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Twinseltown Theater - Page 57

post #1681 of 1807
12/21/11 at 4:53am
Thread Starter 
Jim, it's not a blanket recommendation, but several DTS10 owners have noted improved performance in that configuration. In my room, it gave me a smoother response as well as a few additional decibels of volume. Your room will respond differently than mine. But I've seen and read enough to say that it's worthy of you experimenting. Let me know what you discover.
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post #1682 of 1807
12/21/11 at 6:07am
I tried it that way when it was on a side wall, but didn't think to try it on the stage. I'll give it a try. Thanks

Place looks great. I think I'm going to do something like your bar in back instead of a second row.
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post #1683 of 1807
12/26/11 at 2:56pm
Merry Christmas, Tony!!
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post #1684 of 1807
12/27/11 at 3:45am
Hi there Tony and family,
It's your young Padiwan. Been looking for you on MSN. Just wishing you all the very best of the Season. Hope that you and yours shared a lovely Christmas.
Greg.
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post #1685 of 1807
12/27/11 at 5:51am
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys. Merry Christmas to you all as well. We're having a nice break from ''normal'.

I'm really anxious to settle back in and get working on those countertops. Even got a Lowe's card to help me get started!

Got my dad a sound bar that has Bluetooth. Now his iPhone can stream iTunes pandora, etc. His theater is upstairs, and this turned out a nice solution for downstairs background music.
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post #1686 of 1807
1/2/12 at 2:09am
OK Tony - you wanted a cool remote. What till this comes available?

http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/26/using-...ideos-on-plex/

Just a man, his HTPC, and Siri
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post #1687 of 1807
1/2/12 at 3:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dtesterunc View Post

OK Tony - you wanted a cool remote. What till this comes available?

http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/26/using-...ideos-on-plex/

Just a man, his HTPC, and Siri

Wow,

Now THAT is slick.

Regards,

RTROSE
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post #1688 of 1807
1/2/12 at 5:05pm
Hey Tony,

It's January and not a concrete counter top in sight. Get off that Ipad and start forming up that counter!
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post #1689 of 1807
1/3/12 at 4:31am
Thread Starter 
David, that is pretty cool! But how will she hear you when the movies playing?

Greg, I start today! Expect photos by this evening or tomorrow at the latest. And yes, the iPad is addicting.
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post #1690 of 1807
1/3/12 at 7:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post

David, that is pretty cool! But how will she hear you when the movies playing?

Greg, I start today! Expect photos by this evening or tomorrow at the latest. And yes, the iPad is addicting.

Tony,
Happy Belated new Year! An I pad - very nice gift to start out the new year!! Any chance you will be using the iPad with the new Harmony App and box? P.S> Looking forward to those concrete countertop photos
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post #1691 of 1807
1/4/12 at 4:39am
Thread Starter 
Craig, I'm not familiar with that app, but I do plan to employ the iPad. I'll start my research. Are you planning to? What's your reasoning?

Ran into a few snags yesterday on the counters. Moving forward, but slowly.
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post #1692 of 1807
1/4/12 at 5:06am
Thread Starter 
In a few minutes of searching, It appears the Harmony Link is getting mixed reviews. I've also seen some great arguements for not using the ipad as a remote. As I stated earlier, I plan to build an HTPC with XBMC. At that point, the XBMC controller should cover my every day usage. So many variables....
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post #1693 of 1807
1/4/12 at 5:54am
Tony, check out the IR Touch+ iPad app. It is only $5 ($7 total with a couple add ins) and controls an HTPC. It is very, very flexible and can basically make your PC do anything.

You can download the PC part of the app for free: http://www.touch-ir.com/

I used it for a bit but am not using it now because my setup is not complete. I bought a USB IR transmitter to control my AVR and lights with IR Touch+. I did a write up for the IR transmitter on my setup here: http://iguanaworks.net/trac/wiki/IpodOrIphoneForWindows
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post #1694 of 1807
1/4/12 at 8:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post

Craig, I'm not familiar with that app, but I do plan to employ the iPad. I'll start my research. Are you planning to? What's your reasoning?

My original reasoning included the larger screen size and friendliness of the Ipad. However; I will be waiting for the kinks to be worked out of the Harmony Link setup before I get serious about this direction.
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post #1695 of 1807
1/4/12 at 8:28am
Thread Starter 
This is an excuse for trying out the iPad for taking photos for posting. Here's the brackets I had fabricated for the cantilevered counter at the bar. Installing these today. Made from quarter inch x 3" iron.

Attachment 232965
LL
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post #1696 of 1807
1/4/12 at 8:32am
Thread Starter 
Woahhhh, that was so much easier than using the camera, transferring to PC, uploading to photobucket and inserting!

I'll look into IRremote. I agree with you Craig, best to wait a bit for things to iron out.
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post #1697 of 1807
1/4/12 at 8:57am
Interesting tool for use with the PC, I had even bought a USB-IRT for use with a similar program (Mainlobby), never did get very far with the either! I looked at the Harmony solution but it seems a little too closed for my purposes, not customizable either.

I hope I get farther with this, and this is just to add some more information to this discussion.

I know I may be in the minority with an Android tablet as most of the recent talk here has been about iPads, but this might also be of interest then... I have decided to try out the RedEye system for Home Theater and Home Automation, is seems to cover all bases and is completely customizable. BTW, I have the RedEye Pro system.

Although I am very new to it I can see the power it would have, interestingly it is even more integrated with IOS then anything else at this time.
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post #1698 of 1807
1/4/12 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 
Okay, here are some photos of the brackets installed. Yes folks, actual construction! Bolted through the top plate and the stud on the back side of the wall. There is a bit of flex. I don't think any flex is tolerable with concrete, so I'm afraid some angle bracing may need to be added. Then again, the concrete will have wire mesh..... Maybe that will be enough?

I've now got to add som plywood shims to the wall to accommodate the height of the brace and bolt. Then, on to building forms.

Attachment 232980



Attachment 232981
LL
LL
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post #1699 of 1807
1/4/12 at 11:02am
Really nice work, Tony! And very ambitious to tackle the DIY countertops as well! All of your theater details are really amazing. I especially like the entrance to the room with the open-air backlit lettering above.

Keep up the great work!
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post #1700 of 1807
1/4/12 at 6:40pm
Whoo Hoo new progress is going on! I wimped out and went the easy way with laminate. I'm still really excited to see how yours turn out.

Regards,

RTROSE


Oh, I do have one tiny complaint. The iPad pictures are a tad on the small side. Yes I realize you can click on them to increase the size, but hey I'm lazy when it comes to that type of thing. Just sayin'
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post #1701 of 1807
1/5/12 at 5:01am
Thread Starter 
TMcG, thanks.

RT, for the time it saves me, you'll have to live with clicking on the photo. Sorry. The quality is poor though, so for the money shots, I'll go back to the nice camera.

Ripping all my shims this morning. Will go out later today and by materials for formwork. Still debating the curved bar vs. straight rectangle. Want the curve, but afraid I can't keep up build quality.
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post #1702 of 1807
1/5/12 at 7:09am
Lookin' good, man! I can't wait to see this come together! Are you going to dye the concrete or mix in fun things like old kids' toys (action figures, etc.), seashells, laserdiscs, fossilized VHS tapes, etc.?
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post #1703 of 1807
1/5/12 at 10:29am
Thread Starter 
I do plan to put a liquid dye in the mix. Something in the tan or warm gray family.

Got the shims installed. I still need ever so slight of a shim over the brackets themselves.



Attachment 233143
LL
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post #1704 of 1807
1/5/12 at 10:35am
Did you decide on curved vs. straight? I like the curved bar,myself. Could you frame it up as a curve and then decide if you think you will be able to pull it off? Unless I'm misunderstanding, wouldn't the framing be the toughest part?

Also, what will you use for a form for the bottom of the bar top?
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post #1705 of 1807
1/5/12 at 1:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post

There is a bit of flex. I don't think any flex is tolerable with concrete, so I'm afraid some angle bracing may need to be added. Then again, the concrete will have wire mesh..... Maybe that will be enough?

I'm concerned that you are right. I'd be looking into some extra bracing. Maybe there are good answers for you on the concrete counter forums. I would think that if you could pour it in place, then it would cure with the curve/sag built in. As long as it didn't sag more after it cured, you'd be good. But the dust and mess from finishing it in place would probably be impractical, right?
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post #1706 of 1807
1/5/12 at 1:40pm
Maybe a center partition under bar? Thats gonna be a loooot of weight.

150lbs per cubic foot.......
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post #1707 of 1807
1/5/12 at 1:59pm
I would say that you need to triangulate the middle 4 brackets, keep the concrete relatively thin, say 2-2-1/2 inches and it should hold provided no one sits on it!

Most concrete counters are completely supported, if there are overhangs then it only at one end and then only for a relatively short distance, say 8-10 inches...

Tony, have you seen a counter done like this with concrete?
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post #1708 of 1807
1/5/12 at 3:31pm
Even if you have a piece of reinforced concrete I think you are justified in worrying about the current support system. A few questions - Is the reason for making this flat iron bracing to eliminate some of the "knee knocker" supports, such as larger corbels? Are you absolutely married to the idea of doing a curved countertop for this bar? Is it the potential DIY aspect of the concrete that is leading you in this direction? And do you have any welding experience?

I know these are a lot of questions, but let me pitch a couple of ideas out for consideration. I have used a company called Short Run Pro to fabricate steel brackets for exactly this type of situation in my own house (16" granite breakfast bar). Aside from being made from heavy duty high-strength steel in virtually any size you can think of, the thing I like the most about this bracket is that it only sticks down and out 1". Here is a link to their 12"x12" bracket. A bit of spray can primer and paint and voila - fantastic support brackets that WILL carry the weight of the concrete. Notice pricing drops dramatically with run quantities beyond 1. http://www.shortrunpro.com/forma_met..._vhv20ytw.aspx

Given that a curved countertop will put the deepest (and heaviest) part of the counter top square in the middle, obviously going with a straight countertop in the 16 to 18 inch depth range will allow you to consider granite scrap. Most places will give you the scrap for practically nothing so they can charge you a few hours of labor. These thinner pieces of scrap were far more common than the countertop depth scraps. So you might be able to get a straight scrap piece fabricated to your specs for just a couple of hundred bucks. Something to maybe check out.

And the one other alternative support method I have seen used was taking 3/4" or 1" square steel tubing and welding it into a structural support that can be secured at multiple positions in your bar stud wall for a really solid surface. Again, only 1" in height being lost and you can spray can primer/paint after the welds are ground. Most fab shops can make this support rather inexpensively as well. If you can do it yourself I know the square steel tube is cheap.

Keep up the great work!
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post #1709 of 1807
1/6/12 at 5:30am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the input guys. Much appreciated.

I was 50/50 on how this solution might work, but didn't have an answer until I tried. I've got it all together and put my temp counter back in place. There is just too much flex. It flexes about a quarter inch and then stops.

Yes, my point here was to avoid "knee knockers". Those shortrunpro supports look like a better solution, but I'm already into these brackets for $20 a piece and hate to scrap them.

I'm warming up to the idea of a post in the middle. The counter was designed to fit 5 stools, but the post may cost me a seat, unless the middle guy straddles the post.

TMcG, your last suggestion was going to be my next step, but even that may not be as solid as a post. I have a local fabricator that could do it for me. Ugggg, this is all just experimentation at this point.
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post #1710 of 1807
1/6/12 at 6:18am
Well, before you head to the metal fabricator, there is one more "quick and dirty" solution I can pitch at you. Just buy some u-shaped Unistrut from any local supplier. For the purposes of robust (overkill) support, I would use three pieces spanning the entire width of the bar width, including the studding. Take your circular saw, set the blade depth to the height of the Unistrut and remove three "slots" of wood in your rough framing to allow the unistrut to inset within your studding on both sides, spacing the three pieces equally starting on the outside edge. If you had a table saw with a dado bit this process would be much easier, but it looks like everything is fairly secure. In this way you will only have 5 or 6 inches of overhang on the deepest portion of the curved countertop if that is the way you still intend to go (vs. straight).
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