Theater Room Entry

[fleinbach]

I had professional photos taken of my latest theater room and entered the Level 3 CEDIA Theater Room contest. The winners will be announced in September. Last year I received Bronze awards in Level 1 and Level 2.

See all 15 larger photos including close up details here http://theaterrooms.com/Nicosia.htm

The only major component not cut on the Shopbot was the Entry Doors not in this photo. They where made in Honduras and cost $7,200.00

The ceiling required the most Shopbot time. It is assembled with 447 individual parts most of which where cut on the Shopbot in about 42 hours.


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[bleeth]

Absolutely gorgeous Frank.

[mrgadget]

It's very hard to sum up such meticulous work in just a few words, but one word does come to mind....OUTSTANDING!!!!!

[fleinbach]

Thanks for the compliments guys.

I have a little time so I will describe briefly how some parts where made. To see the detail I describe you will need to go to the web site link in my first post. To start with I used close to 28 sheets of MDF mostly 3/4 “ but some 1” as well. They where mostly 61” X 121” but there was also some 61” X 144” sheets. The only place where MDF was not used was the bar and the only part of the bar cut on the Shopbot was the poplar top.

The poplar top started with 8/4 14” X 13’ rough sawn poplar boards. To minimize losing thickness due to winding I surfaced them on the Shopbot. Once they where flat and true they where still nearly 1 ¾ “ thick. While they where still on the table I decided to us the Shopbot as a joiner. It was easier then using my 8” joiner due to there weight and length. I used a ½” straight bit with 2” cutting edge. This worked great, they joined perfectly. After the boards where joined I put them back on the Shopbot and cut the entire top out with the ½” X 2” cutter. The top is 12’ 6” X 22” in the center and curved toward the ends. The backsplash was made separately and the Shopbot was used with a 1” Dish carving bit with a ½” radius. This was then joined to the back of the bar top to make the top a single piece of wood.

The bottom double dragon foot on each side of the bar was made by cutting out the profile from 1” MDF. There where 5 pieces joined to make the foot 5” thick. Next the detail was carved into both sides of the piece using an 1/8” ball nose bit. A 3/8 bit was used first for the roughing pass.

The entire bottom of the room up to 3’ is made to resemble the stone walls of a castle. I used a single ¼” radius cove bits to create the mortar lines in the MDF sheets. The flat part cut the mortar line while the curved part outlined the stone edges.

The arches that encompass the entire room where cut using the same bit that outlined the stone to give detail to them. Then a ¼” bit was used for the final cut out. Outlet box holes where cut in the vertical pieces and they where flared to fit the sconces.

The rear of the room contains 2 DVD cases to hold the customers movies. The box, shelves and doors
where entirely cut out using the Shopbot.

The front façade lower cabinet, towers, caps and arch where all cut from MDF on the Shopbot. Even the frame for the lighted tower tops was cut from ¼” MDF.

The main ceiling parts where all cut from MDF. The 40 octagonal holes where cut from 3 sheets of ¾” X 61” X 121” MDF. The octagonal caps where cut from ¼” MDF. There are 32 decorative medallions made from 3 separate layers of MDF. The first layer is octagon shaped with a small 45 degree bevel around it. The second layer is a circle with a decorative profile. The third is a very detailed 3D carving using a 1/16” ball nose bit. These took the longest to cut approximately 22 hours. All 3 parts have two ¼” holes for alignment with dowel pins. There are also corresponding holes in the main sheet to facilitate alignment.

The last major component is the hidden entry to the customers office behind the screen are. The door is 4’ wide by 8’ tall and when closed is completely hidden. The door is made from 2 sheets of MDF spaced 10” apart. The theater room side is made to look like a part of the wall with a window in it. There is a picture of a dragon and castle made to appear to be outside the window. On my web site you can see the operation of the door at the top of the site.

[davidallen]

WOW

[jhicks]

Frank, it's fantastic what a cool machine can do but, its incredible what a great mind is capable of. Together they are uniquely yours.
As always, great work.

[fleinbach]

Thanks David and Jerry,

I will be starting another with an Egyptian theme next week. The design is on my site also.

[myxpykalix]

Hey Frank, Will you adopt me?

[brian_h]

My sons are deep into Stargate- SG1, so they put a lot of Egyptian symbols in their drawings. I'm trying to encourage my 9-year-old to learn how to draw on the computer so we could cut some of his designs out on the 'bot. I'll be anxiously waiting to see how your design turns out so I can show Nate.

[dmidkiff]

AWESOME

[fleinbach]

Jack, There's a line.

Brian, You can see the Egyption design on my site here http://theaterrooms.com/Egyptian%20Design.htm The real thing should be done in a few months.

Dave, Thanks

[pfulghum]

Frank,

What software was used to generate the Egyptian Design images on the web?

-- pat

p.s. Super Cool work!

[fleinbach]

Pat,

I do all my design and rendering in Chief Architect. The Egyptian design was my first design done completley in there newest version X1 to be released in June. I am a beta tester for Chief and am using the last beta version. I have been using Chief since 1995.

I reread your question and am not sure if you where asking about the actual design of the room or the software to post the images to the web. I used Front Page for that.

[harryball]

I would not even know where to begin, Frank, my hat is off to you. I'm impressed everytime I see your work.

Unfortunately my wife saw your post and now I'm getting "WHY CAN'T YOU DO THAT!". We've been remodeling for years and going room by room on a "fixer upper". The main den where we watch TV etc... is low on the priority list and as such has had little attention. Its turn is coming up soon.

It's no prize winner...

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Note the graffiti on the walls. This is actual family names when we built this house originally in the early 80s. It was covered over with slat paneling and we uncovered it a few months ago.

You think I'd win anything in that contest Frank? :-)

I keep looking at the your pictures hoping something might rub off... like I said... I don't even know where to begin. Perhaps I should just win the lottery and give you a call.

Robert

[fleinbach]

Robert,

Let me tell you something, priority has a lot to do with it. I build these theater rooms for customers who pay. I have a lot of insentive to get them done. When it comes to home projects it's the proverbial shoemakers kids who have no shoes. My own theater room was started in 1995. It's still unfinished! I designed and am in the progress of building an 18' oval gazebo and 80% of the parts will be cut on the Shopbot. I started it 2 years ago and it still only has a deck floor and tar paper on the roof. I'm still not even finished designing the trims for it yet. I am actualy the eternal procrastinator, in the past 40 years I have built 3 homes for myself. They where all unfinished until I was ready to sell them and move on to the next one.

I asked you about your bat houses several months ago and when I mentioned it to my wife she was impressed and wanted one. She askes me about it every week since. I haven't had time to sit down and create the cut files to make one myself so I quess I will have to order one from you. She tells me my local farm supply has them for $59.00 but she hasn't purchased one because she says I'll never find time to put it up. I would not want to see the list of unfinished projects around the house she would make.

Instead of my wife saying "WHY CAN'T YOU DO THAT!". She says "Why can't we hire someone to do all the things you don't have time to do." My facecious answer to her is "because honny they are not cloning humans yet!"

[harryball]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one... change a few details and that'd be my story.

If you buy or build a bat house, make sure it meets BCI specs. You can find a link to them on our website... which BTW I've been working on updating for about 3 months now :-)

Robert

[brian_h]

I'm with you guys! Unfortunately, I have ambitious neighbors, which has the effect of reminding me of my shortcommings. I keep thinking I'll make up for it with an extra dose of creativity. We'll see.

Frank, my son hasn't seen the new design yet, but I can tell he'll really like the sarcoficus design. Tis the season of baseball practice, taekwondo tests, and piano lessons. If work doesn't wear us out, the kids' activities surely will. Oh yea, then there are a few projects around the house...

[rookie432]

Ha ha!
I have a portfolio of beautiful stuff I have made for clients and ,as I look around my house, I see no less than 3 cheap Souder cd cabinets, bookcases and etc. I have had new pine flooring stacked in my shop for 2 years and I recently purchased the solid surface material for my new countertops.
I have a half finished kitchen hutch, a half finished basement, a half finished new workshop, a half finished porch and a list of things to do that would make a union contractor choke.
I finally have enough skills and abilty, tools, and materials and, by the grace and blessings of God, enough money in the bank to at least start accomplishing some of these tasks. However when I see some time opening up to get a start somebody comes along with a comission/challenge that I just can't say no to.
You see Frank, Pat, Robert, and most other shobotters, for us it's not necessarily about the personal accruement of money or stuff. It's about the challenge and the accolades. The opportunity to use someone elses money to create something for them, then at the end of the job being able to show it off and say "I did that".
People like us need an outlet for our creative drive and need to be recognized for our results, therefore I get as much or more a feeling of accomplishment when I deliver my commisioned piece of work and hear the client go on and on about how much they like this or that and then with a smile hand me a check for something I would (if I could) have done for the cost of materials just to have the opportunity to do it on their dime
. The fact that I can make a decent or even great profit is just icing on the cake and lets me smile in my truck on the way home.

So I guess my stuff can wait a little while longer or as long as my wife still has patience.

Bill

[myxpykalix]

I guess I don't feel so bad, seeing as i'm not alone in the backlogged projects dept.

BTW Bill....are we related? You have any relatives in virginia or california?

[jamesgilliam]

WOW, I now see I am not alone in the unfinished project department. It has been a year since we started the shop project, and while we are living in the framed out area now, my old shop still has alot of tools left in it. House is getting close to being able to sell, just the cosmetic touches left, paint, a little trim, maybe some flowers in front. Jo-Anne took her retirement and disability in July of 05 and I quit my job to help her, and it has been non stop ever since. I have figured out the word retire means you get tired again and again. I can only hope that when the house is on the market it takes a couple of months to sell, I could use the rest. WOrk here on customer things in the morning, there in the afternoon till evening, then back here for other projects till dark. The only drawback to selling the old house is when it happens I get to start on the new house and her pottery shop so I can get the clay, and wheels, and kilns, and other things out of my shop and finaly finish it. It is getting old having to run cords to everything in order to use it, including the Bot.

[rookie432]

Jack,

I don't think we're directly related. I have a small family that is still based in Ohio, but if I go back far enough i think the name originates in Virginia/West Virginia. Our last name is mildly uncommon so I'm sure we may share a bloodline somewhere up the geneological tree.

[harryball]

Seems a common theme here :-) Perhaps since we can't seem to get around to our own projects we should all become each other's clients and barter for payment. Frank, you fix my living room and I'll hang bat houses in yours LOL ;-)

Robert

[fleinbach]

Sounds a bit batty to me Robert.

As of this moment you cannot access my web site due to my internet connection is down with my provider Speakeasy. I just got back on line using Comcast and am researching a way to switch from Speakeasy. I had Speakeasy for 3 years and the 6MB was better then Comcast but now Comcast offers 8MB in my area. I hooked it up and on the speed tests I am reaching 13MB. The only problem is I need a static IP address to host my own site like I have with Speakeasy.

This is the first time in 3 years I have been out with Speakeasy but they said it will be Monday before they will even begin the disspatch to find my problem.

[myxpykalix]

Frank,
Not sure if this might help but you can get a 5 GIG website with 50 GIG bandwidth per month for $2.95/month with a static ip from these people:
http://www.hostexcellence.com/index.php/v1/pages.express