After all that whining out of the way I thought I would give you all a bit of an update (pictures will soon follow):

Define "soon".

Dude! That sucks! At least the wife is ok.

Son of a @$#@#$

To be honest I can't believe (knock on wood) that I have crashed (knock on wood) my 98 Blazer (knock on wood) as my wife just dropped it down to PLPD. April or May 1st... ok fine but February 1st??? In the snow??? Why???

Glad to hear the wife came out in one piece.

I hear they are selling Toyota's cheap.:D

Drew you have no idea how stupid I feel about changing my insurance. We haven't had any snow on the East side this year and I just wasn't thinking. Probably one of the dumbest things I have ever done. Actually I have done quite a few dumb things but most cannot be discussed in public.

Define "soon".

I swear I will be posting photos this weekend. Soon for me usually ranges from 15 minutes to 15 weeks, give or take a few minutes.

Dude! That sucks! At least the wife is ok.

Not all is lost Biz. I just need to cut out a few things from my monthly budget....like food and water.....then all will be fine.:D

The next step on my path to destruction was tiling the bar floor. I have never tiled before and when you see the pictures you will know why. Here are my steps to laying tile so you can follow along and get great results:

1) Find an excuse to buy something, preferrably a new tool of some sort. Maybe if you look online long enough you will find a sweet deal on a wet saw from THD 50% off with free shipping for less than 2 days of rental. Justify it with the wife by saying that you will use it to tile the master bath. PS. I will NEVER tile the master bath. At least not in this lifetime.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02405.jpg

2) Find an excuse to buy a second tool that you have been salivating over such as the Fein Multimaster. Use the "Look at the awesome deal I got on the wet saw" trick to distract the wife while you sneak the really expensive Fein into the basement. By the time the wife stumbles upon it pretend like you have had it for years. Works like a charm. Justify purchase by telling yourself that you can't possibly finish the theater without it.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02409.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02415.jpg

3) Go to the store and pick out tile in under 5 minutes. The longer you wait to make a decision the more times your wife will change her mind. Be sure to use the Home Theater Build Jedi Mind Trick on her when she starts walking over to the really expensive tile. ME: Those are not the tiles you are looking for. HER: Those are not the tiles we are looking for. It is a skill we must all master.

4) Mix the thinset mortar. Be sure to pour the entire bag in a 5 gallon bucket, add water and try mixing with a Dewalt drill and a paint mixer. This way you are sure to only use 25% of the bag and the rest will go to waste. Dump bucket of hardened mortar on the side of the house. Deal with it in the spring. Go get a paddle mixer for batch #2. What a difference.

5) Start tiling from the front of the bar to the inside of the bar. That way when you realize you have tiled yourself into an impossible escape, you can sit for about an hour hoping that the mortar will harden just enough for you to walk on it. Use this time to reflect how this was a terrible idea.

6) Try walking on tile. When you mess up all your grout lines, cry for help and have the wife bring you a giant plank of wood to spread out the pressure and do little damage to the freshly laid tile as you walk out. Spend the next hour fixing all your grout lines that the plank of wood didn't stop from getting screwed up.

7) Drop wifes car insurance to PLPD just before big snowstorm. Have her total car on the way to the airport (yes she is fine) and don't get a dime from the insurance company. Note: see previous post.

8) Finish tiling 2 weeks after starting. Now all you have to do is grout. Take a picture and admire your handywork. Realize you have about a month of tile cleaning ahead before you can start grouting.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02413.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02414.jpg

Try not to be jealous of the fine craftsmanship. You too can almost finish tiling a floor if you follow these 8 simple steps.

God help me.

5) Start tiling from the front of the bar to the inside of the bar. That way when you realize you have tiled yourself into an impossible escape, you can sit for about an hour hoping that the mortar will harden just enough for you to walk on it. Use this time to reflect how this was a terrible idea.

Nice....:D

... and the Multimaster... I have been watching the infomercial on that thing for awhile... Very cool.

Yikes Jay! :eek: I'm glad my first tile job went much smoother. I would have destroyed something otherwise (not just the tile!).

It's been fun reading this thread. I have enjoyed your sense of humor in this thread. I need to develop one like it to keep myself sane during my build. It's nice to see that there are other crazy people out there that tackle their own drywall and spend years on their basement. I am only about 4 months into mine and I am using the "cash only" approach as well. So, hopefully I might get it done before I retire ;) I look forward to following your build. It's looking great so far!

Nice....:D

... and the Multimaster... I have been watching the infomercial on that thing for awhile... Very cool.

It is worth every penny. I love it and have found a ton of things to use it on. I lent it to a friend that have the Dremel version and he said this one is much, much better. Cool feature is when you turn it on it doesn't take off on you, it just ramps up to speed in a couple seconds. Works just like they say in the infomercial.

Yikes Jay! :eek: I'm glad my first tile job went much smoother. I would have destroyed something otherwise (not just the tile!).

Mike,

I know, it is pretty frightening when I look at the pictures. My first attempt at things rarely works out, that is why there is usually a version 2.0 for me!

It's been fun reading this thread. I have enjoyed your sense of humor in this thread. I need to develop one like it to keep myself sane during my build. It's nice to see that there are other crazy people out there that tackle their own drywall and spend years on their basement. I am only about 4 months into mine and I am using the "cash only" approach as well. So, hopefully I might get it done before I retire ;) I look forward to following your build. It's looking great so far!

Thanks! I have no real skills so I have to be funny to cover it all up.:) I think I may retire the minute I finish this thing!

Jay - just found your thread and glazed thorugh...laughing of course. Nothing like doing things for the 1st time. I've made mental notes of your 8 step plan above. LMAO on step 4! I got similar "concrete" pile from busting up basement floor to move plumbing pipe.

I'll of course be watching for more Jay Rules so when I'm ready for my build I'll have been eJaycayted!

Jay - just found your thread and glazed thorugh...laughing of course. Nothing like doing things for the 1st time. I've made mental notes of your 8 step plan above. LMAO on step 4! I got similar "concrete" pile from busting up basement floor to move plumbing pipe.

I'll of course be watching for more Jay Rules so when I'm ready for my build I'll have been eJaycayted!

Glad I can be of help. Best rule of thumb is do the opposite of what I did and you will be just fine. Be sure to keep an eye out for Jay's Rules for grouting coming this weekend, soon be be followed by Jay's Rules for buying the same exact car his wife just smashed and lastly Jay's Rules for building a screen. This is how lazy I am....when I finished laying the tile I didn't want to clean out the left over mortar in my bucket, so I just let it hardened and threw the bucket out!

Nice to see another local on here! I work not too far from you at 10 and Tele.

multi tools are the single best creation ever made for a DIY'er. i bought one from harbor freight and have used it for TONS of stuff. works great for undercutting doorways, cutting outlet box holes, and even cutting sheets of plywood extremely precisely

multi tools are the single best creation ever made for a DIY'er. i bought one from harbor freight and have used it for TONS of stuff. works great for undercutting doorways, cutting outlet box holes, and even cutting sheets of plywood extremely precisely

Wish I would have had that fun tool when I started this crazy process!

Grout is just like magic! My tile job looked so bad I was actually thinking about ripping it all up. Instead I went ahead, grouted and I couldn't be happier with the results.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02419.jpg

Pardon the dusk, this is a construction site!
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02418.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02416.jpg

It actually looks like I know what I am doing. Speaking of knowing what I was doing I decided it was time to cover up the lower areas of the riser that won't get covered with carpet. Used wood laminate from Rockler. Came is 24" x 96" rolls. Just unroll, cut and stick.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02410.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02421.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02424.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02422.jpg

Just a bit of stain and it is pretty much done. Need to finish stage and trim.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02425.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02426.jpg

The tiling looks great and that veneer is a great call! Everything looks great. Keep up the good work!

The tiling looks great and that veneer is a great call! Everything looks great. Keep up the good work!

Thanks. If you look closely you can see where I pieced together the veneer but that will be covered by a row of chairs so I really didn't care. All in all it turned out ok. I would definately go the veneer route again if needed.

Jay,

Looks Great !!
I like the stain color(s)

Jay,

Looks Great !!
I like the stain color(s)

Thanks. I have been pretty happy with the Cabot Cherry Stain. I am dreading staining all the trim work, but I can't avoid it forever!

My wife totaled the car a few weeks back and I had to drain all the money out of my basement fund to get her a new, used car. Ended up with 2.5 year old Ford Fusion. Never really a big Ford fan before but this car has really changed my mind. It is actually a really nice car. Well, it is paid for but it is going to take a bit to build up my basement fund again.

On to the update...

Framed out the windows. Just need to paint them.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02433.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02437.jpg

Also finished the wood laminate for the stage.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02435.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02436.jpg

I had hoped to be done May 1st for my sons 6th birthday but I am pretty sure that isn't going to happen. The money is gone for the time being.:(

Progress! Completed the bar plumbing today. Of course I only had to go to Home Depot 4 times today. First I had to go and get a P-trap and a longer extension piecce for the drain. 6" wasn't long enough. Then I had to get a 22 degree elbow to line up my waste drain and some piece to tie my 1.5" drain to my 2" waste line. So then I make my cuts and prime my pieces with that purple plumbing stuff. Next I open the glue and it has hardened, so it is useless. Back to Home Depot. I get back and glue every thing up and hook up my P-trap.

Yes I left the orange price tags on!
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02467.jpg

I attached the facuet to the water and let it rip.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02473.jpg

Things look to be going pretty good and then the leaking started. It is leaking right at the downward connection from the waste pipe to the P-trap. So I figure I just need to tighten it. Test it again and it is still leaking. Where is the Billy May's Mightly Putty when you need it. So I take it apart and notice that no amount of tightening will fix a crappy molding process.

Look at this crap. Of course it is going to leak!
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02477.jpg

I go back to HD to get a new piece and hook it back up. Perfect. Not a leak to be found. Then it happened......

I picked up all my supplies and, while leaning forward, I felt my shirt and pants getting wet. I look down and to my horror I had tightened everything EXCEPT the container with the purple plumbing primer and it is all over me and my new tiled floor. It looked like I had shot Barney! I quickly get off the tile and drop my stuff, grab wet paper towel and frantically start trying to clean up the bloody Barney mess. "Please don't stain the grout, Please don't stain the grout." When everything was said and done the tiles were fine but there are some spots on the grout (and me) that are stained purple.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02468.jpg

Here is the culprit...
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02470.jpg

You probably can't see it from this picture but trust me, it looks like I just gave Barney a hand job...
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02479.jpg

Did he get some on my pants????? Oh yeah.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02482.jpg

Haven't gotten too much done over the last few weeks except I did get a chance to put the basement through it's first dry run sans the theater. Few weeks back my son and I were watching TV and a commercial came on for a company called Party City came and my son says "Daddy that is where we went to get the supplies for your surprise party". Note to parents: If you want to keep something a secret don't tell your 5 year old. My wife learned that the hard way and was mad that I found out. Since I was going to be 40 she wanted to have the party in the unfinished basement which was a construction zone. She was going to "trick" me into cleaning up the basement for no good reason (it would have never happened by the way). So it ended up being a good excuse to clean up so that no one would get lost in the mess. Turned out ok.

Looking into the HT
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02487.jpg

You can't see too well from the pictures but I ended up repainting the HT area because the red wasn't dark enough. Went much darker and I am much happier.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02488.jpg

Stocked the bar a bit and got a popcorn machine (gift from the kids)
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02485.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02491.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02492.jpg

I was really happy with how the party went. I ran the bar all night and it was great. Had room to fit 4 folding tables with 8 seats each. Kids loved the stage and had a great time dancing in the HT area. I can see it all coming together and soon I will be watching movies!!!

Next up:
Doors
Moldings
Carpet

Congrats on the first run in the basement (and happy birthday...just turned the 40 corner myself not too long ago). Sounds like a good time was had by all. Nice looking bar there. I like how the third row bar turned out as well. Keep it up.

Hey Jay...the bar looks GREAT. Regarding your Barney encounter (LOL BTW) I hope you and he get things worked out....sounds like he owes you one ;)

Congrats on the first run in the basement (and happy birthday...just turned the 40 corner myself not too long ago). Sounds like a good time was had by all. Nice looking bar there. I like how the third row bar turned out as well. Keep it up.

Thanks. Turning 40 was no big deal and since I still act like I am 12 (so my wife says) I don't feel a day over 13.

Still have some finish molding work on the bar but all in all it turned out exactly as I planned. I bought a cheap test bar stool and have turned the third row bar into my current construction workstation. I just set up the laptop and instant giant desk! Movies are going to be great from back in the cheap seats.

Hey Jay...the bar looks GREAT. Regarding your Barney encounter (LOL BTW) I hope you and he get things worked out....sounds like he owes you one ;)

Thanks for the compliments! The Barney Incident (as I now refer to it) ended up being no big deal and is hardly noticable unless you get on your hands and knees. That doesn't sound too good....

Hey Jay...the bar looks GREAT. Regarding your Barney encounter (LOL BTW) I hope you and he get things worked out....sounds like he owes you one ;)

Step away from the purple dinasaur

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/BT20V/barney.jpg

Ha...that explains it :)

Hey Jay, I was thinking of using the Blondewood for my bar also because it doesnt have as much grain as oak. What did you end up using for the trim to match?

Step away from the purple dinasaur

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f305/BT20V/barney.jpg

Just great....now I am never going to be able to look at MJ again. Such sweet innocence. LOL

Hey Jay, I was thinking of using the Blondewood for my bar also because it doesnt have as much grain as oak. What did you end up using for the trim to match?

I ended up using some nice pine for the trim. Matched faily well but if I could do it again I would have skipped the blondewood and gone with birch instead. When staining the blondewood I noticed that no two pieces stained the same. Some had more grain than others. Not very noticable until you get up close. The birch gave up a more even stain.

Anyone know a good place to get some staingrade pine molding baseboards in Oakland or Macomb county? Big Orange wants $1.72/ft and I don't think their stuff looks very good and I was hoping to get a better deal than that. I need about 250 ft. :o

Where did you use Birch? Also, my brother got all his trim from a place here in macomb. I will find out the name and location and let you know. I was gonna check them out too. He said it was cheaper than the big box places. Somewhere around 22 or 23 mile road and hayes area I believe.

I stopped by the place yesterday. They have really nice stuff, although I didnt price out their stainable pine. But they had a great price on some nice 5" fancy baseboard for I think $1.50 or so per lin. ft. Its called Macomb Stairs and Millwork. http://www.macombstairs.com/
I will be getting all of my moldings from there, very helpful too. Its also nice that they are close, 23 mile west of Hayes. Check em out.

I stopped by the place yesterday. They have really nice stuff, although I didnt price out their stainable pine. But they had a great price on some nice 5" fancy baseboard for I think $1.50 or so per lin. ft. Its called Macomb Stairs and Millwork. http://www.macombstairs.com/
I will be getting all of my moldings from there, very helpful too. Its also nice that they are close, 23 mile west of Hayes. Check em out.

Thanks for the info Biz. I will check them out.

I used birch for my rack that I built. I stained so much nicer than the blondewood. In the end they aren't too far apart and most people will never notice the variations. I notice them but I am learning to live with it!

No I did not finish the basement yet, and no I did not decide that The NeverEnding Story would be my first movie. As a matter of fact I have done nothing for the last 3 months, so that is my neverending story. Oh I pretended to quote out doors and trim, but when the quote came back at $3,500 did I go get other qoutes???? Negative GhostRider......I just sat there and stared at it. You want to charge me how much for my closet doors? $1,500??? Are they made with gold? Maybe they meant to say $150 instead. Seriously I need two double doors for my closets and they are framed for Bi-folds but I think I want double doors that open so standard sizes won't fit. Solid wood, not solid gold. I thought I made it clear to the guy. So apparently my specially sized solid wood doors are a made by expensive miracle elves or something like that. I guess I am going to do bi-fold doors afterall. Things have been crazy busy since the start of spring so really haven't haven't had the chance to do much and won't be able to do anything this weekend. Stay tuned for more updates about nothing.....

I am scooted right to the edge of my seat...:D

I am scooted right to the edge of my seat...:D

Great, here is an update...driving Saturday to deposit a little bonus check and I noticed a little pufff of smoke from under my hood. It was faint but I saw it. Pulled over and $&%#@ the radiator has a tiny leak. Ok maybe it is just a hose. So I drive to my guy and sure enough it is a leak in the core! Now I know I have an EVAP code that only the dealer can fix, so after fixing the radiator my guy takes it to the Jeep dealership for that and a recall on the heated seats. So far my bonus check that I was going to use for seats is slowly dwindling away. Oh yes I almost forgot, once all that is done I have to get a leak in the rear axle fixed. Can you sell plasma on eBay???

PS> Still have yet to bonus my check....why didn't they just do direct deposit?????

PS> Still have yet to bonus my check....

Let me know when you figure out how to do that. ;)

Bummer on the rest. :(

Wow, man, this looks really nice

Let me know when you figure out how to do that. ;)

Bummer on the rest. :(

LOL What I meant was I have yet to deposit my bonus check yet. Although it would be awesome to "bonus my check".

Wow, man, this looks really nice

Thanks for noticing. One day it will be finished and I can appreciate all the work I have put into it.

Ok I have to be honest...I haven't done a thing in 4 months. Literally nothing. Wait, I take that back. I did wash my bonus check in my jeans and it became little bits of paper. Unfortuantely the bank would not take my word that all those little pieces of paper actually at one time were a bonus check. So I had to go back to payroll and get a new check.

So for the last few months what have I been doing? Coaching my daughters softball team, vacation, golf, napping, working, napping, eating, napping, napping and yardwork. I also did some napping with my free time. To be fair to myself I did finish my drop ceiling last weekend. I had about 8 pieces I had to cut to finish it off so in between naps I was able to knock it out.

Actually I have just been rebuilding my basement fund ever since someone I live with in the house totalled her care in February (see previous posts). I have built the funds back up, so it is time to start up again and I have decided to start with under cabinet lights in the bar. Unfortunately a nap got in the way and I never really started so I will start and document the fiasco later this week.

Don't hold your breath.....

Well I finally got a free weekend recently and got some little projects finished. First up was putting in the undercabinet lights. I ended up going the very simple, cheap and effective route. I installed Seagull Ambiance® Low Voltage Linear Lighting System. Wire up the transformer, screw in the track, run the wire, plug in the light fixtures into the wire and done. Here is how it looks with the overhead lights on and off.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02753.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02756.jpg

Next up was finishing the drop ceiling in the middle of the basement. I had to complete a bunch of complicated cuts that I was just to lazy to finish before. Check that off the list. I am flying now....not.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02760.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02759.jpg


Then I wired up some temp sconce lighting in the theater. At least I can see in there now.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02763.jpg

Last but not least I used my kreig jig to build a frame around my equipment cabinet. Turned out better than I thought. Now I just need to build a wall to slide it into. Maybe next weekend.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02748.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02750.jpg

Yes I realize I need a little bit of dusting.

Yaj,

Wow - that's a bunch of catching up - looks good!!

Sounds like you are happy with the Kreg jig..?
(got one as a gift awhile back but have not yet put it to use)

Yaj,

Wow - that's a bunch of catching up - looks good!!

Sounds like you are happy with the Kreg jig..?
(got one as a gift awhile back but have not yet put it to use)

cuzed,
It looks more impressive than it actually is. That is how I trick everyone into thinking I am really making progress.:)

I hate the jig.....because it isn't a real Kreg. It is some cheap knockoff I got a while back. It works but it is garbage. I am going to get a new one.

Just caught up in this thread. The barney incident is pretty memorable. Good read.

Just caught up in this thread. The barney incident is pretty memorable. Good read.

Thanks. There is still a faint bit of Barney seed on the grout but it is hardly noticable.....thank god.:)

HT related I swear, but bear with me.....It seems like everytime I get my HT Fund(HTF) up to acceptable levels the gods of pain rain down on me. Note: Read back to the February incident to see what happened last time I got the HTF over $10K.

THE JEEP
Driving home from upnorth about a month ago my Jeep starts to misfire like crazy (not some little misfire but stuff that actually shakes the vehicle) so I exit the expressway, pull over and pop the hood. Looks ok to me so I start it back up and it is running smooth as silk. So I get 20 miles down the road and it does it again. Pull over again and start it back up. Runs like a champ. Finish the remaining 2 hours home without any issues. Electrical for sure. Next week it is doing it again on the way to work, so I finally decide to take it in. Of course my mechanic can't get it to happen again, so why am I surprised. Engine codes say it is misfiring but not sure why. So I pick up the Jeep and it never does it again, except now something strange is happening.....the tranny (no, not some guy in mens clothing) is now slipping into 3rd gear as soon as it gets into 2nd. Not good. Finally took it in again and guess who needs a new trans, yep me! HT Fund Hit (HTFH for short) =$2,700

THE SONY
Last weekend I am visiting the rents because my brother was in town. Both my dad and I have identical 36" Sony Trinitron TVs (except mine is an HDTV) in our great rooms. I have a 42" LCD in the den which I uses for movie night so no realy need to replace until after I finish the HT. Anyway, during the visit I am explaining to my dad that my TV started acting up that day and wouldn't turn on after being on most of the morning. His is working fine. I get home and I get a phone call from him telling me that now HIS tv won't turn on and he is convinced I am satan or something from the Omen (not his exact words but you get the point). While talking to him I try MY tv and it works. Now I am laughing and he is ready to call in an exorcist to rid my of my evil ways. He replaces his with a plasma and rubs it in my face. I tell him I will have an 11' screen in the basement and then he remindes me that I have been working on it for 4 years. So today I come home and the TV is dead as a doornail (sure it has a red blinking light but other than that it is useless). I know what is wrong (circuit board and it will cost $500 to fix) and it isn't worth fixing so I must dip into the HTF again to get something new and better than my dad to save face and convince him I am not the devil. So begins the hunt for a new TV (55" min). Estimated HTFH or EHTFH = $2,000

Needless to say I will be bringing my lunch to work for the next week or so.

Wow, that really sucks:mad: Sorry to hear about it and hopefully some good Karma will rejuvenate you HTF. If that doesn't happen, there's always a HELOC (home equity line of credit) option to get things moving again;)

...so I must dip into the HTF again to get something new and better than my dad to save face and convince him I am not the devil. So begins the hunt for a new TV (55" min). Estimated HTFH or EHTFH = $2,000

Warning Will Robinson, warning!

I had a similar incident with our TV (it died without reason), and it ended up costing a lot more than just the cost of a new TV. And judging from your story so far you are in real danger of encountering the same fate. My advice - get the same sized TV quickly and hook it up. Otherwise, you too may experience my poor fate.

You see, we had a nice entertainment center for our 36" TV, which had plenty of space below for storage and above for my wife's decorating. There was also space on either side for a chest and other stuff. Then the TV died, and my wife said "Can we get something bigger?" (Do I love my wife? Yes! :D )

Of course, that means that we can't use the existing entertainment center any more, so I suggested that we find a new one first and then get a TV that fits it (it seemed like a good plan at the time... :o). My wife sees some things she likes at the IKEA web site, so we plan a trip down in the truck to pick one out. For those of you who have never been to an IKEA store, this is a HUGE mistake - it is the equivalent of giving your young child a credit card, sending them into the candy store, and telling them you'll be back in a couple of hours. :eek:

Too make a long story short - the only original items still in our living room after this incident are a china display cabinet and the piano keyboard. The cost of a new high-def LCD? My credit card didn't even notice that little blip after the beating it took.

Oh, I almost forgot...

Since the living room was getting 'refreshed', we (that's the royal 'we', BTW :rolleyes:) decided that it would be a good time to put up new paint. Of course, we didn't like the first color we tried, or the second (a smaller section this time), or the third...

Wow, that really sucks:mad: Sorry to hear about it and hopefully some good Karma will rejuvenate you HTF. If that doesn't happen, there's always a HELOC (home equity line of credit) option to get things moving again;)

Thanks for the support.

HELOC - Interesting choice but I took took a vow to live debt free a couple years ago. No credit cards, no HELOC (that was a tough one to give up), not car payments. Nothing but the house. Only choice I have is to save or dip into the emergency fund and technically they are not emergencies.

Warning Will Robinson, warning!

I had a similar incident with our TV (it died without reason), and it ended up costing a lot more than just the cost of a new TV. And judging from your story so far you are in real danger of encountering the same fate. My advice - get the same sized TV quickly and hook it up. Otherwise, you too may experience my poor fate.

You see, we had a nice entertainment center for our 36" TV, which had plenty of space below for storage and above for my wife's decorating. There was also space on either side for a chest and other stuff. Then the TV died, and my wife said "Can we get something bigger?" (Do I love my wife? Yes! :D )

Of course, that means that we can't use the existing entertainment center any more, so I suggested that we find a new one first and then get a TV that fits it (it seemed like a good plan at the time... :o). My wife sees some things she likes at the IKEA web site, so we plan a trip down in the truck to pick one out. For those of you who have never been to an IKEA store, this is a HUGE mistake - it is the equivalent of giving your young child a credit card, sending them into the candy store, and telling them you'll be back in a couple of hours. :eek:

Too make a long story short - the only original items still in our living room after this incident are a china display cabinet and the piano keyboard. The cost of a new high-def LCD? My credit card didn't even notice that little blip after the beating it took.

Oh, I almost forgot...

Since the living room was getting 'refreshed', we (that's the royal 'we', BTW :rolleyes:) decided that it would be a good time to put up new paint. Of course, we didn't like the first color we tried, or the second (a smaller section this time), or the third...

LOL That is always a danger but the $2000 includes getting a TV table. Budgeting $500 for that. I refuse to go to IKEA for that exact reason, because we will walk out of there with an entirely newly furnished house. BTW I hate painting so I will avoid it at all costs.

BTW I hate painting so I will avoid it at all costs.
Oh, I don't mind painting. I am actually pretty good at it and can do a good job. It is just that after I have put 10 different sample colors up on the wall (no, that isn't an exaggeration), I would be willing to put up any color 'we' pick just to get the job done.

Of course, now that I think about it, maybe that was her plan all along... :o

Most of my posts over the last few years have been about the little progress that has taken place. Well I have broken the barrier and knocked a bunch of major things off my list and have basically finished (not really but it is now usable space):

Moldings - Stained and Installed (I will post a different post on that insanity)
Carpet - Ordered and installed (Story with that as well)
Installed closets - (More stories)
Installed Workroom Door - (Should it take 3 hours to install??? Wait til you find out why)
Installed and wired my ceiling speakers - For music during parties (yes another store will be needed)
Ordered Projector - Should be getting it Friday
Cleaned out Workroom - It isn't really cleaned out, just cleaner
8 million little things - No real story there

All of this took place over about 3 days. Let's just say that I ordered carpet and they were going to try their best to get it in and installed before Christmas. Then they called on a Friday night and told me that they would be there the next Tuesday.....BEFORE Thanksgiving. Panic ensued and I got to work that night. I swear to you on one day I actually worked 29 hours. I believe I was working so fast that actually went back in time.

I will start the stories this evening with some photos and keep them coming each night until I run out of stupid stories.

First showing should take place before Christmas!

Back in October I went to the molding shop on a Saturday morning to order my wood molding. I was getting Poplar wood, even though it is tough to stain, because it is cheap and I found some instructions online on how to stop it from getting splotchy. So when I went to order the trim the doors were locked. No one home. I doubled checked that it actually was Saturday and not Sunday, and then I double checked the hours of operation to make sure I wasn't going insane. Well they just lost my $400 order of molding and trim. So I moved to Plan B and went to my backup, but more expensive option. I show up and place my order and go and pay. I am expecting them to tell me when they will have it ready and can deliver, but that doesn't happen. Apparently they have it in stock and I am going home with it today. 400 feet of trim is a crazy amount to stuff into the back of a Jeep Cherokee. So I end up making the 15 mile trip home with 12' boards sticking out the back and praying the cops don't see me because that had to be illegal. I could barely fit in the Jeep. I wish I had a picture. Never the less I made it home and started to mix dyes like a mad chemist. See you have to dye poplar first, then seal the wood, then stain in order to get it to look nice.

Testing color
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/045.jpg

My mixing table
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/044.jpg

The final mix ready to start dyeing
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/046.jpg

The dye is water soluble but you want to make sure you where gloves. Make sure you don't use the cheap latex gloves and invest in the good blue ones. Why you ask???? Because sometimes the gloves get a tiny pinhole in the tip of the thumb and you get this....
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/054.jpg

Yes the dye found a hole and soaked INTO the nail. I literally dyed my nail, and you can't wash it off. It was IN the nail. Try going to work and explaining a thousand times that you didn't really paint your nail or smash it with a hammer. Good times.

Here was the final product:
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/051.jpg

Episode 2 tomorrow

This is going to be good - will be tuning in again tomorrow !

Show I had been working on the moldings for a while. First I dyed them, then I had to do a coat of 50% shellac and 50% denatured alcohol. This seals the wood so that the stain you apply sits on top of the wood and doesn't penetrate and get blotchy. Next I did a coat of wipe on poly, sanded and did a final coat of poly. The problem is I was taking my own sweet time not expecting carpeting until end of December. So when they called to let me know they were installing carpet in 3 days I had to get to work.

Before I could install the moldings I had to finish the closet and workroom doors and get them hung.

The instructions for the closet doors I got from HD were just plain wrong. So sure the idea behind them is right but if you follow them you will have crappy looking doors. I must have installed and uninstalled them 5 times. Now I am an expert at them so if anyone needs it done just let me know. Not sure if I am going to dye them or not.
Here are the installed unfinished doors.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02896.jpg
I think I like the natural color contrast so I may not dye them, might just shallac them and that's it.

Once I got the closet doors up I tackled hanging the workroom door. Problem is the door opening was way too big for the door. Not sure what my father-in-law was thinking but it wasn't even close. So off to HD to get some 2x4s. When I got back I reframed but then realized that my moldings weren't going to cover the framing. That means more drywalling, which I vowed never to touch again. Luckily I had saved a few spare pieces of drywall and was able to cover the new framing. But that means mudding and taping. Ugh. After all the finishing work I painted and was ready to start installing the door Sunday around 6pm. It took me 3 hours to hang a pre-hung door. I prepped by reading instructions and watching videos online. Oh sure it looks easy and it probably is, but I found a way to make it next to impossible. I finally got the door installed and pushed it open into the workroom and guess what??? The workroom is such a mess that I actually can't get into the room because there is wood on the floor blocking the door from opening. I had no choice but to remove the door and clean out the room and reinstall. Actually wasn't that bad and went pretty good. You see, if you do something enough times you can accomplish anything. That is why it took me 6 years to finish college.

Here is the dooring during staining:
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/052.jpg

Finished and installed:
Sorry but I am too lazy to rotate my image
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02907.jpg

Episode 3 Tomorrow

This is going to be good - will be tuning in again tomorrow !

Oh cuzed, You only know the half of it. BTW I have already seen Christmas Vacation 4 times in the last 2 weeks!

Jay, your experiences seem to mirror mine down to even college :rolleyes:
Keep the faith!

Jay, Im in the Brighton area and am in the beginning stages of my basement project. Mine mirrors yours except for the Fitness room. I have been reading that Rigid Foam Board is the best way to go on insulation. What are your thoughts? I want to go the cheapest route. So I am on the edge of going the way you did with the fiberglass batt insulation or using the Rigid Foam Board...any thoughts? What is code? Thanks

Jay, Im in the Brighton area and am in the beginning stages of my basement project. Mine mirrors yours except for the Fitness room. I have been reading that Rigid Foam Board is the best way to go on insulation. What are your thoughts? I want to go the cheapest route. So I am on the edge of going the way you did with the fiberglass batt insulation or using the Rigid Foam Board...any thoughts? What is code? Thanks

From what I understand Rigid is the way to go as well, but fiberglass was the cheapest for me. Code varies by city/township but I am pretty sure none of them require a certain type of insulation (if any at all). THe one thing they tend to dictate is the use of a vapor barrier. Vapor Barrier in the basement = bad. Unfortunately some codes haven't been updated in many years and still require it. I have been very happy with the fiberglass I used for my walls. Basement is toasty warm. If I had unlimited budget I would have spray foamed or used wool (Roxul) insulation throughout. That stuff rocks. I used it for the ceiling and it is a MUCH better sound killer that fiberglass. Good luck

Jay, your experiences seem to mirror mine down to even college :rolleyes:
Keep the faith!

Who knew you were supposed to show up to class every day???? I even took the wrong Accounting final exam one time (they swtiched the 100 and 200 class level locations and announced during class). I realized it halfway through but I didn't want to leave early because I didn't want the hundreds of people to think a) Boy Genius finished a 2 hour final in 45 minutes or b) Idiot Boy is in the wrong final.

I didn't know it was possible to get a 0.0 in a class.

BTW - I was missing class because of partying...I keep getting overtime at my job and needed the money!:eek:

Who knew you were supposed to show up to class every day???? I even took the wrong Accounting final exam one time (they swtiched the 100 and 200 class level locations and announced during class). I realized it halfway through but I didn't want to leave early because I didn't want the hundreds of people to think a) Boy Genius finished a 2 hour final in 45 minutes or b) Idiot Boy is in the wrong final.

I didn't know it was possible to get a 0.0 in a class.

BTW - I was missing class because of partying...I keep getting overtime at my job and needed the money!:eek:

LOL! It was pool (9 ball) and beer for me. Upside was that I became a pretty good player back in the day. Ending up winning a Miller sponsored ACUI (Assoc of College Unions Intl) pool competition at the university, went on to win regional and then to national. Crashed and burned at the National.

"At least I have that going for me, which is nice!":rolleyes:

LOL! It was pool (9 ball) and beer for me. Upside was that I became a pretty good player back in the day. Ending up winning a Miller sponsored ACUI (Assoc of College Unions Intl) pool competition at the university, went on to win regional and then to national. Crashed and burned at the National.

"At least I have that going for me, which is nice!":rolleyes:

At least you learned a skill!!!!! I worked at McDonald's.......

I still make a mean burger so maybe I did learn something. Hmmmmmm

Once I was done installing the doors it was about 9pm. Now the carpet guys are coming the next morning and I need to trim out the doors and base moldings. But I needed to clean out the workroom so that I can put more stuff in. Basically I needed to move the shelving units out of the workroom and put them into the closets I just finished. The only problem with this strategy is that I have to make a path to the shelves, then take everything off the shelves, move the shelves to the closet and then put everything back on the shelves, now in the closet.

I have 3 of these shelves so I had to complete this stupid process 3 times. I got so tired moving my wifes Dickens Village houses I started to curse Department 56 and wonder why I bought the damn things for her in the first place. I mean come on, you don't even put the house up anymore, can't we just sell them? I think in total I probably spent a few grand on those things. I figure by now they have to be worth 7 or 8 dollars. Awesome.

By now I realize it is going to be a late night because it is 10pm and I still haven't started nailing my trim. That should only take an hour at the most right? Oh no I was wrong in my calculations...

Episode 4 tomorrow

Hahaha, I love your thread. Good to see another Michigan person too. It's coming together very nicely though!

I have 3 of these shelves so I had to complete this stupid process 3 times. I got so tired moving my wife's Dickens Village houses I started to curse Department 56 and wonder why I bought the damn things for her in the first place. I mean come on, you don't even put the house up anymore, can't we just sell them? I think in total I probably spent a few grand on those things. I figure by now they have to be worth 7 or 8 dollars. Awesome.

Tisk, tisk, shame on you. Don't you know you should be working smarter, not harder? :D The solution to your Department 56 village problem is simple - don't move the individual pieces, move the shelves with the pieces on them. You just need a nice display cabinet. You have the money and space for that, right? :rolleyes:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=194362&stc=1&d=1292522987

Hahaha, I love your thread. Good to see another Michigan person too. It's coming together very nicely though!

Thanks. It has been a long haul. Finish line is right in sight!

Tisk, tisk, shame on you. Don't you know you should be working smarter, not harder? :D The solution to your Department 56 village problem is simple - don't move the individual pieces, move the shelves with the pieces on them. You just need a nice display cabinet. You have the money and space for that, right? :rolleyes:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=194362&stc=1&d=1292522987

LOL My MIL has one that she stores her village in. Luckily my wife doesn't like those cabinets (I suspect it is because she doesn't want to dust it, but she will never admit it). Maybe if I strategically place them in the attic she could have a nice little setup there.....

It's been almost 4 months since we last heard from our hero. What happened to him, was he kidnapped, or maybe saving the world from certain distruction? Surely there must be some reason why he didn't update his build. Was it the December snow or the long hours he spends in his undercover job as a Sharepoint architect? More likely he made the mistake off hanging his projector and pretending he was finished with the task at hand.

Episode 4
When we last left our hero it was 10pm the night before the carpet guys came and he hadn't even started doing the trim. Cutting the trim with the miter saw was causing smoke to set off the smoke detector, waking up the rest of the house (that was sleeping because kids have school and someones wife can't stay awake past 8:15). Why was it smoking? Was it about to explode? Was there a bomb? Or maybe someone has nevver changed the blade on it even though he bought a new one 2 years prior. Funny how easy it is to cut wood with a sharp blade. The cutting and nailing goes until 1am, then the clean-up begins. 2:30am rolls around and he has finished cleaning up 4 years of construction mess and does a final sweep with the ShopVac. It has never been so clean.

He stands back to admire his handiwork. WTF???? He has forgotten to do the trim around the posts. How is that possible? He breaks out the saw and starts measuring and cutting making quick work of the disaster. 3am and he is finished, but has to clean up all over again. He rolls into bed and gets a well deserved 3 hours of sleep before he heads to the office to not be productive.

The carpet installers work their magic over the next two days (had to split the job up) and when our hero returns from work on Wednesday before Thanksgiving he is pleasently surprised at the work. He cons his friend into coming over to move furniture from the den into the basement. He does this by promising the hero's wife will flash him (knowing full well she will not). It was a mean trick but he wouldn't come over, and the hero was too tired to do it all himself. In the end we all had a good laugh, except for our hero's friend who felt deceived.

Finally the general basement area was complete (minus a few little details):
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02895.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02904.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02898.jpg

Sweet carpet job
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02902.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/Basement/DSC02899.jpg

More updates to come!

Hey that looks great! Reminds me that I have to update my thread though. Hmmm, maybe tonight.

Nice! Glad to see ya back! Hopefully more updates from you in the near future. Not 4 months from now, but like ya know..the near future. :-) Head on over to my build to check out my progress and have a good laugh at my misfortunes.

What kind of Jeep do you have?

CLICK HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1271791)

Welcome Back - looking good!!

Everything looks great! Don't worry about it taking so long to finish. I know mine will probably takes years to do!:eek:

Thanks guys. I have a bunch of photos that need to be uploaded. Have my chairs so very little gets done right now. Last week I thought about doing something but quickly changed my mind when I found and old episode of ALF on Netflix. It is going to be a very unproductive summer if I get distracted like that.

It's been almost 4 months since we last heard from our hero. What happened to him, was he kidnapped, or maybe saving the world from certain distruction? Surely there must be some reason why he didn't update his build. Was it the December snow or the long hours he spends in his undercover job as a Sharepoint architect? More likely he made the mistake off hanging his projector and pretending he was finished with the task at hand.

You hung the projector?!?

Let us all observe a moment of silence as we morn the passing of our good friend yaj123, his was a good build thread and his updates will be sorely missed.

:D

You hung the projector?!?

Let us all observe a moment of silence as we morn the passing of our good friend yaj123, his was a good build thread and his updates will be sorely missed.

:D

Seriously.....I am getting nothing done. It just sucks you in and then the next thing you know you are watching Iron Man for the 12th time just because it is there.

Nice! Glad to see ya back! Hopefully more updates from you in the near future. Not 4 months from now, but like ya know..the near future. :-) Head on over to my build to check out my progress and have a good laugh at my misfortunes.

What kind of Jeep do you have?

CLICK HERE (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1271791)

Sorry Brian....just noticed I never responded to your question. I have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 191,000 miles on it. Just cleaned out the interior last night so I feel proud of it once again. It gets pretty messy with kids!

BTW - Love the BAR! Looks like an awesome place to unwind!

Crazy last month but I finally pulled the trigger on some Axiom Audio speakers. Went with the Epic 60 - 500 (7.1) in Cherry. After talking with those guys I may need an additional 500 sub because of my open concept but we are going to try it out with one for now and see how it works. Couldn't go with the larger 600 sub because I really didn't have a place to put it. Can't wait to get them, since I have been using 2 Bose tin cans for the past 6 months.

Not sure where the last 5 months went. I made a post and next thing I knew summer came and went, fall arrived and I have done nothing in the HT. A wise man (or a bunch of wise men) once told me, NEVER HANG YOUR PROJECTOR UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED EVERYTHING. Well I hung it and everything came to a complete stop. Mind you, it is not like I have spent the entire last 5 months watching movies and eating popcorn (although my waistline looks like I did). Nope I still have the Iron Man 2 DVD I got from NetFlix in April. I just haven't been around. Oh I have had the best of intentions to sit and watch all the movies I have been holding off watching (yes including Braveheart), but I never found the time. On a side note: Do you know how frustrating it is to listen to people talk about great movies and then sound like an idiot when you tell them that you are holding out on watching Braveheart until your HT is finished?

With that said, I have found the time to watch a few things downstairs. I have caught a couple Lions away games and I also have been watching The Walking Dead on AMC every Sunday night. So what is done you ask? Well I will tell you:
1) Screen is hung
2) Speakers are hooked up
3) Seats are in
4) Projector is hung

What isn't done?

1) Everything else.

Screen trim, screen wall covering, star ceiling, speaker stands, calibration (video and audio), wall panels, and the 200 other little things that need to be done.

So I am going to make a big push to complete as much as possible before Christmas although I am pretty sure I am not even going to sniff the Star Ceiling until the New Year.

Over the next couple days I will post pictures of where I am at with everything. Then I will solidify my to-do list and get started on making sh*t happen.:D

Over the next couple days I will post pictures of where I am at with everything. Then I will solidify my to-do list and get started on making sh*t happen.:D

Define 'next couple days'. :D

Maybe he meant a couple of months. ;)

Just saw this build from a fellow Macomb resident. Looks good. I need to find time to read through your thread. Drop me a line if you ever come back. It's nice to know I'm not the only one in the area doing this stuff.

Maybe he meant a couple of months. ;)

Just saw this build from a fellow Macomb resident. Looks good. I need to find time to read through your thread. Drop me a line if you ever come back. It's nice to know I'm not the only one in the area doing this stuff.

Did I say a couple of days??? I clearly remember saying "A couple of days when I am free and not lazy and finding excuses not to work on my room". Ok maybe I didn't say that. My couple of days tend to turn into couple of months awfully fast.

Tonight is the night! I will be back around 10pm (Coaching my daughters Softball team) and then it is nothing but uploading and updating progress.

Randy, Always looking for another Macomb Resident to keep me on my game!

I finally returned Iron Man 2 on DVD from NetFlix last week. Never watched it. I had that DVD for almost a year and NEVER put it in. I feel like NetFlix is wasted on me. I love the idea of it but I don't like to be forced to watch a DVD just because it arrived in the mail. There is a good chance that I never watched Iron Man 2 just for spite. I think it is just better for me if I buy the movies I want to watch so that I don't feel so much pressure. It is too much.

Updates and Pictures!
Look, I am going to be really honest. I have completely wasted the last year and a half doing absolutely nothing in the basement. Oh sure I have grand plans...by now I was supposed to have my start field up and running as well as all my sound absorption. I have done a little, very little:

Ordered some Toys
Here is a picture of my bounty. I really enjoy unwrapping toys.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02923.jpg

Hung a Makeshift Screen
It was a sheet, and they weren't even the same color but I wanted to watch Christmas Vacation and the they didn't have any pee stains so I figured it was ok.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02930.jpg
Oh Clark
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02935.jpg

Built a Real Screen
The first thing I ever purchased for the Theater was a roll of screen fabric from SMX before it was SMX. It took me 5 years before I actually opened the package. For all I know it could have been a flagpole in there but it wasn't. It was glorious screen fabric.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02984.jpg
I am an awesome frame builder. I am pretty sure it is my only real talent.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02986.jpg
Ok I had some help, My daughter painted but it wasn't good enough so I grabbed some gaffer's tape and really did it right.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02989.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02992.jpg

I think you are supposed to turn it 12 degrees, I actually measured it with a protractor, it was 11 so I fixed it. I am pretty sure it didn't matter but I liked the look on my wife's face when I did it.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC02997.jpg
Panel Clips
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC03000.jpg
Hung the screen and watched something (no, I didn't pick that movie, I wanted Showgirls but it was 3 against 1)
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC03006.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC03002.jpg
Thank you for noticing that I haven't totally blocked out the window behind the screen yet. It is on my list.

More tomorrow......

Just read your thread. You get the thumbs up for perseverance or should that be patience? either way keep up the good work.

Just read your thread. You get the thumbs up for perseverance or should that be patience? either way keep up the good work.

Thanks. It's a marathon, not a sprint....at least I keep telling myself that so I feel better about myself!

Screen turned out great (enjoyed your narration)!

Screen turned out great (enjoyed your narration)!

Thanks. It was much easier than I thought. I was dreading building it because I had enough fabric for one shot. I had promised myself before I started this project that Christmas Vacation would be the first thing shown from my projector, unfortunately it was on ghetto style, bedsheet screen. What a difference a good screen makes.

...and it was so. Around March of 2011 the seats rolled up. 6 chairs from my buddy Roman. I went with the Berkline 12013 (or at least that is what I think the model is, I haven't double checked yet.) 2 rows of 3 with Leather and Power Recline.

The kind delivery gentleman helped me get them in my garage. I was going to leave them there until my buddy got home from work but of course it was like sitting in front of presents on Christmas morning and being told you can't open them. I lasted 10 minutes before I started unpacking and trying to get them down the stairs without killing myself. The chair backs came down without any problems. Easy to carry. The bottom sections were another story. I kept them partially in their cardboard box and used that to help get them down the stairs. I slid them down, with me in front bracing them to stop them from shooting down like Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach. I was half temped to ride them down but thought better of it because I didn't have a cowboy hat and someone to take pictures. Something like that deserves a cowboy hat and pictures.

Anyway I got them downstairs and it turned out like this....
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC03073.jpg

From the side...
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC03072.jpg

With the screen and sconces installed...
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w142/havoc324/DSC03075.jpg

Very comfortable and I only fell asleep in them 2 of the first 3 nights!

Next stop....Speaker City....