*Edits*

After over a year of my incorrect equipment list sitting on the front page I decided I needed to update it with what I am actually using so any references to equipment in following posts should now read as follow:

Sanyo PLV-Z4 projector
Onkyo 606 Receiver
(2) Paradigm Monitor 7s
(1) Ascend CMT-340C
(4) Ascend HTM-200s for surrounds
(1) HSU VTF2 Mk3
Mount from Bestpricemounts.com
DIY anamorpic lense
Pfifer Sheerweave 2.35 AT screen (10' wide)
BR player (yet to be purchased but hopefully soon and not sure which yet)


As you can see on the floor plan (http://web.comporium.net/~john_deanna/sunsetrosecinemafloorplan.jpg) I have decided to go with the room that is 11 x 21. I was originally going to use the room where the new model railroad is going to go now. All my AV equipment will go in the AV closet next to the bathroom which will double as a fake ticket office. I still have an area i the lower right of the plan that I am unsure of what to do with. I am thinking that is can be storage for DVDs and XBOX games.

I am ordering my PJ on Monday and will begin the framing next weekend. I still need to pull my permits since there is going to be a dedicated 100A subpanel for the basement in the model railroad room. There is a lot to frame since the only existing interior walls right now are the stair walls. I should be able to frame up all walls in 2 weekends and another 2 for all the soffit work max.

Once I get the electrical panel in and inspected I will start wiring the HT and once I get that inspected I will sheetrock the HT, hall and bathroom. I plan on using Lutron swithes for the HT lighting. If all goes well I will be complete (with the HT , hall and bath at least) prior to kickoff for the 1st pre-season game, although I plan on watching my Superbowl Champ Pittsburgh Steelers in Charlotte that day.

Here are a couple pictures of the existing view towards the screen (http://web.comporium.net/~john_deanna/viewtowardsscreen.jpg) and the view towards the back wall (http://web.comporium.net/~john_deanna/viewtowardsrear.jpg) so you can see what it looks like now.

I am working on a rendering of the space in a couple minutes and should have a nice image to post tomorrow. Any comments on my plan are appreciated

I have decided to go with the room that is 11 x 21. I was originally going to use the room where the new model railroad is going to go now. All my AV equipment will go in the AV closet next to the bathroom which will double as a fake ticket office. I still have an area i the lower right of the plan that I am unsure of what to do with. I am thinking that is can be storage for DVDs and XBOX games.
What is the size of the nook in your HT which is labeled 'WHAT TO DO HERE'?
Is it deep enough to support an equipment rack? Installing the equipment in the AV closet next to the bathroom will require some unnecessarily long cables and access to equipment such as DVD player will mean having to step of of the room.

I am ordering my PJ on Monday and will begin the framing next weekend. I still need to pull my permits since there is going to be a dedicated 100A subpanel for the basement in the model railroad room. There is a lot to frame since the only existing interior walls right now are the stair walls. I should be able to frame up all walls in 2 weekends and another 2 for all the soffit work max.

... Any comments on my plan are appreciated
100A sub-panel? Wow that's a lot of amperage. Do you really need that much?

Also, I'd recommend waiting on the PJ ordering personally. Once you have the projector and fire it up, all HT construction comes to a halt. I know this from personal experience!

--curtis

The nook in the lower portion of the room is definitely big enough for an equipment rack but I would prefer to not have it in the room. I may end up placing it there but I have not decided yet.


I thought about waiting on the PJ but with the weather here in SC I can not justify not getting it and having some outdoor movies. My neighborhood has a lot of kids and both the wife and I want to start getting to meet some folks around here since we have not been here that long. I have some older AV equipment and speakers that I will use for all of that. And having some outdoor movies will most likely entice a couple of my neighbors to help :)

The 100A subpanel is for the entire basement, not just the HT. Since I am adding a washer and dryer downstairs I will need a 20/30A for that alone, 2ea 20A for the HT, a couple 20A for various areas, and 2 dedicated 20A for the model railroad. I have some spares in the main 200A panel but I would rather have everything in the basement from its own panel for ease of wiring.

Well I ordered my PJ (Sanyo PLV-Z4) last night. Got a pretty good deal on it. Should be here by Friday at the latest. I will spend an evening this week getting an outdoor screen together. I am hoping to have a movie night behind the house on Saturday and have some of my neightbors and their kids over if all goes as planned. Right now I will be using all of my old speakers and no sub (I have yet to get my speakers purchased) but I doubt that will make much of a difference outside anyway. I will have to go purchase a center speaker and a new progressive scan DVD player. Looks like a trip to BB is in order for this evening.

OK all,

You can pretty much ignore everything on this thread up until now because I have made a lot of changes to my initial plans, but it is now official. The construction of the Sunset Rose Cinema has begun. I have cleaned out the area for the HT and have begun framing it in. The floor plan for the area has changed a lot from the initial ideas. Attached is the newest version. thanks go out to several people, especially Art for his insight into seating arrangements. Initially I wanted to have seating for 6 people but the room is just too small for that many people. I settled on seating for 5 as you can see on the floor plan. I am using Berkline 099s with wedges on the ends and armless seats in the center (my 3 year old will occupy the center seat) I considered having armrests on the center seat but it just makes it too wide for my taste as I am afraid that the outer seat viewing angle will be too extreme. Right now seating will be a 1X the screen size for 2.35:1 material and more for 16:9 material should it should provide a pretty immersive experience. I had originally planned on looking down the long axis at the screen but turned it 90 degrees since the room is only 10'-9" wide.

The screen is set off the front wall about 9" to allow for the fronts and center to be behind the screen since it is going to be microperf. The ceiling will be soffited with recessed lighting above the stage and screen, 4 sconces on the walls and a starfield ceiling in the ceiling recess with a light tray below. Then plan is to have 3 zones of lighting (Sconces and recessed, Starfield, and Light tray) with different scenes (entry/exit, movie intro, and main feature).

My equipment list, although minimal compared to some, is as follows:

PJ: Sanyo PLV-Z4 with a prismasonic anamorphic lense (already have/LOVE IT!!!!)
Reciever: Harman Kardon (HK) AVR 635 or similar
DVD Player: HK DVD 47 w/HDMI out or similar
Video Scaler: DVDO IScan VP20
XBOX 360
HD Cable Box
Philip Pronto Pro remote or similar
Monster Power HTS 2600 MK II Power Center
10' 2.35:1 SMX screen once I get it with a recessed pull down 16:9 Da-lite as well
Ascend 340s for front and center with Ascend 170s for surrounds, Ascend sub

All my AV equipment will go in the AV closet next to the bathroom which will double as a fake ticket office. I have pulled my permits since there is going to be a new 100A subpanel for the basement in the model railroad room. I have most of the wall framing done and up but still need to anchor it down. I will take some pictures tonight of what has been framed so far.

Here are a couple pictures of the existing view towards the screen (http://web.comporium.net/~john_deanna/viewtowardsscreen.jpg) and the view towards the back wall (http://web.comporium.net/~john_deanna/viewtowardsrear.jpg) so you can see what it looks like now. The moisture probelm you see on the one wall has been taken care of already. I had a broken sprinkler pipe right next to the foundation wall.

I am also rendering up the space to get a feel for the lighting and materials so once those are done I will post them as well

Here is my initial attempt at the front screen wall for the room. 9'-6" SMX AT screen shown with 3" velvet frame. Recesses on left and right will have sconces in them. Accoustical treaments have not been determined yet and anyone who wants to take a crack at modifying this image to show how you would place sconces and accoustical treaments feel free to modify it as you see fit. Speakers will be behind screen.

http://images18.fotki.com/v17/photos/1/1014235/4126989/ScreenWall-vi.jpg

Well I made some more progress today. I got all the soffits up in the HT. Got all 4 done with only minor work left on them to even out the fronts. My builder di not do the best job framing the stairwell so the soffit by the stair on the right undulates a bit so I need to chakline and cut them all even which I will probably do on all of the soffits just to be safe. The A/C duct in the backgound will be relocated into the soffit soon. Front of soffit will be trimmed and house a rope light on the tray portion.

Looking onto the HT. Screen will be on right
http://images16.fotki.com/v31/photos/1/1014235/4126961/IMG_0938-vi.jpg

Corner framing detail. Minor trimming left to do here
http://images19.fotki.com/v32/photos/1/1014235/4126961/IMG_0940-vi.jpg

Looking out from HT. Full bath in the background. Once all the soffits, lights and electrical in the HT is done I will frame the ceiling for the hall and bath.

http://images19.fotki.com/v353/photos/1/1014235/4126961/IMG_0939-vi.jpg

A/C duct to be relocated

http://images19.fotki.com/v26/photos/1/1014235/4126961/IMG_0941-vi.jpg

Tommorow I will get the soffits all trimmed nice and even and start putting in outlet boxes and lights and start to pull wiring. I need to work out what I am going to do about the lights. I framed the soffits at 16" centers but on the sides so the nice 4" recessed cans will not fit between them. I may have to return them and go with remodel cans instead of new construction or figure out a way to trim the slides so I can compress them enough to fit in between. Anyone tried that yet?

John

Wow John, you've got a plan and you're on your way. Construction looks good. I'll be anxiously awaiting future pictures :)

Keep up the good work and thanks for posting your thread!

Mike

Hey John,

Good luck on your HT adventure (and don't forget the pictures)!

Bud

What tools are you using to model and render? :D

You're on your way!

Hmm, I think I would have still chose depth over width, going with maybe two rows of two. Reason being I don't mind sitting back a bit further, but too far to the side is usually quite a bit of compromise. You also get to have 7.1 then as well. But it's your theater, and we all have decisions to make!

Another thing that I noticed that you may want to swap is the door swing of the sump/drain room. When you start going back and forth from the front and back of the rack dozens of times to get your equipment setup, you'll most likely get quite annoyed if the door opens that way. It's also generally a good idea to open a door against a wall, rather than something else.

I look forward to keeping up on your project! One of my best friends is really into model railroading. His dream job is to be an engineer/conductor some day.

Mike,

Thanks and I will post more as I take them. You should have some more tomorrow to look at.

Bud,

Thanks. I look forward to mine looking as good as yours does.

Miltimj,

I need to update the floor plan. That door will no longer be there as I will be adding a door in the hall just past the bathroom entrance for that very reason. I will only have a curtain in that opening if anything. The door to the sump area will actually be just an access panel without a door (this is the fake ticket booth position. Model railroads are a passion for me and once the rest of the basement is complete and I pay it off :D I will start on the railroad, which will probably be about 1 year from now.

Reaper,

I am using Autocad and Viz 2007 to model and V-Ray Advanced for my renderer. I have about 2 total hours in it so far and am trying to find the time to do some more work on it. They are just a couple basic materials but once I find the time I will make some really high quality stuff. I am much more proficient at exteriors and am working on my interiors. My interiors do not compare to yours yet. I need to model the chairs soon so I can get a sense of space. Here is an exterior of a local church facility I have been working on here. The original image was about 4000x300 pixels. I also have a much more realistic street level view but only at work since I forgot to bring it home

http://images19.fotki.com/v32/photos/1/1014235/4170228/SPBCOverall-vi.jpg

My problem with interior is the rendering time. V-Ray is one of the most accurate renders out there and is capable of true photorealistic renderings but they can take a while for that kind of quality.

John

Got some more work done today adding the riser at the rear of the room.

Entry into the room with steps up in both direction to main riser

http://images16.fotki.com/v30/photos/1/1014235/4126961/IMG_0942-vi.jpg

Looking at riser from screen wall

http://images16.fotki.com/v31/photos/1/1014235/4126961/IMG_0943-vi.jpg

There will be steps down from the riser on both sides along the front chairs. Tomorrow I will get the rest of the steps completed and the stage framed out. I will also add an outlet box for buttkickers if I ever decide to get them.

The small door at the right of the 2nd picture is access under the front entry porch stair. Why it is there I have no idea because there is nothing in there other than dirt. I am still going to make sure I can access it in the future if needed.

John

I updated my HT floor plan to use the long axis of the room instead of the wide axis. After mocking up the screen I was not happy with the view as I was too close and the outer chairs had too much angle for viewing. Here is the new floor plan

http://images16.fotki.com/v29/photos/1/1014235/4135559/BasementFloorPlan-vi.jpg

I can seat 5 using Berkline 88s. I am still using a pref screen from SMX to be purchased in the next month if all goes well. I am also still having a scrapbook area for my wife, a small counter and cabinets, a gaming table area. TV viewing area, and rec room.

This weekend I am planning on getting a LOT done. I plan on hanging all the ceiling joists in the remainder of the basement. I am lowering the ceiling to give me room for ductwork and to save money on sheetrock. Once that is done I can start installing lights and getting the electrical installed so I can get my rough-in inspection completed.

Oh if I could only follow through on my posts LOL As an update, since Oct 31st I have only done half the ceiling joists in the remainder of the basement. With 2 boys playing football (which is over now after 3 nights a week (7th, JV and Varsity) I have not had time to do anything. Now that I think I can start focusing on the basement Thanksgiving is coming and we are heading down to FL to see my mom and hit Sea World while we are there (my 4yo little girl will love that). Then as soon as I get back from FL I head to Vegas for a week long convention at the Venetian (man I hate my job LOL)

I am not sure how so many of you find the time to put in so much work. I think what I need to do is to start budgeting an hour a night to do something in the basement. I clean things up after I finish so things are always ready to go, I just need to find the time. Once I am back from Vegas I will have free time again since wrestling (both boys again) will not be as time consuming, except for the intial tournaments. The wife and daughter are out of town this week so I have nights free for at least this week so I think I can get moving and get some stuff done.

My focus right now is getting all my ceiling joists in so I can start hanging light cans and installing some temporary lights. I only have 2 60W bulbs in the 1400SF space right now so it is pretty dark. Once the joists are up I have a large fluorescent light I can use and a couple ceiling lights until I finish my rough in inspectimn and then I can start using the cans.

I'll post some pics tonight when I get home on where I stand.

John

Oh if I could only follow through on my posts LOL I think many of us feel that way sometimes. ;)

I am not sure how so many of you find the time to put in so much work.Sometimes the pictures just make it look like everything happened overnight. In reality, it's always several days of work. In my case, I really overdid it during the summer and almost burnt myself out. I took the last two months off from the room :eek: to work on the yard and around the house on other things that were lower priorities during the heat of summer.

Keep up the good work, and don't worry how quickly it gets done. The long journey is the investment that makes it all worth relaxing and enjoying after it's done. :)

Hang in there. It seems like it takes forever but you'll get there. Take the time to do it right and you'll be rewarded when you're done.

Bryan

Bryan/Vorlon,

I know what you mean. It is a long process but it will definitely be worth it in about 3 months. The framing and rough-in stage is the longest for me since I need to get it done before I can get my first inspection. Everything else will go smoothly and quickly for sure. I like finish work but really hate framing.

On a positive note though, I did budget an hour last night to ge some stuff done, working on hanging some ceiling joists. Tonight I will do the same and probably more. A couple more nights and I will have the ceiling joists completed everywhere except the hallway and bathroom. The HT soffits are already framed. Then I can hang lights and run my electrical circuits. If all goes well I can schedule my rough-in inspection in 2 weeks.

I did forgot to take some pictures last night so I will try this evening to remember so look for some updates tonight.

John

The screen is set off the front wall about 9" to allow for the fronts and center to be behind the screen since it is going to be microperf.

You'll need at least 16" behind the screen to put your speakers (340SEs) back there. Personally, I wouldn't go with anything less than 20". I hope it's not too late!

Well I thought I should post some updates to my progress on the HT thus far. I have not been very productive in the last few months in the HT but have done a lot in the main basement area. Got almost all my ceiling framing up and the majority of the recessed lighting. Also got quite a bit of the electrical run. I will take some photos tonight and post them.

Spent a little time this morning doing up a quick rendering of the front of the HT. Still in the planning stages but you can get an idea of what it will look like, although it will change some from this.

http://images14.fotki.com/v386/photos/1/1014235/4430862/HTRenderingFront-vi.png

I am going to add the sound treatments today and start adding the baseboards and other fine detailing (to the rendering and not the real HT). I still have not decided on the carpet yet so the color you see may not be what I go with. I will be using Ascend 340s on stands for my fronts with my center behind the screen (not sure which I will use there yet).

As always comments are appreciated.

John

Here is another image showing one idea for acoustic treatments along the side walls. Basically a wood trimmed frame with inset chamfered panels covered in GOM in a couple different colors

http://images22.fotki.com/v518/photos/1/1014235/4430862/ingFrontwithAcosuticTreatments-vi.png

Please let me know if this would work OK. The entire front wall will be treated with linacoustic with bass traps in the rear corners of the room and corners behind the screen wall.

John

From the perspective of the render you posted I can't tell what you will be doing for your side and rear speakers. I like the panel design in the second render, but it may end up looking odd depending on how the rear/side speaker locations look.

Another view with the soffit rope lighting off and the starfield ceiling on. I may not do a starfield ceiling but I wanted to at least show the wife what it would look like if we do.

http://images21.fotki.com/v515/photos/1/1014235/4430862/AcosuticTreatmentsandStarfield-vi.png

I am running another rendering showing the side and rear speaker placement. And I still need to work on how I want to frame the bass traps in the rear corners. Also, the wife does not like the 2 color look for the acoustical treatments so I will be doing a single color. The next rendering will show coloration based on GOM materials.

John

I've built and installed similar panels (though at a lower height). They have dramatically improved the acoustics of the room.



http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/7aebdcbc04.jpg

Here is another view towards the rear of the room showing speaker locations (Ascend 170s planned)

http://images22.fotki.com/v518/photos/1/1014235/4430862/gRearwithtreatmentsandspeakers-vi.png

You may notice colors changing from render to render as I see what different color combinations look like. I still need to add the bass traps at the rear and frame in the cased opening.

John

Well, I have finaly made some progress since the 14th of Nov. In the last 3 weekends I have managed to get all my ceiling joists done, several electrical circuits completed, all my recessed lights in the main basement area up, my riser 90% complete, my stage almost completed, and a sewage lift station in and partially connected. Here are some photos of my progress

Looking into my future model railroad room
http://images22.fotki.com/v520/photos/1/1014235/4126961/BasementPhotos002-vi.jpg


Looking from railroad room toward main TV area. TV area between windows will be framed out as a built in
http://images21.fotki.com/v632/photos/1/1014235/4126961/BasementPhotos005-vi.jpg

New storage room that still needs ceiling joists
http://images22.fotki.com/v520/photos/1/1014235/4126961/BasementPhotos007-vi.jpg


Riser almost completed with new bathroom in the background. Riser still needs steps down and nosing
http://images22.fotki.com/v520/photos/1/1014235/4126961/BasementPhotos013-vi.jpg


New stage for the HT. Still need to trim the plastic sheeting. Took 750 lbs of sand to fill it
http://images22.fotki.com/v518/photos/1/1014235/4126961/BasementPhotos012-vi.jpg


New sewage lift station. Still need to connect the vent and add the gaskets. This opening is through the future equipment closet and will be vented to this space
http://images21.fotki.com/v515/photos/1/1014235/4126961/BasementPhotos015-vi.jpg


Wife's future scrapbooking area. 8' long with lower and upper cabinetry planned
http://images21.fotki.com/v631/photos/1/1014235/4126961/BasementPhotos008-vi.jpg


New 100A subpanel. Still lots of space left in this.
http://images21.fotki.com/v516/photos/1/1014235/4126961/BasementPhotos001-vi.jpg

Still so much to do. Tomorrow I plan on having all the electrical in the HT done and wired to the panel. I also plan on hanging the recessed lighting in the hall by the bath and the bathroom, plus the bath exhaust fan.

This week I am ordering the stuff to zone off the basement and 1st floor HVAC. If all goes well I will get that all in by next weekend and completed. If I can I will be ready for my rough-in inspection in about 2 weeks.

As always comment are always appreciated.

John

Man, you just got me giddy to get going on my project. You also kind of answered a question I have about how to do soffits -- I LOVE the rendering you provided here on the soffits.

Are yours going to drop down from the ceiling more than those ones in the drawing?

I saw how you framed them, but I'm wondering how they'll compare once it's all finished?

My framer told me he'd frame some soffits for rope lighting and a few cans (your rendering is exactly what I'm looking for -- scary!) for $200. It would take me 4 years to get that done myself unfortunately, and then it would be crooked. Is $200 for soffits, $100 for a riser and $250 for stage/speaker columns seem fair?

Anyway, great thread --- and not that it matters, but I like the feel of your theater length-wise better as well!

My framer told me he'd frame some soffits for rope lighting and a few cans (your rendering is exactly what I'm looking for -- scary!) for $200. It would take me 4 years to get that done myself unfortunately, and then it would be crooked. Is $200 for soffits, $100 for a riser and $250 for stage/speaker columns seem fair?

I actually think that is pretty good but could be better if it includes the cost of sand for the stage and insulation to fill the voids in the riser and soffits :)

Glad you enjoyed the thread so far. I started it way too long ago and never made many updates due to lack of progress. Since my kids are done with sports until next school year I can accomplish a LOT more than I previously could. 2 more weekends and I should be ready for my rough-in inspection.

Yesterday I got all the riser steps completed, and the lights and fan installed in the bathroom. Cutting through my exterior siding was a bit on the nerve wracking side since I did not want to make a mistake. Came out good though. I had to stop early to work on a church rendering for a client. Tonight I will not be doing anything (well maybe just a little bit of wiring) since 24 is on LOL

John

Well, I got all my zone dampers and equipment ordered last night so hopefully it will com in by the weekend and I can begin getting all my HVAC going. If it is not here yet i will still be able to start wiring the HT, equipment closet, bath and wet bar, sewer pump. Tonight I sit down and figure out all my cabling needs and get that ordered as well. Let's see. I think I will need the following:

From equipment closet to PJ (Sanyo PLV-Z4):

- 2 each component
- 1 each HDMI
- 1 each VGA computer connection

From DVD player to receiver (Oppo DV-970HD and Harman Kardon AVR-445)

- 1 each HDMI
- 1 each component
- 1 each optical audio
- 1 each digital audio

From HD cable box to receiver

- 1 each HDMI
- 1 each component
- 1 each digital audio

From receiver to speakers

- 1 each L/C/R
- 1 each LS and RS
- 1 each LRS and RRS
- 1 each out to sub (do I split this for multiple locations?)

Misc to equipment closet

- IR extender
- Coax in to HD cable box

Well I think that is it. I do not have a desire to add a data connection so i am not sure I need anything else. If anyone thinks i missed something let me know. I cam clueless about audio components and connections.

John

I like it! I'm glad you switched the viewing axis. I was quite worried about the amount of throw from the projector to the screen with less than 11' to work with...closer to 6 or 7 given PJ width & SMX Screen with Center Speaker... not to mention viewing from that angle...

I'm curious, are you going to put up any kind of rear stop or wall to keep the berks from being pushed off of the riser (rear)?

Are you planning on using an amplifier?

What kind of LV zoning are you planning on doing with your lights? Are you going to use a Grafik Eye?

I like how you've managed to plan such a large space and keep a decent balance of work amongst all areas. Great idea on letting the WAF see the renders to decide if they agree with the color scheme...I may need to take that in to consideration... :)

nice work!

I'm curious, are you going to put up any kind of rear stop or wall to keep the berks from being pushed off of the riser (rear)?

Yes. There will be a small wall across the rear of the back row with a wood trim piece on top

Are you planning on using an amplifier?

No. I realize that the AVR-445 is only 65W per channel but I believe it will be more than capable, but I am willing to think about others like a Denon or Yamaha

What kind of LV zoning are you planning on doing with your lights? Are you going to use a Grafik Eye?

Zoning will be with a Grafik Eye, which model I am not sure yet. The rendering has changed since I last posted it. I am not doing recessed lights in the soffit now. I will have 4 wall sconces (zone 1), starfield ceiling (zone 2), and rope light in the tray ceiling (zone 3). I do not need more than that nor do I want more than that. Cleaning should be easy enough to do in that lighting.

Thanks for the props on the layout. One thing that has made everything bearable is the fact I can do one thing, then switch to another to prevent burnout. It has made a big difference to me.

John

Time for an update. No new pictures yet but I did get a courtesy inspection today as I am nearing my rough-in inspection. Everything passed the test so far so in a couple weeks I will have my rough-in and will be off to put in insulation. Seems my county offers FREE "field inspections" if requested to help homeowners along with any problems they may be having during renovations. I was not having any issues and really only needed a warm fuzzy but the inspector was very good and answered all my questions without hesitation. She said they never mind making their job easier during the ACTUAL inspection since the field trials do just that. Gotta love a county that does their job the right way.

This weekend I got some more done in the HT. Got all my soffits completed except for light tray and hung all my recessed lighting. Should get that wired in in the next couple days. Also got my front speaker columns partially framed out and will start on the screen wall on Wed (I have some after hours CAD work to accomplish in the next 2 nights). I got in all my wall plates from Parts Express in today and am expecting my delivery of cables and such from Blue Jeans sometime later this week. Never knew cables were so damn expensive. Dropped nearly $500 on just cables and plates. Thursday I am putting in my GFI outlets for the bath and wet bar. Friday night is family night. Sat is running cables to PJ and equipment closet and misc other items. Not sure what Sunday holds but I am sure I will be busy :cool: .

That is all.

John

More progress today. Got all my HT recessed lighting wired with only the run to the panel left. I need to stop by home depot and pick up a couple dimmers for the room. My wife also decided she did not want a starfield ceiling (which is fine with me since it is not necessary anyway) so that is some money saved. I also decided not to do a Grafik Eye. The money saved there will pay for my surrounds (Axioms) so I consider it a plus. That is about it for now. I'll post some progress pics soon.

John

Can I make a suggestion? That instead of getting dimmers from HD, that you order insteon dimmers. They are only a few bucks more and that gives you some potential options with creating scenes later on.

Cathan,

I bought the dimmers from HD today since I did not have the time to wait. I have a single 60w bulb in a 600SF space so I needed light to work. I considered using normal switches but once I get the HT done and start to consider scenes I will remove the Lutrons and replace them with Insteons. I will move the old dimmers upstairs to a couple of the rooms on the 1st floor. I appreciate the suggestions though.

John

Have you used the Insteons - how do they compare to Lutron Maestro?

how do they compare to Lutron Maestro?

I would assume you mean the Maestro IR. I am using the regular Maestros (5 total in the basement) now and I love them. I can only imaging the IR version is as nice. I would think since I have not even considered them that you would need line of sight for the IR remote to work on them whereas the Insteons are RF. I really do not want to have to point my remote at the switch to operate it once I get a bit more automated and but my universal remote (probably Harmony 890 since it is both IR and RF)

John

John -

As I'm working on the house, I keep a few "normal" lutron switches on hand to use when I'm upgrading the room's switches and plugs. Then at some later point I order a few more Insteon switches when they have a sale or offer free shipping.

I'm still waiting for the mto release the RF control module that will allow me to use my harmony 880. Right now my remote is my wife who sits closest to the tv rooms keypad. This remote can get a bit cranky at times if I tinker too much with the lights, so definately looking to upgrade to the 880. ;)

Anywho, it must be a great feeling for you to be at the final stages of the build.

Just don't upgrade your remote or there will be hell to pay :D I wish I was at the final stages of the build. I haven't reached my rough-in inspection point yet. But I will be having it before Easter so that is a big step.

I did make some more progress last night. Got my HT lights all wired to the panel and lights put in them. Sure is nice to have some working light now. It was getting hard with a single 60W to see anything and buying work lights seemed like a waste of money. It is only the 6 recessed lamps now but tonight it will be the 4 sconces as well. Here is my list to accomplish tomorrow:

o Finish framing on speaker columns and screen wall
o Frame out equipment rack
o Frame out PJ mount
o Install conduit to PJ
o Install cables to PJ
o Install all speaker cables and wall plates in HT and equipment rack
o Install all outlets and wire to panel

Pretty ambitious but I am pretty sure I can get it done. I am getting a LOT of support from the wife recently as she is starting to see things happening.

I also have the plan to finish everything by Father's Day (although carpet may not be in yet due to funding). My sister and her hubby are coming through for a couple days on their way to Florida. A comment had been made by one of them or their friends ( I don't remember who LOL) about why I was going with a PJ instead of a big screen TV. They seemed to think that I was making a mistake doing so and I am now on a mission to make them eat their words :rolleyes: I was all in jest from them but you get the point. Should be fun considering I have to finish rough-in, do all the insulation, rock, tape, mud, paint trim, install all bath fixtures, add all cabinets, and trim out. My wife suggested that once I finish sheetrock in the whole basement I get the HT side of the stairs completely finished and work at a more leisurely pace to finish off the the rest of the basement. It should work since all the dusty mess will be gone and I can get my equipment installed.

John

Okay I take it back. You really are no where near done. At least you are making significant progress though. Unlike some of us who are still stuck in the "get other crap done before I'm allowed to start" mode.

Yes, and make them eat glorius hi-def, front projection dust!!

Well,

It has been some time since I posted to my thread as there has not been to awful much to report. I am glad to say I am back on track after a stopping all work in March and am going full speed ahead. I never would have finished by Father's Day like I though I would. But I am working again so work will continue at a steady pace until complete.

http://images28.fotki.com/v964/photos/1/1014235/4138264/IMG_3568-vi.jpg

Looking into the HT from the entry. Far wall will be screen wall.

http://images28.fotki.com/v964/photos/1/1014235/4138264/IMG_3569-vi.jpg

Looking out of HT from screen wall. I will have 2 of the sconces on the back wall on the side wall next to the seating position

http://images27.fotki.com/v967/photos/1/1014235/4138264/IMG_3571-vi.jpg

Looking into the equipment closet. You can see the PJ cables hanging down from above and the 7.1 wall plates on the right.

http://images25.fotki.com/v955/photos/1/1014235/4138264/IMG_3576-vi.jpg

I made a small change to the plan since I last posted it. I had originally planned on making this area a small wet bar with some cabinetry against the far wall but decided ot make a small bar area instead. I am planning on a beer fridge below the countertop. My wife picked out these pendants today so I put them up to give me some more light.

http://images25.fotki.com/v953/photos/1/1014235/4138264/IMG_3574-vi.jpg

Here is where I am going to place a small bar sink. It was going to be a closet but I wanted to get the sink off the bar area and my wife suggested using this space. I like the idea so I went with it. Will be a sink with one cabinet above.

I will post some more photos as I take them. Now that I am moving again I will have a lot more to take in the near future.

Here is a quick draft of the future bar area. I am just trying to get a feel for how it will look space wise. A pub table will be going on the right side of the bar and I need to figure out some shelving and such behind the bar yet.

http://images114.fotki.com/v970/photos/1/1014235/4430862/Bar73007-vi.jpg

Any ideas on shelving behind feel free to comment. I thought about some shelves on each side and along the top with a spot for a TV in the middle or maybe some posters and a TV. Still undecided.

John

Life is good:cool:. I passed my rough-in today without a single hitch. I have now been given the go ahead for insualting the basement during which time I will be doing my acoustic treatments in the HT. It sure is nice actually having home inspectors that are knowledgable and cooperative at the same time. The inspector I had was wonderful and she took the time to talk to me about any questions I had. She was in and out in less than 20 minutes. She did have a couple questions but was fine with the answers I gave here as to why something was done the way it was.

I also need to tie in my HVAC flex to the main trunk which is on the schedule for this weekend. It is damn hot in the basement without any HVAC at all and 100+ each day for the last 3 weeks. I'll be glad to get the insulation up and the ducts ties in so I can get some AC going down there. Last weekend I got my zone control panel wired in so all I have to do is install my zone dampers and connect the wires and I will be golden.

Keep checking back as pictures will be forthcoming in the next few days after I make some more progress.

John

Well, work has been progressing on my basement/HT conversion. Having passed my rough in a couple weeks ago I got started on insulation. I have about 1/2 the basement completed but need to take pictures of what I have done tonight. At lunch today I did some more sketching of my plan for the bar area as shown below. Still a work in progress but getting there. There will be a sitting bar along the front with a few lights (not shown). Also will have a counter top along the back with shelving and under cabinet lighting. The large open space in the middle will be tiled with tumbled marble of similar. At the lower left will be a 12" drawer cabinet alongside a beverage cooler. Next to that will be a home made kegerator to hold (2)5 gallon cornie kegs with a double tap tower center in the large open area I was not sure the wife was going to approve of that idea but she gave me the thumbs up. I plan on making my own beer just so you know.
http://images27.fotki.com/v985/photos/1/1014235/4430862/entRenovationtestRenderBarArea-vi.jpg

I will take some photos of my insulation progress tonight after dinner and post them. As always comment and criticisms are appreciated.

Some damn nice renders John. Post more and a price list for others to pay you to have concept renders done up for them! You'll be able to fund the rest of your theater!

Well I finally completed (or will tonight after I get the last sheet of foam up) all of my insulation stuff (including stuffing my soffits full of pink stuff). It took me 2 weekends ,41 rolls of R-13 and 7 sheets of R-10 foam to get it completed. I will schedule my insulation inspection for Thursday so if I pass, which I doubt I will have trouble with, I can get on to sheetrocking the walls. Only one inspection left once this one is done and that is the final. I was already amazed what that much insulation can do with sound in an otherwise bare room. It was a bit of an echo chamber before with block walls and concrete floor but all that pink stuff really quieted things up.

The plan is to order 125 sheets for delivery on Saturday. Not sure where I am going to put it all yet as the garage is taken up with vehicles. I may have to get the ceiling of one room completed so I can stack the rest in that room as I finish the remainder of the spaces.

I still have not taken any pictures but need to so hopefully I can get some some taken tonight after I clean things up a bit and get rid of a lot of junk.

John

Thanks Tachyon. They are nowhere near complete and I am finding it increasingly difficult to get time to work on them but it really doesn't matter anyway. The wife has already approved the look based on the test renders so I am golden in that respect.

I do not do renders for money for things like this as what I charge is probably beyond what most people here would be willing to pay and I simply do not have the time to do them, although my wife would say I should make time. Part of the problem in doing this stuff for money is the time it takes (or money it costs) to get all the small things you see in the renders completed. I should spend some time making some different styles of theater seating, wall sconces, and other small things that I see in the photos on this site. It does not take long to make something custom, but when there are so many little things in each room it can be a bit challenging. If I finally get around to making a library of most often used items it will make things go quite quickly. Materials is another thing to get right. I do not like my rendering to look flat and making good materials can be challenging as well. I will probably spend some money in the near future to start getting some good ones such as floorings and carpets so I do not have to spend too much time on custom looks.

Here are a few shots of a something we did here at work of a water treatment facility in Santiago, Chile. Still only basic materials but I thought it conveyed the design nicely.

http://images28.fotki.com/v1032/photos/1/1014235/4430862/VertederoRendering-vi.jpg

Overall view of the facility

http://images29.fotki.com/v321/photos/1/1014235/4430862/CutawayviewofDAF4withplates-vi.jpg

Cutaway view of the initial design

http://images29.fotki.com/v1035/photos/1/1014235/4430862/hResChileRenderingColorTopView-vi.jpg

Top down view



John

You definitely have a gift! I understand the time portion, but like you said, if you create a 'warehouse' of basic elements, then your completion time (and effort) should go down per client. Hey, maybe something you can do in your off time (like we all have offtime :D)

Looking forward to more pics? I'm getting impatient with mine, since I can't cut anything till winter. (Still have winter prep projects to complete)

Tachyon,

I hope you guys don't get hammered with snow like you did last year. It made me glad I was not there. My buddies at the Academy said there was feet of snow everywhere and they could not even get out to their offices out in Jack's Valley for a couple weeks. I bet Monument Hill was a bear during that time. My last few months in the AF I was living at the campground over there in Monument but that was during the summer so I did not have to deal with the snow. The 2 years I was stationed there it really didn't snow too much so we got lucky.

John

Tachyon,

I hope you guys don't get hammered with snow like you did last year. It made me glad I was not there. My buddies at the Academy said there was feet of snow everywhere and they could not even get out to their offices out in Jack's Valley for a couple weeks. I bet Monument Hill was a bear during that time. My last few months in the AF I was living at the campground over there in Monument but that was during the summer so I did not have to deal with the snow. The 2 years I was stationed there it really didn't snow too much so we got lucky.

John

Yeah last year was interesting. All the guys at work said it was the worse snow they seen in 20+ years.

Here's some links:

October Blizzard:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IGBeKCXxWM8

December Blizzard:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OMzR086bxN8

Playing with the dog after Dec. Blizzard stopped:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p-nr7Az1tDY

After these two, we pretty much got a blizzard a weekend till middle of January. So I stopped filming them =P

Damn that is a lot of snow. I did not realize it was that windy during that time. Looks like the dog was having fun though.

John

Here is a quick draft of the future bar area. I am just trying to get a feel for how it will look space wise. A pub table will be going on the right side of the bar and I need to figure out some shelving and such behind the bar yet.

http://images114.fotki.com/v970/photos/1/1014235/4430862/Bar73007-vi.jpg

Any ideas on shelving behind feel free to comment. I thought about some shelves on each side and along the top with a spot for a TV in the middle or maybe some posters and a TV. Still undecided.

John

What are your setting on this daytime render
1.decay
2.samples per pixel
3.max # of photons per sample
4.average GI photons per light

thanx

Angela,

I am using Autocad 2008 and 3D Studio Viz 2008 with V-Ray render plug-in from Chaos. It does not quite work the same as what you are using, which may be Mental Ray. V-Ray uses a totally different method of computing GI (global illumination) than mental ray does. I am basically using a physically correct sun and sky model that allows me to use a physically correct camera for my renders. I can use this camera just as I would a normal SLR, setting f-stop, shutter speed, ISO, etc. I can also add bokeh effects, depth of field, and vignetting all within the renderer without the need for an external source. I an also use HDRI images to add lighting to the scene once I delve into that portion of the software.

The setting I use are low irradiance map for my primary light bounces. lightcache at 250 for my secondary bounces, and gamma corrected color mapping. The low settings are responsible for the noise you see in some of the cabinetry and corners of shelving and some splotchiness on the walls and ceiling. I can raise my settings to get rid of this but render times go up. That render took about 2 minutes to render, plus or minus. Once I get things in shape and materials correct I will raise all my settings and render out to high resolution and it will me markedly better.

I am still trying to learn the software (V-Ray that is as I am fluent in the other 2) so my output is not as nice as I would like until I build up a good material library.

John

Well, I passed my insulation inspection so I have started on my gypboard. My inlaws are visiting from Ohio so my father in law wanted to help me over the weekend so we went to the store and ordered the majority of what we needed for the basement. On Sat and Sun we put up 2 layers on the ceiling and walls. No GG as I could not justify the additional expense. I caulked the seams on layer one. I still have to do the soffits to be done with the gypboard in the HT room. After that I will move out to the hallway and into the bathroom.

Once I finish the second layer and get it taped and mudded I will take some photos. The basement is a mess right now so I need to clean up a bit first as well. I defintely need to get better at taking photos.

The drywall lift I bought from Gonzo worked like a charm and I can not imagine not having it for the ceiling. Thanks Gonzo.

I have also been working out some details for my column design. I have some sconces I bought at HD that look like the ones Chirpie has on his wall and I started thinking that I want them enclosed in a column. It will also allow me to enclose my surrounds as well. Tomorrow I will draw up a quick 3d model to see what folks think.

John

Hey all,

Here is an attempt at my wall panel layout. The colors will be darker than those shown. Under the lower dark grey and red panels will be Knauf duct board which seems similar to Linacoustic. The grey will be scrim on the face and the red at the rear face. The upper grey will be just fabric over furring.

http://images30.fotki.com/v471/photos/1/1014235/4135559/wallpanelandcolumnlayout-vi.png

The columns are designed to take advantage of of some sconces I have that are the same as what Chirpie used in his theater. I did not want them to be flush with the wall and felt I needed to incorporate them into a column. They are brushed nickel with an arced front and may be a bit shiny so I may have to paint them. The front column will be just the light and stuffed with insulation. The rear column will be the same but will house my surrounds (Ascend HTM-200). The center of all the columns will be speaker grill cloth similar to Ronnie Jackson's but are straight up with a slight arc to the front to match the sconces. All trim will be stained wood, color yet to be determined.

Please let me know what you think.

John

The drywall lift I bought from Gonzo worked like a charm and I can not imagine not having it for the ceiling. Thanks Gonzo.


You are welcome. I am glad it worked out well. I really like the wall/column design!

Thanks Gonzo. I like the columns but I am still not set on the color though. I got my GOM samples and they are the same as SandmanX. I like the colors but I am having difficulty finding carpet I like to go with the colors. I ordered more samples from GOM in greens and blues to see how I like them. Red is a hard color to match carpet to unless it is black carpet and I am NOT going there. I told my wife I would ATTEMPT to color coordinate the HT with the remainder of the basement as long as I can go dark (the basement will be in a sage and tan scheme). As soon as the GOM samples come in I can get a better feel for what colors will look good. I saw one HT that I liked the green colors in (I believe it was CptnRandy) that looked really good. If I can not stay with the red/black combo due to carpet color limits I will change to a green/tan/black scheme. Still undecided obviously.

John

Well I decided that the black /red theme was NOT what I wanted. I was reading through Craig's Reedzone theater thread and loved his use of some fabric on the walls other than GOM and it got me thinking. I went directly over to Hancock fabrics just down the road from me at lunch the other day and found several materials I liked but none of them seemed quite right. I decided to take my wife over there that same evening and we finally found something we can both agree on. And I got it at 50% off :) which was a BIG savings


http://images30.fotki.com/v44/photos/1/1014235/4138265/HTcolorchoices-vi.jpg

I like the look of this combination. The black below is GOM Onyx, and the pattern above I don't remember the name of of the top of my head. I can find out when I get home. The had several variations of the diamond pattern, which were all the same except for the background between the diamonds. This one is dark blue, but under low light looks black. The other choices were a sage green, brown and reddish color. I thought they were all a bit too bright for my taste. The black GOM will be going on the lower 3'-6" of wall and the pattern on the top 4'-6". I will break the separation with stained trim work horizontally and also add a couple breaks vertically to give a paneled look similar to this with combination speaker/sconce columns.

http://images115.fotki.com/v664/photos/1/1014235/4138265/depanellayoutforHTwithdiamonds-vi.png

Please let me know what you think, good or bad.

I think it looks great, though I wouldn't go with the vertical trim pieces.

Miltimj,

So you think it would look better like this versus the one above?

http://images30.fotki.com/v1037/photos/1/1014235/4138265/layoutforHTwithdiamondsoption2-vi.png

I like both looks. So is that fabric fire rated that you choose from hancock fabric

Unfortunately not. I will have to treat it.

Whats the product you plan to use? I mite have to take a trip into hancock and see what they have

Craig put me on to the No Burn product. They have a series of videos showing how well it works located here http://www.noburn.com/video.asp

Looks really good.

John

I stopped into Hancock tonight and saw about 3 different fabrics that would really look nice in my theater. Ya the No-Burn stuff looks like it will work great and its non toxic to boot :)

Well, it has been a couple months since I posted (or spent more than about 5 minutes on the forums) last and I thought I would update my thread with some recent photos. I have not really done anything in the HT for a while not as I have been working on the remainder of the basement. I finally got all of my drywall up minus a small partial strip and a spot in the wall between the HT and the main room and actually got my first layer of mud up this weekend. I ran out of mud this morning so I am calling it quits for the remainder of the holiday and am heading down to FL to visit relatives on Wed.

Here is a shot down and back up the stairs to the basement. My wife is doing the colors in everything but the HT and so far I like what she has done. The goldish yellow color looks great and will surely look better once carpet comes in. The door at the top was a plain hollow core 6 panel that my wife thought would look better as a glass door. I have to agree. I will be adding some rope lights along the top of the baseboards to give the stair a nice glow.

http://images33.fotki.com/v1070/photos/1/1014235/4138265/asementRenovationasof122407002-vi.jpg

http://images34.fotki.com/v1076/photos/1/1014235/4138265/asementRenovationasof122407008-vi.jpg

This one is looking onto my future model railroad room. My mudding leave a bit to be desired. The purple drywall is moisture resistant to appease my wife since we had some efflourescence through that wall.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1076/photos/1/1014235/4138265/asementRenovationasof122407003-vi.jpg

Looking back out from the future train room into the main basement. TV viewing area is to the left in the indent.

http://images31.fotki.com/v1056/photos/1/1014235/4138265/asementRenovationasof122407004-vi.jpg

Future bar area. Still some trimming up to do here and getting the bar wall completed. That will happen after the sheetrock is done. Some nice pendants will hang over the bar and a small pub table will be located at the right between the bar and the wall.

http://images33.fotki.com/v1068/photos/1/1014235/4138265/asementRenovationasof122407005-vi.jpg

That is about all there is to show right. As soon as Christmas is over I will be back in the basement and finishing up the mudding. Once mudding is complete I will prime everything and paint the ceiling in the main room. Then I am back onto the HT and start with furring for the linacoustic.

Comments, positive or negative, are appreciated.

John

Ahhhhh progress. t is really coming together. I caught a glimpse of my baby in one of those pictures. I hope she has served you well. Isn't it funny that when we get to the drywall stage, there are no posts for 2 months. You will be amazed at the difference once you get it primed and painted. Keep your nose to the grindstone:)

Gonzo,

Why yes your "baby" has served me quite well. It is amazing how much work that thing saved me. I sheetrocked the whole space (136 sheets) by myself with some help getting the sheets on the lift by my boys. I can not imaging having to do it with T bars.

I already see a difference even without the prime and paint. But I need to replace some bulbs in the cans. All the banging and such has blown nearly half of them LOL

John


BTW If anyone is in the market for a sheetrock lift and lives within a couple hours of Charlotte, NC give me a PM. Cheap and works well. I got it from Gonzo a few months ago and it works flawlessly.

Well I made some progress on the bar area today. I got the wall youy see in the previous post sheeted, all my cabinets installed, plywood layer for the tile and hardwood upper bar in. There will be 3 high chairs at the front of the bar and a small pub table in the space between the bar and the wall on the right in the first photo. Tomorrow I am back to mudding the ceiling in the whole basement (2nd coat) and finish coat in the bathroom.

A shot from the bottom of the basement stairs
http://images32.fotki.com/v1092/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_8633001-vi.jpg
A shot from the TV area
http://images34.fotki.com/v1082/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_8634002-vi.jpg
Backside of the bar. Still need to install the filler piece ath the left of the cabinets and the space between the sheetorck walls will be a hardwood ledge with shelving above.
http://images110.fotki.com/v556/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_8635003-vi.jpg
Another shot from behind.
http://images110.fotki.com/v1112/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_8636004-vi.jpg

Let me know what you think.

No pictures to day since there is really nothing new to take a picture of but I did want to say one thing: mudding TRULY SUCKS. I have never felt like something would never get finished in my life but this is absurd. I did finish my second coat on everything but a small hall last night and tonight I plan on finishing that and sanding tomorrow night.

I can tell you for sure that if I ever build another HT (likely when I move in 5 years or so) I will hire out the mudding. It might be different if I was only working on a 300SF HT but 1400SF of sheetrock is a DAMN LOT!

Sorry about that. Had to vent. It does suck though and my shoulder is killing me. I should have probably cleared out the space first so I was not moving the ladder around the junk on the floors and scraps of sheetrock. I am not sure how Bud managed it. He had a lot to do too.

John

[Insert violin music] Alright, John, it is time to toughen up and fight through this last stretch. It is the hardest, but you will come out a better man. Sure, some wimpy guys hire out the mudding, but the truely hardcore, buff, and good-looking HT enthusiasts do their own drywall work.







I will be hiring out my drywall work next time too;)

[Insert violin music] Alright, John, it is time to toughen up and fight through this last stretch. It is the hardest, but you will come out a better man. Sure, some wimpy guys hire out the mudding, but the truely hardcore, buff, and good-looking HT enthusiasts do their own drywall work.

I will be hiring out my drywall work next time too;)

Gonzo,

I am not sure I will come out a better man, just a tired one. I may be getting too picky. I have seen bad drywall work before and I'll be damned if it happens to me. I also put it up a bit thick in the 1st coat and have a good bit of sanding to do. Trial and error I guess. Second coat went on a lot easier and smoother than the 1st.

I may need to thin my compound a bit since I am using the Sheetrock 90 with dust control and it is a bit thick. Fine for the 1st 2 coats but I am assuming that a thinner mix is preferred for the top coat. I need to figure out how much water to add to it. I never realized how much good the dust control portion of it does. I really have no problem with airborne dust but my floor is a freaking mess LOL

John

Gonzo,

I may need to thin my compound a bit since I am using the Sheetrock 90 with dust control and it is a bit thick. Fine for the 1st 2 coats but I am assuming that a thinner mix is preferred for the top coat. I need to figure out how much water to add to it. I never realized how much good the dust control portion of it does. I really have no problem with airborne dust but my floor is a freaking mess LOL

John

Absolutely thin it some. Drywall compound out of the bucket is way too thick. You will be amazed at how much easier it is to apply once it is thinned.

If you have not watched these videos, take a look at them:
http://www.drywallschool.com/videos.htm

Gonzo,

How much water should I add to thin it?. I do not want to add too much.

John

I would just mix a little water in at a time until the consistency was right. I would just mix the top 3-4 inches so that if I got it too thin I could mix deeper to thicken it back up. It takes a little practice to see how thin it should be. There were definitely times when I made it too thin, but it still worked better than too thick. Watch the first video in the link above, it shows a pro mixing some mud.

[Insert violin music] Alright, John, it is time to toughen up and fight through this last stretch. It is the hardest, but you will come out a better man. Sure, some wimpy guys hire out the mudding, but the truely hardcore, buff, and good-looking HT enthusiasts do their own drywall work.







I will be hiring out my drywall work next time too;)

In this situation, I'm glad to admit that I'm a wimp.... I'm also proud to admit that I know my limits for patience :)

I am going to run by Big Blue tonight and pick up a mixing paddle and see how things go. I did watch the videos and he made me sick :) I love and hate watching a pro work.

I am also picking up a piece of 3/4 MDF and a drawer glide and possibly work on my DIY anamorphic lens. I got the prisms recently (less than $90) and want to test them out tonight. If I get the chance I will post some pictures of what I get done.

John

I am going to run by Big Blue tonight and pick up a mixing paddle and see how things go. I did watch the videos and he made me sick :) I love and hate watching a pro work.

I am also picking up a piece of 3/4 MDF and a drawer glide and possibly work on my DIY anamorphic lens. I got the prisms recently (less than $90) and want to test them out tonight. If I get the chance I will post some pictures of what I get done.

John

Did you get the prisms locally?

Yes I did. I do not remember the name of the place but I have their card at work so I will post it tomorrow. I did not take any pics tonight but I did make a temporary prism case that turns out to be too small. I need to make another one about 2 inches longer front to back.

Testing on my anamorphic lens currently under construction went well though. I was just projecting on my living room wall (dark beige) just to get a feel of what it would be like. It only toom about 1 minute to set up the prisms. The picture was simply amazing. I was not sure what to expect but it surpassed all my expectations. I can only imaging what a nice Isco lens could produce.

I did however lose a little bit of focus but not so much it was an issue. I put in the Cars DVD to test it out. I was also projecting a 480P image with no scaling (old DVD player since I have not purchased any new equipment yet) so HD material will look much better. There were some stray reflections out the sides of the prisms but some electrical tape can take care of that. I did not notice any CA but I am really not sure if it was there or not. There was also some pincushioning but that is to be expected in my temporary test and the real setup will eliminate that.

But I was in awe of the overall image. Especially since I spent so little. When my wife came in I showed her what the lens did and she said WOW. I guess that means she liked the picture. I never realized what a 10' scope screen would look like, and even 16:9 material (XBOX 360) without the lens was plenty large enough for my kids. Turns out they get a screen big enough that they enjoy it and I get a BIGGER movie experience. hard to believe I almost didn't go through with it and stay with 16:9.

John

John,

Thanks! Would love to get a hold of those prisms as I am not too far from you.

Bob

Well,

I got another layer of mud up in the basement tonight and this past Sunday. That makes the last layer. I'll really be glad when this part is over. I did not take any photos since mud is mud. Old photos will have to do. Mudding sucks BTW. I know I said it before but it really does.

I did however take a couple photos of my DIY anamorphic lens in progress. I still have not decided on going 2.35 yet so I purchased a couple prisms and thought I would give a DIY lens a try to see how I like it. Mind you, I am still projeting on my living room wall (dark beige) right now since the basement is not in any condition for equipment. The lens is just mocked up in front of the PJ for now.

My lens is still a work in progress. I made the initial housing before I mocked up the prisms so it is shorter than it need to be. Once I am satisfied with the overall geometry I will make a final housing out of 3/4" MDF and finish it nicely.

Here is a shot of the front of the lens
http://images32.fotki.com/v1107/photos/1/1014235/4182781/IMG_8719004-vi.jpg

From the side
http://images33.fotki.com/v1069/photos/1/1014235/4182781/IMG_8718003-vi.jpg

A screen shot
http://images32.fotki.com/v1091/photos/1/1014235/4182781/IMG_8720005-vi.jpg

Sorry the pics are dark. I did not feel like getting the tripod out. Looks good so far. Even with SD DVDs with no upscaling, which is what is shown here. Some pincushion and keystone issues visible but with a mockup not bad at all. Once I get it in place permanently it may go away since my throw will be 17'. Screen shot is only 8' wide. My final screen will be 9'-6".

Let me know what you think.

John,

Thanks! Would love to get a hold of those prisms as I am not too far from you.

Bob


Dark,

I got my prisms from Thunder Road Brandworks in Charlotte. Talk to Richard

Website is here (http://www.thunderroadbrandworks.com/under_intro.html)

Cost was $97 including shipping to my house.

John

I did up a quick column render a few minutes ago to see how my design looks. I am building one similar to Ronnie Jackson but not arched. I needed a way to enclose a sconce within the column as well as hide the surrounds (Ascend HTM-200SE). The sconces actually have 9 square openings in them with frosted glass behind but I did not feel like modeling them this afternoon.

Here is a front view
http://images31.fotki.com/v1095/photos/1/1014235/4430862/columnrenderfrontleft-vi.png

Above and below the sconce will be a speaker fabric covered frame which should tie in nicely to my black lower walls.

Let me know what you think.

John

I spent some time this afternoon adding columns and such to my HT render. I still need to take a photo of the wall fabric and make a texture and add it to the walls but It is looking decent.

Here is a view from the rear just under the soffit from the PJ location.

http://images31.fotki.com/v1094/photos/1/1014235/4430862/nderModel12308viewtowardsfront-vi.png

And here is what I will see from the front center seat

http://images32.fotki.com/v1048/photos/1/1014235/4430862/Sweetseatview-vi.png

Still a work in progress while I finish up taping and mudding. I should be priming by Wed. of next week and painting the following weekend. Then I will be laying laminate in all the areas except the HT. Once laminate and carpet in the HT is down I will make the columns and get the fabric on the walls.

Home stretch baby!

John

New renders look great. You have such a talent. Have you considered going darker in the carpet?

Your columns are similar to mine, except the speaker (also used HTM-200s) and sconce locations are flipped. And I was less ambitious with wood working (more realistic to my skill level). Here is one under construction, showing velumn paper instead of frosted glass (we are economizing since I have to sell my house):
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u129/dc_pilgrim/testy.jpg
And fabric wrapped pending the sconce work (I messed up my frame sizes and have to re-do).
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u129/dc_pilgrim/thatsawrap.jpg
Here is another with fabric wrapped.

Dave,

The carpet will be darker. I threw a lighter carpet in the renders for more bounced light so I did not have to crank up the lighting settings. Once I am ready to render out finals I will put the proper carpet color (dark blue or dark green) color and make new ones.

Here is the carpet/wall fabric color combination my wife and I both like. Black fabric on bottom, wood rail between colors and as trim top and bottom of wall. Diamond pattern on upper wall.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1081/photos/1/1014235/4138265/HTcolorchoices-vi.jpg

Your sconces look good to. How do you like your HTM-200s? I am really looking forward to getting the speakers (340s LCR, and 200s on side and rear surrounds). About 2 months from purchasing them.

John

I have 5 HTM-200's - they are pretty solid. My plan was to move two to the back when the budget improved after the build, then upgrade the LCR's. I haven't done much critical listening since its a war zone. Just bad radio music while I work (I like to listen to teenage music while I work because it creates a mental association with the time frame I did a project - - this started on an old project when I had limited reception - - I am a bit embarrassed by this, but its better than my carpenters who listened to soft rock).

I like the colors and fabrics.

Dave,

Glad to hear it. I am tossing around the idea of not getting the 340s and going with 170s for LCR. I read some reviews today and given that this room is only 11' wide and 19' long 340s may be overkill. 170s would be quite a bit easier on the budget as well.

Funny you should mention music. My music of choice for construction is classic rock, especially groups like Boston and Rush. Sometimes I actually listen to stuff like the Cure and even have gone as far as listening to Debbie Gibson LOL Man I am showing my age and era.

John

Here are a couple updated renders showing a basic material on the walls. I did not take a photo of the real fabric last night so I spent 5 minutes and made a JPEG material and applied it to the wall

Here is looking down the HT again with the material on the wall

http://images29.fotki.com/v321/photos/1/1014235/4430862/_RENDER2-vi.png

An another shot looking at the wall.

http://images31.fotki.com/v1051/photos/1/1014235/4430862/_RENDER1-vi.png

The real material looks a lot better in person than my fake material does but you get the idea.

Well, yesterday was a productive day. I finally finished mudding (only some minor sanding in the hallway) and got my primer up in the whole basement other than the small hallway. The wife and I did 2 coats on walls and ceilings in about 5 hours (my 5 yo daughter painted the bar fronts so she could help us). I used one of those Wooster double length rollers and it made a world of difference in time to get the coats on. Tomorrow I will finihs sanding the hallway and Thursday I will finish primer and move on to paint.

Here are a couple shots into the model railroad/wrestling room

http://images32.fotki.com/v1092/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9073001-vi.jpg

Looking toward the bar and TV viewing area on the left

http://images33.fotki.com/v1116/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9075003-vi.jpg
http://images32.fotki.com/v1088/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9076004-vi.jpg

TV area

http://images31.fotki.com/v1099/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9081009-vi.jpg

TV area from bar

http://images32.fotki.com/v1106/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9082010-vi.jpg

Bar area

http://images33.fotki.com/v1120/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9077005-vi.jpg

Into the full bath

http://images35.fotki.com/v1131/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9078006-vi.jpg
http://images35.fotki.com/v1130/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9079007-vi.jpg

And the bathroom floor

http://images34.fotki.com/v1122/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9080008-vi.jpg

There are a couple areas on the ceiling that I need to touch up but overall I am very pleased with it. You may be able to see some joints on the ceiling in the photos that only appear under flash. In normal viewing I can not see them so it may be some minor shadowing. If I can't see them without flash I am not worried about them.

Also, my wife and In decided on laminate throughout except the HT. We are going with the Lumber Liquidators Nirvana V3. It has bevels on each side and comes in 3" wide planks. It will take a little longer to install but the look will be worth the extra time.

Here is what we chose

http://images34.fotki.com/v1122/photos/1/1014235/4138265/Laminateflooringchoice-vi.jpg

Let me know what you think. This weekend comes paint on the ceiling and we will probably start on the walls. Colors will be a tan wall, with the laminate floors, cabinetry will be yellow/gold like the stairwell, bar front beadboard will be barn red, shelving behind bar will be white, bar stools and bar rail/top will be ebony stained and epoxied/polyed, and all trim will be gloss white. My wife is also considering a denim sofa. Should make for a rather interesting color palette.

More to follow.

John

Well it has been almost a month since I last posted anything so here are some updates. I have still not done anything in the theater room since I have been focusing my efforts on the rest of the basement. I did a knockdown texture on the ceiling but do not have a photo of that but I did take several others a few minutes ago.

This is looking into my future model railroad room. The panel on the wall you see is a 100A subpanel that feeds the whole basement

http://images34.fotki.com/v1126/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9221001-vi.jpg

This is the TV viewing area. We will have a flat screen eventually but until we get one we will have a large entertainment center with a 36" CRT. The entertainment center will be a barn red color you will see in a couple photos later. Notice the building permit in the lower part of the window :D

http://images35.fotki.com/v1132/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9222002-vi.jpg

Future scrapbooking area for my wife. There will be white cabinetry bottom and top with some shelving in the middle for cloth line baskets. This area is a yellow color that blends nicely with the tan in the rest of the basement space

http://images31.fotki.com/v1084/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9224003-vi.jpg

Shot of the bar area. The bar on the left will be beadboard front that is the red you see in the photo. Top will be stained hardwood and poly with slate behind the bar. The red wall you see is the location of a future stainless utility sink and cabinet above

http://images31.fotki.com/v1096/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9225004-vi.jpg

Another shot of the bar. Tomorrow I will be putting up the beadboard all around and getting that painted.

http://images32.fotki.com/v1104/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9226005-vi.jpg

Looking toward the theater room, 2nd opening on right. Sewer drain in alcove to be covered with fake ticket booth panel. Bath on left and utility sink in left alcove

http://images34.fotki.com/v1122/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9227006-vi.jpg

Utility sink alcove. Wife wanted some contrasting color and chose this red. I really do like it. Should look good with the stainless sink.

http://images31.fotki.com/v1087/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9228007-vi.jpg

Full bath. All that needs to be done is appliances installed and caulking

http://images17.fotki.com/v322/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9229008-vi.jpg

Well that is it for now. Some time this week I will be heading to Lumber Liquidators and picking up my flooring so next weekend I will be laying down about 1000 sf of 3" plank laminate. OMG that will be a long weekend.

Comments as always are appreciated.

John

Looks like you got a lot done. You'll be done before you know it!!

Great work John. Hurry up and get all the "extra" stuff done so you can get into the theater!

Getting there slowly but surely. Did some more today. Got my windows all cased and trimmed and got beadboard on the bar vertical surfaces. Painted the bar the same color as the utility sink area. I think it looks pretty good. I will have all white baseboard around. Bar looks streaky but it was still wet in a lot of places.

http://images31.fotki.com/v1098/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9230001-vi.jpg

Tomorrow night my sons have their post season wrestling party so no work tomorrow night. Tuesday I am heading off to Lumber Liquidators to get my flooring, shown below

http://images34.fotki.com/v1122/photos/1/1014235/4138265/Laminateflooringchoice-vi.jpg

I start installation on Thursday night hopefully and plan on finishing by Sunday if all goes well. I will be mopping the floors on Wed in preparation.

John

Due to the bathroom not being done and the bar not completed yet I decided not to install the laminate flooring until both were done. I will post pictures tonight but I am glad to say that the bathroom is complete and functional. I can finally go without having to go upstairs which is a huge step. So my plan for the next few days is the bar area :

10 Mar - file taxes and maybe some basement work
11 Mar - pick up and lay tile behind the bar area on floor and counter
12 Mar - grout tile behind the bar area
13 Mar - put hardwood on bar top and install beverage center
14 Mar - stain bar top and cabinets and do some trim work
15 Mar - do finishing on bar and cabinets

Hope it goes as planned.

John

Unless you're on a required timeline, I'd wait more than a day to grout. The mortar needs to cure as long as possible, since it won't have that opportunity once the grout it applied. I also don't see "applying sealer" as a step anywhere. Just thinking out loud..

Looks great thus far!

Tim,

Applying sealer is on the list just not the one I posted. I was talking to the wife about it last night. I may wait until Sunday to do my grouting since I have to finish the bar. In the past I have grouted after 24 hours and never had a problem with the thinset not being cured but there really is not reason not to wait a bit longer.

Just in case...not all tile needs to (or should be) be sealed.

Just in case...not all tile needs to (or should be) be sealed.

True, but I am using slate tile which is a natural stone product so sealing definitely needs to be done.

hey John Martin, what paint brand and color is that red you used in those pictures??

hey John Martin, what paint brand and color is that red you used in those pictures??

It's Valspar Ultra Premium, eggshell finish, from Lowes tinted with Eddie Bauer color. Not sure which color but I can look on the paint chip tonight and post for you.

John

A day late but here are some photos of the finished bathroom (minus the wall plates and painting the door panel). I am really happy (as is the wife) with how this room turned out. If the rest of the basement and HT turns out this good I will be a very happy camper.

Looking in from the end of the stairs

http://images31.fotki.com/v1101/photos/1/1014235/6003736/IMG_9254002-vi.jpg

The sink area

http://images32.fotki.com/v1103/photos/1/1014235/6003736/IMG_9253001-vi.jpg

Some wall art behind the door

http://images32.fotki.com/v1091/photos/1/1014235/6003736/IMG_9256004-vi.jpg

More art

http://images30.fotki.com/v1038/photos/1/1014235/6003736/IMG_9255003-vi.jpg

Tonight I started tiling behind the bar with the same slate you see in the bathroom. I will finish up tiling tomorrow night when I do all my cut tiles.

Comments as always are appreciated

It's Valspar Ultra Premium, eggshell finish, from Lowes tinted with Eddie Bauer color. Not sure which color but I can look on the paint chip tonight and post for you.

John

AS promised the color is:

Eddie Bauer Home Craftsman Bungalow
Claret EB28-2

thanks...

Did some more work on the bar area this weekend. Fnially got the counter and upper bar material installed. I went with black granite tile on the counter top and an oak hardwood surface on the upper bar area. The upper bar hardwood was stained with ebony stain (2 coats) and faced with oak trim that I rounded the edge off on the router. I have not stained the trim yet nor have I put poly on anything yet.

This is looking at the bar from just out of the stairwell. A pub table will reside just to the right of this under the 3-lamp chandelier. Edging is 1x3 oak.
http://images32.fotki.com/v1110/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9320001-vi.jpg

And from the TV area at the front of the bar
http://images33.fotki.com/v1139/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9321002-vi.jpg

A shot of the back counter. I still need to get the oak ledge on the left of the photo installed but did not get it yet. Granite tile was installed with 1/16 inch grout lines. The backsplash is 1x3 oak trim and front edge of counter is 1x2 oak
http://images31.fotki.com/v1094/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9322003-vi.jpg

A shot of the counter from the pub table location. I still need to do some more trimming out tomorrow
http://images31.fotki.com/v1087/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9323004-vi.jpg

Let me know what you think.

John

Will you be painting or staining the rest of the bar woodwork?

Staining. And masking VERY well on EVERYTHING already painted or stained. I plan on sealing the granite and grout before I do though if I need to.

Every thing looks great!! Very nice job!

Quick question.... when (and if) I ever get around to doing a bar in my basement, I was going to use the 1x2's for the edging as well. How did you attach your 1x2's to the front edge??

Thanks,
John

Thanks John. The 1x2s are attached with wood glue and 1.5" brads. After I trimmed the front edge nice and even I sanded the edge and just glued and nailed to the edge. Solid as a rock. I also routed a 1/4 round over on the front edge.

John

Thanks John. The 1x2s are attached with wood glue and 1.5" brads. After I trimmed the front edge nice and even I sanded the edge and just glued and nailed to the edge. Solid as a rock. I also routed a 1/4 round over on the front edge.

John
Perfect!! That's pretty much what I was planning, but if there was a better way, I was all ears! Thanks again!

Also, keep up the good work and keep posting the nice pics!!

-John

Since my mom has been visiting for the past week I did not get a lot done in the basement but I did manage to get some staining done on my bar today.

The stain color is a Minwax Red Oak over oak edging. The beadboard in the photos is from Lowe's and I am not really sure what type of wood it is. I really like the color contrast between the balck stain and the red oak, and the way the beadboard takes the stain and gives a nice difference in how the wood reacts.

http://images32.fotki.com/v1109/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9357001-vi.jpg

http://images32.fotki.com/v1090/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9358002-vi.jpg

http://images34.fotki.com/v1149/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9359003-vi.jpg

http://images32.fotki.com/v1102/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9364005-vi.jpg

http://images34.fotki.com/v1126/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9367006-vi.jpg

Tomorrow I plan on on putting on a few coats of Polycrylic throughout the day. Should turn out nice.

John

John, the bar looks great.The black tile really sets it off nicely.

It looks like you are getting close to completion and I bet you can't wait to get the railroad started:) I'm still a couple of years away from being able to restart mine.

Enjoy

Eric

Eric,

I am planning the railroad now and am really looking forward to getting benchwork up. Still undecided as to locale but era will be 1950-1960 Milwaukee Road. Probably Wisconsin or Michigan.

Eric,

I am planning the railroad now and am really looking forward to getting benchwork up. Still undecided as to locale but era will be 1950-1960 Milwaukee Road. Probably Wisconsin or Michigan.

Sounds like a great project. I'd love to see pictures of the layout when you get it started. Model railroading is much like building a home theatre. THE SKY IS THE LIMIT and the possibilties are endless. I have not had a railroad for about 3 years now so I can imagine what types of "automation" is available now.

Eric

Got 4 coats of poly on the bar top this weekend. Turned out pretty nice. I still have half a can of poly left so I will continue outting on coats until I run out.

Here is the bar top after 4 coats.

http://images36.fotki.com/v1159/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9382004-vi.jpg

Also picked up an under counter beverage center from HD. $299 plus a $50 rebate. Not a bad deal.

http://images36.fotki.com/v1157/photos/1/1014235/5777266/IMG_9378001-vi.jpg

I still need to clean the floor and seal it so ignore that part.:) Also need to install the toe kicks under tha cabinets.

Looking good John!

Bud

I really like your floor tile selection. You used the same tile in the bath and by the bar, right?

I really like your floor tile selection. You used the same tile in the bath and by the bar, right?

Yes it is. 6" slate tile from HD. It has some really nice tones to it and my wife loved the color so it was a no brainer.

Looking good John!

Bud

Thanks Bud.

Yes it is. 6" slate tile from HD. It has some really nice tones to it and my wife loved the color so it was a no brainer.
John,

Were those 6" tile an everyday store item or a special order from HD? Those are sweet and would be perfect for the bar top idea i have (covering slate tile with envirotex).

Thanks,
John

John

I love your color choices what kind & color of carpet do you have in mind

John,

Were those 6" tile an everyday store item or a special order from HD? Those are sweet and would be perfect for the bar top idea i have (covering slate tile with envirotex).

Thanks,
John

Johnny,

The tile was an everyday item in all the HDs in my local area (3). If I were you I would consider sealing the tile before using the Envirotex to help avoid some uneven absorbtion of the envirotex. Post pictures once you get the bar top done as I would like to see how it turns out.

John

John

I love your color choices what kind & color of carpet do you have in mind

Scott.

I am planning on going with a laminate flooring throughout the basement except for the HT and basement stairs. The flooring is from Lumber Liquidators called Nirvana V3 Havana Mahohany. It is a 3" plank so it will take a bit longer to install but the look provided by the micro bevels on all 4 edges are worth the extra install time.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1122/photos/1/1014235/4138265/Laminateflooringchoice-vi.jpg

I am still undecided on color of carpet in the HT and stairs though. I may be going with a green carpet as shown in the image since it ties so nicely with the fabric colors I am using in the HT

http://images34.fotki.com/v1081/photos/1/1014235/4138265/HTcolorchoices-vi.jpg

All of the woodwork in the HT will be the same red oak stain that I used on the bar to help tie the spaces together a bit.

I am chomping at the bit right now to get the basement done so I can get back into the HT since that will be the last room finished.

I did manage however to get my screen frame built yesterday but did not take any pictures of it until I get the blackout cloth on it. I am going to do an AT screen in the future but for now the money will have to go to the other things I need to get to finish the rest of the space and then I will upgrade to AT if I even feel I need to. Size will be 117" wide, 2.35:1 AR. I could have gone to 120" but went just slightly smaller to give a slight amount of space from the side walls to make hanging a bit easier since the frame will make the screen 123" wide and my room is only 128" wide.

John

As you know we went with a green carpet in our HT and love it almost looks black when the lights are down.

I have finally done some work on something in the HT for a change. I am pretty much at the point I need to get carpet for the remainder of the basement so I have moved to focus my efforts on the HT. With the bathroom and the bar area done I started furring out for acoustical treatments and fabric this weekend. UNfortunately I could not find 5/4 lumber locally without REALLY looking so I ripped 1" boards from 2x4s and although a royal PITA it probably saved me money.

I am using 1" Knauf insulation board I bought locally since I can not find Linacoustic and the abosorbtion characteristics were very similar. I finished the side wall full height out to my first column lcoation and up to about 54" on the sides and rear, which is about 6" above ear level based on my riser. I did not have enough to finish the side walls and rear wall and need to pick some more up tomorrow. Front wall is full height 2" and I am planning to put in some bass traps later this week. No photos to speak of since once you've seen insulation in anouther thread you have seen them all. You can see some of it in the photos below though.

After I ran out of insulation I decided to hang some fabric I started with my screen wall. It is a black material similar to GOM but with a bit tighter weave and 1/3 the cost. Since my screen will be AT I did not think it would matter that much. The staples will be covered completely by the screen but I may use a marker and black them out. There are a couple areas at the bottom that will have removable panels for access.

http://images35.fotki.com/v1153/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9400001-vi.jpg

This a photo of the sidewall near the screen wall. You can see the acoustical treatments on the lower half and the extend into the patterned fabric area full height here. More on the column in a few minutes.

http://images31.fotki.com/v1095/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9401002-vi.jpg

And again with fabric in the rear right corner. You can see the black again on the lower portion of the wall. I will have a stained trim piece separating the two fabrics that will match my bar trim (red oak).

http://images35.fotki.com/v1154/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9402003-vi.jpg

And a straight on of the fabric. This is with flash so the colors are washed out. It is a much darker pattern than it looks.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1144/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9403004-vi.jpg

Here is one column of 6 required, 4 on the sides and two at the rear. It is not finished by any means and is just sitting in the opening. It will have caps top and bottom and black speaker fabric in the upper and lower parts similar to Ronnie Jackson's. This one is at the front right and will have a sconce mounted on it as will the ones at the RR/RL and front left. The top and bottom on these columns will be open with speaker cloth covered frames on the face. The RS/LS surround columns will be the same but with no sconces, with the addition of surround speakers. The RR/RL will have sconces and surround speakers as well. Columns is 3/4" oak ply and will be stained to match the rest of the woodwork.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1144/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9404005-vi.jpg

I planned on having it look like this rendering but access to change a bulb was not planned for so the sconce is not recessed like the rendering

http://images31.fotki.com/v1095/photos/1/1014235/4430862/columnrenderfrontleft-vi.png


Let me know what you think. A lot more left to be done but it is nice to finally see some progress in the HT for a change.

John

The entire project looks great! Can't wait to see the completed HT.

John,
Great job so far... Love the color schemes you have going in the theater... is that a beige and brown and butnt umbers.... earth tone...NICE.
I see you wife is a scrapbooker also...Creative Memories husband here as well...


Awsome job keep up the good work... nearly at the finish..

Just thought I would post a quick update since I have not posted in a while.

I got carpet ordered for the whole basement including the HT. It should be in sometime this week and I can schedule the install. We decided on carpet throughout instead of laminate as we felt the laminate over a concrete floor might be a bit cold for our tastes. I will take some pics as it gets here and throughout the install process. Prior to install I need to finish about 75' of baseboard and hang 2 doors but I can knock that out in a couple evenings this week.

I did pick up a set of front speakers today as a very reasonable price of 0$ from a friend of my son. You read that right. 0$. And for the wonderful price I got a couple of Paradigm Monitor 7s he bought a couple years ago and put into storage when they moved. He said he will never use them again and asked if I wanted them. Having never heard any Paradigms I brought them home and hooked them up to an old receiver and wow they sound good, even in my living room. Now to find a nice center to pair them up with.

I also finished up a side job which is paying me enough (sometime this week) to get my 6 seats, the remainder of the speakers and HSU VT2F-Mk3, a BR player, Onkyo 605 or HK-247 (undecided), power conditioner and other acouterments. Basically everthing I need to finish the HT and basement. The grand HT opening and basement completion date is now set for Memorial Day weekend. Finally after nearly 18 months I will finally be complete.


WOOOHOOOO!!!!

Keep an eye out for pictures in the coming weeks of the completed space.

John

I like those sconces, where did you get them? What are the measurements? Does it cast lighting up and down or just out throught the face?

I am really looking forward to the pics.

I like those sconces, where did you get them? What are the measurements? Does it cast lighting up and down or just out throught the face?

Thanks. I got the sconces from HD. They cast light pretty much 360 degrees around. They are 10-7/8"H x 10 1/4"W x 3 3/4"D.

John

I am really looking forward to the pics.

As soon as carpet is delivered I will be taking some pics throughout the install process. And as soon as I am completely done I will have a get together with all the local HT buffs around our area. Keep an ear out for the announcement.

John

John,
Great job so far... Love the color schemes you have going in the theater... is that a beige and brown and butnt umbers.... earth tone...NICE.
I see you wife is a scrapbooker also...Creative Memories husband here as well...


Awsome job keep up the good work... nearly at the finish..

My wife has gotten way behind in scrapbooking since she really has no place to do it right now. And my daughter has started to become a real "crafts" type kid so the space for my wife is actually a dual chair space now (or will be in the next couple weeks). I can not tell you how much Creative memories stuff she has. She used to be a consultant for them when we lived in Montana.

Keep up the good work. I am subscribed to your thread BTW.

John

Well today is going to be a red letter day for me. I got paid for some side work I did so tonight I am ordering the following:

Onkyo TX-SR606 AV Receiver
Ascend CMT-340C Center channel and 4 HTM-200 for surrounds (mating up to a couple Paradigm Monitor 7s)
HSU VTF2 Mk3 Sub
Chief projector mount for my Z4
Screen material (from Seymour AV) for my 10' wide, 2.35:1 screen

Plus a few odds and ends and trim items. I was going to order the seats but only got paid half of my extra income so the seats will have to wait until I get the remainder. Besides, the room will be functional without seats, versus having seats and no speakers LOL

Now comes the waiting :mad:

OH and BTW, carpet is getting installed on Monday and Tuesday and furniture delivered on Wednesday if all goes as planned.

Feels like X-Mas!!

You're damn skippy :cool:

WOOHOO Carpet is being installed today. They are doing the entire basement today and tomorrow. Around 1100 SF worth of carpet. Guys arrived at about 9:15 and got straight to it. Currenty installing tack strips as I write this. I will edit this post as the day goes on with pictures.

11:45 am

Padding is almost in and the guys are about to head off to lunch. Apparaently tack strips were a pain due to them going right on the concrete. Here are a couple pics.

http://images36.fotki.com/v1175/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9809005-vi.jpg

http://images36.fotki.com/v1155/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9811006-vi.jpg

Carpet guys are going full bore today. The got the majority of the basement layed and stretched. I am impressed with their work quality. Both are doing a great job. I am only slightly concerned about seams though. We went with a real low pile berber carpet and because of that the seams are not as good as they could be on a longer pile carpet. However it is really only noticiable at certain angles to the light which makes sense. And I think that the fact that the carpet was rolled fairly tightly on the roll it is somewhat crushed and I think with some time it get better.

Mind you they are not done yet and they have still not even tried to clean anything up yet. I think a good vacumming will help a lot.

Still left to finish today are the stairs and HT.

Here is a shot of my sons' wrestling room

http://images34.fotki.com/v1193/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9813001-vi.jpg

And looking at the front of the bar

http://images34.fotki.com/v1195/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9814002-vi.jpg

An overall shot from the back door. Storage room at left (1st door) will receive carpet as well. 2nd door is HVAC room with no carpet

http://images36.fotki.com/v1183/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9816003-vi.jpg

Looking toward HT on right and equipment rack at left on wall in the distance. Stairs up to 1st floor on right.

http://images33.fotki.com/v1185/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9817004-vi.jpg

Good transition to tile behind bar. I am quite happy with this area as I was a bit concerned on how it would look

http://images36.fotki.com/v1183/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9818005-vi.jpg

I am overall quite happy with the work so far. More pics to come later.

Oh yeah I almost forgot. My new Onkyo TX-SR606 is on the UPS truck right now for delivery today. The PJ mount comes in tomorrow, and Ascend 340C and (4) HTM-200s on Thursday plus my Shearweave 4500 from Seymour. Still waiting on word about the HSU sub as I haven't received a tracking number yet and I e-mailed them this morning about it. Hoping to hear backk soon

Well they left the house about 30 minutes ago and carpeting is now finished. Here are some photos of the finished installation. I went with the same color carpet in the HT. The HT floor is not finished as I still need to add the stained trim along the faces of the risers and stage.

Looking at screenwall
http://images34.fotki.com/v1192/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9822004-vi.jpg

Looking back toward riser. The panel you see on the right is for access under my front porch. I will make a panel for this spot for termite inspections.
http://images34.fotki.com/v1193/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9824006-vi.jpg

Looking toward back yard from HT
http://images34.fotki.com/v1077/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9826008-vi.jpg

Main TV viewing area
http://images36.fotki.com/v1177/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9829010-vi.jpg

Wifes scrapbooking area
http://images36.fotki.com/v1182/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9831011-vi.jpg

Wrestling room
http://images34.fotki.com/v1195/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9832012-vi.jpg

Back towards bar
http://images34.fotki.com/v1145/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9833013-vi.jpg

I like it and my wife more importantly does too. Next on the agenda is to get the trim work in the HT completed. I still need to stain and install the trim and build the speaker columns, plus install the soffit boards and light tray. I am about 2 solid weeks to finish everything. Gotta love it.

Very nice. I can't even see the seams:).

Thanks Gonzo. I can see them but they will start to disappear as the carpet expands out a bit from sitting. I probably realize they are there since there is no furniture in the space yet. Sectional gets delivered Thursday hopefully.

Well my gear is beginning to roll on in. Got my receiver today. Onkyo TX-SR606. Nice piece of equipment I must say.

Front view with all the stickers still on it. Those will come off for sure.

http://images26.fotki.com/v938/photos/1/1014235/4138268/IMG_9837001-vi.jpg

Rear view. I especially like the (4) HDMI 1.3 inputs. Nice feature for a sub-$500 receiver.

http://images35.fotki.com/v1167/photos/1/1014235/4138268/IMG_9839002-vi.jpg

My PJ mount comes in tomorrow and my HSU sub and Ascends on Thursday. It is going to be a good week.

John, been lurking in your thread for a long time and I'm really liking your entire buildout. Basement looks great and can really see how the theater is coming together with the carpeting in.

Another new toy arrived by FEDEX today. My brand new HSU VTF2 Mk3. This thing looks bigger than I thought it would.

http://images36.fotki.com/v1177/photos/1/1014235/4138268/IMG_9840001-vi.jpg

Also received my 11' of Shearweave 4500 from SeymourAV as well. It is all rolled up nicely and well packaged so I did not want to unroll it yet. Guess what I am building this Saturday?

Still to come today is my projector mount. Photo of that to follow later.

John

John, been lurking in your thread for a long time and I'm really liking your entire buildout. Basement looks great and can really see how the theater is coming together with the carpeting in.

Thanks sleeks. It has been a long build doing the whole basement. Never again. I would do another HT but never this much space at once. Keep checking back as the next 2 weeks progress and there should be a lot more photos to look at.

I am like you as well. I lurk a lot in other threads.

Sounds familiar. I read nearly every thread in this forum, but don't post in all that many. Anyway, things look good John. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished product. I especially like the way your columns are turning out.

-Ryan

John,

Merry Christmas to you!!! :) Have fun with the toys.... Things are looking great!! Looking forward to seeing the finished project!

Sounds familiar. I read nearly every thread in this forum, but don't post in all that many. Anyway, things look good John. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished product. I especially like the way your columns are turning out.

-Ryan
Thanks. Hopefully they turn out OK. The are deeper than I would like due to my surrounds but they should be fine. I modified the design a bit after the first one went together so I will fix that one and make the others per the new design.

John,

Merry Christmas to you!!! :) Have fun with the toys.... Things are looking great!! Looking forward to seeing the finished project!


Oh I will. You can be sure of that. My Ascends show up tomorrow and I think I may take everything down to the basement and set it up temporarily to make sure it all works. I am really anxious to hear it all working together.

This whole project is looking fantastic. Are your kids helping you at all? Seems like they'll really appreciate the theater and, in a few years, the bar.

Regarding drywall finishing, that is the most frustrating construction job I have ever done. I absolutely despise it. I have the eyes for a quality job but no skill at all, which really tests my patience. I've broken more than one tub of joint compound taking out my frustration with a hammer while putting the lid back on. Judging from what you've posted, it would take me months to do that space by myself. I'm impressed. And I don't know how Bud did it, either.

This whole project is looking fantastic. Are your kids helping you at all? Seems like they'll really appreciate the theater and, in a few years, the bar.

Regarding drywall finishing, that is the most frustrating construction job I have ever done. I absolutely despise it. I have the eyes for a quality job but no skill at all, which really tests my patience. I've broken more than one tub of joint compound taking out my frustration with a hammer while putting the lid back on. Judging from what you've posted, it would take me months to do that space by myself. I'm impressed. And I don't know how Bud did it, either.

Thanks a bunch. My boys helped me a couple times, specifically during the times I was rocking the ceiling. It is hard to get a panel on a drywall lift by yourself. Otherwise everything was done by me except for the sub-panel installation, carpet and painting which my wife helped with. My wife gets frustrated that I will not let anyone help me. It is not that I don't want help, but other than the ceiling there is really no 2-person jobs down there.

I started this job about a 18 months ago but did not really start doing anything until Oct 06 and with both my boys playing football, wrestling and doing track I spent a LOT of time doing things other than the basement. Best part of the whole deal is that starting next month I will be complete and can finally do some stuff with the family like go to the beach, etc. I am taking my oldest son on a hike on the Appalachian Trail in July for 9 days. Should be fun.

I'm glad that you are in the home stretch. Only 18 months from start to finish, eh? Not bad. I'm about to hit the one year mark, and I can't realistically see getting done for another 12 months.

I'm glad that you are in the home stretch. Only 18 months from start to finish, eh? Not bad. I'm about to hit the one year mark, and I can't realistically see getting done for another 12 months.

Don't worry Cathan, it will be there before you know it. It was for me.

More new toys came in today. Got my Ascend 340C and 4 HTM-200s for my surrounds. In the pics below you can see my Paradigm Monitor 7s, 340C, 4 HTM-200s, VTF2 Mk3, PLV-Z4, Onkyo 606, my DIY anamorphic lens, and an old DVD player.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1193/photos/1/1014235/4138269/IMG_9845004-vi.jpg

I also got my new sofa in. It is a nice big sectional with a chaise end seat.

http://images35.fotki.com/v1154/photos/1/1014235/4138269/IMG_9851009-vi.jpg

Still need some blinds and drapes

http://images35.fotki.com/v1165/photos/1/1014235/4138269/IMG_9842001-vi.jpg

Blends with the bar nicely
http://images34.fotki.com/v1195/photos/1/1014235/4138269/IMG_9849007-vi.jpg

Set up an old receiver, a couple Infinity speakers and my sons TV and XBOX temporarily for them to have fun until the HT is done. This area will get a real flat panel in the future that will be mounted on the wall and will cover the wiring and power.

http://images33.fotki.com/v1187/photos/1/1014235/4138269/IMG_9844003-vi.jpg

Any my son got the wrestling mat out and laid. Looks like the madness is beginning.

http://images33.fotki.com/v1119/photos/1/1014235/4138269/IMG_9847006-vi.jpg

Gratz on all the toys!! :)

Thanks man. I am ready to start using them. I only have a couple hours at work today so I am planning on heading home and staining the equipment rack and getting columns going. Hopefully I can get them built today so I can have them finished by the end of the weekend. Weather outside sort of sucks right now so we'll have to see how that goes. I am NOT cutting in the basement anymore which I figure is a small price to pay for having the rest done.

I thought everyone might like to know I made a bonehead move.

The other day I got my Sheerweave in from SeymourAV and decided to build my screen frame and get the screen going. In my haste (1st mistake) to get the fabric on the frame (2x2s) I layed the fabric out and proceeded to get it all stapled up nice and tight. Picked it up and it all looked great. No wrinkles. Added some french cleats to the back of the frame and the screen wall and hung the screen on the wall. So far so good I was thinking. Mounted the PJ on the ceiling and got it all hooked up. Still so far so good. Threw in a Star Wars movie to test out the connections and audio (also got all my speakers temporarily installed). Image was amazing even using the zoom method to get my 2.35:1 ratio as my DIY lens is not complete. Then during one particularly bright scene I saw the problem. I had neglected to paint the screen frame black before I mounted my fabric. I can see the intermediate supports to add stiffness to the frame on brighter scenes. Damn. I forgot this fabric passes some light. And after reading all of the DIY screen thread I STILL forgot to paint the frame. That is a bonehead move for sure.

Now how do I fix this without having to pull ALL the staples and chance harming the fabric? I thought about painting the with the material on but again that is a BAD idea. Then I thought I could just use some velvet and wrap it around the supports and staple to the rear.

Anyone have a better idea? I think the velvet idea will work with minimal effort and I have more velvet lying around. Comments are appreciated. Even if they are aimed at making me feel like an idiot :D

I thought everyone might like to know I made a bonehead move.

The other day I got my Sheerweave in from SeymourAV and decided to build my screen frame and get the screen going. In my haste (1st mistake) to get the fabric on the frame (2x2s) I layed the fabric out and proceeded to get it all stapled up nice and tight. Picked it up and it all looked great. No wrinkles. Added some french cleats to the back of the frame and the screen wall and hung the screen on the wall. So far so good I was thinking. Mounted the PJ on the ceiling and got it all hooked up. Still so far so good. Threw in a Star Wars movie to test out the connections and audio (also got all my speakers temporarily installed). Image was amazing even using the zoom method to get my 2.35:1 ratio as my DIY lens is not complete. Then during one particularly bright scene I saw the problem. I had neglected to paint the screen frame black before I mounted my fabric. I can see the intermediate supports to add stiffness to the frame on brighter scenes. Damn. I forgot this fabric passes some light. And after reading all of the DIY screen thread I STILL forgot to paint the frame. That is a bonehead move for sure.

Now how do I fix this without having to pull ALL the staples and chance harming the fabric? I thought about painting the with the material on but again that is a BAD idea. Then I thought I could just use some velvet and wrap it around the supports and staple to the rear.

Anyone have a better idea? I think the velvet idea will work with minimal effort and I have more velvet lying around. Comments are appreciated. Even if they are aimed at making me feel like an idiot :D
While it seems like you made a hige mistake things could have been much worse. ;)


Is it just the supports? What about the outer edges of the frame?

If it is the outer edges as well the velvet could work but it might be difficult to get it to stay between the frame and screen without using some sort of attachment method on the inside of the frame as well as the back. For just the supports the velvet should work fine.

You could alternatively use some velcro. Use the loop side, which is softer than the hook side. Make sure you get some with glue on the back so that it will stick to your frame.

Just the supports in the middle of the outer frame. The outer frame will be covered by the velvet covered border trim. I figured it would work but wanted a sanity check after the INSANITY that caused it in the first place.

Honestly, I think you best bet would be to pull those staples out and start again. The problem I can envision if the fabric stretching a bit while you try to wrap the braces with fabric --OR-- since the frame was probably built flat the extra material in the middle might give the screen a bulge where the supports are. I could be wrong but it's hard to say without seeing it in person.

Just the supports in the middle of the outer frame. The outer frame will be covered by the velvet covered border trim. I figured it would work but wanted a sanity check after the INSANITY that caused it in the first place.

How are your middle supports attached to the frame? Did you use a pocket jig? Can you unscrew the supports, remove them, paint them and then re-install them?

How are your middle supports attached to the frame? Did you use a pocket jig? Can you unscrew the supports, remove them, paint them and then re-install them?

And therein lies the solution. I CAN unscrew the middle supports without messing anything up as I left the screws exposed from the rear. I am glad I posted this problem. Problem will be solved this weekend since I needed to paint my AV rack black this weekend anyway. Thanks for the help all.

John,

When you remove those supports, if your screen is really tight, you might have a very hard time getting them back in... I honestly wouldn't chance it. Just take some velvet fabric and slide it in between your screen material and support, then wrap it around the back of the support and staple it to the back of the support. It will stay in place that way, shouldn't create a bulge I don't think and should be pretty easy.

Nick

If your screen is that tight, put a temp. support in before you pull the middle support so your fabric doesn't close that gap on you. That should alleviate the issue of possibly not being able to get that support back in. If you wrap it with velvet, you could possibly raise up your screen material (if your screen touches the middle support) and then you'd have this raised area in the middle of your screen. IMHO, I'd try to paint the supports....

If your screen is that tight, put a temp. support in before you pull the middle support so your fabric doesn't close that gap on you. That should alleviate the issue of possibly not being able to get that support back in. If you wrap it with velvet, you could possibly raise up your screen material (if your screen touches the middle support) and then you'd have this raised area in the middle of your screen. IMHO, I'd try to paint the supports....

That is exactly how I planned on approaching it. I am going to paint and I am putting a temp support in before I remove the others. A much better option IMHO.

If all goes well I'll be posting pics of my screen wall this weekend after I get the border done and installed. I also have one frame to make to hide the hole in the screen wall for the sub to slide in.

John,

Let me know how the sub hole goes. I"ll need to do the same thing and I'm a bit worried about the fabric "flapping" with the sub right up against it (MFW-15).

Nick

John,

Let me know how the sub hole goes. I"ll need to do the same thing and I'm a bit worried about the fabric "flapping" with the sub right up against it (MFW-15).

Nick

Nick,

I do not think flapping will be a problem for me. My sub is an HSU VTF2 Mk3 with a down firing woofer. I have it oriented 90 degrees behind the wall with the port in the rear facing parallel to the screen. I may be an issue but I will have to see.

Hey all. I am having a dilemma regarding seating. I was originally planning on using "theater style" seating in the HT but have reconsidered the plan and am now going with either Berkline 088s or Coaster Studios and want opinions on the seating arrangement.

This image is using Berkline 088s. Since they are a narrower chair I have it planned with 3 seats in front and 2 on the riser.What I like about this setup is that it allows the wife and I to get the seats on the riser and my kids up front. It also allows for access on both sides of the room. Since my room is fairly narrow (10'-7") I need to go with the couch configuration for the 3-seat set. What I don't like is the cost versus the Coasters.

http://images36.fotki.com/v1202/photos/1/1014235/4135559/BERKLINE088SETUP-vi.png

This image is using Coaster Studios. I have reversed the setup and put 3 seats on the riser. What I like about this is cost for the chairs (almost 4 bills less) versus the Berks and a slightly larger chair. What I don't like is that I have to shift the rear row over to the left to allow access from one side only.
http://images36.fotki.com/v1204/photos/1/1014235/4135559/COASTERSTUDIOSETUP-vi.png

What are your opinions on this? I am leaning towards the Berklines even though they cost more because and I would love to not have to offset the seating. Please let me know what you think.

John

I like the berk setup the best....

Thanks Brian. I did too and I just found out that the armrests in the center of the Studios are not removable like the Berks are so I guess the Berks are it since the Studios are too wide. Time to place an order.

Well I had some free time this afternoon and threw together a render idea for a ticket booth outside the HT entry. At the end of the hall my sewer exits the house to the road and I need something to cover the opening but still allow access to my sewer ejector pump and the back of the AV rack. You can see the sewer pipe clearly

You can see the end of the hall in this photo
http://images33.fotki.com/v1185/photos/1/1014235/6231502/IMG_9817004-vi.jpg

I thought about how to cover this up so I came up with this idea. It will be a full height ticket window with glass and everything. The panel below the ledge and window will be removable to allow access. It will be a bit tight to get in and out but it is not like I need to get back there every day. I will put curtains behind the glass to cover everything behind it from view. It will be stained and painted black.

http://images35.fotki.com/v1208/photos/1/1014235/4430862/TicketBoothInitial-vi.png

Let me know how you think it looks and if you have a better idea.

John

Thats a good idea....either a ticket booth or another nice movie poster to cover it up. I like the ticket booth.

Wow you room is just like mine 10'7 wide. I will look forward to watching your thread.

Lynchmob,

Hopefully this weekend I will get the rest of my soffit fabric hung and I can take some more photos of the theater room. After that is hung all that is left is the fabric trim and starfield panels. I am going to build them and install them but not add the fiber until I get more money to finish them.

If all goes well everything will be done by Labor day since I am taking a week off for vacation and staying at home so I should be able to finish up.

John

I like the ticket booth idea. Even though I'm installing an oak door between my hall and mechanical room, I like the idea of covering in something theater-friendly. Very cool.

I like the ticket booth idea. Even though I'm installing an oak door between my hall and mechanical room, I like the idea of covering in something theater-friendly. Very cool.

I actually started working on that this past weekend, but have been very slow at updating the thread. I should be done making the whole thing by this weekend if all goes well, sans glass which I still need to order. I am going with MDF instead of wood since the whole thing is getting painted anyway and MDF is a lot cheaper than birch or oak ply. The whole thing will be fixed in place with only the bottom panel removable since I really never need to get back there except to work on wiring and once that is complete maybe a couple times a year.

I also thought that since it was dead space anyway, I might as well make something theater related.

John

Well my seats finally came in. I got used HT seating from seats and chairs for a good price and I am impressed with how they look. There are a couple minor dings in the seat pans on a couple but apart from that you would be hard pressed to tell they are not new. I have 3 installed and need to rent a hammer drill to install the others. Almost have the soffit fabric finished and one that is done only trimming out remains.

Here are some pics of the seats.

http://images39.fotki.com/v1285/photos/1/1014235/4182781/IMG_0431-vi.jpg

http://images39.fotki.com/v1282/photos/1/1014235/4182781/IMG_0434-vi.jpg

http://images38.fotki.com/v1272/photos/1/1014235/4182781/IMG_0432-vi.jpg

I actually started working on that this past weekend, but have been very slow at updating the thread. I should be done making the whole thing by this weekend if all goes well, sans glass which I still need to order. I am going with MDF instead of wood since the whole thing is getting painted anyway and MDF is a lot cheaper than birch or oak ply. The whole thing will be fixed in place with only the bottom panel removable since I really never need to get back there except to work on wiring and once that is complete maybe a couple times a year.

I also thought that since it was dead space anyway, I might as well make something theater related.

John

John,

Where are you getting your glass for your ticket booth? I've begun searching around for somene who will cut me a pane of glass and do some custom etching/lettering on it. Thanks.

John,
I like the ticket window idea. Here is a photo of one we built for a customer. The entire thing is a door that hides the equipment just outside of the theater. We used acrylic for the window. I may do something smiler for my theater if I can find a good place for it. These things can also make nice DVD storage.

http://www.therv7.com/theater/images/182_ticket_window.JPG

I have finally done some work on something in the HT for a change. I am pretty much at the point I need to get carpet for the remainder of the basement so I have moved to focus my efforts on the HT. With the bathroom and the bar area done I started furring out for acoustical treatments and fabric this weekend. UNfortunately I could not find 5/4 lumber locally without REALLY looking so I ripped 1" boards from 2x4s and although a royal PITA it probably saved me money.

I am using 1" Knauf insulation board I bought locally since I can not find Linacoustic and the abosorbtion characteristics were very similar. I finished the side wall full height out to my first column lcoation and up to about 54" on the sides and rear, which is about 6" above ear level based on my riser. I did not have enough to finish the side walls and rear wall and need to pick some more up tomorrow. Front wall is full height 2" and I am planning to put in some bass traps later this week. No photos to speak of since once you've seen insulation in anouther thread you have seen them all. You can see some of it in the photos below though.

After I ran out of insulation I decided to hang some fabric I started with my screen wall. It is a black material similar to GOM but with a bit tighter weave and 1/3 the cost. Since my screen will be AT I did not think it would matter that much. The staples will be covered completely by the screen but I may use a marker and black them out. There are a couple areas at the bottom that will have removable panels for access.

http://images35.fotki.com/v1153/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9400001-vi.jpg

This a photo of the sidewall near the screen wall. You can see the acoustical treatments on the lower half and the extend into the patterned fabric area full height here. More on the column in a few minutes.

http://images31.fotki.com/v1095/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9401002-vi.jpg

And again with fabric in the rear right corner. You can see the black again on the lower portion of the wall. I will have a stained trim piece separating the two fabrics that will match my bar trim (red oak).

http://images35.fotki.com/v1154/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9402003-vi.jpg

And a straight on of the fabric. This is with flash so the colors are washed out. It is a much darker pattern than it looks.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1144/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9403004-vi.jpg

Here is one column of 6 required, 4 on the sides and two at the rear. It is not finished by any means and is just sitting in the opening. It will have caps top and bottom and black speaker fabric in the upper and lower parts similar to Ronnie Jackson's. This one is at the front right and will have a sconce mounted on it as will the ones at the RR/RL and front left. The top and bottom on these columns will be open with speaker cloth covered frames on the face. The RS/LS surround columns will be the same but with no sconces, with the addition of surround speakers. The RR/RL will have sconces and surround speakers as well. Columns is 3/4" oak ply and will be stained to match the rest of the woodwork.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1144/photos/1/1014235/4138265/IMG_9404005-vi.jpg

I planned on having it look like this rendering but access to change a bulb was not planned for so the sconce is not recessed like the rendering

http://images31.fotki.com/v1095/photos/1/1014235/4430862/columnrenderfrontleft-vi.png


Let me know what you think. A lot more left to be done but it is nice to finally see some progress in the HT for a change.

John

I love your theater. Where did you get the black fabric for your screen wall that is 1/3 the cost of GOM? I too will be using the Sheerweave 4500 AT screen and this black fabric would work well.

I just read through your entire construction thread and you left us hanging. :)

1) Did you resolve the painting of the screen frame supports problem?
2) How do you like the sheerweave 4500 screen material?
3) Did you finish the trim work on the riser, stage and walls?
4) Did you finish applying the wall fabric?
5) Do you have any updates and photos to share?

I am guessing the janus line from dazian.com?

Sorry all for leaving this thread hanging like I did but life got in the way as it always seems to do. The basement took a back seat to school, work, sports, and life in general but I am back and ready to finish this thing off. I am tired of adjusting the lens every time I switch from 16:9 and 2.35:1 and my wife is ready for closure on this beast

I can not believe it has been a year since I last posted anything. And unfortunately for me not a lot has gotten done in this last year in the basement. Last time I posted I still had the following left to do:

- Carpet had just really gone in and I was getting equipment in.
- There was a ton of trim work left to do in the main basement and in the theater room
- Only a small part of the fabric in the HT was up and none of the soffits we completed
- Finish the HT celing
- Massive painting effort on trim work
- None of my HVAC stuff was installed
- And a myriad of other things that however small add up to a lot of work to get them done
-Wanted to do a MAME cabinet but had not started yet, etc, etc, etc

You get the idea. Well, I have finally started getting the remainder of the items completed and feel that I can be COMPLETE within 2 weeks. My wife and kids are heading to Ohio for a couple weeks this coming Friday and I will be all alone with nothing to do so it is high time I get things completed.

First up will be the MAME cabinet. Here is a bit older set of pics of the cabinet and the control panel.

http://images40.fotki.com/v1248/photos/1/1014235/6485943/IMG_0325-vi.jpg

http://images40.fotki.com/v1260/photos/1/1014235/6485943/CIMG0552-vi.jpg

http://images40.fotki.com/v1262/photos/1/1014235/6485943/IMG_0381-vi.jpg

All that is left on this is painting and finishing up/installing the marquee. I will be working on the marquee tonight so I can get it over to the printer for printing. I am going to back light it with a black light so it should look fairly nice. I might be able to get the thing painted tonight as well. High gloss black. I need to figure out what I can do for side marquees

Next up will be the anamorphic lens. I have the prisms but I need to take the projector down and set it up in the living room so I can get the angles set up properly. Building it will be easy once I get the prism angles set.

Some things I can do with little work are things like light trims. I have 7 cans that I do not have trims for but all it takes is a trip to Lowe's to get them done.

I made a pretty extensive list of things to get done and I have already begun to make a dent in the list. If I just take 1 hour each evening after my daughter goes to bed I can get a lot accomplished and things will be done before you know it.

One thing I think I may be regretting is the seats. Not a comfort issue mind you, just a noise issue. They are not the quietest things in the world and any movement causes squeaks and such. They are simply not what I was hoping for. A couple of the backs catch on each other when you lean back but that may be a poor installation problem as my stanchions may be a bit close together even though I measured twice. I may also remove all my seats this weekend and reinstall them but I am afraid of how the current screw holes in the riser will affect re-installation.

Keep an eye out as there will be a lot more pics to come soon.

To answer some of the questions in previous posts.

1. I did get the painting of the support post issue resolved. I used black velvet wrapped around the posts from behind and stapled in. Worked perfectly.

2. I love the Sheerweave 4500 material. Looks great and no sound issues at all to my ears. Electronics might say otherwise but I likely could not tell anyway.

3. Trim work on the riser and stage is getting completed this weekend, including painting.

4. All wall fabric is up and looks great. Had a couple ripples in the upper fabric but they disappeared once I got the AC hooked up downstairs. I think it was a humidity issue.

5. More photos to come

John

Oops, I forgot to answer a question. The black fabric I am using is not Dazian. It is a black fabric purchased at Hancock fabrics. Very thick with a white backing that does not show through even under direct lighting. I was concerned about that before but after testing I was confident it would look great and does.

John

Well I haven't posted any photos in a while so here are a few. I am 98% complete with the basement and only have a few minor issues to deal with.

http://images50.fotki.com/v1525/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3057-vi.jpg

This is a shot of the wrestling wall. The plan is to have all of our HS wrestlers sign it.

http://images51.fotki.com/v1545/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3055-vi.jpg

Looking out into the basement from the wrestling room

http://images51.fotki.com/v1542/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3059-vi.jpg

And a view of the TV viewing area

http://images50.fotki.com/v1523/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3060-vi.jpg

My wife's scrapbooking area

http://images50.fotki.com/v1522/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3060-vi.jpg

The bar area

http://images51.fotki.com/v1550/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3061-vi.jpg

Winmau Blade 3 board. Nice!

http://images51.fotki.com/v1549/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3063-vi.jpg

Down the hall towrd HT (on right) Sewer piping and cleanout behind curtains at end of hall

http://images51.fotki.com/v1547/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3063-vi.jpg

Stairs to upstairs

http://images51.fotki.com/v1546/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3064-vi.jpg

Full basement bathroom

http://images50.fotki.com/v1524/photos/5/1014235/7751769/_MG_3065-vi.jpg

And the theater room. Still some work to be done in here. I need to paint the ceiling and all the trim, make some panels for the crawlspace and subwoofer areas, extend outlets and add stair nosings. I may be changing carpet to something darker but not sure yet. We'll see what my wife thinks about it.

I am planning on completing all painting this weekend which will help darken up the room a lot. Tomorrow night I am going to get my anamorphic lens built I hope.

More photos to come soon.

John

No new pics to show but I did finally get to painting the trim in the theater room black. Got about 2/3 of it done last night. I should finish the rest this evening and get the ceiling painted as well. Painting the ceiling is a temporary measure until I get around to make them starfield panels. More pics to come tomorrow I hope.

I also got my home-built anamorphic lens partially built but I am not happy with the picture quality. Too much visible CA and a serious loss of focus toward the sides. I have tried all orientations of prisms and none help at all. So I am re-thinking the 2.35:1 idea now. I can't afford an aftermarket lens (took a 10% pay cut a couple months ago) so I am considering changing from 2.35:1 back to 1.78:1. I am starting to think that masking for 2.35:1 would be better than zooming. Now don't get me wrong; I love the scope screen but to do it right would cost me more than I have to spend.

I can afford a new piece of material from Seymour AV and can build a new screen fairly cheap so I will probably go that way unless someone else has any ideas. Ideas are always appreciated.

John

I don't remember what projector you have, John.. is it <1080? If so, it may be worth an upgrade to an AE3000 that can do automatic zoom which I think could be considered "almost right" (certainly from an ease of use standpoint). At least the cost is much more justifiable than an anamorphic lens, IMO.

Are you using trophy prisms? You may want to consider prisms from surplus shed otherwise known as the french prisms. Here's a link to the thread about them.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=889863

I've never had a focus issue.

Here is a link to the website.

http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l9113d.html

If you decide to go this route you should call them first and make sure they have them in stock. If they don't they wait till they have enough orders to get them produced. Good luck.

Oman,

I am using trophy prisms. Again the cost (they were really cheap) was why I went with them. Maybe I should order some french prisms from the site and try those before I commit to changing screens.

Tim,

I would love to change PJs, but again cost is an issue. If I were to choose from a new PJ or a new lens, the lens would win. I like my Sanyo PLV-Z4 a lot and I can use that with a lens. One day I'll get my 10% back and life will be good again. Or maybe I'll get a new job one day for even more money and do another theater LOL

John

Well I got all my trim painted in the last couple days and tonight I am installing ceiling registers in the HT and getting the ceiling painted black I bet it really gets dark in there after I do that! All that will be left to do in the HT is:

1. Install sconces
2. Make removable panels for sub-woofer and crawlspace access
3. Paint faces of stage/riser/steps
4. Install stair nosing
5. Install stair lighting
6. Finish fabric panels for columns

Note to self on #5: plan to need these. Several people have tripped when the lights are off so I NEED them. After all the research on HT stuff at AVS I still neglected to plan for step/riser lights so there is no power to the riser and carpeting/seats are installed. Tonight I need to figure out what to do. I would hate to tear anything out when I am 98% done but I may have to. We'll see. I hate when crap goes wrong.

John

John