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263K views 972 replies 135 participants last post by  Nick Woolley 
#1 ·

BEFORE:

 





 

AFTER (that was about 90%, I need to take the real "completed" photos" - have been too busy watching movies to bother):

 









 

DURING:

 

intro
framing
low voltage wiring
insulation
drywall
entry doors / drywall mud
exterior stucco / more drywall mud / recessed lights / GrafikEye
start of soffit framing
soffit bulkhead / false wall
THT LP #1 started
THT LP #1 finished
more soffit framing and soffit insulation
CHT 6x PRO-10, 1x SHO-10 arrive / QSC power amp fan mod
soffit recessed and rope lighting, more soffit insulation
ceiling painted / MA rack purchased
doors painted / superchunk bass traps / column framing / screen wall absorption
column face panels / carpet samples / berkline boxes
column framing finished / wall furring going up
wall panels framing mostly done
panel construction details
soffit fabric covering
soffit fabric done
column vinyl covering
column vinyl covering done / screen wall absorption fabric covering
column face fabric covering
false wall C section / door jamb fabric covering
wall panel fabric samples
carpet
berklines in / THT LP #1 in place
first attempt at sub EQ
projector purchased / testing on temporary screen
wall panel fabric going up
wall panel fabric almost done / some screen shots (still on a temp screen)
screen assembled
screen mounted (piano hinges) / screen shots
left / right / bottom screen surround panels
THT LP #2 under construction
both THT LPs installed / hinged screen supports
EQ for the two subs
XBMC talk
Unacceptable's step by step panel framing tutorial
new SEOS LCR

 
 
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#104 ·
I'll probably start off laying it behind the screen wall firing toward the left wall; and measure against standing it up in the left corner firing toward the ceiling; or right wall, not sure, will play around with it, measure, see what I like. My front wall to the false wall is just 21.5" - will be 20.5" after I add linacoustic, so it will be tight, but enough to shoehorn that 18" dimension in. I wonder also if I would get more of a corner load effect if I stood it up, but tilted it towards the ceiling/wall junction (would have to make a little tilted stand if it worked well that way). Also need to measure the other cabinet dimension to ensure that laid flat I'd still have room to put my LCRs at proper height.

Here's my LP THT build thread - not much there yet lol.


Maybe will go shopping for plywood, PL, drywall screws tomorrow - and a proper plywood cicular saw blade. Always a hassle though, don't have a pickup, so have to rent the HD or Lowes truck.


Edit: forgot to mention, your new DIY mains look hot!
 
#105 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by superleo /forum/post/19174421


Very nice progress, looking very good!!!

Thanks much Leo! Wish I had more free time to put into it to accelerate things. Then again, that would accelerate the spending rate, so maybe its best that available time puts a throttle on the $$ outflow.
 
#106 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad Horstkotte /forum/post/19174467


I'll probably start off laying it behind the screen wall firing toward the left wall; and measure against standing it up in the left corner firing toward the ceiling; or right wall, not sure, will play around with it, measure, see what I like.

Edit: forgot to mention, your new DIY mains look hot!

Thanks, So if you stand it up you can do TWO!. Then you can build some 4PIs and we can compare notes.
 
#107 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC /forum/post/19174510


Thanks, So if you stand it up you can do TWO!. Then you can build some 4PIs and we can compare notes.

Hehe yeah - actually even if I lay them down, two would be possible (firing one into each front corner). As tempting as the 4pis are, since this is my 1.0 theater, I think I'll be buying my LCRs. Unless the components to build them go on a crazy sale. Or I change my mind.
My wife is getting sick of hearing me say I'm going to Home Depot for more plywood ("what for??").



Got a few annoying tasks done this weekend, nothing pic worthy, but made a huge mess.


- relocated the smoke alarm (original location fell inside where the soffit was framed).

- disconnected the outdoor lighting from the Grafik Eye zone 4; added a junction box inside the rear soffit, where an additional zone of lighting will go, and pulled romex from the Grafik Eye zone 4 to that junction box. I'll add a switch outside to control the outside lights.

- faced the sides of the soffit with drywall (except front - need to wait for electrical reinspection on relocated screen fixtures); started taping and mudding it, until I ran out of mud.

- put a 3/8" roundover on the lip of the stage. Too small, but biggest roundover I had on hand, maybe will get a bigger one, not sure - might not matter once the carpet is wrapped around it.

- used a flush router bit to trim the soffit face drywall.

- reread the THT LP instruction; used CutList to make a cut list; ordered THT supplies.

- did some thinking about column size/design/location, and traced outline of them on the floor to see how they'd work out relative to outlets / doors / seating location.
 
#109 ·
For both the stage and the soffit?

- On the soffit it looks like you have curved white 1x2s?


Thanks!
 
#110 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad Horstkotte /forum/post/19182810


put a 3/8" roundover on the lip of the stage. Too small, but biggest roundover I had on hand, maybe will get a bigger one, not sure - might not matter once the carpet is wrapped around it.

It will be fine.




 
#112 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by WannaTheater /forum/post/19183707


Big, is that a 2x2 lip that you put around the edge? Hard to tell from the pic.

I ripped a 2x4 in half and screwed it on with longish deck screws. So it is about 1 11/16 x 1 1/2. I seem to remember putting a slight round-over on the edge.
 
#114 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by WannaTheater /forum/post/19183092


For both the stage and the soffit?

- On the soffit it looks like you have curved white 1x2s?


Thanks!

The stage was built by my contractors. I specified the dimensions and curve. They drew the curve out using string + pencil arc technique, on a scrap sheet of OSB, used that as a template to draw the outline on the concrete slab and built over that.


I built the soffit. I wanted the curve to match the curve on the stage, here was my approach:


- I first built out the soffit as a rectangle, extending 24" from the front wall (the depth of the front of where my false screen wall would be).

- marked 24" from the front wall onto the top of the stage with a chalk line.

- I then measured to see how deep 4' wide pieces of 1/2" plywood would need to be to extend from that 24" line to the front of the stage (no lip added at this point, the top was flush with the face).

- I cut those plywood sheets, laid them on the floor upside down, and then screwed 2x3's to the back edge.

- I then flipped the whole thing over, put it on the stage with the back edge lined up on the chalk line, screwed it down temporarily to the stage, and rough cut the front edge with a jigsaw.

- ran a flush router bit to even up the front edge with the stage.

- unscrewed it, flipped it over, then bent and screwed 1x2 MDF strips to the curved edge (MDF because its more flexible, less likely to crack when bent).

- marked the depth front to back every 6 inches across it, and then marked those distances on the ceiling with a pencil

- screwed 1/2" MDF strips following that curve, to the studs in the ceiling.

- added small 2x3 blocking on the ceiling at stud locations just behind the MDF edge, and on the plywood just behind the MDF edge.

- added temporary bracing across the corners and the edge against the screen wall to support it while I installed it; (hard part) hoisted up one end on the temp corner bracing on one side, while I got up on a ladder with the other end, and put it up on the other corner bracing.

- screwed a temporary 1x2 support between the center blocking pieces, to hold up the front edge while I connected the rest of it.

- screwed the 2x3 strip on the plywood to the front of the rectangular soffit.

- cut (9 I think) 6" pieces of 2x3, and screwed them to the top and bottom blocking, to support the front edge.

- then installed the light fixtures, and ran the wiring.


That's where I am now - still need to add a 1/4" plywood face, and then drywall over that, mud and tape. Then onto the tray all around, have the rope light waiting to go up already. Moggie's is far nicer, but this should look OK too hopefully once I have it all together.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC /forum/post/19183570


It will be fine.

Thanks for validating, that's what I thought, that the carpet pad would compress more over the corners on the edge, resulting in a nice enough curve on the lip.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC /forum/post/19184396


I ripped a 2x4 in half and screwed it on with longish deck screws. So it is about 1 11/16 x 1 1/2. I seem to remember putting a slight round-over on the edge.

I did two layers of 1x2s, since the 1x2s are easier to bend around the curve on the stage. On my riser, the two layers of plywood were extended 2" beyond the front edge, as on the riser steps.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WannaTheater /forum/post/19184435


Probably routes a bit better than plywood edges

I was actually pleasantly surprised at how clean the plywood top on my riser routed with a roundover bit - not bad at all, just went at it a little slow (a couple passes of increasing depth).
 
#115 ·
Brad- thanks for the details! So from your soffit pictures, the white "arches" are 1x2 MDF. Did you custom order these? I was looking at HD, and the thickest they have 3/4" sheets, which I guess could be ripped. But nothing larger.


I think I will be doing something similar.


Also, did the contractors build your stage on top of a sheet of plywood? It looks like plywood, 2x6, then plywood top (I'm trying to see how it came out to be 8"). Is riser 2x12?
 
#116 ·
At HD, check in the section where they have moulding and boards like 3" read oak. They usually have MDF in strips over there, not in the 4' x 8' sheets. I think the MDF strips are usually painted white also.
 
#117 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by WannaTheater /forum/post/19185289


Brad- thanks for the details! So from your soffit pictures, the white "arches" are 1x2 MDF. Did you custom order these? I was looking at HD, and the thickest they have 3/4" sheets, which I guess could be ripped. But nothing larger.


I think I will be doing something similar.


Also, did the contractors build your stage on top of a sheet of plywood? It looks like plywood, 2x6, then plywood top (I'm trying to see how it came out to be 8"). Is riser 2x12?

Like Chia mentioned, they are pre-primed MDF 1x2s, and I found them at HD in the trim section.


Post #12 has pictures of the riser and stage as they were being constructed:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...9#post18678279


The riser has a 12" finish height, it has pressure treated 2x4s running crosswise and also cut to follow the curve of the face, then 2x10s ripped down a little, then 2x 3/4" plywood on top.


The stage is similar, but 2x6s framing it inside, filled with plastic sheet / sand, and topped with a single layer of 3/4" plywood. (1 1/2" + 5 1/2" + 3/4" = 7 3/4" - maybe they were 2x8s ripped down to 5 3/4"?)
 
#118 ·
Some progress on the THT:




...but not much on the theater. Needed a break from working on a ladder (soffits). And want to fire up some real bass in the room to see if any of the lights rattle before I close off the front soffit (could still get at the lights, but would be a hassle).
 
#119 ·
Keeping the thread away from the thread eater - here's a few pics of my finished THT LP:










I also put in a little work on the soffits last week or so, but not really pic worthy at this point.
 
#120 ·
Wife: Where did that black box come from?

Me: nowhere, I made it.

Wife: well what's it for?

Me: nothing

Wife: what does it do?

Me: nothing

Wife: then why do we need it?

Me: because I made it.

Hehehehe
 
#122 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by IwantmyTHX /forum/post/19366230


Wife: Where did that black box come from?

Me: nowhere, I made it.

Wife: well what's it for?

Me: nothing

Wife: what does it do?

Me: nothing

Wife: then why do we need it?

Me: because I made it.

Hehehehe

She asks surprisingly few questions, and hardly ever peeks into the room in progress - probably because its a mess most of the time. She does raise an eyebrow each time I come home with another load of lumber though. And I will need to brace her for the arrival of 7 new speakers on a pallet - I suspect it would be a little harder to sneak a pallet past her than the receiver bluetooth adapter that showed up a couple days ago.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC /forum/post/19366881


You could just tell her that you are trying to save her money when you pass on. She can just bury you in the box.

Here's an updated picture of my LP THT build. I added some external bracing.

 
#124 ·
Hi Leo, thanks for the bump



Kind of slow going here - but I *think* I might be done with the drywall dust everywhere phase - at least I hope so, sick of cleaning up and inhaling that stuff. Here's the soffit (again), ready for priming and painting the ceiling / cove, installation of rope light, installation of soffit lights, installing rest of fiberglass insulation, and fabric covering.


Front over the screen - curved:






rear - the soffit is open on the bottom to hold fiberglass for bass trapping - some in place, some still to buy. I better keep the little halogen lights well away from the fiberglass, due to flammable facing.




Behind the screen wall, with fiberglass in:




I wasn't sure on the front whether to (1) keep all the same level, (2) add a ledge, with a curve matching the curve of the front, or (3) add a more angular ledge, which is what I ended up doing. Will be covered with fabric - and a little trim piece next to that ledge.






I'm waffling on the color scheme - want to have the soffit contrast with the walls and the ceiling, with either an olive green or mocha color scheme - black ceiling / dark shade soffit / lighter shade walls? Any suggestions?


Also, how well does rope lighting light up a black ceiling? Vs. say an olive green or mocha ceiling (so I could do black soffit, and green/mocha walls, and still have a contrast there).


The sub is great fun - I'm expecting to get my new speakers in this week, which means I better get cracking on setting up a shelf behind the screen to support the LCRs at proper height, and work on columns for the side and rear surrounds.


Anyone happen to know off the top of their head what the distance from floor to eyes is for a 5'10" guy in a Berkline 13175? And the distance from the bottom of cabinet to center of tweeter on a PRO-10 / SHO-10?



Hopefully Bryan is watching to keep me honest, in case I've missed something entirely in my attempt at bass trapping within the soffit.
 
#125 ·
Amazing room! Nice work on the THT LP, but I guess it pales in comparison with the rest of what you are doing!!
 
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