Welcome to Thunderdome

Posted: **Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:05 pm**

Designed the desk with my carpenter buddy last weekend, and I just finished the frame of it so hopefully he and I can get it hung on the wall this weekend.

Posted: **Sat Dec 08, 2012 4:38 pm**

Carpenter may or may not make it this weekend, so went and bought $147 of ceiling tile accoutrement to keep the project going.

Running total: $2222

Posted: **Tue Dec 11, 2012 7:39 pm**

I printed out a grid and made a plan, and went and bought materials according to the plan.

Then I threw the plan away and sort of winged it. Originally I had planned the ceiling grid to make the most efficient use of whole tiles.... then I realized how stupid and off-center that would look, and decided on a centered approach... that, incidentally, also ensured that the grid lined up with the other half of the ceiling. That is, of course, how I should have planned it to begin with, but I hadn't thought of it until after I revised the plan and noticed how everything lined up. Whew... I would have hated it if it ended up offset.

So, grid went up, and with the revised plan I was 3 short pieces... short. SO here's that.

You can see in the top left of the pic there is a cross-strut missing. I put the only 2 whole tiles in place, to make sure errything was square.

I had a few minutes so I ran to Menard's to get my missing 3 pieces... insignificant cost (the tiles are where it gets expensive at $7.50 per for the nice ones).

Slapped them in, started cutting tiles until I got tired of cutting tiles.

And due to the wacky, clever way I framed in the duct work, I ended up cutting this fun piece. It is the hardest one of the project, so I am glad it is cut and in place.

Posted: **Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:23 pm**

Finished the ceiling a couple days ago, never got to posting pics. I especially like how good the eyeball spotlights look when they have the appropriate bulbs and are all mounted and shit.

Also the carpenter came over tonight and we spent about 4 hours doing this.

Doesn't look like much, but besides actually mounting the frame to the wall and getting it leveled, there is also a leg that you can't see that we modified from a stairway baluster, we built/installed the sliding keyboard/mouse deck that you can sorta see, and we made the initial cuts on the oak desktop. He is coming over tomorrow to finish those up with me so I can get the trim on and get to the staining process for the upcoming week's milestone. I hope to have my custom desk officially in use by next weekend... I hope the polyurethane doesn't take stupid-long to dry between coats. Staining wood is also going to be a first for me.

Posted: **Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:13 pm**

Did this yesterday.

Started getting the trim on today.

I hope to be able to start staining tonight... the goal is to be using the desk by this coming weekend.

Posted: **Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:45 am**

I have to go out and get more trim and shit before I start staining but UGH I just don't feel like it.

Posted: **Tue Dec 18, 2012 4:39 pm**

Went and did shit anyway and now the desk is 100% done and i have no more excuses for procrastination on the staining/finishing portion.

Frame was pine, but the top is oak.

This is my kickass oak trim.

This is my kickass corner. A 3rd piece of corner cove trim is going to be coming down the wall there, so now it will look awesome when they meet at that junction. I bought a stairway bannister rail for $3.50 and repurposed it into a source of 1"x1"x1" oak blocks.

And I finally got the under-bit of the wall covered. It is removable for when I need to gain access to the wiring... and I will do so the way I set up my PC. The rear speakers run through the wall, and I have cord extensions already in place, but they weren't quite long enough to completely run point to point with enough place to have them come out at each end. So I have a long pull string attached to it. But I will still need to get into the wall on install day when I need to plug them in.

That probably makes no sense to anyone.

It will be trimmed up to hide the ugly cuts... it is just a couple sheets of $9 wainscoting, and it didn't cut very nice even with my new finishing saw blade. But it isn't nothing that won't be hidden by the trim.

Final trim for that area is going in after the staining is done.

Posted: **Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:15 pm**

BAM.

Pics are before I wiped off the excess. Color is a skosh more uniform, now.

And I am sitting here getting high off the fumes.

Posted: **Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:18 pm**

Oh, all the trim, sandpaper, stain, woodglue, finishing nails, etc I have purchased cost about $200, total.

Running total: $2422

Posted: **Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:24 pm**

For the record, winter is NOT a good time to do a staining project inside your house. Either you die of fumes or hypothermia from having all the windows open for days.

Posted: **Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:30 pm**

GORDON wrote:Oh, all the trim, sandpaper, stain, woodglue, finishing nails, etc I have purchased cost about $200, total.

Running total: $2422

Desk was finished and in use by the end of that weekend, just haven't gotten around to posting the pics.

In the meantime I have spent about $110 more on more oak trim. Pics later. Just updating the score.

Running total: $2532

Getting pretty close to everything being done, except for the shelves. Whole house carpeting is coming soon,including the basement, as long as Obama's retroactive tax increases don't hurt too much.

Posted: **Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:52 pm**

Is there an easy place to host pictures for posting? I'm going to be building a competing "remodeling" thread, but don't have an easy place to host pictures.

Posted: **Fri Jan 11, 2013 9:57 pm**

Cakedaddy wrote:Is there an easy place to host pictures for posting? I'm going to be building a competing "remodeling" thread, but don't have an easy place to host pictures.

I can probably set you up a dtman.com ftp account. Just don't fill it up.

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:34 am**

Here's the desk pics. I've been using it since that weekend.

The keyboard/mouse deck retracts under the main desk, which is really awesome.

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:44 am**

And I have finished doing all the hardwood trim, and am about to stain it, so here are pics of that.

Bought another $90 in trim pieces yesterday.

Running total: $2622

Carpet is next, and then shelving starts. I can do some of it now but I need to figure out what furniture I am going to have to plan the shelving on that wall. I can't put the baseboards up until the shelving is built, but besides that stuff, this room is pretty much done with major construction.

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:41 pm**

The hell is that big ugly thing on the left?

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:44 pm**

Left of what?

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:12 pm**

Left of your monitor.

Posted: **Thu Jan 17, 2013 2:50 pm**

Ahhhh yes.

I dont like replacing hardware until it dies.... and that goddam thing still works perfectly 15 years later.

Posted: **Tue Jan 22, 2013 12:19 pm**

CD shelving plan.

Yeah, the 3rd shelf up looks goofy. I was trying to show that the way I measured it the outlet would be between shelves, but my picture scale didn't show it properly and yeah it looks dumb and screw you for judging me.

Welcome to Thunderdome

Finishing my basement