Okay, guys...I know I've been slack with pictures, but you'd rather just see the finished product, right? :D

I finally finished...well mostly, I still have a few other things I need to add (namely some lighting and wall cabinets) but the main part of the bar is finished and has already been put in use!

Here's a before pic:

Front
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p3a1a97062e6d20db2f006f40a1be024b/e8a2acbf.jpg

Back
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p58351842aa4fb3cbc9016e4a3bf4b3f9/e8a2acbc.jpg

You can see the exposed cabinets, the framing and exposed wiring (some of it anyway, that was just where I started - I extended it around the bar to 2 additional outlets). You can't see the exposed plumbing, but it wasn't much...just a stub-out from the wall for the sink location.

You may notice the OSB I used for the underlayment for the bar top. I ended up pulling that out because I was afraid it would start to bend under the weight. I replaced it with oak plywood instead...a substantial cost difference compared to each other, but not much in the overall cost of the project. Anybody know if my concerns over the OSB were unfounded?

Anyway, here's the finished product...I apologize for the blurry initial pics, but I had the flash turned off. I left them in because it's more what the bar looks like in normal lighting conditions. Here you go:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p04ce896bbac707a71deeb1acdc566b71/e81b41a1.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p40e416c76aec00eed4c7e19942e9d0f2/e81b41a5.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p30b6f164569e3933da6d0a98a9b0442a/e81b41a7.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p64e60e8accf0edaaa0b9305f7e7e34c4/e81b41a6.jpg

Don't know what happened here...seems to be an error with my camera/memory stick, but you get the drift:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p40e8a5ff1b96f1abf5c76c0a224b857b/e81b4082.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pfa461bafeffbe1a38ac423182af66f6a/e81b4006.jpg

You can see the bar top made of hardwood flooring planks (leftover from my home build). No envirotex here yet...haven't gotten around to it plus I had some open questions in Neuners "Coat Bar Top" thread anyway:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/padb74f943eff88ed7c5addc8f3692508/e81b3ffd.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p78bb80c28cad7d075ba75ffc9f40ab7a/e81b3e9f.jpg

I tried to show here the recessed area at the back of the bar. It's 4" wide and sunken 3/8" for placing drinks as I make them. I picked up the rubber drain mat from a local bar-supply store.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p3a3a800494459cdb6795e91d66c32f48/e81b3e8e.jpg

Let me know what y'all think!

Damn, that's nice work! You did yourself proud! Now enjoy!

Thanks, Randy!

Excellent work! I really like the recessed area at the back of the bar. Wish I installed one on mine.

That is pretty awesome! Though personally, I'd have made sure to build it so that I could have a nice shelf at the back for plenty and plenty of bottles! :D

GREAT work! VEry nice looking.

What is the depth of the "working area?" That is, the distince from the inside of the lower granite shelf to the back wall, the area that the cabinet facing in in pic #2 fits into). I'm just trying to get a better idea if I can really do what I think I need to do for a bar in my room.

Thanks,
Tom

This is some great work man. I am looking for a nice used Bar on Ebay the whole time, but nothing for me so far. Maybe self constructing is the way to go.

Again: very cool! Are you getting a beer dispenser? That would be perfect then :)

Regards

Looks Great Irmo!!!

Great job! I still think we need a pub crawl with all of the bars going in here. The logistics might be a problem...

Excellent work! I really like the recessed area at the back of the bar. Wish I installed one on mine.

Thanks Neuner! That part of the bar does get some compliments...it was a little tricky because I ended up having to rip some of those flooring planks length-wise, but I think it was worth it in the end.

That is pretty awesome! Though personally, I'd have made sure to build it so that I could have a nice shelf at the back for plenty and plenty of bottles! :D

I ran out of space actually. If I had incorporated a back counter behind the bar, it would've pushed the whole unit 2'+ out into the room, and I wanted to save the floor space out there for walkthrough and congregation area.

I do plan to hang some wall cabinetry up there though, so I'll have some bottle (as well as glass) storage that way. That's next on the list. :)

GREAT work! VEry nice looking.

What is the depth of the "working area?" That is, the distince from the inside of the lower granite shelf to the back wall, the area that the cabinet facing in in pic #2 fits into). I'm just trying to get a better idea if I can really do what I think I need to do for a bar in my room.

Thanks,
Tom

Do you mean the area where the tile is? If so, those are 16" tiles, so there's roughly 32" of space back there. I'm also pretty sure that's a 32" cabinet where the sink is. It's plenty comfortable for working back there, but not enough space for any additional countertop or cabinet space. When I mount the wallcabinets as I described in the post above, I'll just get the short ones and mount them high enough where they can't be bumped into, but can still be reached (i.e. 6'+).

My back bar areas is only about 6 inches off the wall. It looks like you have room for something similar. If those tiles I see on the floor are 18" tiles, the you would still have 30 inches of walkway behind your bar. That way you can put up bottles and a single row of glasses. I think cabinets will stick out too far. If you look at page one of my build you will see the cabinets that were there before I began my build.

edit, sorry you posted more info while I was typing!

This is some great work man. I am looking for a nice used Bar on Ebay the whole time, but nothing for me so far. Maybe self constructing is the way to go.

Again: very cool! Are you getting a beer dispenser? That would be perfect then :)

Regards

Thanks!

As for a beer dispenser, I already got one of these (there's a thread on that here at AVS too):

http://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-Electrics-BC-3100-5-Liter-Dispenser/dp/B000L9R422

But a kegerator is an option down the road someday. I specifically left a space open (without cabinets) under the back countertop for a potential mini-fridge or a kegerator.

Thanks for all the compliments, guys...it was a lot of work over a long period of time (and it's still not done of course), so they are much appreciated!

FWIW, more pics are on the way...I just haven't been able to get onto AVS in a while so that's why there's the flurry of posts here this morning. I put another coat of envirotex on this week and the countertop is completely done and looks great. Expect some pics of that tonight or over the weekend...

My back bar areas is only about 6 inches off the wall. It looks like you have room for something similar. If those tiles I see on the floor are 18" tiles, the you would still have 30 inches of walkway behind your bar. That way you can put up bottles and a single row of glasses. I think cabinets will stick out too far. If you look at page one of my build you will see the cabinets that were there before I began my build.

edit, sorry you posted more info while I was typing!

Yeah, I was thinking about putting some short (6" or less) shelves underneath the cabinets I posted about above. To hold bottles, glasses, shots, etc as you said.

I'm also pretty sure that's a 32" cabinet where the sink is.

Yeah, now that I look at it, that's pretty much what I was asking...the width of the cabinet with the sink. I'm trying to get an idea of how much (or little, really) room I need back there.

Tom

Tom,

You would be surprised how little room you really need back there. You should only have to stay pretty much in one spot or be within a half step of what you need to grab. No need to walk yourself to death making a drink.

Yep, Randy's right. The space I have actually feels rather luxurious and I could probably get away with 6-10" less space in width.

Mine was somewhat predetermined though because I had the tile put back there a year before I started on my bar project.

As promised, here are some more pics:

As you can see, I added some bar stools (the other ones were loaners)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p6a067b174a028c51c38e01d4c4ffbbf9/e7ce810d.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p77af0d61f69e28253ca9f2c65196cc62/e7ce810a.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pf0025beb9c271544251c5c12612439f5/e7ce810c.jpg

This is a good one that shows the glossy effect of the envirotex. It looks even better in person:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p7132e3f67b55a1b44416ac7f3eaaa049/e7ce810b.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pc6584a712b82cf5886b96ca8185e9626/e7ce80b4.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/paba84fe4f1dd59a1c86b522b211eb010/e7ce8083.jpg

Just like a sheet of glass:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pebeb3bd7f937d60d35b79b1af0f5dea7/e7ce7fe8.jpg

Awesome!....looks like I'm headed for Michaels for some EnviorTex. It really turned out great!!!!

Looking good Irmo. I will be doing something very similar to what you did on the bar top with Envirotex as well. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, John...be sure to share some pics of your build...

Randy - You should have no problem since you've already sealed your countertop...all of my problems came from the fact the envirotex ran in between my flooring slats. You'll probably be able to get by on just one coat. Good luck!

Thanks Irmo. I am worried about it seeping out on the wall side and the tray in front of the bar top. I'll probably seal the areas up prior to pouring. How long did it take to set up?

The instructions are very good and specific (google "envirotex application" for some real world advice too), but in my experience it started to thicken significantly after 1.5-2 hours of application. At 24 hours it is solid but still slightly permeable (a fingernail could leave a mark) but at 48 hours, it's rock solid and ready to use.

If you're worried about runoff, apply it early enough that you could check on it after a few hours and do any necessary clean up then.

I wonder how difficult it would be to apply to the bar railing too. Would most of it run off? Can you apply it with a brush?

You could probably do that but I would stick with a typical poly application for that. I put 2 coats on my bar rail and it's nice and glossy. I have plenty left and will probably put another coat on when I get the chance.

Looks great! Go COCKS!!!

That is really nice. I think I'll point my old fraternity to this thread and a couple of others come the spring. There's some great ideas to upgrade the bar area on avs.

No need to walk yourself to death making a drink.

Yeah, that definitely kills the effects of the alcohol.

IrmoGamecoq -

It really looks great!

Tom

Thanks for the compliments, guys...we got it really broken in this past Saturday night with the nice 16-12 win over the UGa Dawgs. :D

Okay guys, it's about time I updated this thread with the (mostly) finished product.

Here's where we were last:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p6a067b174a028c51c38e01d4c4ffbbf9/e7ce810d.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p7132e3f67b55a1b44416ac7f3eaaa049/e7ce810b.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pc6584a712b82cf5886b96ca8185e9626/e7ce80b4.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/paba84fe4f1dd59a1c86b522b211eb010/e7ce8083.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pebeb3bd7f937d60d35b79b1af0f5dea7/e7ce7fe8.jpg


And, this is it now. I added a dedicated light (on Lutron remote dimmer), back wall cabinets, a Flatpanel LCD HDTV, and some decorations:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df27b3127cceb30c230db20700000026100EYs2zVsycMV

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df27b3127cceb30c2c81732400000026100EYs2zVsycMV

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df27b3127cceb30c2372334800000026100EYs2zVsycMV

Looks good Irmo. Love the bar top. I will be emulating yours and HeyNows in my build.

Outstanding....!!! How is the bar top holding up? Scratches, dents?

Thanks guys.

Bar top is holding up just like it was new. Maintenance is just a matter of wiping it down with a wet towel and it looks great. I still stop occasionally to marvel at the nice glossy finish when I'm down there. Envirotex is some awesome stuff.

One of the neat things about it that I discovered is that the glassy finish allows you to affix static-cling window "stickers" and easily remove them. I had some USC ones leftover from another project and I put them here and there in the corners during football season. They come right back off easy as pie.

The top turned out great! Did you have to throw on a second coat?

I didn't think about the window stickers. That's a cool idea.

Thanks, Neuner.

As for a 2nd coat...oh yeah. The gaps between the flooring planks caused me all kinds of headaches in the form of sunken areas that had to be filled. I ended up coating the entire bar with one final coat to make everything perfectly smooth. If I had it to do over again, I would definitely seal the joints before applying the Envirotex. However, I am happy with the extra thick finish I ended up with.

I described my entire application process in your old thread here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=818487&page=3

Great Bar Irmo.

Got a couple quick questions if you don't mind. What size wood did you use for the rails and stiles, 1x4 or maybe 1x6? What size sink do you have... beacuse I'm looking for a sink that is bigger than the standard 15x15 bar sink but smaller than the standard 22x25 kitchen sink, I have almost 10 feet of counter behind my bar so I think maybe a standard kithen sink may work ok., although I'm leaning towards a 16x19 size at Lowe's but the wife doesn't like it because it has a chrome finish she prefers satin. I like your laminate counter top, did you get it a Lowe's beacuse I think I have the same stuff!

Yeah, Lefty...practically everything you see there came from Lowes or Home Depot (except the Bar Rail of course!). I'm pretty sure the laminate came from there (in lieu of HD) so you probably do have the same thing.

As for the sink, I don't recall the dimensions, but that is a full size Kitchen sink you see there. I have full sized countertops so I thought it was wasteful to put a tiny little bar sink in there...especially since they were comparably priced and I decided to forego the Dishwasher I originally had in mind. I can wash all the glasses in that sink just fine.

Thanks for the compliments!

Beautiful -- that top is great!

I love it when people highlight beautiful would grain rather than try to hide it with dark finishes, paint, etc.

I had a double sink before I began my project and took it out because it was too big. I replaced it with a bar sink to give me more counter top space. In hindsight, I wish I had gone with a single sink for more functionality. A bar sink is too small IMHO.

Thanks, John!

Randy - Hindsight's 20/20, but yeah, the bar sink is traditional...I just couldn't pull the trigger when comparing the price and functionality...I can put a lot of dirty glasses in that sink to soak...

Yep, your sink is the perfect size.

While I have this thread open, I'll ask a question...

I have one wall cabinet door that won't shut all the way...you might be able to tell from the pics, it's the tall full sized cabinet on the left of the bar. The door catches about an inch short of closing, almost like it's binding on something. I can shut it with my hand but it springs back out again.

Short of some type of catching mechanism with latches/magnets or somesuch...any ideas how I can fix this?

Loosen the hinges on the cabinet (not the door) and pull them towards the front of the cabinet. It sounds like your hinge is placed too deep into the cabinet and is binding. What I do is loosen all of the hinges on the cabinet only just enough to easily move the door and then tighten when the door is even on the cabinet and closes easily. I have those same cabinets in the laundry room.

As I was posting that above (particularly when I wrote "bind"), that thought occurred to me but I figured I'd see if I was on the right track. I remember when I installed those cabinets, I had removed the doors to stain/poly them seperately so when I re-installed the doors, I'm certain I screwed those hinges in all the way before trying out the action. Good tip, thanks.

That is an awesome looking bar Irmo. I love the bar threads on this forum, they give me some great ideas. Did you build the lower cabinets yourself?

Eric