Steve, for your weight, look at www.mcmastercarr.com and scroll down to the bottom right category "Raw Materials and Springs" and click on "Metals". From there, you can look and see what is available in different materials. The two best choices would be lead and steel. I can get you some info tomorrow on how much the weight would be for a particular size (I don't have Pro-E at home) based on sizes. I did a quick search and found that in steel, they do have some 1" thick plates that are 6" wide and 11 3/4" long (you would have to modify your base design a tad) that holy crap I didn't know how much that was going to cost, never mind the steel! That was way too much money! They do have lead, which is much cheaper, but still expensive.

How about making the base out of concrete, like you first said?! :)

STEVE YOU ARE AWESOME!!!

Man, I have been scratching my head for months trying to figure out how to build something for cup holders for my sectional -- yes, I wanted theater seats but like you said you pick your battles ;)

I think I'll take your design and have it angle back over the edge of the couch for the table to be close enough. Ahh...I feel like a big weight has been lifted. Can't wait to draw up a design or two (I like to draw my stuff first too).

Where are you getting the stainless cup holders?

Thanks a million!!

Mike

I'm thinking about looking for some 1/4" thick steel pieces and stacking 2-3 of them together. Steel Buck-Shot may work as well. I also considered making some small custom concrete bricks. Any other ideas anyone?




Steve,

If possible, how about making the base larger and fill with concrete. Lead shot would be okay too, but I understand your concern with lead. Or since you are on the second floor Why not use wood screws and fasten them into the subfloor ?

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8835/cupholder1qq9.jpg

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/7084/cupholder1kn4.jpg

Also we're in version 3.17 because everytime we go out to look at furniture I get new ideas for the desk.

Ivan
I'm with you on the changes. That is the nice part about taking a bit longer to get to things - more time to look, think, compare ane make changes/improvements :) Please keep us posted on your progress!

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!!

I figured steel was pretty expensive. If I do use lead, I will seal it up inside the wood so little hands cannot touch it. The concrete option sounds pretty simple and not too messy. Ivan -- a larger/thicker base is doable especially since it will be mostly hidden anyway.

One other idea my wife came up with is to extend the back of the base so the legs of the chairs can sit on top of it. I could use piece of 1/4" plexi or birch ply to allow the weight of the chair to hold everything down. I mentioned screws to my wife and she did not want screws put through our new carpet (once we get it installed). I agree and kind of like the idea that they could be easily removed if I ever decided to temporally convert the room into a disco/karaoke room for a "girls" slumber party :)

Hmm - just had an idea. What about BBs? Pour them in a trough built into the base and then pour/mix some poly in to make it a solid rock. A container of 6000 copper BBs is only $6.65 at Academy Sports. The atomic mass of copper is high -- so it might be a good cheap weight option.

Aluminum: 26.9815 amu
Iron: 55.847 amu
Copper: 63.546 amu

http://www.academy.com/images/products/220/0348/0348-00335-4455-p1.jpg

ummm, since your floors are wood why don't you just screw or bolt them to the floor?

I agree with the screwing into the floor option. What kind of carpet will it be? If it's got any kind of thickness to it, it won't be noticeable when they're removed.

I also thought of widening it and putting the chairs on it, but I suppose it depends how heavy and stationary the chairs are. You don't want to sit down, have it slightly move, which ends up moving the tray. That would get annoying.

The BB idea sounds like a good, cheap option. Does it have a weight listed for the full container?

Actually, if you're looking for a dense material, why not just use a few gold bars? They'd be plenty heavy..

How about if you make them so it attaches to the bottom of the chairs... then when the chair moves the cup holder moves with the chairs. Also if you want to remove it would be "easy" as flipping the chairs over.

Actually, if you're looking for a dense material, why not just use a few gold bars? They'd be plenty heavy..


So is Uranium and Plutonium.. I know this Russian guy.... :D

AFAIK the copper BBs aren't solid copper at all; they're lead cores with copper cladding. Solid copper would be MUCH more expensive.

Chuck

I'd go with lead bird shot, it's smaller and heavier (in less space) than most BB's. You can buy a 20# bag at Bass Pro Shops.

also i would have to do the math but not sure how heavy the bottom would have to be... but I think it would have to be a ton... to support any weight on the angle and the weight of the top and the structure itself... I am thinking 10 lbs.

I was thinking more than 10 lbs, because of the lever arm that is attached to the base. It's rather tall, which doesn't help, but what does make it at least a little better is where the weight is going to be, which is further away from the pivot point of the base.

Where are you getting the stainless cup holders?
I forgot to answer this part of your question.

I have not decided on a final vendor but found a few on the net. Sometimes e-b-a-y has some deals as well. I'll need (8) for my setup and a lot of them come in lots of 10. I think I'm going to get the over-sized version to accommodate a larger variety of glasses.

http://www.casino4you.com/casinogamblingsupplies.htm

http://pokerchipsets.ca/poker_accessories.htm?gclid=CPiM9OSt4IkCFQ4egQodPwymEg

http://www.vegassuppliesandgifts.com/page/VSAG/PROD/Acc/SSCH/

And glad my "stolen" idea from EC works for you :D I'm off to the garage to start on the prototype.

I got the cup holder/condiment table prototype built this eve. Turned out just as expected. It did not take long and has some good strength. I'm still not convinced I love the look but we’ll see what the wife has to say. I have decided to make the entire top piece veneered maple with a ton of poly for protection.

Here is a side shot. I built it with ¾ MDF for the top and bottom. The stem support is 1x3 pine.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CupHolder-Raw1.JPG


Here is a shot of the bottom and top. I used some hard-wood ¾”x¾” pieces to attach the stem to the base and top. Brad nails and a good helping of wood glue did the trick.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CupHolder-Base1.JPG
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CupHolder-Top1.JPG


So – how much weight did it take to keep this thing from tipping over you ask?? Well, with nothing on the top shelf, it still needs some weight – maybe 3-4 lbs.

Loaded up with (2) cokes and (2) bottles of water, 8lbs was almost enough if the water was located in the rear of the table (closest to the seating). 9lbs would do the trick.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CupHolder-Weight1.JPG


But I wanted to be daring and put everything on the front most part of the shelf. Each of those green hand-weights are 8lbs. Using (2) of them at 16lbs was perfect. You can put some good pressure on it (even when loaded up with the drinks) and it will not want to topple over. I’m thinking I may be able to just build a 1.5” deep pocket for the entire base (12"x12") and fill it with playsand. I’ll then put a ¼” piece of material on top to seal it up.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CupHolder-Weight2.JPG


Here it is installed in the room between (2) chairs. I sat in one of the chairs and it will work out pretty well. I still need to cut the holes for the (2) stainless cup holders.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CupHolder-Side1.JPG
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CupHolder-Front1.JPG
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CupHolder-Closeup1.jpg



If anyone was interested in how the table turned out – here it is. The pics makes it look a bit more red than it is. It has a semi-gloss finish on it. Not too bad for a 10 year old pine table.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Table-LongShot.JPG
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Table-Closeup.JPG

Nice work Steve. So much good stuff to mine from this thread.

Steve, how stable is the table in side-to-side rocking? If it has a little more rocking than you want because of the single 1x3, you could add a 1x2 on the front of that 1x3 to stiffen it up some and it looks like it wouldn't get in the way at all.

Also, I would say that you may want to do some experaments with the play sand to make sure it gives you enough weight. And remember that if if you get the sand further away from the pivot point, it will be much less prone to tipping. It looks like you have the room under the chairs to make the base go further back if needed.

BTW, just be prepared for the first time a newby comes over and gets out of the chair and applies pressure to the table and it tips forward until the base hits the bottom of the chairs and the sodas hit the floor. If it can happen, it will at some point.

Very nice work steve, very nice!

Awsome ! ...Where do you find the time ? I must be the worst time manager ever. :o

Thanks again guys for the kudos.

Ivan -- I must force myself to make the time. We do have Superbowl in (3) weeks (I think) and want to get more done before we have the crowd over. My wife was talking out of both sides of her mouth again saying why I don't have more done and also requesting for items out of scope (like the table). Oh well, we'll get there one of these days :rolleyes:

Steve, how stable is the table in side-to-side rocking? If it has a little more rocking than you want because of the single 1x3, you could add a 1x2 on the front of that 1x3 to stiffen it up some and it looks like it wouldn't get in the way at all.

Also, I would say that you may want to do some experaments with the play sand to make sure it gives you enough weight. And remember that if if you get the sand further away from the pivot point, it will be much less prone to tipping. It looks like you have the room under the chairs to make the base go further back if needed.

BTW, just be prepared for the first time a newby comes over and gets out of the chair and applies pressure to the table and it tips forward until the base hits the bottom of the chairs and the sodas hit the floor. If it can happen, it will at some point.
Scott,

The table does have some sway both ways but not that bad. A little extra support would be easy to add. You might also be right about the sand. I did plan to test it out before moving forward (hence the reason the base is just flat for now). As far as tiping over from a newbie, you are SO right -- it could happen and that would suck. I was in the room this morning looking at the it and came up with a plan. The chairs are REALLY heavy and have a flat bottom about 5" from the floor. I could easily make the back of the base to fill the distance from the floor to the bottom of the chair (the 5" gap I mentioned). Basically, friction would hold it in place (along with some weight for good measure).

BUT... I'm actually considering another direction for this now. The little platform just does not have the sleek/modern look I been working so hard to create in the room.

It will involve building a little floor table in front (in the same location as the current prototype platform). It would compliment the columns (but I think I'll pass on the metal inlays). The difficult part is I want to match the curve of the chair arms to give it a nice custom look. Not too difficult to do but will take more time to get the curve cut and manicured. Luckily, I have some bendy-plywood left over from the speaker build that will work out quite nicely. I'd just fill them with rocks/sand to about 40lbs each so they don't fall over as easily.

We'll see what the wife has to say about it tonight

How about if you make them so it attaches to the bottom of the chairs... then when the chair moves the cup holder moves with the chairs. Also if you want to remove it would be "easy" as flipping the chairs over.
These chairs are rather unique underneath and not sure I could find a good spot to attach. Also, if the wife ever saw that I screwed anything to the bottom of these things, I think my next project would be to build me my own dog-house in the backyard ;)

I agree with the screwing into the floor option. What kind of carpet will it be? If it's got any kind of thickness to it, it won't be noticeable when they're removed.
So is Uranium and Plutonium.. I know this Russian guy.... :D
I'll get right on that gold bar option. I figure that or just pain 'ole platinum will do the trick to weigh them down. I may have to borrow from my 401k to finance the purchase but it will be worth it :D

I thought of this clip when Ivan mentioned Plutonium. Hear it HERE (http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/plutonium2.wav).

These chairs are rather unique underneath and not sure I could find a good spot to attach. Also, if the wife ever saw that I screwed anything to the bottom of these things, I think my next project would be to build me my own dog-house in the backyard ;)

If you could find a flat spot on the bottom of the chairs, you could keep them from tipping over even if someone put some pressure on the front accidentally.

If you built the bottom to have a piece that went across and under both chairs and then have a piece go vertical from there that touches the bottom of the chair. (no screws)

You wouldn't be able to see it as it is under the chair, but it would keep it from tipping.

Add a little bit of weight still to keep it stablized, but you wouldn't have to worry about someone tipping it or it being overloaded.

just a thought.

If you could find a flat spot on the bottom of the chairs, you could keep them from tipping over even if someone put some pressure on the front accidentally.

If you built the bottom to have a piece that went across and under both chairs and then have a piece go vertical from there that touches the bottom of the chair. (no screws)

You wouldn't be able to see it as it is under the chair, but it would keep it from tipping.

Add a little bit of weight still to keep it stablized, but you wouldn't have to worry about someone tipping it or it being overloaded.

just a thought.
Good idea. That would be pretty simple to implement as well. Thanks!

I'd be worried that somebody might, out of habit, use the table as a crutch when getting up from their seat.

I'd be worried that somebody might, out of habit, use the table as a crutch when getting up from their seat.
I completely agree. I'm having a 5min meeting with the wife this eve to see if that design will even cut it.

I'm taking tomorrow off to get the (2) front row tables/cupholders built. I'll be sure to post pics if I go with the "new" design idea.

Okay everyone -- the table I built it out. I'll be smashing it up tomorrow :o

We actually found something we can "buy" and start using immediately -- instant gratification, what a concept :D I have not had much of that with this room :rolleyes:

My wife is planning to pickup (4) of them tomorrow (assuming the store has them in stock). I'll have pics once they are installed.

We actually found something we can "buy" and start using immediately -- instant gratification, what a concept :D

NICE! I mean, it's cool to see all the DIY stuff, but when you find something that fits the bill perfectly and you don't need to spend all your time making something that this already does.... Perfect!

Got to get ready for the Superbowl party, right Steve? So far, we have 18 people coming to ours.

NICE! I mean, it's cool to see all the DIY stuff, but when you find something that fits the bill perfectly and you don't need to spend all your time making something that this already does.... Perfect! Right you are!! Unfortunatley, the store was out of stock on the tables :( They made a special order and will have them in by next Friday.

Got to get ready for the Superbowl party, right Steve? So far, we have 18 people coming to ours. I think we're planning on 8 + kids. We're trying to keep it on the small side so everyone (well.. at least the adults) will have a seat in the room :)

Invest in some beanbag chairs - big ones. They're great for kids 'down in front' and they love them. If you have a Futon Express there, you can get ones that are about 4-5' wide. 2-3 of those will handle several kids depending on age. Best thing we ever bought.

Bryan

Invest in some beanbag chairs - big ones. They're great for kids 'down in front' and they love them. If you have a Futon Express there, you can get ones that are about 4-5' wide. 2-3 of those will handle several kids depending on age. Best thing we ever bought.

Bryan
Thanks for the idea Bryan. We were originally considered large bean bags but my wife saw a media room on HGTV that had some wide floor cushions with backs that she liked better. It is made out of 6" thick foam (similar to futon cushions) and has a short wood back to support the pillows. I've located a source for the foam but she is still looking for the right fabric. Yes -- something else for me to build. And my wife keeps wondering why the room isn't done yet. :rolleyes:

This is the room from the show -- ReDesign on HGTV (http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_home_theatre/article/0,1793,HGTV_3374_5208405,00.html)
http://images.scrippsweb.com/HGTV/2006/12/13/hrdn403_Lights_photo_i.jpghttp://images.scrippsweb.com/HGTV/2006/12/13/hrdn403_TVScreen_photo_i.jpg
http://images.scrippsweb.com/HGTV/2006/12/13/hrdn403_DoorwayView_photo_i.jpghttp://images.scrippsweb.com/HGTV/2006/12/13/hrdn403_TheatherSeating_aft1_photo_i.jpg

Interesting how they lit up the area behind the screen, so you could see that it was a false wall. Looks like they simply used speaker grill cloth on the screenwall. Also interesting that they used the different fabrics and tied at least a portion of it together with the pillows.

Interesting how they lit up the area behind the screen, so you could see that it was a false wall.

Take a closer look, it looks like wood or a (faux) painted wall. You're probably seeing the reflection from the front lights.

Interesting how they lit up the area behind the screen, so you could see that it was a false wall. Looks like they simply used speaker grill cloth on the screenwall. Also interesting that they used the different fabrics and tied at least a portion of it together with the pillows.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that entire front wall around the screen is a dark-stained alder wood. My guess is they have an AT screen with all speakers behind it. I'm sure the room is an acoustic nightmare :eek: They did use that suede wall fabric for absorbtion (with a layer of batting behind it) possibly something behind the curtains in the back (but I doubt it). In fact, the (2) platforms in the back are hollow inside. Where was bpape when they needed him!! :confused: :D

EDIT: Looks like Winkelmann beat me to the punch.

You may be right. Strange looking in the pics though. Something weird about the bottom below the screen corners too.

Steve, I saw that show and thought the cushions up front would be a nice setup for kids.

In the show, they had this on the floor level, and the seats behind it on a riser. Will you have these cushions on the same level as the first row of seating. Obviously they will be lower than the regular seating. Just curious as I was thinking of something similar as I don't have the height for two risers.

Interested to see how you implement this.

Brian

Thanks for the idea Bryan. We were originally considered large bean bags but my wife saw a media room on HGTV that had some wide floor cushions with backs that she liked better. It is made out of 6" thick foam (similar to futon cushions) and has a short wood back to support the pillows. I've located a source for the foam but she is still looking for the right fabric. Yes -- something else for me to build. And my wife keeps wondering why the room isn't done yet. :rolleyes:

Looks like the speakers are behind grille cloth at the bottom corners of the screen and one in the center, maybe it's just the subs and the speakers are behind an ac screen, but the one in the center makes me think that it's all of the speakers below the screen.

Those cusions look like a clever idea, but I wouldn't take many other ideas from them. Here is how they describe the use of different surfaces in a theater to get good sound on the website.
"There are three types of surfaces needed for a quality home theater: a soft surface for absorbing sound, a hard surface for reflecting sound and an irregular surface for bouncing sound around. For the soft surface, the side walls are upholstered with a layer of batting and textured fabric. The hard surface is the cabinetry, and two recessed nooks on the ceilings allow sound to bounce around."

I think that should be added to the accustic treatment master thread for sure.

With shows on tv describing the requirements of a good home theater this way it is no wonder people think that we are crazy for putting so much work or thought into these projects, it's also no wonder crumby products fly off the shelves at the local electronic stores.

Steve, the people with that theater on tv should be looking to you for ideas, not the other way around. Your space looks great.

Later,
Brian



Later,
Brian

In the show, they had this on the floor level, and the seats behind it on a riser. Will you have these cushions on the same level as the first row of seating. Obviously they will be lower than the regular seating. Just curious as I was thinking of something similar as I don't have the height for two risers.

Interested to see how you implement this.

Brian
I'll be sure to keep everyone up to date on this design. It may be little while until it is done. The wife can sometimes take a bit longer to make a fabric selection. And I have plenty of other stuff to get done anyway.

We're still trying to decide if we will go with (4) 2'W x 4'L x 6"D or (2) 4.5'W x 4'L x 6"D cushions. Each setup will accommodate (4) kids. We considered a single cushion across the entire length (bulk foam sheets are 7'W x 9'L) but the wife likes the "look" of (2) or (4) cushions better because it breaks it up a bit.

Looks like the speakers are behind grille cloth at the bottom corners of the screen and one in the center, maybe it's just the subs and the speakers are behind an ac screen, but the one in the center makes me think that it's all of the speakers below the screen. I looked at it again and can now see what you are talking about. I think SVonhof/Scott noticed it earlier as well.


Those cusions look like a clever idea, but I wouldn't take many other ideas from them. Here is how they describe the use of different surfaces in a theater to get good sound on the website.
"There are three types of surfaces needed for a quality home theater: a soft surface for absorbing sound, a hard surface for reflecting sound and an irregular surface for bouncing sound around. For the soft surface, the side walls are upholstered with a layer of batting and textured fabric. The hard surface is the cabinetry, and two recessed nooks on the ceilings allow sound to bounce around."

I think that should be added to the accustic treatment master thread for sure.

With shows on tv describing the requirements of a good home theater this way it is no wonder people think that we are crazy for putting so much work or thought into these projects, it's also no wonder crumby products fly off the shelves at the local electronic stores. That seems to be the case for most TV and magazine HTs, unfortunately. Yes, we do take things to extreme but that's part of the fun. My wife has quit asking questions and just accepts "...because Bryan Pape said I need to do it" as the ONLY option :D I'm sure Bryan will get a mouthful when he comes to Dallas to visit the room ;)


Steve, the people with that theater on tv should be looking to you for ideas, not the other way around. Your space looks great. Thanks for the nice comments. I have borrowed and stolen most of my ideas. That's what's great about the forum because it helps everyone!

Steve.

It wouldn't be the first time :D I'm hoping to make it down there maybe sometime this summer. Looking forward to seeing it and listening to those speakers.

Bryan

My wife has quit asking questions and just accepts "...because Bryan Pape said I need to do it" as the ONLY option :D I'm sure Bryan will get a mouthful when he comes to Dallas to visit the room ;)

Hmmmm.....wonder is if we can all use "...because Bryan Pape said I need to do it"

May turn Bryan into most hated man in country but gets us all of the hook :eek:

Cheers,
Mark

Whatever pays the bills, right Bryan? ;)

Man you guys are getting heavy. Guess if I have to play the martyr, I can ;)

Bryan

Steve.

It wouldn't be the first time :D I'm hoping to make it down there maybe sometime this summer. Looking forward to seeing it and listening to those speakers.

Bryan
That gives me time to get more done. Works for me :)

Hmmmm.....wonder is if we can all use "...because Bryan Pape said I need to do it"

May turn Bryan into most hated man in country but gets us all of the hook :eek: Whatever pays the bills, right Bryan? ;) Man you guys are getting heavy. Guess if I have to play the martyr, I can ;)
You guys crack me up :D

Steve,

please post some pics of the tables you found...I am also thinking about a table solution for my room already - although this task is still some time in the future - but I am collecting ideas... :)

Steve,

please post some pics of the tables you found...I am also thinking about a table solution for my room already - although this task is still some time in the future - but I am collecting ideas... :)
Will do. They are suppose to arrive at the store on Friday. These tables a very simple design -- made of brushed aluminum with a 12" round glass top. You can even adjust the height (which is great!). The wife really likes them and they should blend in well with the modern/clean look we have going in the room

Since we're having a Super Bowl party, I figured I'd go all out and offer tickets for my guests. I thought it would be fun to send them along with the invitation. I still have some minor tweaking but thought I would share.

NOTE: These are for entertainment purposes only. I am in no way trying to counterfeit the official Super Bowl tickets.

http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/SBT-Single-Front-Sm.jpg http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/SBT-Single-Back-Sm.jpg


Sheet of 6 Tickets (Hi-Res)
-----------------------
Front – Row 1 (http://blaze.gotdns.com/demos/superbowl/SBT-Sheet-FrontR1.jpg) (5.6Meg JPG)

Front – Row 2 (http://blaze.gotdns.com/demos/superbowl/SBT-Sheet-FrontR2.jpg) (5.6Meg JPG)

Back (http://blaze.gotdns.com/demos/superbowl/SBT-Sheet-Back.jpg) (11.5Meg)


Single Ticket (High Res)
----------------
Front (http://blaze.gotdns.com/demos/superbowl/SBT-Single-Front.jpg) (920kb JPG)

Back (http://blaze.gotdns.com/demos/superbowl/SBT-Single-Back.jpg) (1.8Meg JPG)

Please note that these JPG files are larger so the print will look crisp and detailed.

Native VISIO 2003 file (http://blaze.gotdns.com/demos/superbowl/Superbowl Ticket-AVS.vsd)

If you do not have Visio, you can download a free 60 day trial HERE (http://us1.trymicrosoftoffice.com/product.aspx?family=visioprofessional&culture=en-US)

Nice! Hey can I "borrow" your design? hehe...

Just beautiful !!

Nice! Hey can I "borrow" your design? hehe...
I updated the post with a link to the VISO file. Enjoy :)

Just beautiful !!
I've had a few guys come into my office and just about fell over when they saw the tickets :D

Nice job on the tickets Steve!

I am going to link a thread I started to that post so people can see what you did, here is my thread: Superbowl Invite templates (sharing) (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=785884)

I've had a few guys come into my office and just about fell over when they saw the tickets :D

Hmmm. I wonder where your productivity level was at yesterday ? :D :D

Swithey,

Can you save the Visio file to an older version? I have 2000. Your version will not open.

Swithey,

Can you save the Visio file to an older version? I have 2000. Your version will not open.
My Visio 2003 does not save any lower than 2002 :( I changed the original post to include some high-res pics you can download.

Nice job on the tickets Steve!

I am going to link a thread I started to that post so people can see what you did, here is my thread: Superbowl Invite templates (sharing) (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=785884)
No problem. Feel free to add a [IMG] link of the low-res ticket in that post if you feel inclined.

Hmmm. I wonder where your productivity level was at yesterday ? :D :D
Aaaaa.... well...... Glad my boss does not read this thread ;)

I updated the post with a link to the VISO file. Enjoy :)


Swithey, you are the man! Thanks! :)

Steve, my ticket must have been lost in the mail. It's OK, I'll just print my own and show up that sunday. I notice the tickets are for Section 142 which is the NFC side. Good choice.

So did you print these out on a medium or heavy card stock or something? That would make it a lot cooler than ordinary paper.

Steve, my ticket must have been lost in the mail. It's OK, I'll just print my own and show up that sunday. I notice the tickets are for Section 142 which is the NFC side. Good choice.

So did you print these out on a medium or heavy card stock or something? That would make it a lot cooler than ordinary paper.
I printed them on a heavy card stock. Everyone that has seen them thought they were real. They even feel real. Have fun with them :)

BTW-- Those seats (if you could buy them) go for about $6,800/ea :eek:

My Visio 2003 does not save any lower than 2002 :( I changes the original post to include some high-res pics you can download.

Thanks.

Major Update… :)

Well – I’ve been working my butt off the last 2 weeks and have some good stuff to show everyone. Here a panoramic pic – more detail below.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Front-pana1.jpg


The 1st thing (and most time consuming) was adding the trim to the front of the room. I wanted something that was modern to match the rest of the room but still had some character. I got inspiration from accts4mjs/Mike’s art deco fan (thanks for the idea Mike). It has (3) depths – the edges have a curtain pocket with rod to hang the “wife required” curtains, middle matches the width of the screen and the middle will eventually have some type of TBD medallion. I built some boxes, attached the to the wall then attached the crown molding. I used scraps of veneer left over from the columns and coffer ceiling. This made it a bit more challenging to get stain color to match up perfectly – but in the end, I was able to match everything up just about perfectly.

Here is the final result of the front wall trim work. The room looks SO much more finished now! The trim frames out the top and the silk curtains frame out the sides with a dash of color for the “decorator” look.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Trim-front1.jpg


Here is a closer shot of the trim and the accent box in the middle
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Trim-Front-CU4.jpg
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Trim-Front-CU1.jpg



And here is a close-up shot of the curtain pocket. It is fully stained inside and even has a false top so the glow of the rope lighting will not spill through the curtain opening. I still need to do some minor stain touch-ups but overall a very clean install.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Trim-Front-CU2.jpg
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/CurtainPocket.jpg

Major Update Continued…

The tables were installed to hold the drinks. We gave them a good test-drive at the Super Bowl party and they passed with flying colors. The bases are very heavy which make them difficult to knock over. Also the nickel finish and glass tops just exude simplicity and compliment the chairs rather nicely. We bought them at Eurway.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Tables3.jpg


Finally, I hung the mocha colored panels. I’ve had them wrapped for months but still needed to tidy up the fabric in the corners. To finish the corners, the 1st panel took about an hour and half and the 2nd panel took about an hour. After that, I had it down to about 30-40 minutes per panel (for a total of 10).

Front left corner
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Panels-hung3.jpg

Rear left corner
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Panels-hung2.jpg


I hung them with a simple 1x2 piece of pine and 1/2" ply glued and nailed on top. A small strip of velcro on the top of the ply and inside the panel hold the panels rather nicely. I put (4) brown felt-strips around the edges of the panel to control any vibration noise they may make. I was able to get at least one screw of each hanger into a stud. I attached the other sides with some 2” brads. The scew alone could hold them up but the brads just make sure it stays in the "level" position. I wanted the ability to pull them off if needed without tearing up the wall.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Panel-hanger.jpg

Steve -- that is absolutely STUNNING!! Wow, your room is just amazing. Talk about a nice finished look. What does your wife think? Is she impressed? Man I can't believe how great that has turned out. I don't think a professional would come even close!

Wow, I'm still just blown away. Excellent job man, excellent. It's been great watching you move along bit by bit while I was doing my own room :). The curtains turned out nice and I like the layered touch on the top trim over the screen (thanks for the nod my way -- always happy to inspire :rolleyes: ). Wish I could see it in person, that would be sweet!

Can't wait to see what you come up with for the center portion of your trim -- I bet there'll be a lot of sweat and imagination going into that one. If you like the deco look you might try checking out a bunch of books from your library on Art Deco and flipping through them for inspiration -- that's what I did.

You are definitely THE MAN!

Mike

Absolutely outstanding. Really looking amazing. When do I get to come over?

-gary

Looks great Steve! All that hard work is finally coming together. Whats the status on the star ceiling? Did you not reinstall for some reason?

Bud

Looking good Steve. I like the trim stain color and love the little tables.

Looks like all you have left to do is the unit in the rear and you're pretty much done - if one is ever really done....

Bryan

Wow! The end result is unbelievable. This thread is a real joy. So many things were tweaked and explored over 1800+ posts. Thanks for documenting it.

Echo everyone elses comments....Stunning, Outstanding, Wow, Fandazydozy :D

Like Bud wanna see how that star ceiling looks :D

Cheers,
Mark

Very nice, Steve. The style reminds me of my first room, but yours looks much better. Well done.

Outstanding Steve. The simplicity of the front wall is inspiring. Enough to make it look great with the lights on, but nothing to take away once they are off.

Tom

Steve, yesterday I went to lunch with a buddy in his new truck and thought of you. Well, not actually of you, but of the tables you were going to make. You had been looking for weight to counter-balance the tables so they wouldn't tip... My buddy got a Dodge Deisel truck and wanted to add weight to the back for going up to the snow and went to the hardware store and found that the cheapest weight he could get was a few bags of quick-crete and put them inside plastic to it doesn't form as hard concrete. $7 later, he had three bags of concrete in his pick-up bed and more snow/ice traction.

The new tables look good and I am sure are better for their purpose than what you were considering building, even if you didn't make them on your own.... :)

Steve -- that is absolutely STUNNING!! Wow, your room is just amazing. Talk about a nice finished look. What does your wife think? Is she impressed? Man I can't believe how great that has turned out. I don't think a professional would come even close!

Wow, I'm still just blown away. Excellent job man, excellent. It's been great watching you move along bit by bit while I was doing my own room :). The curtains turned out nice and I like the layered touch on the top trim over the screen (thanks for the nod my way -- always happy to inspire :rolleyes: ). Wish I could see it in person, that would be sweet!

Can't wait to see what you come up with for the center portion of your trim -- I bet there'll be a lot of sweat and imagination going into that one. If you like the deco look you might try checking out a bunch of books from your library on Art Deco and flipping through them for inspiration -- that's what I did.

You are definitely THE MAN!

Mike
You should be talking -- You 'da Man! Your attention to detail and skills are outstanding as well! I do wish we all did lived closer to each other. Guess that's the nice part about this board because it allows us to share our progress with everyone (even Google -- which is a bit scary).

The wife really likes it as well -- which is a good thing. Unfortunately, that was short lived as she just pointed over to the unfinished wet bar area and said "Now, once you get that room done, I'll really be happy!" Luckily, my Dad has expressed an interest in helping me with the room and I think he will offer some nice help building the bar cabinet. He seems to get things more square that me -- guess that's his Aggie Mechanical Engineering at work :rolleyes: ).

Oh and BUMMER on your soda machine. I know it was difficult to let it go :(

Absolutely outstanding. Really looking amazing. When do I get to come over?

-gary
Thanks Gary. I wish the pics came out better. It's hard to take "bright" pics in the room anymore. Honestly, I think you'll be done way before me -- so I'll just invite myself over there ;)

Looks great Steve!! Congratulations. You could always modify the tables to look like movie reels then you could claim customization on them... ;)

Looks great Steve! All that hard work is finally coming together. Whats the status on the star ceiling? Did you not reinstall for some reason?

Bud
Thanks Bud. Always nice getting a compliment from someone that completed an entire basement and HT before I finished my single room. Your are a monster builder!

The star ceiling is on the list, but the wife has more pressing HT items for me to complete 1st :( I do want to get it done because it will definitely give a big WOW effect for my guests.

Looking good Steve. I like the trim stain color and love the little tables.

Looks like all you have left to do is the unit in the rear and you're pretty much done - if one is ever really done....

Bryan
As always -- thanks Bryan (for everything). The rear cabinet is next on the list. I was able to get that pushed in front of the wet bar area. I'm actually working with SketchUp (http://www.sketchup.com/?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-ww-google&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=sketchup) so I can tweak the design a bit (and see it in 3D). I'll share my pics once I get something completed. I'm still learning the app. Ronnie Jackson - I may be calling you for some help!

And you are right -- I'm not sure it will ever really be done :D

Hey Swithey, great looking room!
WHat made you decide to put the surround up higher near the ceiling like that? I would think that would change the surround paradigm a bit.

Wow! The end result is unbelievable. This thread is a real joy. So many things were tweaked and explored over 1800+ posts. Thanks for documenting it.
Dave,

Glad you like the progress -- slow as it may be. 1800+ posts is long -- hope you "skipped" a bunch as you went along :o

Wow, looks awesome Steve. My wife isn't easily impressed, but she certainly liked it! I really like the proscenium especially.. very similar to what I'm thinking of... and side walls probably like Ronnie's.

Again.. outstanding job! :)

Echo everyone elses comments....Stunning, Outstanding, Wow, Fandazydozy :D

Like Bud wanna see how that star ceiling looks :D

Cheers,
Mark
Thanks Mark. Star ceiling coming but I must take care of the wifes requests 1st. You know the line.... "If Momma ain't happy, Daddy is miserable and won't get any 'weekend time' to work on the room" :D

Well, I have been reading all along, so I may have missed a post or two, but didn't intentionally skip them.

Many of your ideas are in my "year two refinements" while I try to get the initial structure in place. Particularly your DIY speakers, since I am going 5.1 to start but wiring for 7.1. Let's keep this thread out of the archives!

Very nice, Steve. The style reminds me of my first room, but yours looks much better. Well done.
Thanks Eric.

BTW -- how did you get such a bright pic of your awesome room? I could not get it looking as vivid as yours even with all my lights on full blast? Did you use an SLR camera and manually open the iris to let in more light?

Outstanding Steve. The simplicity of the front wall is inspiring. Enough to make it look great with the lights on, but nothing to take away once they are off.

Tom
Thanks Tom. My wife keep telling me "less is more" and I tried to do that in the room. There are things I would have changed but overall, very happy with the design so far.

Steve, yesterday I went to lunch with a buddy in his new truck and thought of you. Well, not actually of you, but of the tables you were going to make. You had been looking for weight to counter-balance the tables so they wouldn't tip... My buddy got a Dodge Deisel truck and wanted to add weight to the back for going up to the snow and went to the hardware store and found that the cheapest weight he could get was a few bags of quick-crete and put them inside plastic to it doesn't form as hard concrete. $7 later, he had three bags of concrete in his pick-up bed and more snow/ice traction.

The new tables look good and I am sure are better for their purpose than what you were considering building, even if you didn't make them on your own.... :)
I had friends with truck and they always bought bags of sand to accomplish the same thing. Luckily, my tables will not require a customized concrete base :D

Looks great Steve!! Congratulations. You could always modify the tables to look like movie reels then you could claim customization on them... ;)
Thanks! When I was planning to build the tables, that design idea crossed my mind -- but wife was not in favor :( Luckily, we found the tables online the same evening and the rest is history :)

Thanks Eric.

BTW -- how did you get such a bright pic of your awesome room? I could not get it looking as vivid as yours even with all my lights on full blast? Did you use an SLR camera and manually open the iris to let in more light?

Yep. Digital SLR on a tripod with about a 2 second exposure time, if I remember correctly.

Simply amazing looking room Steve!! Great work. I love those glass tables. I think I may go that route for my rear seating. My leather sofa arrives this week and I have been wondering how I was going to accommodate that. One on each side should do nicely.

Hey Swithey, great looking room!
What made you decide to put the surround up higher near the ceiling like that? I would think that would change the surround paradigm a bit.
Ideally, they could have been about 1' lower but my design constraints forced me to put them higher. Forgetting about WAF and my column design, my left most seat is very close to the column and side wall. I was concerned that the person sitting in that seat might get too much localization from that speaker and cause it to be more of a distraction vs. adding to the experience. I also opted to build bi-poles (vs. direct radiating) speakers which gave a more dispersed sound as well. One side effect is I do prefer to raise the level of the side/rear surrounds a little higher than calibrated levels. I do not think it is because of the height but more a personal preference.

Overall, they work beautifully and are very convincing at almost every seat in the room. They even sound great with multi-channel music.

Wow, looks awesome Steve. My wife isn't easily impressed, but she certainly liked it! I really like the proscenium especially.. very similar to what I'm thinking of... and side walls probably like Ronnie's.

Again.. outstanding job! :)
Thanks Tim. I had lunch with my wife today and told her about your wife's comment. She really like it :)

Hmm.. March is right around the corner -- which means time for you to come home (if memory serves me right) and start on your HT. I'll be watching for it!

Simply amazing looking room Steve!! Great work. I love those glass tables. I think I may go that route for my rear seating. My leather sofa arrives this week and I have been wondering how I was going to accommodate that. One on each side should do nicely.
Thanks! One thing that is rather unique about the tables are that they are height adjustable. Nice because my front seats needed a higher level than the rears.

Yep. Digital SLR on a tripod with about a 2 second exposure time, if I remember correctly.
Thanks for the tip. I may need to track one down once I get everything done.

Well, I have been reading all along, so I may have missed a post or two, but didn't intentionally skip them.

Many of your ideas are in my "year two refinements" while I try to get the initial structure in place. Particularly your DIY speakers, since I am going 5.1 to start but wiring for 7.1. Let's keep this thread out of the archives!
Glad to help. You'll love the speakers. One hell of a sound for a fraction of the price!

Steve, turn off the computer and get back to work!

Thanks Gary. I wish the pics came out better. It's hard to take "bright" pics in the room anymore. Honestly, I think you'll be done way before me -- so I'll just invite myself over there ;)


I've been done for a while now - just have the ethernet connections left to do. Working on building a media pc now for gaming. Still have a bit of a "cold" problem in the room. This 0 degree weather isn't helping.

come by anytime!

gk

Major Update Continued…

The tables were installed to hold the drinks. We gave them a good test-drive at the Super Bowl party and they passed with flying colors. The bases are very heavy which make them difficult to knock over. Also the nickel finish and glass tops just exude simplicity and compliment the chairs rather nicely. We bought them at Eurway.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Tables3.jpg


Finally, I hung the mocha colored panels. I’ve had them wrapped for months but still needed to tidy up the fabric in the corners. To finish the corners, the 1st panel took about an hour and half and the 2nd panel took about an hour. After that, I had it down to about 30-40 minutes per panel (for a total of 10).

Front left corner
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Panels-hung3.jpg

Rear left corner
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Panels-hung2.jpg


I hung them with a simple 1x2 piece of pine and 1/2" ply glued and nailed on top. A small strip of velcro on the top of the ply and inside the panel hold the panels rather nicely. I put (4) brown felt-strips around the edges of the panel to control any vibration noise they may make. I was able to get at least one screw of each hanger into a stud. I attached the other sides with some 2” brads. The scew alone could hold them up but the brads just make sure it stays in the "level" position. I wanted the ability to pull them off if needed without tearing up the wall.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/Panel-hanger.jpg


Great stuff steve - very impressive. I may missed it but how did you go about the DIY acoustic panels?

I've been done for a while now - just have the ethernet connections left to do. Working on building a media pc now for gaming. Still have a bit of a "cold" problem in the room. This 0 degree weather isn't helping.

come by anytime!

gk
Ahh -- yes -- you are done :jealous:

Mine has been a little cooler as well. I need to fix all the insulation I compressed when I ran wires in the attic space. I also found a few breezy spots when attaching the front trim -- so I need to fix those as well.

As bpape said -- the project never really ends! Good luck on the HTPC. Mine has worked out rather well over the past few months.

Great stuff steve - very impressive. I may missed it but how did you go about the DIY acoustic panels?
Check out THIS (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7296676&&#post7296676) post. I did switch gears a little and went with separate panels vs a full wall of panels -- so the post is a little dated but the build is the same.

Basically, my panels are 2" deep and are a sandwich of ripped down 2x4s + 3/4" MDF. You glue and brad them together with off-set/overlapping corners. Once the glue dries, the finished panel is SOLID as a rock. Many others have used the same technique with great success.

Check out THIS (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7296676&&#post7296676) post. I did switch gears a little and went with separate panels vs a full wall of panels -- so the post is a little dated but the build is the same.

Basically, my panels are 2" deep and are a sandwich of ripped down 2x4s + 3/4" MDF. You glue and brad them together with off-set/overlapping corners. Once the glue dries, the finished panel is SOLID as a rock. Many others have used the same technique with great success.

Very nice work Swithey.

What did you use inside the panels? OC703?

Very nice work Swithey.

What did you use inside the panels? OC703?
I used Johns Manville 814 2" insulation. This has just about the same specs as OC703 at a slightly reduced price (at least in my area).

If you cannot get something locally, bpape (http://www.sensiblesoundsolutions.com) (Bryan Pape) sells and ships OC703.

Steve,
it's looking really good - you are almost there!
The tables look nice and their base blends good with the chair feet.

Steve,
it's looking really good - you are almost there!
The tables look nice and their base blends good with the chair feet.
Thanks Mike. They work nicely as well. We used them last night to watch all the Super Bowl commercials again. I did a quick video edit of the game and pulled out just the commercials (the wife wanted to see them again). One thing I noticed was that a handful of the HD commercials were in 2.35:1 format (letterbox with black bars on the top/bottom) vs. the normal HD 1.78:1 format. GoDaddy.com was one of them.

Swithey
I plan on buying my rigid fiberglass today ! Thanks so much for the line on the local dealer. I just had a hard time paying shipping on something like this. I read on the EO Wood website that they sell mineral wool also. I am going to ask if they have the JM 814 in 4" thickness for a couple of traps.

I have started a thread with a few pictures of my progress on my den to HT conversion. I hope to be finished in a month of so from now.

Just wanted to tell you I love the modern look of your seating and tables ! They really do match your room perfectly ! Johnathan ;)

Swithey
I plan on buying my rigid fiberglass today ! Thanks so much for the line on the local dealer. I just had a hard time paying shipping on something like this. I read on the EO Wood website that they sell mineral wool also. I am going to ask if they have the JM 814 in 4" thickness for a couple of traps.

I have started a thread with a few pictures of my progress on my den to HT conversion. I hope to be finished in a month of so from now.

Just wanted to tell you I love the modern look of your seating and tables ! They really do match your room perfectly ! Johnathan ;)
Glad to help on the insulation source. The tables have worked out very well and my wife is happy with the look (which is far more important :rolleyes: ).

Your room looks to be coming along nicely as well. I'll be watching your progress.

Update…

I took a few weeks off after the Super Bowl to relax, enjoy the room and spend time with the family. We’ll, I’m back to work and have some “under construction” pics to share with you. I figured since Ronnie Jackson is working again on his room, I better get in gear with mine!

One of the last big ticket items left in the room is the rear cabinet. Its main goal is to hide the projector but it will also add some acoustical support and overall design to the room as well. I know accts4mjs/Mike will love this because it has an Art-Deco “look”.

Here are some 2D and 3D renderings of the cabinet. The 2D was done in Visio and the 3D in SketchUp. It is 6.5’ wide, about 8.5’ tall and 7.75” deep at the center. The bottom portion will be covered with fabric and hides a rear bass trap. The middle section is a curved “barrel” with horizontal slats. Bpape and I have been talking about this piece since the very beginning. Here is his post from almost a year ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long):
Also, the diffuser in the rear cabinet will help out a bit. It is more of a polycylindrical design with shelving inserted at different places to 'disguise' it somewhat. The shelves will also provide a minor amount of dispersion in the vertical dimension. Far from perfect 2 dimensional dispersion but good horizontally and better than nothing vertically.
The top section will stick out about 2’ and is curved to make it less bulky. This nice part is I can line the inner sides with some acoustical foam to absorb some of the sound from the projector’s fan. My current projector is pretty quiet but this will help deaden it even more :D
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-Render1.jpg
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-3DRender1b.JPG


Now I need to build this monster. I wanted to make it light in case I ever need to remove it to gain access to the "hidden" window. It is made up of ½” MDF and some small 2x6 pieces.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-RawFrame1.JPG

The next thing I needed to do was apply the front skin. This will eventually be covered with Maple veneer. I used ¼” Masonite which easily bent over the curve. It was glued, brad-nailed and left to dry overnight.

The 1st pic is with the Masonite just laying on top. You can see how easily gravity helped it conform to the curve. The 2nd pic is after it was glued and nailed. Next, I ran my router trim bit to make the top and bottom edges nice and smooth.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-SkinPlaced.JPG
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-SkinAttached.JPG


Here it is dry-stacked so you could see how it will look in real life. I still need to build the bottom bass trap and curved top box for the projector. I’ll hopefully get that completed this week so I can start on the veneering this next weekend. The plan is the stain everything the same color as the columns. However, the (4) horizontal slats will be painted black or stained an ebony color. This will coordinate with the Wet Bar (pics to come of that later – we’re still finalizing the design).

NOTE -- the horizontal slats still need to be cut to match the length of the curved sections. I'm planning to tackle that tomorrow.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-Stack1.JPG
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-Stack4.JPG

Very nice design Steve, I bet it will improve the rear sound field quite a bit by diffusing the sound and will look great! :cool:

Hmm - maybe people (like me) planning a counter/stool rear row should make the bar into a diffussor. Something to think about.

Nice job Steve. That's going to look real nice when you get it done. Drawings are one thing but it's nice for you to finally see what it will look like in the room.

Bryan

Steve, make sure you experament with the Ebony stain. When I tried it on Oak plywood, I really didn't like it at all. Instead, I followed J.L.'s suggestions and used black analyne (sp?) die. Just as easy to apply, but actually makes the wood black. It's what I used on my equipment rack:
http://www.vonhofs.com/theater/1-26-04_E_Rack_close_up_2_coats.jpg
This is after two coats of die, with no finish.

http://www.vonhofs.com/theater/2-12-04_Theater_22_sm.jpg

If you want it black, don't use ebony. Ebony is actually a really dark reddish brown color.

I have some actual ebony wood (statue) in the house I can take a picture of if anyone wants to see the color.

Very nice design Steve, I bet it will improve the rear sound field quite a bit by diffusing the sound and will look great! :cool: I'm glad you like it. I've been staring at that pic for such a long time, it's nice to see it finally coming together.


Hmm - maybe people (like me) planning a counter/stool rear row should make the bar into a diffussor. Something to think about. I would think if you had multiple shelves, each filled with different size bottles and chotchkes (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=chotchke) (a term I learned from my wife :rolleyes: ), it might help out quite nicely. I'll bet bpape may have some suggestions for you as well.


Nice job Steve. That's going to look real nice when you get it done. Drawings are one thing but it's nice for you to finally see what it will look like in the room. Yes, having the actual item in the room does look much more impressive. My wife was surprised about the size of the rear cabinet when she saw it for the 1st time in the garage. It is substantial but should add some needed visual effect to the rear of the room.

Steve, make sure you experament with the Ebony stain. When I tried it on Oak plywood, I really didn't like it at all. Instead, I followed J.L.'s suggestions and used black analyne (sp?) die. Just as easy to apply, but actually makes the wood black. It's what I used on my equipment rack If you want it black, don't use ebony. Ebony is actually a really dark reddish brown color.

I have some actual ebony wood (statue) in the house I can take a picture of if anyone wants to see the color.
Thanks guys. I made up a few samples over the weekend -- one on oak and the other on maple. It does indeed have a dark rust/brown look to it (not true black -- just like you said). However, after showing it to my wife, she really liked it. Our room is full of dark reds, blacks and dark browns anyway --- so it will fit in nicely. I need to do one more sample to test out one other look before we make the final decision. If it does not work out, the dye or straight black paint may be the way to go.

Steve, make sure your samples have the same finish you will apply as well (flat, semigloss laquer, wax finish....) because it will effect the coloring as well.

I attached the other sides with some 2” brads

Oh come on, now that was really uncalled for, and besides it was cold that day :(

Room's looking great!

Steve, make sure your samples have the same finish you will apply as well (flat, semigloss laquer, wax finish....) because it will effect the coloring as well.
Will do! Thanks for the tip.

Steve, make sure your samples have the same finish you will apply as well (flat, semigloss laquer, wax finish....) because it will effect the coloring as well.

Well, I'd think with all the maple he's already dyed and finished, forgetting how to do it wouldn't be a problem.....hmmm on the other hand that was months ago and his mind could've slipped a bit since :D

Oh come on, now that was really uncalled for, and besides it was cold that day :(

Room's looking great!
Brad,

Thanks :)

Are you sure it wasn't the pool? Check out these clips: Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m3A6OfTDSs) and Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm3F9piwnTU&mode=related&search=) :D

Oh come on, now that was really uncalled for, and besides it was cold that day :(

Room's looking great!

Too funny! At least Steve didn't say 1" Brad's...

Well, I'd think with all the maple he's already dyed and finished, forgetting how to do it wouldn't be a problem.....hmmm on the other hand that was months ago and his mind could've slipped a bit since :D
More like weeks ago. I had to stain the front trim work for the Super Bowl party. However, I'll never turn away advice -- it's all good :)

However, I'll never turn away advice -- it's all good :)

Most def. Just having a bit of fun. :D

Hi Steve,

Haven't visited your thread in a while. You have made some very nice progress.
The room is looking very good indeed!!

Best!

Hi Steve,

Haven't visited your thread in a while. You have made some very nice progress.
The room is looking very good indeed!!

Best!
Thanks Den. Glad to see you've made some progress on your HT as well.

Speaker Update…

Now that I’ve had them “in production” for a little over 2 months and have watched about a dozen movies, I figured it was time for an updated mini-review of the DIY Dayton towers. I took the day off yesterday to work on the rear cabinet, but.... since I had a few hours in the house ALONE, I figured I’d take advantage of the opportunity :D

I used Stereo mode so only the 2 fronts and sub were used (XO at 80Hz). Stereo mode does use the AVR’s processor for bass management and EQ.

This is really the 1st time I’ve done some critical listening of these speakers at high volume levels (it’s hard to do with people at home and/or asleep). And all I can say is “Holy Crap!” These speakers really do a nice job with music at any volume level. They are so smooth and no piercing highs AT ALL. I had the volume on my AVR at 0 (which translated between 85-94db when listening to music). They showed no sign of distortion and even seemed to perform better at higher volume levels. The imaging was unbelievable. I kept getting up to make sure the center channel speaker was not turned on. Really -- I got up 3 times to check and it was always silent :o

One thing that really added some kick was the IB Sub. It integrated seamlessly with these speakers. Also, the bass output of the IB was not boomy but smooth and strong (musically perfect). I only planned to listen for about 30 minutes and spent 90 minutes enjoying them :)

Considering you can build (2) of these for less than $600 – they are a steal for the performance you get. Rick Craig (http://www.selahaudio.com/) – my hat goes off to you on your XO designing skills http://www.htguide.com/forum/images/smilies/icon_hail.gif

Congrats on your kick a$$ speakers Steve. You earned it!! That "Holy Crap" moment is a good time. I'm sure you will have a few more as you discover more and more how truly impressive your room is. Than you can usher through all your friends and neighbors and hear them say it as well. Enjoy showing it off.

Congrats on your kick a$$ speakers Steve. You earned it!! That "Holy Crap" moment is a good time. I'm sure you will have a few more as you discover more and more how truly impressive your room is. Than you can usher through all your friends and neighbors and hear them say it as well. Enjoy showing it off.
Thanks Jon. I have a bunch of people that want to come over and see the room. I've been holding back on demos a bit while I finish the rear cabinet. I'll have some pics later this weekend to show everyone :)

It looks great swithey! I think it will sound even better though. Im impressed your concern with the audio components.

Steve,

Its been a little while since I checked in on your progress and just wanted to say the final results are outstanding. Congratulations!

I'll have some pics later this weekend to show everyone :)

O.K., you slacker, it's later this weekend, where are the pics? :cool:

Steve,
good to hear that your speaker setup is working well also in 2.1 Stereo mode for you!
How is your sub setup of the amp?
Passing the full range signal (also below 80Hz) to the mains plus additional everything below 80Hz to the IB-Sub?
Did you do some sub on/off test?
Did you play with the phase of the sub in the 2.1 setup?

The reason I ask is because I did almost the same test on the weekend with my setup - just wanted to hear about some details of your findings. :D

Update…

I’m just about ready to veneer the rear cabinet. I still need to fill all the brad holes and do a dry fit in the room – but we’re making progress :D

You have to use your imagination a bit with these pics because I cannot show it vertically oriented. Everything that you see in the dark brown masonite will be veneered and stained to match the columns. The underside of the top box will be maple veneer as well. The slats will be veneered and stained in black ebony.

Here are a few shots of the unit. I still need to cut the hole for the projector lens. We plan to so something special on the front flat part of the top cabinet. It will be black ebony stain with vertical slats. It is kind of hard to describe so I’ll tell you more once I get that part built. Also, I still need to build the bottom section which will be covered with the same moca fabric I used for the wall panels. The lower part is virtually hidden because of the rear seating so turning it into a bass trap was a no-brainer.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-Unfinished1.JPG
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-Unfinished2.JPG


Here is a shot of the inside of the top cabinet. This is where the projector will live. I must say that this part of the cabinet was a lot more difficult and time consuming – almost like building another speaker. If you look closely, there is a 1x3 pine frame. I built that independently of the top and bottom ¾ MDF pieces. I had to be sure that the top section was engineered to support the weight of itself. I used 1.25” and 3” deck screws (a lot of them) + wood glue to make sure this thing was solid. And I think I accomplished my goal :) The ¾ plywood in the back will be used to attach the unit to the wall. The rear 7” of the upper cabinet will be supported by the (3) curved sections beneath it (which should help offset some of the weight from the rear supports). The top section of the cabinet is 6.5' wide x 2' deep.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-TopSection.JPG


I planning to pickup the veneer tomorrow and get started tomorrow eve.

AND NOW I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS –

My wife wants to use a straight grain wood in the wet bar area. I’ll use the same wood for the slats in the rear cabinet. It will be stained with an ebony stain. I’ve come up with (2) possibilities that won’t push me into the high-priced exotic woods:

Quarter Sawn Red Oak
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/oak-quartersawn.jpg

Ash
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/ash.jpg

Oak is a great choice since it stains evenly and easily. I’ve never worked with Ash so any input would be appreciated.

I like the Oak best it has more look to it.

IMO, the tight grain of the ash will fit with your more modern theme better.

As far as I remember (I have not worked with ash, but am thinking back to my woodshop days in high School), the grain in ash won't take the stain as well as the grain in oak. So, what that means is there will be less of a difference in color between the light and dark areas on the ash than the oak, and the oak grain will really pick up the stain and go dark which means the overall color of the ash will be lighter.

This is a little off the timeline. Regarding black dye, I discovered that Black India Ink is the real deal. No dye is as true - no greens or blues here. :cool:

This is a little off the timeline. Regarding black dye, I discovered that Black India Ink is the real deal. No dye is as true - no greens or blues here. :cool:
Winkelmann,

I did some research and both you and Scott are right -- the dye gets really black.

This photo shows an Anegre wood with a black dye stain.
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base_images/zp/black_dye_stains_for_maple.jpg

This photo shows the final Anegre finish using a black pigmented shading stain over the black dye. Note the translucency of the finish.
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base_images/zp/black_dye_stains_for_maple_2.jpg


I read you can get that Black India Dye at craft stores by the quart. Is that correct?

It looks great swithey! I think it will sound even better though. Im impressed your concern with the audio components. Thanks Angela. Looks like you have a nice biz designing HT rooms. Your concepts are very modern -- I like 'em :)


Steve,

Its been a little while since I checked in on your progress and just wanted to say the final results are outstanding. Congratulations! Thanks mmmkam! Still more to do, though.


O.K., you slacker, it's later this weekend, where are the pics? :cool: Ahem -- didn't you see the pics?? ;)

I like the Oak best it has more look to it. I think that is the plan. I still need to talk with the wife and see what she likes best. Since we are going black, the "texture" may be a nice compliment to the smoothness of the room. I also called my veneer place and they suggested a Rift-cut White Oak. It will give me the straight lines without the intersection I will get with the quarter-sawn cut. It looks like this:
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/rift-cut oak.jpg


IMO, the tight grain of the ash will fit with your more modern theme better. The place I called did not offer a rift-cut ash. In fact, I called a few other places and I could only find a quarter-sawn cut in ash. But I follow you on the look.


As far as I remember (I have not worked with ash, but am thinking back to my woodshop days in high School), the grain in ash won't take the stain as well as the grain in oak. So, what that means is there will be less of a difference in color between the light and dark areas on the ash than the oak, and the oak grain will really pick up the stain and go dark which means the overall color of the ash will be lighter. I think I may want the darker grain (which translates into a "perceived" darker stain color). The wife will have the final decision on this because I could go either way. I was able to get the maple very dark when not using a sealer before applying the stain. So maple is still in the running as well (which is actually cheaper than the oak).

How is your sub setup of the amp? My sub is using a Behringer EP2500 2x1200 watt amp (650WPC at 4ohm and 2400WPC in bridged mode :eek: ) and Beheringer DSP1124P EQ. I'm pushing about 60% of that juice to the subs right now and have plenty of power. When I hook my other (2) to the mix, I might just bridge it and use everything its got :D


Passing the full range signal (also below 80Hz) to the mains plus additional everything below 80Hz to the IB-Sub?
Did you do some sub on/off test? I did not try anything except with the IB sub in action this time around. I do have my speakers XOed at 80hz. Rick at Selah Audio designed them to be set like that. In my 1st audio test, I did run them in full range (without the sub) and noticed they did not dig as deep as I expected. It did sound very nice with music but I prefer a bit more punch in my bass (not boomy but full) and the IB does the trick. I'll see about trying some of the things you suggested and give you my opinion.


Did you play with the phase of the sub in the 2.1 setup? Unfortunatly, my amp and EQ cannot do phase adjustments.


The reason I ask is because I did almost the same test on the weekend with my setup - just wanted to hear about some details of your findings. :D I read your review and it looks like you had some nice performace. I'm interested how it turn out once you have more time to test.

You are correct Sir! Here's a link for India dye: www.pearlpaint.com/shop~ocID~1000~parentID~956~categoryID~945.htm
A salty old woodworker turned me on to this technique a few years back and I was amazed at the depth of black.

If you want Oak or Ash and like the modern look, you definately need to go Rift-Cut. Online check www.tapeease.com (http://www.tapeease.com/nblwood.htm) . That would be my only choice because flat cut Oak is fugly. ;) I've had very good results with the Transtints dyes. Have not done ebony on maple though.

If your ebonizing the veneer..Why not start with a dark wood like Walnut and put several light coats of black dye until the desired effect is reached ?


http://www.tapeease.com/images/Veneer%20Pics/New%20Pics/oak%20red%20rift%20cut%20-1.jpg

http://www.tapeease.com/images/OakWhiteRift.jpg

You are correct Sir! Here's a link for India dye: www.pearlpaint.com/shop~ocID~1000~parentID~956~categoryID~945.htm
A salty old woodworker turned me on to this technique a few years back and I was amazed at the depth of black.
Do I need to thin the dye or add it at full strength? Is it best applied with a rag or brush? How fast does it dry or does it dry almost instantly?

If you want Oak or Ash and like the modern look, you definately need to go Rift-Cut. Online check www.tapeease.com (http://www.tapeease.com/nblwood.htm) . That would be my only choice because flat cut Oak is fugly. ;) I've had very good results with the Transtints dyes. Have not done ebony on maple though.

If your ebonizing the veneer..Why not start with a dark wood like Walnut and put several light coats of black dye until the desired effect is reached ?

I hadn't considered Walnut. I'm going to pickup my Maple veneer for the rear cabinet tomorrow so I'll ask them if they stock the rift-cut Walnut.

I've also heard good things about the Transtints dyes but I am intrigued about the India dye. I might have to buy a few small bottles just to see how each works out.

Steve,

I was just recommending a dark wood so the process of ebonizing was easy. (Maple is a tricky wood to stain or dye) I'm not sure if Walnut comes in rift -cut. I've never seen it rift-cut, but quartered is available and looks good.

http://www.woodworkerssource.net/Merchant3/graphics/woods/walnut_qtr.jpg

Do I need to thin the dye or add it at full strength? Is it best applied with a rag or brush? How fast does it dry or does it dry almost instantly?

I rag it on full strength. I've used it on poplar, oak and maple with great results. The heavier it's applied, the longer you'll have to wait to apply a top coat. Most stains only penetrate about an 1/8th of an inch. Ink usually has a drying vehicle, such as alcohol, to prevent smearing. Cover every surface that you don't want to turn black. :D

Cover every surface that you don't want to turn black. :D

Including your floor:

http://www.vonhofs.com/theater/1-25-04_E_Rack_dye_drop.jpg

BTW, that stain is still on my garage floor, although it isn't as bad now as the dye I used started as a powder and some of it went back to a powder since I didn't put a finish on it.

[QUOTE=SVonhof]http://www.vonhofs.com/theater/1-25-04_E_Rack_dye_drop.jpg
QUOTE]

Oh my...

And that's why we stain in the garage and not over the new carpet...

Thanks Winkelmann. I may give it a try on some sample pieces to see how it works out. I have some oak and plenty of maple to play with.

Scott -- your floor looks almost like mine (except I do not have a large spill quite like that :p ). I do have drops of brown stain everywhere. I've decided that once I get this HT completed, I'm going to paint the floor.

The thing about my garage floor is, well, it's a garage! I don't care what it looks like. It holds the car, truck and motorcycle up off the dirt just fine, can handle being covered with sawdust and doesn't have to win any beauty prizes!

Steve, paint it if you wish, but there is nothing wrong with a garage floor that sees normal use and shows it! :)

I prefer the showroom look in my garage.

Any accidents and you can wipe them up with a rag :D Its almost bullet proof.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/garage.jpg

Ronnie

That is one fancy looking garage floor. I just used the simple roll on stain proofer.

I prefer the showroom look in my garage.

Any accidents and you can wipe them up with a rag :D Its almost bullet proof.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/garage.jpg

Ronnie

Daymn! How often do you eat off that floor? :D

Which product is that floor?

Which product is that floor?

Steve, I dont want to hijack your thread, i was only trying to poke some fun at Scott :D

I will answer a few questions about the floor, then if anyone else has questions, please send me a PM.

I used several products to create this look.

1. For the base coat, I used BEHR 1-part epoxy acrylic concrete and garage floor paint. I bought the no. 930 deep base and had it tinted to a semi dark blue color. It was applied with a roller.

2. I used 2 colors of regular enamel paint to create the speckled look with a broom. The 2 colors were Gloss Black and a bright blue called Royal Plume.

3. This was all topped off by 3 coats of the BEHR 1-part epoxy acrylic concrete and garage floor paint. Clear no 910 I used a sprayer for the clear coats.

Everything was purchased at Lowes.

I would say the whole thing was less than $200 for a 3 car garage. Its been in place for about 3 years now and I would never think twice about doing it again. To clean, I simply spray it down with a hose, scrub it with a huge broom and soap, rinse with hose, then squeege it out the door. I consider it a must do. Its not as shiny as it was when first completed, but it still looks excellent. Nothing another coat of clear wouldnt fix.



BEHR 1-part epoxy acrylic concrete and garage floor paint.

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/garage/g3.jpg


Creating The Speckled Look: (this took some time)

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/garage/g1.jpg


Closeup of the floor:

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/garage/g2.jpg


Ok, Hijack over..... Sorry Steve.

Ronnie

http://webpages.charter.net/jackson.ronnie/garage.jpg


I first saw the picture and thought, uh-oh, someone's garage flooded

Looks really nice Ronnie.

Swithey, how about a finish like this for those speakers?

You guys always manage to crack me up. Finishing the speakers with an epoxy flake finish - hmmm -- Naaah :D Now, doing it to the garage floor, sure. Ronnie, I have a case of beer with you name on it whenever your ready ;)

Whenever your ready, let me know. We can watch movies and drink the beer in that theater while the paint dries :D

Ronnie

When you are done with his garage, head my way. I have another one for you to do. I don't even need the speckled part so it should be done quickly.

Hey Steve,

Been a while since I checked in. Progress looks great! Looks like an evolution vs a project as most are :). Keep up the great work.

Randy

wow.. looks like its going good so far.. guess it might be another theater to add to the never finished list.. keep adding new things..

Whenever your ready, let me know. We can watch movies and drink the beer in that theater while the paint dries :D

Ronnie Deal. Let me get this staining out of the way and I may take you up on that :)


When you are done with his garage, head my way. I have another one for you to do. I don't even need the speckled part so it should be done quickly. Yes, I'll probably go the boring light gray route (who knows). I have to fit in a new 10' BOB fence this summer as well. I know my tan will never be better after that project.


Hey Steve,

Been a while since I checked in. Progress looks great! Looks like an evolution vs a project as most are :). Keep up the great work.

Randy Thanks Randy. Yes -- an evolution is it. That is the bad part about taking longer to do construction -- too much time to change your mind :D


wow.. looks like its going good so far.. guess it might be another theater to add to the never finished list.. keep adding new things.. Let's hope it gets finished soon as the wife is getting ready for me to move onto the other 10 projects on the list. Looks like you are making some nice progress on your room as well (yes, I've been lurking a bit on your thread :o ).

I think the 3 coats of clear is the killer.... I assume it is a day to dry between coats...

it does look sweet... I think I might have to redo my garage this summer

problem is I need to find a place to keep this "other" toy

http://thenolands.com/gallery/d/2617-2/P6190104.jpg

Ihttp://thenolands.com/gallery/d/2617-2/P6190104.jpg
I've wanted one of those cars since I was 15 years old. Just beautiful!

I think the 3 coats of clear is the killer.... I assume it is a day to dry between coats...

it does look sweet... I think I might have to redo my garage this summer

problem is I need to find a place to keep this "other" toy

http://thenolands.com/gallery/d/2617-2/P6190104.jpg

How dare you keep that on ordinary concrete. If you really need a place to keep that while you finish the garage, then I suppose I can hold onto it for you.

I would love to have a Cobra and I've always wanted one. I'm guessing that is a replica since the front end is so clean. Plus the radiator hoses in the front look like they are run wrong. That or it looks like a very nice restoration. Even the replicas can cost lot of money and I wouldn't mind having a replica. I would worry too much about parking a real Cobra somewhere.

yep...it is a kit... a lot faster than the original.

Also I have been meaning to post something about the DFW SMPTE group...figure there are enough Dallas people here...

visit: SMPTE DFW Website (http://www.smpte.org/dfw)

Last meeting we had a tour of the new WFAA studio's and before that had a meeting about 1080P. Typically meetings are the second thursday of the month :eek:

I think the 3 coats of clear is the killer.... I assume it is a day to dry between coats...

it does look sweet... I think I might have to redo my garage this summer

problem is I need to find a place to keep this "other" toy

Chris, I can handle that storage part for you. I hate to sacrafice the space but I think you deserve it, so you can really concentratrate on doing the floor right. By the way it takes about 5 years for that paint to dry, so 15 yrs. for 3 coats. :D

I could even pick it up for you if you're busy.

Thanks
Chip

Quick Update…

Not much has gotten done over the past few weeks on the HT. Looks like life got in the way again ;)

I finally got the veneering done for the upper and middle portions of the cabinet. Next is to get it stained and start veneering the middle slats. The wife and I are still trying to decide on the color of the slats and if they will be stained, dyed or painted. Hopefully I can get a decision on that soon!

Here are a few pics. Because of the heaviness of the top section, I was only able to take the shots upside down and then rotate the pic. So… everything may not look perfect but I think this gives you a better understanding of what it will look like.

NOTE: The lower section (bass trap) has not been built yet.

http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-Veneered1.JPG

http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-Veneered3.JPG

Schweet!

Bryan

Not much has gotten done over the past few weeks on the HT. Looks like life got in the way again

Steve, that sounds very familiar to me .... :rolleyes:

... but nice progress with your rear cabinet!

Schweet!

Bryan
You haven't seen nothing yet :D All curved sections and the top piece got their second (and final) coat of stain today. I'm veneering the slats tonight with some high-dollar rift-cut oak. Cool looking veneer. Hopefully I'll have some pics to show you (and everyone) by the weekend.

Steve, that sounds very familiar to me .... :rolleyes:

... but nice progress with your rear cabinet!
Glad to know I'm not alone ;) More on the cabinets soon!

What you have done is simply incredible. You should be very proud of your work.

Just curious, what program do you use to do your sketches of the room?

What you have done is simply incredible. You should be very proud of your work.

Just curious, what program do you use to do your sketches of the room?
Thanks Dave. It is nice that I can finally start to enjoy it with my friends and family.

I made all the pics in MS Visio. A great tool. However, if you do not already know Visio, check out SketchUp (just Google it). It does everything Visio does plus 3D renders. Visio is 2D only.

Quick question for you veneering guys...

I need to put edge trim on and have a few choices:

1) Buy the Iron-On edging from HD. Cheap at $7 for 25' of 1.25" wide material and faster to apply. However, I'm concerned it will come off over time -- because it has happened to me in the past. Anyone else have experience with this?

2) Cut my own edging out of my surplus of veneer and attach with glue (like I've done with everything else). This would take a bit more time and cost a little more since I would be cutting this off a "new" 4'x8' sheet of $89 veneer. I've used this technique for everything else with great success. This is the one I like the best.

Just a quick update...

I have the cabinet stained and will be working on the horizontal slats tonight. They just need the front edging applied and then the stain. The large hole at the top will be covered up with a deco piece with a small hole for the projector lens. That will be built soon.

NOTE -- the thing on top of the stool is the bottom part of a rear column. I wanted to be sure the color was a good match and see how it looked next to the columns.
http://swithey.gotdns.org/swithey/ht/avs/RC-Stained1.JPG

Steve,

Have you considered doing the same metal treatment to the edges like your columns?

Then you would only have to veneer the top and bottom of each slat.

Steve,

Have you considered doing the same metal treatment to the edges like your columns?

Then you would only have to veneer the top and bottom of each slat.
Yes I have. The wife vetoed it and opted for the a very dark brown/black color. I think it will look nice as well. Metal would have been a little more challenging to apply but.. it would have given a nice effect.

BTW -- The tops and bottoms are already veneered with the rift-cut oak (finished that up last night). They look great.

Steve, how about using the cheap edge band veneer, but glueing it in place instead of ironing it?

BTW, did you JB Weld your stool to the ceiling?! :)

Just kidding, I know the image is upside down!

Steve, how about using the cheap edge band veneer, but glueing it in place instead of ironing it?

BTW, did you JB Weld your stool to the ceiling?! :)
I ended up just cutting my own. A little more work but it turned out great. AND.. I actually have a gravity "free" garage :D

Steve,

Just wanted to say your HT is absolutely awesome. The pictures just do not do it justice.......and where I had been thinking your a lunatic with that IB set up all I can say is WOW :eek:

The LFE was absolutely outstanding, really needs to be felt to understand what it does for the overall experience - think that clip from the Pulse is the best LFE demo clip I've experienced. Now me wants one - but alas will need to wait till next year.

Thank You again for letting me visit - was also great to meet Ronnie and your helper David.

Cheers,
Mark

PS.....still think your a lunatic putting another IB in - your going to blow your roof off :eek:

Steve,

Just wanted to say your HT is absolutely awesome. The pictures just do not do it justice.......and where I had been thinking your a lunatic with that IB set up all I can say is WOW :eek:

The LFE was absolutely outstanding, really needs to be felt to understand what it does for the overall experience - think that clip from the Pulse is the best LFE demo clip I've experienced. Now me wants one - but alas will need to wait till next year.

Thank You again for letting me visit - was also great to meet Ronnie and your helper David.

Cheers,
Mark

PS.....still think your a lunatic putting another IB in - your going to blow your roof off :eek:
Mark,

Thanks for dropping by. It was nice to show the room to people that "love" HTs are much as I do :)

Yes, that Pulse chapter was outstanding. I learned about it a few days ago from THIS (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=820187&highlight=PULSE) thread. The LFE goes down to 16hz :eek: I think I found my favorite "demo" track as well!

Am I crazy to want even more bass in the room you ask? Absolutely! BUT... I have to "try" and compete with ebr :D

Steve,

Just wanted to say your HT is absolutely awesome. The pictures just do not do it justice.......and where I had been thinking your a lunatic with that IB set up all I can say is WOW :eek:

The LFE was absolutely outstanding, really needs to be felt to understand what it does for the overall experience - think that clip from the Pulse is the best LFE demo clip I've experienced. Now me wants one - but alas will need to wait till next year.

Thank You again for letting me visit - was also great to meet Ronnie and your helper David.

Cheers,
Mark

PS.....still think your a lunatic putting another IB in - your going to blow your roof off :eek:


Mark....Now i'm jealous ;) I hope you enjoyed the Metroplex...




PS.....still think your a lunatic putting another IB in - your going to blow your roof off :eek:

Im sure his wife and neighbors can second that thought :D

Mark....Now i'm jealous ;) I hope you enjoyed the Metroplex...


Very much so, not that I saw any of the DFW area - but I'm sure theres not much that will top Steves IB :D

I'll need to ensure another visit is arranged when his 2nd IB is in place.

Cheers,
Mark

Am I crazy to want even more bass in the room you ask? Absolutely! BUT... I have to "try" and compete with ebr :D

Steve,
are you really going to add 2 more drivers to your IB setup? :eek: :eek:

Just think about it..... you passed the point where you build a sub for you HT.....in fact you build your HT inside your sub!! :D

BTW - I found another nice LFE scene, Matrix Reloaded, almost at the end after Neo has defeated the 3 squirrel robots and the second ship is coming to pick the crew up.... I thought the ship was going to break down my equipment room wall just behind me, it flew a few inches above my head into my room and landed in front of me!
I didn't remember building any vibrating mechanical devices into my riser platform or seats....wonderful what a little air movement can do... :eek: :p

I've read enough. I'm starting my IB soon.

Uh oh - looks like I've got something I need to test out too.

Is this the Movie "Pulse"? Horror flick from last year directed by Wes Craven?

Im sure his wife and neighbors can second that thought :D No complaints as of yet :rolleyes: They are probably still wondering what they heard :D


Steve,
are you really going to add 2 more drivers to your IB setup? :eek: :eek:

Just think about it..... you passed the point where you build a sub for you HT.....in fact you build your HT inside your sub!! :D

BTW - I found another nice LFE scene, Matrix Reloaded, almost at the end after Neo has defeated the 3 squirrel robots and the second ship is coming to pick the crew up.... I thought the ship was going to break down my equipment room wall just behind me, it flew a few inches above my head into my room and landed in front of me!
I didn't remember building any vibrating mechanical devices into my riser platform or seats....wonderful what a little air movement can do... :eek: :p Yes -- way more than I probably need. BUT - - I am really looking for some serious air movement. I figured I could use it as make-shift fan in the room to keep air circulation optimal :p I'll check out that Matrix scene as well. I might have another one to add to my demo list.

BTW -- HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=755493) is very organized list of good Movies with strong LFE chapters. It even tells you which chapter to check out.

I've read enough. I'm starting my IB soon.
You wont' regret it. Easy to build and unbelievable performance!

Uh oh - looks like I've got something I need to test out too.

Is this the Movie "Pulse"? Horror flick from last year directed by Wes Craven?
Yep, that's the one (http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/262717). The entire scene is from the 1:12:40 timestamp until about 1:13:20. The best LFE is within the first 10-15 seconds of the "Pulse".

Steve, I enjoyed the demo the other day. It has been a while since I was there, but man, your room is awesome! We always talk about how pictures dont do things justice. Yours is no exception.

It was cool to finally meet Mark/BritinVA and to see David again. When is David going to start on a thread :D

After listening to your IB, I was stoked to get mine finished this weekend. Well, I finished it. I will post up all the details later tonight on my thread. All I can say is HOLY CRAP!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: There is no doubt you could severely damage some things with an IB setup. I may have to change mine up because the mechanical vibrations on the house structure are just to much. I watched these things and I swear the cones were traveling 2-3". Im going to have to talk to some of you and figure out a better way to isolate this thing. Anyway, I can explain all the details in my thread later.

Happy IB'ing :D

Steve, I enjoyed the demo the other day. It has been a while since I was there, but man, your room is awesome! We always talk about how pictures dont do things justice. Yours is no exception.

It was cool to finally meet Mark/BritinVA and to see David again. When is David going to start on a thread :D

After listening to your IB, I was stoked to get mine finished this weekend. Well, I finished it. I will post up all the details later tonight on my thread. All I can say is HOLY CRAP!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: There is no doubt you could severely damage some things with an IB setup. I may have to change mine up because the mechanical vibrations on the house structure are just to much. I watched these things and I swear the cones were traveling 2-3". Im going to have to talk to some of you and figure out a better way to isolate this thing. Anyway, I can explain all the details in my thread later.

Happy IB'ing :D
Glad you enjoyed the room! Your room is no exception. I can't wait to experience your IB with the Ascends and Axioms!

On your IB, you might think about the manifold design. Build a box slightly taller than each diver and the width of the 24" OC studs. Put a driver on each side so they can fire at each other. This will help cancel out a lot of the vibration they cause. It's easy to do and has worked out well for me. I have no structural movement in my room (except maybe the shingles when things are really rock'n :D )

Steve,
I'm thinking of doing IB, but can I do it considering that I have staggered stud framing. Instead of a 14.5" space between the studs, I have a 14.5" space between the one set of studs with a 2x4 in the middle of it. What option do I have? I was thinking of building a long subwoofer box (about 9'6" long) under the screen as an alternative.

Also, would it be wise to do it for me since the theater is in the basement and the adjacent area is the storage area, still in the basement? Also, with basement windows in the storage area, will the base be rattling my neighbor's house (about 30 ft away)?

DMGambone, you could still do it with staggered studs and there are several ways to do it. You might be able to do a tall skinny box to fit between 2 studs. You could frame out a space like you are framing a window. Or you could just build a box to fit the 14.5" space and leave the stud straight down the center. There are other people who have a stud down the center of their IB opening and it works fine.

Storage space is fine for an IB. On the IB site, they tell you how to calculate if you have enough space for an IB based on your driver specs. It doesn't take a whole lot of room for an IB. A good sized closet will even work. Read the IB forum FAQ and you can learn a lot.

DMGambone, you could still do it with staggered studs and there are several ways to do it. You might be able to do a tall skinny box to fit between 2 studs. You could frame out a space like you are framing a window. Or you could just build a box to fit the 14.5" space and leave the stud straight down the center. There are other people who have a stud down the center of their IB opening and it works fine.

Storage space is fine for an IB. On the IB site, they tell you how to calculate if you have enough space for an IB based on your driver specs. It doesn't take a whole lot of room for an IB. A good sized closet will even work. Read the IB forum FAQ and you can learn a lot.
What about the amount of sound coming out the back? Should I be concerned that it would shake my neighbor's house.

DMGambone, you put in staggered studs in order to stop the sound transmission to the area on the other side of the wall. Now you want to cut a big hole, put in big woofers and pressurize the side that you were now trying to protect? Funny how we all do certain things when we originally make our theaters and then later on, toss them out because of bigger and better! :)

DMGambone, you put in staggered studs in order to stop the sound transmission to the area on the other side of the wall. Now you want to cut a big hole, put in big woofers and pressurize the side that you were now trying to protect? Funny how we all do certain things when we originally make our theaters and then later on, toss them out because of bigger and better! :)
But I want an IB too!!!!! :p

What about the amount of sound coming out the back? Should I be concerned that it would shake my neighbor's house.
You can hear the "boom" outside the house when volume levels are really intense but it just sounds like thunder from a distance. I would not be concerned about it unless you plan to run a LFE demo at reference levels like we did on Friday. I'm sure if I did that everyday, I might here my doorbell ring.

Given the size of the sound wave at those frequencies, I do not think that center stud would cause much (or any) problem. Cutting it out and putting a small header up there (like a window/door opening as mentionws above) would probably work as well.

You might also check out ebr's thread. He did his IB in the basement (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8791418&&#post8791418) area and because his wife did not like the sound tranfereing into the house, he did a larged sealed sub (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9643295&&#post9643295) below his screen. He actually likes that setup better and the sound is much more contained. The wife is happy as well :D

What about the amount of sound coming out the back? Should I be concerned that it would shake my neighbor's house.

I'll have to throw in the word of caution here. But it is your house, not your neighbors you should be worried about first. When I had my IB setup this way, it shook the rest of my house so bad I couldn't use it. Everyone's is different though, so you may just have to try it and see.

I also agree with Tox, though. If you built this particular wall with staggered studs because you wanted the isolation then you're screwing yourself cutting a huge hole in it. If you just did this wall that way because all the others were, then it might be okay on that front.

To keep the bass pressure inside your treated room but still get an excellent low bass output you could think also about a TL approach like I did in my room.
All you need is some space where you can set up the TL - depending on the used drivers the case will be around 85" x 20" x 20".
Deep, powerful but soft low bass down to 17 Hz! :D

LOL @ all the IB talk, I wouldnt fire the rear of the IB into the basement and Im not suprised ebr took his out, just too much bass in the house I can imagine. Im powering a 40' x 21' x 14' room with four 15" subs and floors flex and people get nervous. I would be curious to know how Swithey has his sounding like thunder at the neighbors instead of thunder 2 blocks away. Mine is so intense outside, it literally shakes the gutters and siding loose and causes all sorts of strange vibrational slapping and humming on intense scenes. Alot is leaving the eve vents and I chopped my containment area down considerably is probably why

The other really nice thing about IBs that nobody ever mentions is how cheap they are in the " Bang for your buck" department, I know people that have several subs that cost quite a bit more and have no where near the impact unless youre into boomy, low rider, car trunk sounding bass.

Mark,

It has been fun having the IB setup. I need to EQ my sub again to smooth things out a bit. I can tell I have a few peaks and valleys in my bass response right now. Once I get that rear cabinet completed, I may take an eve or two to get that done before I start on the bar area. I might try and squeeze in the install the other (2) woofs so I can blow the roof of my house :cool:

EBR -- Planing to be in Dallas anytime soon? You seem to be the master at this EQ thing. I'll pay you with pretzels and beer (and maybe a movie) :D

Mark,

It has been fun having the IB setup. I need to EQ my sub again to smooth things out a bit. I can tell I have a few peaks and valleys in my bass response right now. Once I get that rear cabinet completed, I may take an eve or two to get that done before I start on the bar area. I might try and squeeze in the install the other (2) woofs so I can blow the roof of my house :cool:

EBR -- Planing to be in Dallas anytime soon? You seem to be the master at this EQ thing. I'll pay you with pretzels and beer (and maybe a movie) :D


Steve,

Have you been over at the HT Shack (http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/) ? The guys in the BFD/REW forum are very helpful. Im sure you can get some pointers on EQ'ing that thing.

Steve,

Have you been over at the HT Shack (http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/) ? The guys in the BFD/REW forum are very helpful. Im sure you can get some pointers on EQ'ing that thing.
Yea, I know :) I've already gotten a lot of info from posts over there. Great site!

I just need to get back to it, do some more reading and get it done.

I'll pay you with pretzels and beer (and maybe a movie) :D

This is Texas, you should include a steak off the grill in that payment.

This is Texas, you should include a steak off the grill in that payment.
As soon as you mentioned BBQ, I thought of this movie clip from Blazing Saddles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6dm9rN6oTs). Yes, I am twisted :o

BTW -- A juicy steak with baked potato and asparagus was implied :D

Steve - my family is actually from Texas and real BBQ is one thing I miss over here in NC so I appreciate the offer. However that's just about the only thing I miss ;) so I don't plan on being back over that way any time soon.

In any case, I'm far from a master at this stuff and I'm sure you'll do a fine job. So much of the EQ process (once you smooth out the obvious stuff) is personal taste so you can't really go wrong.

Steve - my family is actually from Texas and real BBQ is one thing I miss over here in NC so I appreciate the offer. However that's just about the only thing I miss ;) so I don't plan on being back over that way any time soon.

In any case, I'm far from a master at this stuff and I'm sure you'll do a fine job. So much of the EQ process (once you smooth out the obvious stuff) is personal taste so you can't really go wrong.
No problem at all. It does get hot here in Texas. I'll be sure to ping you if I get stuck :)

Steve? Was that your IB that I kept hearing all night over here in Rockwall? I couldnt pinpoint the exact location of the LFE, but it seemed to be coming from the Plano area.

Ronnie

Steve? Was that your IB that I kept hearing all night over here in Rockwall? I couldnt pinpoint the exact location of the LFE, but it seemed to be coming from the Plano area.

Ronnie
You know, the 1st time I heard that really LOW crunch of the thunder -- I thought a movie was going on in the room. I quickly realized it was mother nature doing her best to compete with my IB setup -- and I think she won :D

Of course my daughter (who was doing her homework in the kitchen) came running into my office for a hug after one of the big hits. I asked why the the Home Theater "sound" did not scare her and she said "I know that's you Daddy". Ahh--- the wonders of kids.

Ahh--- the wonders of kids.

Amen to that !!

Hey you might get lucky and have no outdoor sporting events this weekend. :D

Ivan

Steve? Was that your IB that I kept hearing all night over here in Rockwall? I couldnt pinpoint the exact location of the LFE, but it seemed to be coming from the Plano area.

Ronnie
I'll bet you heard this guys IB setup. He has (8) 15's running. He played that Pulse scene at 110db and his entire house was shaking. Check out his post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10144948&&#post10144948) -- just unbelievable.

SVonhof/Scott -- now this test was insane :eek: I think I may need to try it :D

Steve, I would never even attemt that. I like living in my house too much to tear it down with bass!

Steve, I would never even attemt that. I like living in my house too much to tear it down with bass!
LOL. Agreed :)

I'm still waiting on my SPL meter to be returned to me to check out the Pulse thing but it is pretty intense in the room - almost annoying as my ears are feeling the pressure pretty seriously.

I did peak at 119db during my testing of the door banging scene in The Haunting and that did scare the crap outta me. Was afraid I was gonna knock the projector off the ceiling.

Yo Steve....sorry I've missed your thread all this time! :o

Outstanding work, excellent craftmanship, and a true DIYer!! ;) COngrats man....

-Sherv

I'm still waiting on my SPL meter to be returned to me to check out the Pulse thing but it is pretty intense in the room - almost annoying as my ears are feeling the pressure pretty seriously.

I did peak at 119db during my testing of the door banging scene in The Haunting and that did scare the crap outta me. Was afraid I was gonna knock the projector off the ceiling.
I played both the Haunting and the Pulse scene for my Dad yesterday with the AVR set at -18. He jumped when the Haunting scene played :D He enjoyed the demo. During the Pulse demo, my small air purifier in the room started to rattle at each "pulse". No wall flexing or projector swing (since I did not have it cranked as much) -- but you did feel the bass. I know I'll get more air movement once I get the other (2) 15s installed.

Yo Steve....sorry I've missed your thread all this time! :o

Outstanding work, excellent craftmanship, and a true DIYer!! ;) COngrats man....

-Sherv
Thanks Sherv. Hoepfully I'll have more to show everyone later this week.

Wow steve fantastic job on that new piece! thats gonna really tie it together!

Wow steve fantastic job on that new piece! thats gonna really tie it together!
Thanks! I have made a few changes to the piece (which is why there have not been any updates). I'll have pics soon :)

Thanks Sherv. Hoepfully I'll have more to show everyone later this week.
i hope so....looking forward to it.

ps- check your pm...

i hope so....looking forward to it.

ps- check your pm...
Check your PM.

Thanks! I have made a few changes to the piece (which is why there have not been any updates). I'll have pics soon :)

Soon = :confused: ;)

Ok all you IB guys -- there is a new game in town. It make ebr's setup look like a toy ;)

This guy made a HUGE box in the attic and ported it. It has ~10db gain over his original IB setup (and he only has (2) of the (4) SS 15s hooked up). It is nearly flat to 10hz with no EQ -- totally natural guys :p

Here is a pic of it before Rodny Alvarez sealed it up. You can really get an idea of the size of this monster. Hmm, looks a lot like my attic setup EXCEPT mine could be even larger :D

NOTE: He did it for the same reason ebr did his -- Wife was complaining about the bass

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/attachments/soundsplinter/2914d1176006612-ib-makeover-img_3664.jpg
If that ain't a $hit eaten grin, I don't know what is :cool:

Now a pic of the HUGE port -- 10" pvc cut to 33" (not installed in the pic above)
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/attachments/soundsplinter/2609d1174102212-ib-makeover-img_3520.jpg

HERE (http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/soundsplinter/3871-ib-makeover.html) is a direct link to Rondy's thread!

Just to clarify, the gain was ~10db from 9-15hz, not 20db. On some of the measurement comparisons he tested the LLT louder to space out the two responses. That said, by going LLT, maximum overall headroom does increase by several dbs, as the drivers aren't excursion restricted on the low end like the IB was. Overall, a big improvement.

Go for it swithey!

Just to clarify, the gain was ~10db from 9-15hz, not 20db. On some of the measurement comparisons he tested the LLT louder to space out the two responses. That said, by going LLT, maximum overall headroom does increase by several dbs, as the drivers aren't excursion restricted on the low end like the IB was. Overall, a big improvement.

Go for it swithey!
Steve,

I made the change to my original post -- thanks for finding my error :)

Yes, something to consider. I may start a thread to discuss more over at the cult or HTS.

A TOY?????

My box is 70cuft. His is only 36...

Peasant.

;)

A TOY?????

My box is 70cuft. His is only 36...

Peasant.

;)
LOL! I forgot that yours had some much volume. Okay -- now I'm going to build a HUGE sealed sub with 1/2 the attic space (I need the other 1/2 for my Action Figure Collection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnyxQZQ-ox0&mode=related&search=). YouTube has just about everthing -- doesn't it? :p ). That will put me at about 208cuft :D

So what you are saying is that I need to scrap my IB plans and just go with a large ported box? Wouldn't that introduce the lateral stress on the house framing that the boxed IB design cancels out? How about just using the finished crawlspace like Steve used for his IB and adding a 10" port? I have a 1225 cu. foot insulated and drywalled (no HVAC) crawl space I was considering using for the IB. Steve, be sure to do a lot of before and after tests if you are planning to change your IB. I'd be interesting in seeing if you can duplicate his results.

I'm glad we have Swithey's room to experiment on before I start cutting into mine. :D

Actually, a box larger than mine is gonna basically be an IB. If you want a port, I think you need to build a smaller box. Mine is not ported because I have so much displacement available with sheer mass of cone surface ;).

Seriously, I was just discussing the ported design and thought it was an interesting idea. There are some drawbacks with the ported design (more distortion, etc). My IB is really working out quite well and once I add the other (2) woofs, I think I'll be in good shape. I will need to keep the volume lower in the eves so not to upset the wife. BUT - she does let me play it loud when I have the buddies over to watch a flick.

If the wife ever complains as much as ebr's, I'll move to a LARGE sealed sub. My IB is so smooth, I really don't want to mess with it.

NOW TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT: I sprayed the 1st coat of clear on the rear cabinet pieces tonight. I plan to put (3) coats in total. The compressor is too loud to put it on at 10:30pm tonight so I'll do it tomorrow eve. Hopefully I can get one more on right when I get home from work and another at 8:30PM. I'm working to get it partially installed by Thur eve. After that, my weekend is busy with family activities -- so no more will get done until Monday eve.

pics PICS!!! hehe cant wait to see the out come steve congrats

Steve - one of my next purchases is going to be a good spray gun to use with my new compressor. If you don't mind, what type of gun did you end up buying and how do you like it?

Steve - one of my next purchases is going to be a good spray gun to use with my new compressor. If you don't mind, what type of gun did you end up buying and how do you like it?


If it's for woodworking I'd suggest calling the folks at Homestead Finishing (http://www.homesteadfinishing.com). The guy that owns it, Jeff Jewitt, is a well known refinisher in the woodworking industry.
He's also an ongoing contributor to Fine Woodworking Magazine and has several books abour finishing wood.

They will help you select a great spray gun for your compressor's capabilities.

pics PICS!!! hehe cant wait to see the out come steve congrats Will do.


Steve - one of my next purchases is going to be a good spray gun to use with my new compressor. If you don't mind, what type of gun did you end up buying and how do you like it? Funny you should bring that up. I was just talking to my wife about my setup last night. I have a make-shift rig at best right now. I'm seriously considering buying a more pro rig. Currently, I have a "borrowed" Campbell Hausfeld Spray Gun ($60) like the one below hooked to one of those Porter-Cable pancake 6-Gal compressors. The compressor is way undersized and runs all the time. Once pressure gets below 80psi, the sprayer does not work well at all. Most of my time is wasted waiting for the compressor to recover.
http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/044564207212_4.jpg http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/f5/f5/hmgdToolsPneumaticPortable_CompressorsNonOilPorterCable_Cf14 00_Pancake_Compressor.jpg

My plan is to get something else and there are a number of options out there. I was originally looking for a single setup that could spray un-thinned latex and oils paints as well as stain and clear-coat. Unfortunately, this is not possible unless you spend over 1.2k -- and that's a bit more than I want to spend at this point. As Ivan pointed out, you want to check out the Homestead website (http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/htdocs/hvlp_spray.htm). The guy that runs it has a forum to discuss your options, technique, etc. They are a very helpful group. His pricing is right in line with others. I'm still deciding what I want to do and am ready to do something sooner than later. Spraying is SO much faster over applying with a brush (but does have a longer cleanup time). The coverage is more even and I'm sure that my staining will look more professional when sprayed on (hey -- looking at Sandmans columns is proof of that).

My wife keeps telling me I should have bought a new rig a year ago when I started the columns. It would have saved a lot of work in the long run. I just was not interested in spending the cash. Guess the time has finally come.

Yeah. I agree. My friend came over last summer with his rig and we sprayed all of the baseboards for the basement in 5 minutes. Even though it took 20 minutes to clean the gun, that was a cakewalk compared to the alternative because I have well over 200 feet of baseboards. I also have the aforementioned pancake compressor in your picture and was hoping to get a gun to use with it... Guess it is time to check out that link. Thanks guys.

How much of a mess do those sprayers make? Is there a lot of overspray in the air that could get on (or in) other things nearby? I have a large compressor and a spray gun (similar to swithey's) that came with it, but I've always been afraid to use it due to the mess I thought it could make. Also, our furnace and water heater -- both natural gas -- are IN my workshop, so that is a concern as well. That and I don't really know how to properly clean it. But it could really help since I am currently doing exactly what you just mentioned -- painting all of the trim for my basement! I've spent several hours on it already.

My mother does lots of woodworking and has always used a sprayer for applying laquer and has done so with the water heater in the same space with no problems. You will want to get all cars out if it is a garage, or at least cover them well as not only will the overspray (the stuff that fills the air turns out to be like a dust as it dries before it lands) get into the car and onto the paint (comes right off unless you spray it directly on) but the smell can get into it as well.

I reccomend getting a recirculating system in the shop to help clean the air, which can be as simple as a box fan with a pleated air filter on the intake side hanging from the ceiling or sitting on the floor. Always use a good mask (not the cheap kind) and eye protection.

Cleaning out the spray gun depends on what you put in it. Follow the instructions and make sure you buy what you need to clean it out at the same time you buy the stuff going in.

All this also depends on the Lacquer, I have sprayed gallons within 6' of a wood stove with the stove door open. Then again I had a very large squirrel cage fan exhausting the dried overspray. If your looking for some really fail proof lacquer that shoots great @ 60 lbs or less I will throw out Rodda brand as the type I have used for years now. The overlapping is almost failproof on large surfaces as long as you keep the overspray pulling away FWIW

Yeah. I agree. My friend came over last summer with his rig and we sprayed all of the baseboards for the basement in 5 minutes. Even though it took 20 minutes to clean the gun, that was a cakewalk compared to the alternative because I have well over 200 feet of baseboards. I also have the aforementioned pancake compressor in your picture and was hoping to get a gun to use with it... Guess it is time to check out that link. Thanks guys.
I've decided to bite the bullet and get a Turbine sprayer. I'm getting it at Homestead Finishing (http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/htdocs/accuspray.htm) from Jeff (a really nice guy). It is the Accuspray 23k. It will do wonderfully for stains and clear coats. Jeff said it should do fine with latex/oil paints with a 10% thinning (however an optional $78 kit is needed to accomplish this task - different tip, filter, etc). I plan to place the order today.

One advantage of this sprayer over a typical compressor setup is there is no need for a large compressor and a less complicated calibration of the air/spray mixture. Also, I read this has less over-spray which means less airborne stuff to get everywhere. I'm looking forward to using it!

Accuspray 23k HVLP Turbine Sprayer
http://www.homesteadfinishing.com/images/turbine23k.jpg

And accts4mjs/Mike -- thanks for letting me bend your ear on this purchase. Sorry to keep you up so late :) If it does not work out, I hold you responsible :D ;)

Great choice Steve ! Once you get proficient spraying, you won't be disappointed with that system. Accuspray makes great rigs.

I say we let Steve purchase all the cool tools, then we just hire him out. I hear all he requires is a few cold ones for payment. :D

Ronnie

We can just drop off our stuff at his house with a 12 pack of beer and then pick it up the next week.

Happy to help out :p. However, the beer may hurt the quality of the work. BUT -- Daddy needs some $$ for a new 1080p projector :D ;)

Unfortunately, I was not able to order it today because they were closed :( I'll get it ordered 1st thing Monday morning.

check out harbor freight tools. Low cost and works well.


HIGH VOLUME LOW PRESSURE COMPLETE SPRAY KIT

item number 44677

check out harbor freight tools. Low cost and works well.


HIGH VOLUME LOW PRESSURE COMPLETE SPRAY KIT

item number 44677
zej,

Thanks for the link. Unfortunatley, this model is more geared to painting walls and staining your fence. The finish that it produces is not quite as "prestine" as I am looking for to finish my cabinets. I saw a similar unit at Home Depot.

won't argue that is not as good as the one you are getting , but I paid 69.00 dollars for it on sale. . I've painted my HT room ceiling with it as well as a large cabinet that I've laquered with it. For the price I’m impressed. It vaporizes into a fine mist with little over spray. I have an industrial unit that I use to paint fences and wall with. Good unit for money.

won't argue that is not as good as the one you are getting , but I paid 69.00 dollars for it on sale. . I've painted my HT room ceiling with it as well as a large cabinet that I've laquered with it. For the price I’m impressed. It vaporizes into a fine mist with little over spray. I have an industrial unit that I use to paint fences and wall with. Good unit for money.
I didn't realize that they performed that well. I'll keep that in mind if the one I get does not spray latex as well as expected.