Cypress Cinema Build Thread - Page 3

We did have another small equipment failure today. My girlfriend decided to offer some assistance, and had a small denim failure...

Unfortunately for her, I was marking some dimensions with a sharpie, and it somehow found its way to do some additional marking.

Thanks. I found a parts diagram, disassembled, and found a plastic "piston stop" that although designed to be a single piece had disintegrated into hundreds. I'll try to get part from local shop tomorrow.

Good news! I passed my electrical final inspection today.... for what is on my plans filed with the county . Basically this is properly spaced outlets and a single switched entry light (in my case it is an outlet which my rope light will be plugged into).... This is all the electrical that is required by code.

Now I get to add all of the fun stuff - my soffit, stage and floor lights. These will all be mounted, wired and attached per proper code. They were left off the original addition plans because I did not want to pay the contractor (or his sub) to install these.

Now all I need is my mechanical final (HVAC) and my final final. Then my addition will be completed... at least in terms of the county permitting office.

I guess its been awhile since I updated, so here goes:

1) We finished the Game Room:

Showing entry way to office:


My 2 new toys:


Theater Entrance (door to left):

Previously we completed the main stage platform, and filled with sand. Next I built another box in front of the "sand box", with a 1/2" gap, as I didn't want to front part of the stage with sand, so needed to decouple it from sandbox. The arcs will be built in front of the middle box.



Well, after building the middle box, we decided the stage was going to stick out to much. Hence I needed to make the middle box about 6 inches narrower..... So how does one take apart a framed 2x12 box that I went overkill on with my framing nailer???? My neighbor came up with an excellent idea THAT WORKED - I used my hydraulic floor jack!

Can you say overill on the nails?? I just love the framing gun!


For the radius of the stage, we tried several methods for drawing arcs. String didn't work. Measuring points and connecting didn't work. So the best way I found was with a makeshift compass:



Here you can see 4 arcs - one for each step, and one for the 2 overhangs


I then drew in the framing members on the paper template, and framed on top of it. This helped me mark the framing member angles that the step face will attach to. Once framing was done, we removed the paper template, put down more roofing felt, and wrapped 1/4" plywood on the faces:





We then filled with pink unfaced insulation, and glued and screwed on the plywood. The bottom step has 1 layer of 3/4" plywood. The top step has 2 layers, and roofing felt in between. Top and bottom of steps were beveled with router - 2" overhang.

Completed Stage:


Thanks to all for input on this great design, as well as carboranadum for many answered questions!

All of my can lights have been installed:






I have spaces on the left and right of the 4 screen lights. This is to accomodate for the radius in the soffit (above the screen):


Once completed, they will be filled with insulation as well.

The Lutron controller has been installed in the closet. This took me awhile to manage the real estate inside the box! Lots of wires. I ended up pigtailing the neutrals and grounds into smaller bunches. I also ran another wire through the wall for IR distribution. This way I can have my HTPC control the lights.



Speaking of HTPC... My data center has been officially moved from laundry room to closet. PC on right is RAID array with about 8TB of storage.

My next project is to build the arc for the front soffit. I've racked my brain for the easiest way to do this, and I finally broke down and purchased some radius track:



Its expensive, at $35 per 10 ft... I guess we'll see how well it works for this application.

So in looking at my completely customer door that was recently installed, I realized my big mistake:



The inside of the door is sitting flush with the inside theater wall... as doors normally do. But once I put up panels, the door will be recessed by the width of the panel. Any creative ways on how to trim this out other than just having the trim being the edge of the panels?

Thanks J_P_A... may need to research more

Over the weekend I realized that I may not be implementing any sort of IR receiver in the theater room. This caused an issue with my Lutron lighting controller, which is mounted in a closet. I have a 4 scene controller in the theater room, but that is all you get... four scenes. With 6 zones, this is not really enough (for me anyways!). While they do sell a 4 scene controller with an IR receiver window, and a separate 4 or 8 scene IR remote control, I wasn't really to shell out another 250+ for it.

So with some tinkering last night, and refining my programming, I came up with a solution:



I can now control 8 scenes from any browser (iPad, iTouch, pc, etc). This is made possible with the following:
1) I also have home theater PC in the closet, which is running software called eventGhost.
2) eventGhost has a webserver plugin, so it can receive requests from any web browser
3) When the request is received, it gets passed to the eventGhost software, which generates the IR commands recognized by the Lutron 3106
4) The ir commands are sent out through a USBUIRT

When I get a chance, I will make the interface a little prettier, but for now it works well!

.... with the exception of Zone 5.... I cannot find the proper IR command sequence for it. All other commands work fine. I guess I'm stuck with 7 scenes, and not 8 for now

Last night I got my curved front soffit completed. I used flex track, which I purchased at local drywall shop. To cut down on the weight hanging from hat channel, I wanted the track which was made for 2x2 or 2x3 vertical bracing, but I could only find a 2x4 version.

I started out by laying the track against my radius line, which is the same as my bottom step framing radius:

Example (along black line, although this isn't the exact line I used)



Following some advice on a website, I used masking tape on front and back to temporarily hold. There is a metal strap running along front and back, and I screwed each segment into the strapping. I used the same self-drilling screws that I used for connecting hat channel.

I did have to splice two pieces together, which was pretty easy - I have some overlapping strapping where they joined. The track can be cut with snips, but I also needed to drill out the center "rivet" of my last segment.

Oh... when I picked up my last piece, a small direction card fell out. I guess there is a much easier way than masking tape to temporarily hold into place. You can just pound down the tabs shown below!

Before we continued, we did lift the piece to the ceiling to make sure it fit between my side soffits, which it did (highly recommended!)

The next step was to construct the second piece, with a matching radius. I tried using clamps, but think I found an easier way. I had some dowels in the garage, and believe it or not, they were the same diameter as the holes in the track. So I flipped over the completed track, and positioned the second one on top. While bending into place, I would insert the dowels and leave them there. With the dowels straight up and down, my 2 pieces matched in radius:



With some 2x4s cut for vertical supports:




Close up of fasteners:

We then lifted into place, and attached to ceiling. I used Grabber Streaker self tapping screws (2 1/2"). They go through the double drywall, and into the hat channel above. These screws were great, and had no problem piercing the 20 gauge radius track.



Next we cut the 1/2" mdf bottom (3 sections), cut the light holes, then attached to the wood framing.

I wish I know how to cut the light holes while the bottom was in place, but my dremel sure didn't work on MDF! As a result we actually had to rough fit the bottom MDF center piece by temporarily attaching, drill small pilot holes to find the lights edges, remove the MDF, cut the light holes, then reattach the MDF.

I also attached the lip to the matal radius track using sheet metal screws. PREDRILL!

Then filled with the pink stuff:

I then wrapped some 1/4" plywood for the face of the soffit, screwed into the vertical 2x4s. This will also provide me with a staple base for GOM (as can be seen by my test sample).

Do not screw the plywood too tight - or it will bow in the center. This is caused by the pan-head screws that are holding the top and bottom radius track in place. You can actually see mine bowing on the left side, which I need to fix.

Testing stage lights:

It seems to be a pattern of mine.
If there is an easy way and difficult way to do something, I will generally wind up with the difficult way.

Cypress Cinema is now painted. I used Behr Mouse Ears Flat from Home Depot. There was a big sale (rebate) memorial day weekend, so I purchased 5 gallons. Florida doesn't carry 5 gallon dark primer, so I actually had to purchase 5x1 gallon buckets. It was way too much paint, but the price was right... so we painted the whole place, with the exception of the front (behind screen) wall. This way, if my treatments take some time, we at least have a useable theater.

By the way, this stuff went on great. I used a 12" roller on a pole for the majority. Very little needed for second coat - mostly on ceiling, which has a knock-down texture.

Its amazing how much smaller the room now looks.

I also picked up some 2.5" OC703 unfaced from a distributor that has surplus in stock. Apparently someone ordered it a LONG time ago, and never picked it up. I think I got a good deal at .92/sq ft. I picked up 4 boxes, which will be just enough for 17x17 corner bass traps for the rear, and 24x24 for the front.

I will pick up more for the front wall when I get a chance, as the word is to completely deaden your front wall. I am unsure if I should treat the back wall with 2.5" for fear of over-deadening the room, but the option does exist for a reasonable price.



Ironically enough, while I was in the warehouse, I noticed several rolls of Acoustiblock, which the forklift guy told me they were about to throw away. Another custom order that was not picked up.

By the way, does anyone know where "scrim" can be purchased? Is it the standard vapor barrier/foil insulation that is used in Florida construction? (i.e. foil on one side, brown paper on the other, used between block walls and drywall - about 15 inches wide). Oh, in Florida construction (at least from what I've seen), there is no pink insulation between cinder blocks and drywall. Drywall is attached to cinder blocks on furring strips, with this metallic/brown paper as insulation.

Thanks fellow Hokie! No problem with HTPC questions. That is what started it all for me.... Needing a theater for the HTPC.

Finally getting around to carpet. I initially was trying to get the carpet that is in an AMC theater nearby. I went as far as writing a letter to their headquarters. Believe it or not, they called, and provided me with the name of their supplier/manufacturer. I then received a call from their manufacturer requesting more information. I went up to AMC, spoke with a manager, and snapped a few pictures of the carpet in question, and sent them to the manufacturer. They identified the carpet, but needed to get permission from AMC to sell it to me. Unfortunately, AMC declined, stating that the pattern was proprietary, and could only be sold to AMC theaters. I wish AMC told me that after the received my first letter...

So this what we've tentatively decided on:



Definitely blowing my carpet budget on this one. I am waiting for a few install estimates. Honestly I don't even know what a ballpark install estimate would be.