that prevents the frame from seating fully on the cleat (e.g. variations in the wall, or the thickness of fabric wrapping the frame, etcetera)...


Fastcap makes a french cleat system for hanging panels on the wall. it is called the "Smart Cleat" (http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/Smart-Cleat-4p12879.htm)

http://www.fastcap.com/estore/pc/catalog/smart-cleat-250.jpg

Might make it easer to hang any kind of Fabric Panels on the wall.

I really like the stuff fastcap comes up with.

I wonder if the FastCap panels will rattle? They look so tempting!

I highly doubt it if the tension in the screw head is good. I might have to try them as well. I don't like the idea of an added cost BUT the fact that you can lift them off and get access to hidden screws and such is a big plus. With a 3/16" liftoff I think you can adjust for the needed play pretty easily, even on a room like GPowers did.

I am going to order one of those to test out for my future panels. I might be cutting it up into 1" long pieces and getting extra screws which will make it reasonable in price.

I was thinking the same thing as far as cutting it up. It would really help cut the cost, well as long as the screws are ridiculous prices.

Here is what I tried to describe. It works better than I would have imagined. In my case, accuracy was critical and therefore adjustability was required. As soon as you start screwing a cleat into the wall, it will shift by some percentage of a degree. This let me compensate for that, and is quite secure.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_syhwGDaEZhQ/TO5nC0iIOUI/AAAAAAAAAtY/tf3Qw_-oN5I/s800/Cleat%20Detail.jpg

cheap source for z bar hangers

http://www.unitedmfrs.com/cart/detail.cfm?item=5634

Ok, maybe I'll be getting Big's cleat suggestion. ;) As long as they don't rattle, they should do the trick.

I've never seen Z cleats which gives dimensional drawing for a stacked/mated pair showing outside to outside dimension. That's been a bit disappointing as I have been looking for a solution for hanging my screen frame, and would like to know. The mfgs I've looked at don't even give a single cleat drawing showing that critical dimension.

Anyone come across that? Maybe you just have to buy a couple and measure.

I took Big's suggestion and bought those z bar hangers. I hung my center channel with them yesterday. They work great! They have a nice tight fit and won't vibrate because of the way they are made. When the two pairs come together, they wedge against each other. Thanks Big!

Fotto, do you need me to take measurements?

I took Big's suggestion and bought those z bar hangers. I hung my center channel with them yesterday. They work great! They have a nice tight fit and won't vibrate because of the way they are made. When the two pairs come together, they wedge against each other. Thanks Big!

Fotto, do you need me to take measurements?

If it's not too much trouble Andreas, I'd appreciate it!

Anyone have photos of their fabric frame home theater. It would be fun to see some of the newer theaters.

I'm working on mine now, but still early in the process - a few frames built, and no fabric yet (still waffling on fabric choices).

I'm using wide panels, typically 26" H x 66" W, made of two layers of 1/2" plywood, and mounting against 1/2" furring strips screwed/liquid nailed to the drywall - will be using either 1" OC 703 1/2" spaced off the wall, or 1 1/2" OC 703 - will decide what to fill them with once I have all the frames built and covered, carpet and furniture in, and I have measured the room.

Not sure whether to bevel the edges, or use a small roundover - I've used the roundover on my column face panels, so far I like it, so I might go with that.

So far I have all the furring up on the walls, and have build 3 of the wide panels (and all of my column panels) - hope to build a lot of frames this weekend - depending on how much time my wife lets me play. :p

Here's a few early pics:

Side surround column with removable panels on the face (attached using speaker ball/socket grill guides):

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TUycDVR-Q0I/AAAAAAAAEDs/cu2wTBog8_M/s640/IMG_0018.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TV6XF3Sl0QI/AAAAAAAAEFU/IP1mF-5O2FY/s640/IMG_0025.JPG

Rear corner surround / bass trap column:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TV6XCc_08OI/AAAAAAAAEE0/tjKm0F2UjoA/s640/IMG_0019.JPG

Dummy column:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TV6XDYbMQCI/AAAAAAAAEFE/sHxAM4MzhM0/s640/IMG_0021.JPG

Furring - there will be three removable main wide panels, and then fixed smaller panels at the top and bottom (to allow for baseboard/crown if I decide to do so):

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TV6XEHLKBVI/AAAAAAAAEEU/VtahXaqMnzQ/s640/IMG_0022.JPG

Two panels built (bottom two), just in place temporarily - and not routed yet. The first I built without a middle support, I will build the rest with supports, and add one to that panel as well, to make sure it doesn't bow under the fabric stretch:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TV6XFUmAvbI/AAAAAAAAEFM/RSwXS2mAiUw/s640/IMG_0024.JPG

And thanks for sharing your approach and keeping this thread going so long!

It is exciting to see some variations on the original design. I like the idea of larger frames and the rounded over edges.

I think, if I did my theater today I would use a more interesting frame pattern. Mixing up different sizes and even using contrasting fabrics.

I took the simple repetitive layout approach to make things easer. As my skills were not that great at the time. It was hard enough getting four corners to meet.

Anyone have photos of their fabric frame home theater. It would be fun to see some of the newer theaters.

Here are a couple quick photos of what I have done so far. This weekend I will hopefully get a few more frames built.

I've gone with a deep Mahogany trim along the floor, 1/3 of the way up and under the soffit. For the bottom 1/3 i'm using black GOM panels for the top 2/3 I am using burgundy.

This pic (http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=5887) shows the first two panels in place with a door to the equipment cupboard resting against one of my columns.

Close up of the two panels (http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=5889)

Here's a pic with the door sitting in plac (http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=5888)e.


Cheers,
Simon

I'm curious Brad, are you going to stuff OC705 with some paper on the frt to blk mid-hi but absorb some low freq in these mid-colums?

Seem like "free" bass trapping available to me....just a thought...
Or, you could leave that as an option after the HT is done and you take some in room acoustic measurements....

I'm working on mine now, but still early in the process - a few frames built, and no fabric yet (still waffling on fabric choices).

:

Side surround column with removable panels on the face (attached using speaker ball/socket grill guides):

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TUycDVR-Q0I/AAAAAAAAEDs/cu2wTBog8_M/s288/IMG_0018.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TV6XF3Sl0QI/AAAAAAAAEFU/IP1mF-5O2FY/s288/IMG_0025.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TV6XDYbMQCI/AAAAAAAAEFE/sHxAM4MzhM0/s288/IMG_0021.JPG



btw, very nice job you are doing.

Anyone have photos of their fabric frame home theater. It would be fun to see some of the newer theaters.

Here is mine, not totally complete but when is it?


http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh263/jeffcjeffc/IMG_1299.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh263/jeffcjeffc/IMG_1306.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh263/jeffcjeffc/IMG_1305.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh263/jeffcjeffc/IMAG0045.jpg

Cheers

I think, if I did my theater today I would use a more interesting frame pattern. Mixing up different sizes and even using contrasting fabrics.

I'm toying with that idea too - like maybe make the "short" panels at the top and bottom a different color, maybe just black. But sort of scared it might end up looking like a racing stripe, which is not what I'm going for.

Here are a couple quick photos of what I have done so far. This weekend I will hopefully get a few more frames built.

Looks great - race ya? Lol, j/k, with not table saw and this as my brad nailer, I would definitely get smoked:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TV6XGrUFbAI/AAAAAAAAEEo/UvXev6M231I/s400/IMG_0026.JPG

Here is mine, not totally complete but when is it?

Great job Jeff

I'm curious Brad, are you going to stuff OC705 with some paper on the frt to blk mid-hi but absorb some low freq in these mid-colums?

Seem like "free" bass trapping available to me....just a thought...
Or, you could leave that as an option after the HT is done and you take some in room acoustic measurements....

btw, very nice job you are doing.

Thanks for the atta-boy! Not sure what I'll do with those columns - but that is definitely a good idea. Had thought of just stuffing them with pink fluffy (cheap), but maybe OC 703 or 705 - I guess I probably will wait until I've done measurements to see where I'm at. After carpet and furniture is in. I will definitely fill the bottom of the rear corner columns with more triangles after final inspection (don't need that many outlets, they're just to satisfy code).

i love that red theater

Walking down the basement stairs, this is what you see first:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/lobbyentrance.jpg

Standing in the arcade looking toward the lobby entrance door:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/arcadelobbyentrance.jpg

Walking through the above door leads to the lobby:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/lobbypopcornmachine.jpg

You can see the door you just walked through on the right. The flash really highlights the fabric stretch marks. You can't see these in normal light.

Closeup shot of the door:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/lobbyexit.jpg

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/lobbycatherine.jpg
Once again, the door leaving the lobby is in the corner (to the left of the trash can)

Lara Croft tries (succesfully I might add) to entice you into the theater:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/lobbytheaterentrance.jpg
The GrafikEye and HVAC rheostats are to the left of this communicating door.

This is my equipment closet (in the corner of the lobby to the left of the GrafikEye) with the doors closed:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/lobbyrackclosed.jpg

Doors opened:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/lobbyrackopen.jpg

My passively cooled Emotiva amp is very sensitive to heat whereas the Carvin 900 wpc pro amp for the IB sub had no problem with heat since it has a high speed thermally controlled fan. I have solved the Emotiva amp thermal issues by adding a cheap 8" inline fan to my HVAC return ducting which already has a much nicer Fantech 8" inline fan that runs the deadvent. The lobby is "downstream" from the theater and I had a 4" passive return vent in the closet but it needed a little boost to move enough air since I didn't want to reduce the return capability in the theater.

If you look closely you can also see that I added (3) 80mm computer fans on top of the Emotiva amp pulling air across the unit. The 8" inline fan and these 3 fans weren't enough to solve the problem with the doors closed. I added (2) 120mm computer fans that literally sit face down on the amp pulling air out of the amp housing and this did the job. I doubt I need the (3) 80mm fans but they are quiet, so I just left them there.

If you look at the picture with the doors closed you can see a vent at the bottom that allows cool air to be pulled into the closet.

Once you walk past Lara Croft through the communicating doors you enter the theater. If you walk down the aisle to the screen and turn around, this is what you will see:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterrhdoor.jpg

This is the right hand side of the theater, while looking at the screen, and you can see the door next to the bass trap in the corner. The doors have panels on them but I had to end them short so they wouldn't hit the bass trap when the door is opened. All 3 doors close automatically btw.

Other aisle looking toward back of the theater:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterlhaislejackpack.jpg

Note the jack pack at the bottom of the column.

Standing in the left hand aisle looking across the riser to the right hand wall:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterriserside.jpg

Opposite wall:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterriserwithstep.jpg

Rear bass trap is visible in the corner.

Crappy picture of the pj box:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterpjbox.jpg

Once again, the flash lights up the fabric frame crossmembers and even the scrim behind the back wall panels. These can't be seen in normal lighting and if you turn on the pj, you can't look back without seeing a beam of light! :D

I should paint the inside of the pj box, but once again, if the pj is on, you can't see in here, even if you try. Since the pj is off, you can see a portion of the Panamorph UH480 sitting on it's sled (left side of opening) and on the right you can see the sled housing. When I select stretch mode on the JVC RS20, the sled automatically slides into the light path. Very neat IMO.

Self explanatory shot:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterscreen.jpg

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterscreenrh.jpg

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterscreenlh.jpg

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterseats.jpg

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterseatsandlhaisle.jpg

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/theaterfrontlhwall.jpg

I added fidelio velvet on the curved soffit in front of the screen and black GOM on the wall panels immediately to the left and right of the screen. I'm glad I did this as I am very pleased with the contrast of the pj.

Arcade shots:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/arcade.jpg

The white door in the distance leads to the lobby.

Driving cabinet:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/arcadedrivingcab.jpg

The large box behind the driving cabinet is a 27" RGB CRT monitor that will be installed in a standup arcade (my next project!) that will go on this wall:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/arcadeneedstanduparcade.jpg

The standup arcade cabinet will be centered on this wall and once complete, I have some Asteroids stickers to compliment the Space Invaders that you now see.

MAME Cocktail cabinet that plays vertical games only:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/arcadeaustin.jpg

I added Austin Powers so my wife wouldn't get too mad when she sees Lara Croft in the lobby, although she does turn her around quite often. :D Behind Austin is the supply deadvent. The return deadvent is in the mechanical room.

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/arcadebathroomdoor.jpg

Door on the left leads to the laundry room, excercise room and mechanical room. I need to get an "Employees Only" sign for this door. The door on the right is the bathroom and needs a restroom type sign. I just leave it open now when guests come. There's a flat panel monitor in the bathroom btw, in addition to the monitor in the lobby and one on the back wall of the theater. So far, guests get a kick out of going to get popcorn, candy or sitting on the crapper and still being able to watch and hear the movie. :D

It's official:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/grandopening.jpg


That was probably too many photos?...I just finished my theater, so I'm a little excited, please accept my apologies. :D

can you make me those fabric panels and mail them to me

i love that red theater

Thanks man it has been a long time coming! Learned a lot a long the too!

Doors opened:

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad237/tjambro/lobbyrackopen.jpg



What king of hinge did you use for the equipment door. It looks like you can not see the hinges when the door is close. ar the total invisable whit the door closed?

I never like the way my doors are hinged. But I do have 90 degree partitions at each edge of the opening.

Maybe yhe hinges you used would work?

How about using concealed cup hinges?

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/33626-01-200.jpg

(they're available a lot cheaper elsewhere, but Rockler had a nice picture)

What king of hinge did you use for the equipment door. It looks like you can not see the hinges when the door is close. ar the total invisable whit the door closed?

Brad beat me to it. They look just like the picture he posted and are the type of hinges found on kitchen cabinets. You can pick them up at any big box home improvement store. I like them and like you noticed, they can't be seen at all when the doors are closed.

Brad beat me to it. They look just like the picture he posted and are the type of hinges found on kitchen cabinets. You can pick them up at any big box home improvement store. I like them and like you noticed, they can't be seen at all when the doors are closed.

Your doors are in a spot like mine. Between a column and a wall. I see you add a vertical strip on eh left. I think that makes the difference and allows space for the door to open.

I was trying to make it work with out the space to the left. The hinge would some ho compensate for the close clearance?

Your doors are in a spot like mine. Between a column and a wall. I see you add a vertical strip on eh left. I think that makes the difference and allows space for the door to open.

I was trying to make it work with out the space to the left. The hinge would some ho compensate for the close clearance?

I really wanted my doors to open to the right into the corner but with the thickness of the doors (full thickness fabric panels) I figured I would be better off opening to the left. I would definitely have less space to roll the rack in and out.

Having said that, I don't think the hinges require much clearance past the outside edge of the panel (door), but I wouldn't feel comfortable with less than 1/2" clearance but that's just me. The hinges do have a little room for adjustment but not much. Mine open a little past 90 degrees (105 degrees?) which does help. I hope that helps.

Thanks to Greg for pioneering the original design on building a fabric frame theater, I designed the Flying Pig Cinema.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/IMG_2489.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/IMG_2307.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/IMG_2315-1.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2287.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2285.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2296.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2291.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2301.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2298.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2266.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2264.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2271.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/IMG_2281.jpg

In many of the pictures, the camera flash causes the wood frame to be seen through the fabric. But obviously, you don't see it with normal lights on.

On my construction thread you can see how I made the frames for my unique situation in the basement.

I love the way it turned out.

Thanks to Greg and all the other builds I drew ideas and inspiration from to make my theater a reality.

Pete

hmmm..lot to read for me...any guide how easy to read this.. ;)

Thanks to Greg for pioneering the original design on building a fabric frame theater, I designed the Flying Pig Cinema.

In many of the pictures, the camera flash causes the wood frame to be seen through the fabric. But obviously, you don't see it with normal lights on.

On my construction thread you can see how I made the frames for my unique situation in the basement.

I love the way it turned out.

Thanks to Greg and all the other builds I drew ideas and inspiration from to make my theater a reality.

Pete

Peter that is a huge space and a great looking theater. Lots of fabric frames thanks for posting the photos.

Thanks to Greg for pioneering the original design on building a fabric frame theater, I designed the Flying Pig Cinema.

In many of the pictures, the camera flash causes the wood frame to be seen through the fabric. But obviously, you don't see it with normal lights on.

On my construction thread you can see how I made the frames for my unique situation in the basement.

I love the way it turned out.

Thanks to Greg and all the other builds I drew ideas and inspiration from to make my theater a reality.

Pete

Love the Beatles wall. Frames look great but not a fan of the wood on the bottom of the room.

... but not a fan of the wood on the bottom of the room.
Not sure how that is going to work with acoustic management, you might have problems with bass. The lower section of the wall is where all the compressed fiberglass is to help control the bass.

There have been several question about the frames and how the corners are joined and how the bevels are done. So this weekend when i was fixing some of the very first frames I made i took some additional photos of the corners. The photo shows the lap joint with the MDF and plywood and shows one beveled edge.

http://www.stargateunofficial.com/Gallery/pic/HTFrames13.jpg

Greg,
In trying to understand how the corners of your frames are joined, and looking at post 188, I see you have overlapped the 2 layers. Is that what you mean by "lap joint" or did you actually cut a half-lap joint in each board? If not, how did you attach the corners to make each frame layer? I know you have already addressed this, but I'm still a little confused. (btw, your room continues to be a great inspiration & I am getting close to diving in.)

They are regular lap joints, not half lap - 1/2" layer laying on top of another 1/2" layer in the corners.

Here's a picture of a corner on one of my panels, which are created the same way, except plywood+plywood instead of plywood+mdf:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_YTd3B8yL8uA/TWvwlqn8l3I/AAAAAAAAEH0/IeQVksdM_0Y/s400/IMG_0060.JPG

Thanks Brad - I could see it even better in the pic before this one in your thread. Did you use stacked dado or just a saw blade? Great work on your project!

he used neither. just rip your 1/2" material to about 1 1/2" wide. then make a 90 degree angle with 2 of them. your depth is still 1/2". now place 2 more boards on top, your depth is now 1", it is called a lap joint because the joint are overlapped, they do not line up.
Imagine a brick wall pattern. The mortar is never in a vertical line from 1 row to another. That is what you are doing here.

Thanks Brad - I could see it even better in the pic before this one in your thread. Did you use stacked dado or just a saw blade? Great work on your project!

You are trying to make it too complicated. The photo shows a very simple joint.

At the time when I was building the fabric frames my woodworking skills were very limited. so these lap joints are nothing fancy. No expensive Dado blades or anything like that. Just simple square end cuts. The two pieces of material (Plywood and MDF) were just over lapped on the corners then glued and nailed.

This allowed me to use a speed square in each corner to square up each corner even if the material was not square. There is a lot of slop allowed in lapping the corners like this.

Today I would have made a jig to to square up the joints. But the speed square worked great and all the fabric frame corners look nice and square in the theater.

Well - talk about overthinking! Thanks Greg and Chia. I get it now. It just never occurred to me to attach in that manner, since I've never layered material like that. I was all set to biscuit join. But it is now clear to me that I can save myself a ton of work with no loss of precision and integrity.

I just went thru many pages of this thread and by looking at all the HT's the quality/craftmanship of many-many DIY people is very clear by the results here.

This is the web at its finest, people sharing and learning from each other.
If I had seen this thread 3 1/2 years ago I might have tackled a fabric frame theatre build....anyways just saying great job to the people who've tackled this HT style as DIY.

I also have some pics of the joints in my thread (a few pages back from the emd) if interested. Did mine the same way but laminated as well

Cheers

Well - talk about overthinking! Thanks Greg and Chia. I get it now. It just never occurred to me to attach in that manner, since I've never layered material like that. I was all set to biscuit join. But it is now clear to me that I can save myself a ton of work with no loss of precision and integrity.

Agreed that there a lot of different ways to do this, biscuits would work, mitered corners, half-laps, Festools Dominos, Kreg pocket holes, butt joint, mortise & tenon or something else.

For me, at the time, the lapped corners was the simplest way, that offered repeatability for 80 plus frames. And since it was ALL covered with fabric I did not need to make a fancy time consuming joints.

And this way does not need allot of tools. Table saw to rip your pieces, glue the frames up. I used a pin nailer to hold it together until the glue dries. About 4 in the corners and 1 every 6-8 inches along the strips.

Not sure how that is going to work with acoustic management, you might have problems with bass. The lower section of the wall is where all the compressed fiberglass is to help control the bass.

I understand your concern, but the design has not had any acoustic problems. Because it is also a game room, I wanted a more durable bottom section for those accidental kicks. Every corner of the room has a bass trap. The bead board is not just nailed to the wall, it has insulation behind and special traps in the rear of the wall. Bpape did the acoustic evaluation on the theater, and all construction is per his recommendations.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/may07031.jpg
Side walls.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/may07081.jpg
Rear walls with 4" 703.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/2010104.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x289/sierrapete/Theater/2010110.jpg
Corner bass traps.

I started to look at HVLP spray paint units. The Fuji Mini-Mite 4 with a gravity feed gun looks like it is on the top of my list. Anyone here use one of these units?

No idea on the HVLP guns - but I did make some progress on my fabric frames - not quite done, but close enough to show:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dHdQdX-AQEU/TfMBRnCLHiI/AAAAAAAAEc4/PbUd20R72Q0/s640/IMG_0127.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vR8Y24Z_jzU/TfMBRtSywpI/AAAAAAAAEc8/43PhzpB7lSc/s640/IMG_0128.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-saeV0NRmgLc/TfMBR_S-haI/AAAAAAAAEdA/SYos16az-v8/s640/IMG_0129.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xaDTB-mLcHc/TfMBSM6hSuI/AAAAAAAAEdE/flqnZ0TrBHI/s640/IMG_0130.JPG

Just another thumbs up and atta boy to Greg for his inspiration and his creativity. My theater never ceases to get compliments and I could not have done it without his work... not the least of which was Greg taking the time to document his theater so extensively.

No idea on the HVLP guns - but I did make some progress on my fabric frames - not quite done, but close enough to show:



Very nice looking Fabric Frame theater. I like the wood trim on the column.

How high is the ceiling? Mine was limited to 9' due to the building. Looks like you is at least 10' may be more.

Again great looking theater!

Just another thumbs up and atta boy to Greg for his inspiration and his creativity. My theater never ceases to get compliments and I could not have done it without his work... not the least of which was Greg taking the time to document his theater so extensively.

Thanks for the kind words. It was fun and we have enjoyed the theater over the years.

Might be time for a few items to be re-remodeled. Currently working on some base cabinets in the office ares.

Very nice looking Fabric Frame theater. I like the wood trim on the column.

How high is the ceiling? Mine was limited to 9' due to the building. Looks like you is at least 10' may be more.

Again great looking theater!

Thanks GP - the trim on the columns is actually vinyl =D - my ceiling height is about 9'4".

here is the start of the case work:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tK3Y07nmM9M/TW0hMs1QpeI/AAAAAAAACkE/56gjsc_3hZE/s800/P1000436.JPG

here is the start of the case work:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tK3Y07nmM9M/TW0hMs1QpeI/AAAAAAAACkE/56gjsc_3hZE/s800/P1000436.JPG

Just a quick question, when you cover the wall like you did (excellent job in my opinion) you only cater absorbtion? What about diffusion?

Really great looking theater, i want one!!

I had a choice between hiring a acoustic designer to design my theater or actual building a home theater. I chose the latter as a set of plans would just collect dust on the shelf.

So I copied what the acoustic designers did, to the degree my budget would allow, when building a home theater. It is not perfect but we have a lot of fun watching movies with friends and family.

And the walls create a WOW factor when people first see the theater, plus then improve the sound quality.

Just so you know, I've got 7 sheets of plywood to cut into 1 1/5 inch strips for Damelon's theater (Bacon Race) in the back of my pick-up, As I sit here drinking a cup of coffee working up a head of steam I'd like to say

DAMN YOU GPOWERS

got one done.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/Ds%20Theater/DSCF5841.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/Ds%20Theater/DSCF5838.jpg

Just so you know, I've got 7 sheets of plywood to cut into 1 1/5 inch strips for Damelon's theater (Bacon Race) in the back of my pick-up, As I sit here drinking a cup of coffee working up a head of steam I'd like to say

DAMN YOU GPOWERS

got one done.



It is a lot of work! I did mine before the plastic track guys would sell there products to DIYers. Today I would look at the plastic track prices, convenience and design flexibility vs. the Fabric Frame.

DAMN YOU GPOWERS

got one done.

Haha yeah, I think it took me about two weeks, evenings and weekends, to get mine done. Might go faster if I had had more clamps, but still a lot of work.

Haha yeah, I think it took me about two weeks, evenings and weekends, to get mine done. Might go faster if I had had more clamps, but still a lot of work.

Must have been asleep during your build. The theater looks great, the colors blend together nicely, very different color scheme.

Just so you know, I've got 7 sheets of plywood to cut into 1 1/5 inch strips for Damelon's theater (Bacon Race) in the back of my pick-up, As I sit here drinking a cup of coffee working up a head of steam I'd like to say

DAMN YOU GPOWERS

got one done.



Theater look great congrads. I like the use of different size fabric frames and the molding. It makes for a very high end look.

It is amazing to see the evolution of GOM fabric use in home theaters. Starting off with the fabric in one continues run horizontally with molding bottom, center and top. Then evolving into the fancy fabric frames you this new theater. very cool.

Theater look great congrads. I like the use of different size fabric frames and the molding. It makes for a very high end look.

It is amazing to see the evolution of GOM fabric use in home theaters. Starting off with the fabric in one continues run horizontally with molding bottom, center and top. Then evolving into the fancy fabric frames you this new theater. very cool.

Thanks! I definitely have a new-found appreciation for making multiple smaller panels vs single large big ones. It takes a LOT of work.

Speaking of our build.... Here is a wall example

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z354/owensjp/DSC_0641.jpg

With the finished theater

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/Ds%20Theater/DSC04060.jpg

And we even incorporated a hidden door!

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z354/owensjp/DSC_0670.jpg

I know BIG was anxious about building so many Fabric Frames even when yours were much larger then mine. Looks like I built 3 or 4 to one of your large frames.

It is a lot of work! I did mine before the plastic track guys would sell there products to DIYers. Today I would look at the plastic track prices, convenience and design flexibility vs. the Fabric Frame.

What are these plastic tracks you are referring to? Sounds interesting...

What are these plastic tracks you are referring to? Sounds interesting...

http://www.fabricmatestore.com/c-91-site-fabricated-panel-track.aspx


I know BIG was anxious about building so many Fabric Frames even when yours were much larger then mine. Looks like I built 3 or 4 to one of your large frames.

Yeah no kidding, I think you have more frames in your theater than anyone! How you joined them at the corners was especially cool but we decided to cheat a little there.

I know BIG was anxious about building so many Fabric Frames even when yours were much larger then mine. Looks like I built 3 or 4 to one of your large frames.

Anxious? just wondering If I would ever get all these put together.



http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/Ds%20Theater/DSCF5855.jpg

Anxious? just wondering If I would ever get all these put together.



http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/Ds%20Theater/DSCF5855.jpg

That is a LOT of strip you cut. And I remember doing all that. I burned up my old Sears Table saw.

Your pile certainly is a lot neater than mine was (this wasn't all of them, I ripped a couple sheets at a time, then built some frames, repeat until bored...) - I used a circular saw and clamp on rip fence, since I don't have a table saw.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-byTQlEhjxbo/TsLlwGT81bI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/ELv97ov7GAU/s640/photo.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zPo7KIw4b5o/TsLmEyPyxMI/AAAAAAAAEtc/EO2s_2yYK48/s640/photo.JPG

If I was to rip down all these strips today I would use the Festool TS55, a Festool 3000mm rail and the Parallel guides for repeating the cut. It would be a lot safer the pushing 8 foot lengths of plywood through a table saw. And most likely more accurate and constant.

I had the plywood ripped in half at Lowe's for free then it was a piece of cake to push them through the table saw.


I made a jig to make all the repetitive cuts, measure once cut 80 times.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/Ds%20Theater/DSCF5859.jpg

cut pieces

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/Ds%20Theater/DSCF5861.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jDeZEQTKC7s/TmZcT7_SwvI/AAAAAAAADPk/Ilac-MvbFAY/s800/P1010644.JPG

Cabinet are going in. This is the office area next to the theater. This is my first attempt at building case work.

Greg, just wanted to thank you in your own thread - it was your theater image that got me on the right path to picking a design style for my recently completed space. I finally got around to starting my own build thread (after the fact), and realized that I should have thanked you long ago.

I didn't end up building my own frames - my (current) lack of workshop tools plus amateur-at-best woodworking skills made my cost analysis say "you're going to end up spending more, especially when you have to redo them twice"!

But of all the theater designs and images I saw, yours was the one that made me say, "hey - that's what I was looking for!". I'm not the first, nor the last, to think that...

Thanks, I owe you at least a beer,

Jeff

Greg, just wanted to thank you in your own thread - it was your theater image that got me on the right path to picking a design style for my recently completed space. I finally got around to starting my own build thread (after the fact), and realized that I should have thanked you long ago.

I didn't end up building my own frames - my (current) lack of workshop tools plus amateur-at-best woodworking skills made my cost analysis say "you're going to end up spending more, especially when you have to redo them twice"!

But of all the theater designs and images I saw, yours was the one that made me say, "hey - that's what I was looking for!". I'm not the first, nor the last, to think that...

Thanks, I owe you at least a beer,

Jeff
I appreciate the kind words. Glad the fabric frame inspired you. We have enjoyed our theater for seven years now.

I felt the same way when I saw the walls of the California Theater at Disney California Adventure Park. The California Theater is now gone (to make room for the Little mermaid ride). But the inspiration came form examining the sound treatment on the walls of that theater.

Awsome Theater

Awsome Theater

Thanks, We have enjoyed several years of great movies in the theater.

I just started recently started my theater. Most of my goals for my HT are based on the work you have done in your home theater. I hope to have something close to the quality your room displays when im done but I have a small budget and a prebuilt room to work with. I have to cut corners without taking away from quality as much as possible. My deadline for completion is somewhere around August time frame.

I just updated my signature but I dont see the link to my HT thread yet, maybe it needs to be approved. I referenced your HT in my site
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1390881