Village Theater Construction Thread - Page 5

Finally decided on a theater door.

I went with Milliken Millworks out of Sterling Heights, MI. http://www.millikenmillwork.com/brochures.htmlIt's 1 3/4" fiberglass, 6 panel, entry door with an ADA (low profile) sill and 4 way seal. It's woodgrain and unfinished, so I'll have to use a gel stain to stain it. It might be more work, but it will allow me to match the door and the wainscoting vs. trying to match the stain to the door color. I didn't like any of the door stain colors that came prefinished. I had to also have them custom rip the door jamb to 5 1/4".

Not bad for less than $500.00.

Started framing in the false wall this week. Gotta say... I'm a little over my head, since the ceiling is 1/2" off from left to right. Why is this a problem? Well I don't have much room above the screen - the 110" SMX ProCurv is 53.5" with the frame. My stage is 11" tall and the total height left is only 83.5". My minimum height for the screen - based on the Riser Height Calculator - is @ 30" - so the screen frame must go all the way to the top of the ceiling. If I build a window Width = 123" - Height = 53.5", then I will have a 1/2" gap at the top right of the screen between the ceiling. I can only level to the stage since I know that is level. The ceiling is totally throwing me off. Plus, there isn't a straight 2x4 in all of Michigan, so framing those vertical studs stunk. Twisted, warped, crap.... What measure 123" on the bottom, is about 123 1/2" on the top. What a pain in the butt! Not sure what to do... I have three choices I think:

1. Build the window level with the stage and have the gap at the top right. Fill it in with a ripped piece of 1x going from 0 - 1/2" gradually and fill the gap - cover with fabric.

2. Just put up some fabric stapled to the ceiling and screen frame in the back.

3. Drop the "window" height a little lower 1 1/2", put up a top plate screwed into the ceiling and then mount the frame to the ceiling and back off the screws on the top right to leave a small gap. Since the window will be painted black and the back is black linacoustic - maybe no one would notice.

Not sure of what else I could do. Remember, I'm not a carpenter, so all of this is totally a newbie DIY'er.

Maybe there is a better way...

BTW, got in the sconces, stage lights, riser lights and lobby light. GE works, as well as the accessory panel in the lobby. I installed everything before paint and wainscoting (subbing that out) to make sure everything works. I also got the speaker binding posts mounted in the wall.

I obviously got up the Linacoustic, had some frustrated time on my hands and wanted to accomplish something. I used the 3M #80 Vinyl/Rubber Spray Adhesive and rubbed it all down with a 2x4 to ensure it adhered well to the wall. Looks nice I must say. Man, what an effect on the acoustics. It's so much deader in there now. Note to anyone installing that stuff - I never read this - but that stuff is waaaay itchier than standard insulation. I'm itching like crazy sitting here typing this. Off for a cold shower....haven't taken one of those in a while.

Here are some updated pics:

My Screen "Window" Challenge:



Lobby light:



Stage with Linacoustic and False Wall started:



Binding posts:



Lights On!:

Yes, I assume I'll just put them up against the Linacoustic. Any challenges there as you see it? I got Bryan Pape to do my acoustic analysis - waiting on the completed review now. Actually, I have to go an Paypal him and then I am sure I will get it. Forgot to do that yesterday. In the meantime, I had the Lincoustic, so in my frustration with the false wall, I decided to accomplish something and put it up.

Thanks for the compliment on the stage. I love it...

[quote=fotto;18131739]Mark,
Not much help here with your 1/2" off level problem, as I'm not entirely sure how your framing is set up to accept a curved screen. In general though, since you're going to have a black ceiling and then 3" or more of screen border, however you approach it, that 1/2" diff will probably blend in with all the black.

True, but you know it will drive me frickin batty!

Good point Drew.. I can only go down - not up, so maybe the riser comes up. Well, I looked and since the door is in the back of the room and is roughed out to exactly the height of the riser with a step into the room to put you on the back riser, I can't really go up though without having to change the header of the door.

I am stuck.

I think I might just lose an 1 1/2" and mount a 2x8 to the ceiling and then mount the frame into that. I checked the riser height calculator and I am good to go, as long as everyone reclines at least a little bit - not sit up right without the recline portion out in the front row. So it would actually go from 1 1/2" to 2" left to right. It'll all be black so it won't be too noticeable - except to me.

That's the ticket.. I'll just leave everything as it is and see if I will need the micro-miniature riser. My seats heights are 41.5" versus the standard 42" that I used on the calculator. So maybe I'll be o.k... I don't read subtitles anyway.

Well I decided to go with the top plate. I screwed in a 2x6 plate to the top - so I lose 1 1/2", but I think it'll blend from left to right better - not look as drastic. Who knows.
I also left the top plate about a 1/2" out in the front, so since I will have 1/2" GOM fabric panels all around it will be painted black, covered with GOM and blend in real nice. Didn't want to have to make a panel that went from 1 1/2" to 2 1/4".

I also cut one of the bottom plates and put in the support studs. It now goes from 53 3/4" to 54 1/4". I figured I could always shim the screen. I left the width at 123". Should be fine I hope. Weren't those Custer's last words? - "should be fine."

I also got the MA rack in.... Of course I was about an 1/16" off on my height. Man, I am not batting .1000 this week. Lots of mistakes. Oh well, nothing a 4lb. maul won't fix. :-)


Framed in screen window: (the small piece on the bottom right plate, was just to measure distance. It's not staying.)



1/2 in jutout on the top plate to allow the GOM panels to fit right next to it:



MA Rack:

A lovely Valentine's Day card from my 3 year-old.

Well I finally finished up the riser. Looks good. Got the CAT6's and HDMI in and wired everything back to the Cisco SRW 2024 24 Port Gigabit Switch. My fingers are killing me after doing just 4 on the Patch panel and 2 on the riser. I hate punching down those plugs. Althought the CAT6 Extreme ones are nice.





The screen wall is wrapped up for now. It's level everywhere and ready for that nice SMX 110" ProCurv. I still have that 1/2" gap up at the top, but I'll just paint the top plate black and wrap in fabric. No one will notice but me I imagine. Thanks Floyd for reassuring me no one will notice.

Notice the beast.. I swept the room with one of my Velodyne DD-15's. It has a nice 25 frequency sweep and not a rattle was heard. Man I can't even hear it upstairs and barely outside the theater, when the door is closed. I love it when a plan comes together. Note the A-Team reference...



I also finished up the steps into the theater. While I think they look just o.k. I am hoping that with carpet it'll look better. That 1/4" ply couldn't make the radius and broke, so I patched a piece in... We'll see. But all in all, I am glad that I went with the radius steps. They blend well.

The theater door came this week... I also hung it.. It came with an aluminum ADA low-profile sill and I wanted the oil rubbed bronze sill. I might just paint it. We'll see. It's a fiberglass "wood-grain" door from Milliken Millworks and I am going to Gel Stain it using the "General Finishes Gel Stain" to match the wainscoting, etc.





Additional Pics:

Panel Complete and Sealed up/Labeled:



Power to the Rack (notice the GrafikEye IR adapter)



Back of Rack and 2" PVC to Projector:



Projector Portal with FlexDuct hanging for ventilation. I still need to build the box, mount, etc. But at least I got the PVC there...

So I officially do not like my steps now... Thought a lot about it.. Now I am looking to do something different. My problem is that I am not sure what TO do...

Any ideas appreciated...



I have the rack off to the right of the door so I was thinking of incorporating something into that area that might reflect more my steps in the proscenium.

Not sure, but need ideas..

I agree.

I was thinking of bringing in the curves of the proscenium to the lobby, so I won't go with rectangles, but maybe a curve with the same approach.

Thanks for the feedback...

Question to the group...

Should I have carpet put in before wainscoting? and should I have the paint done prior to the wainscoting?

I'm confused..... Carpet guy says first. Wainscoting guy says first...

Thoughts?

Well I heard that the carpet guys might mar the walls up using their stretchers and kick "things". So I wasn't sure..

I'm painting next it seems. Well, I'm not, but the painter is...

I'm doing a cherry wainscoting. Oak with Cherry Stain. Using the General Finishes Stain with a Poly on top...

O.k.. so here are some pictures. While I have a really good camera (DSLR) I'm too tired to mess around with a tripod and settings to get a real accurate picture. This is taken with just the halogen work lamps on....

FYI, I used the Rosco Velour Black and it was sprayed by a professional painter.

It's pitch black in there...the front wall seems to disappear when you are looking at it. So glad I decided to paint the false wall now. I was hesitating on whether I should put it up before paint, but having it up and having him paint it was a good idea...

Walls are next...

It's very soft.. Velour-like if you will...

Albeit messy, it's well worth getting good coverage. He did 3 coats and each a different direction to get a nice smooth finish. I'm geeked about it. He's back today to finish the walls. It'll look like a room tonight I hope.

Time to prep the rack - whoo hoo!

Thanks! I wonder if anyone ever reads this. Thanks for the comments and encouragement.

The Seetouch is nice..it is like a remote. I can control the GE from that panel in th elobby. I put it in there since I put the lobby lights on the GE also. If we were watching a movie and wanted to break, I didn't want to have to bring up the theater lights and then go to the lobby and turn them on. So having control from both locations was ideal. Also, if I forget to turn off the lights in the lobby, I can just hit off on the Seetouch and it shuts everything down.

I gor a chuckle out of the IT guy comment. One would think... Actually, I am in the Software industry. I'm actually a half-dangerous, technical, sales guy by profession. We sell ERP systems to manufacturing and distribution companies.