# Foraye's Phase 3...or third upgrade.



## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

HERE is a link to my previous phases...










*PHASE THREE !*

*Upgraded Equipment:*

Projector: Panasonic PT-AE8000U
Preamp/Processor: Onkyo PR-SC5508
Amplifier 1: Emotiva XPA-5 
Amplifier 2: Emotiva UPA-5
Screen: Jamestown Custom 140" wide 2.35:1 AT screen with Seymour XD material.
Mains: Mirage OM-10 
Surround Side: Mirage OM-S2
Surround Back: Infinity Quatropole
Center: Mirage OM-C2
Sub: Yamaha YST-1500

Room: The room layout will be rotated 180 deg. to accomadate the AT screen wall. I'm also planning to darken the walls and do some acoustic treatment. I've also decided to build a small stage under the screen and add columns and sconces.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Last week everything came in. I ordered the Jamestown screen on December 20th. expecting a 4 week lead time...it got here in 8 weeks!

So its a late Christmas.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

This is the Jamestown Screen going together. The instructions have pictures and was easy to follow...I just skipped a step here and there.

Specs. 129" X 55" or 140" diag. 2.35:1. I ordered and stressed 140" wide, so 140" diag. will do. 

It came loosely packed, but nothing was damaged. All major items were wrapped in plastic nicely.










The Top, bottom and sides had the 3/4" aluminum tubing already attached. this is nice as it keep the wood from bowing etc. The top and bottom rails are split to allow for standard shipping. the screw holes for mounting the side bars are pre-drilled, but the holes for the center reinforcement bars are not. You have to pick a spot and go for it.
I did this assembly first leaving everything loose....and things lined up.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn26/foraye/Home Theatre/P1010332_zpsf24f0d5c.jpg

This is the corner assembly.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Next I laid down the Seymour fabric. The Fabric is a lot more resilient than I thought. Jamestown had notched around the screw holes and it all lined up. I had my fingers crossed!
So first over the retaining rail,










Then under...and stretch while tightening everything. The stretching went well and didnt take a lot of time . I did an initial stretch then a final adjustment. Word to the wise...make sure the center supports are in place befor starting the fabric stretch...else everything will bow and the middle bars will not fit later!. I know 'cuz I did it the wrong way first.


















Hung it on the wall...in place of the old screen...i couldn't resist


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

The plan this time is to flip the room around 180 degrees. This will allow me to get my speakers behind the AT screen. I have about 5' X 12' space there which will work for this.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

I started to build the screen wall and the stage together...
I stumbled onto BigMouthinDC thread (AVS) called Minimalist Approach to Screen Wall and got inspired. So off to HD to get some lumber. While figuring out how to mount and align my goalposts, I decide to do a modest stage with the posts mounted to it, full floating.










The stage going together. It is 15' wide by 4' deep. the arc is 1X4 PVC trim. it was flexible enough to form the arc with little effort. basically cut the first stud and secure it to the center of the stage, fasten the trim to it, then bend the ends around the pivot point and fansten them to the existing stage. next I cut the studs to length and fasten them...










Goal Posts...

5/4 X 4 X16 Exterior trim primed. These are very straight and true...compared to 2 x 4s. I cut them don to 90 3/4 to account for my 2 layers of drywall to go in later.
fastened 2 per side into a L - Bracket and attache to stage.










Cross bar leveled and in place.





































Mounted the screen hangers.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

The stage was covered with 3/4" ply.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Now on to the blackout treatment. There is a 3 X 5 window behind the screen. I use 3/4 inch ply with some Felt material and covered it...Yes there is a blind behind the ply so we wont look crazy to the neighbors.

I used Flat Black pint from LOWES and it covered well ...I blacked out to the front of the stage for now.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

That was easier than attempting to salvage my speaker cables from the old screen wall. and surrounds. I put them in right so most did not want to come out. I only needed 3 of the 7 anyway. The old Mains will now be the Back Surrounds, and the old Back surround will be the new Mains. I got the wiring squared away and set the speakers in place and hung the screen. 










I thought Game of Thrones was starting last night so I rushed to hang the projector... I dusted off a chair and waited , but no Thrones yet. 

My lens center is in-line with the screen center...I think!



















My homemade mount pressed into operation again...I might just buy one now to gt some fine adjustment.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

I actually setup the screen and fired up the PJ...watched the Hobbit 2D and Django "the D is silent!" ...yes in the middle of construction, thats why there is still a chair in the room!..LOL

I snapped these pics with my mobile.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

It was pitch black in there and the picture popped on the XD material. One thing I started to realize, was that I did not have enough adjustment in my DIY PJ mount. I started to fab up a shelf for it, but realized that I probably don't need to build everything from scratch (DIY-ITIS). I had just finished telling my friend helping me to " work smarter not harder!"...So I ran down to my Micro Center and picked up a universal mount finally. 

I also wanted the flexibility of lowering the PJ if needed to get my Auto Zoom on the AE8000 to play nice. The new mount adjusts from 7"-17". The images below were zoomed to fit the 2.35 screen.

Shelf idea...the beginning and end (1 1/2" Aluminum Angle and a parted out Ikea coffee table)


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Next I turned to the ceiling above the screen... the plan was to add mass and then paint or cover with felt.

I ended up doing two sheets of 5/8" sheetrock covered with black felt...that definitely darkened things up and hopefully quiet things down some what. The previous screen wall had double 1/2" sonoboard and sheetrock behind it along with fiberglass insulation. It for the most part did a good job keeping the racket down. I forgot the labor involved pressing 5/8 drywall overhead and screwing it down...fun times. The good news is I didn't have any panels pull from the first few screws.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

I dont want to give the impression that most of this is "As Built", I'll post some of my sketchup... LOL

Stage









Room Layout









Basement Layout


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

I neglected to price out Black Carpeting in advance. So went to HD and Lowe's ...non in stock and $7+ per square foot...

This is where the "Big" City comes in...I was in Philly and...got pointed me up to the north east to a carpet/flooring wholesaler. They had 3 brands of black ready to go...$0.79 per square foot! 

I ordered 180 ftsq. cut into 2 lengths of 6' X 15' each...pick it up the next day as I didn't have my truck. Got some padding also...

I thought it would be trickier, but I had the stage done in about 90 minutes or so...

First I laid out the first 6' X 15' roll, and cut a 3.5" runner from it using scrap wood as a guide. The runner will be the cove below the lip of the Stage. I rebuilt the stage to have a 1.5" overhang. The original build was flush with the edge.

To accomplish this I ripped 2 strips of ply 1.5 inches wider than before...this effectively pushed the curved sections 1.5 inches past the edge of the stage.










With overhang...









Runner


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Next positioned the carpet just past the front arc of the stage and drove some screws to keep it from moving. I then cut the stage profile into the carpet, and removed the screws.










next I laid down some tack strips, and padding...on second thought, I'd probably not put tack strips at the front edge, and extend the padding around the lip.


















All done!









Next step, I'll cut the remaining roll and lay it on top of the existing carpet behind the screen!...to create the Black Hole!


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Looking good mate - keep up the good work! :T


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

ALMFamily said:


> Looking good mate - keep up the good work! :T


Thanks !!!


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

here is the mostly completed front stage with the speakers back in place. I'm thinking about trim for the stage now...


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Ok I've got a few things done since my last post...

Screen Shot !


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

I decided to get myself a Kreg Jig and make some columns for my surround speakers...I'm loving that tool now!










The columns will be fabbed from 1 x 3 Pine (S4S) I think. I decided to use the 1 x 3 for the face frame and 1 X 6 for the column sides. The Kreg Jig made this sooooo much easier!

pocket holes for the column face frame









face frame to column sides









First column (lower section) mostly together 










Couldn't resist...









The inner panel is made from 1/4 oak ply...


















Top Section Fitted


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Like that look - well done!

And, the Kreg jig was probably the best tool I purchased during my build - just LOVE it!


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

I scaled up after the first one and built the next 3 assemblies...









My back channel wall used to be my front stage that was covered in felt. I decided to remove the felt and will do wall paper for that wall and above the chair rails in the room.




























On to Primer/Paint/Install


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

My wallpaper choice...should be interesting!


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Have you decided on carpet? Curious to see what you choose to match the wallpaper pattern.....


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

I have not considered carpeting yet...its in the back of my mind though...


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

I started on my counter...I should be able to get 3-4 seats back there. It will be 9' X 30" or so. I did the preliminary layout in sketchup.










The framing is 2x4 held together with pocket screws...even though I have a power nailer. The pocket screws keep things square and straight!




































The plan is to do a 3/4" ply sub-top then lay laminate flooring on it. I will then apply bar rail molding and Kleer Koat epoxy to finish.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

foraye said:


> I started on my counter...I should be able to get 3-4 seats back there. It will be 9' X 30" or so. I did the preliminary layout in sketchup.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My goodness you are going to town lately - excellent progress!

Which reminds me - I really need to put the finishing touches on my own build thread...


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Spent the past weekend spraying stain and varnish! I hadn't done this in a while...forgot how long it takes to dry etc. I did get a chance to use my HVLP gun I picked up some time ago at a car show though! Wether was in the low 80's so I sprayed everything outside.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

foraye said:


> Spent the past weekend spraying stain and varnish! I hadn't done this in a while...forgot how long it takes to dry etc. I did get a chance to use my HVLP gun I picked up some time ago at a car show though! Wether was in the low 80's so I sprayed everything outside.


Did you have to dilute the stain to use it in the sprayer? I have one, but I did not think the sprayer could handle stain...


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

ALMFamily said:


> Did you have to dilute the stain to use it in the sprayer? I have one, but I did not think the sprayer could handle stain...


No I did not have to dilute. It is an oil based stain from Sherwin Williams. They just needed to add tint to the base and it was ready to spray. The same for the varnish. I only used 1/2 Quart for basically (3) 4' X 8' sheets of Birch Ply.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

foraye said:


> No I did not have to dilute. It is an oil based stain from Sherwin Williams. They just needed to add tint to the base and it was ready to spray. The same for the varnish. I only used 1/2 Quart for basically (3) 4' X 8' sheets of Birch Ply.


Nice - what brand sprayer are you using?


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

ALMFamily said:


> Nice - what brand sprayer are you using?


Its nothing special...C.M.T is whats on the box, similar to what you'd get from harbor freight. I have a regular and a mini touch up gun, both hvlp. I ran it at about 35psi and adjusted the fluid for a light coat. I didnt want to have to rag the stain after spraying.

I sprayed the varnish a little heavier however, as I used the full quart on the 3 panels.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

foraye said:


> Its nothing special...C.M.T is whats on the box, similar to what you'd get from harbor freight. I have a regular and a mini touch up gun, both hvlp. I ran it at about 35psi and adjusted the fluid for a light coat. I didnt want to have to rag the stain after spraying.
> 
> I sprayed the varnish a little heavier however, as I used the full quart on the 3 panels.


Think I have that exact sprayer - I will have to give that a shot on my next project. Thanks!


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

this weekend was for trim and counter top. at this point its about 75% complete. I need to add some electric outlets and A/V connects. I'm still deciding what I need there, but most likely I'll have at least 1 HDMI, Component and Composite Jacks for music.

I also decided to get rid of the projector mount I had earlier and add a PJ shelf instead. As a result the picture quality seem better with the PJ right side up...its just crisper.

The PJ box. I used pars of a old coffee table (base) and 1 X 3


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

The bar top is made from Bruce Laminate flooring and bull nose for stairs. Got it from Home Depot online and it came in 2 Days...wow!

Before laying the flooring I added sub-flooring and some recycled trim on the edges.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Love that bar top!

I really like the projector shelf that I did in my room too, as it hid the projector very well and helped to mute the fan noise.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

foraye, just curious how you will be finishing the projector box. Will it be partially / fully enclosed? Ventilated? Will this be a hush box, or just a more stable right-side-up mount?


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Owen Bartley said:


> foraye, just curious how you will be finishing the projector box. Will it be partially / fully enclosed? Ventilated? Will this be a hush box, or just a more stable right-side-up mount?


Thank you!

I need to start wallpapering this weekend


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Update time...

I managed to get most of the wallpaper up..and I'm loving it. This paper was the first one that I saw and loved immediately. I then spent 2 months trying to top it and couldn't...and it turned out great IMHO!

I haven't decided on the back wall yet, since I still need to do the built in beverage and wine coolers...


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Wow - that looks great! Nicely done mate! :clap:


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Nice choice on the wallpaper, really makes the room pop! How was the installation? I've taken wallpaper off the table for anything we do in our house for both the installation and removal difficulties. I've seen too many disastrous removals to commit to it myself, but I've heard the newer stuff is a lot better.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

ALMFamily said:


> Wow - that looks great! Nicely done mate! :clap:


Thank you!


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Owen Bartley said:


> Nice choice on the wallpaper, really makes the room pop! How was the installation? I've taken wallpaper off the table for anything we do in our house for both the installation and removal difficulties. I've seen too many disastrous removals to commit to it myself, but I've heard the newer stuff is a lot better.


Thanks!

installation was very easy. Compared to gluing felt to the ceiling, this was a snap. Due to the heaver weight paper and the mfg. instructions to apply the glue to the wall then apply paper, it got a lot easier. The walls already has matte paint so I didnt bother to prime or scuff anything. the tedious part was matching my pattern across the wall. This paper is only 21" in width and the pattern repeats every 2.5" -3". So I cut my strips 3" or longer vertically and I was always able to lie my pattern up!

I saw a few youtube videos advising us to apply glue to the walpaper first then letting it soak for a few minutes folder up etc. This makes for a long day...if glue get on your cutting surface then it might get on your pattern.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Ok, time for a little more sharing!

I made speaker grill by ripping 1 x 3 into 3/4" strips then making frames for each column speaker. I'll re-do this this summer from 1/2" mdf or something similar. I covered the frames with black spandex material.




























At the same time I papered the back wall!


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Next up are some very simple Window/sliding door cornices. It got cold and I will apply some trim to them in the spring, If i'm not watching movies!



















I then cleand up the front stage by building panels for the open spaces and an access door.

Access Door...covered in spandex, since it might have a speaker behind it.










Nice and dark!...clean up begins...


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

At this point I'm calling this Phase 95% completed!


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

My wife asked for my Christmas List...I gave her 1 thing in the form of a link to the Emotiva shopping cart for...UPA-500 to power my surrounds. I'll be going for the full 9.2 that the 5508 delivers. I currently have 7.1 configured, but this spring/summer should bring a new DIY front stage with my current mirages doing duty as Wides, and 2 DIY subs. The rack is filling out. I have yet to put back the HTPC .


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Overall, in this phase I upgraded everything except speakers and seating. The room looks and feels much warmer. People who have visited usually gives a "wow, when did you do all this?" response. Its more of a dedicated theater now, compared to just a open room with a big screen and projector. It feels warmer now!


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Wow - great progress mate! I like how the columns turned out - and nicely done on the Christmas present...


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

Nice looking room, and great Christmas present.


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## joed (Jul 30, 2013)

Let me ask you a question. Your room looks awesome first off. I am looking to design a room but was wanting to make a stage like you have in front to use for kids acts, parties etc. Is yours built for that to have people on it and can your system be hooked upto microphone etc. Does it have a hollow floor echo or is it solid?

Thanks,
Joe


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

joed said:


> Let me ask you a question. Your room looks awesome first off. I am looking to design a room but was wanting to make a stage like you have in front to use for kids acts, parties etc. Is yours built for that to have people on it and can your system be hooked upto microphone etc. Does it have a hollow floor echo or is it solid?
> 
> Thanks,
> Joe


Hi Joe and thanks for the compliment.

The stage is built purely for cosmetic appeal, but can support a load if needed. It is only 4 1/4 inches high and sit on the basement slab. it is stuffed with insulation and I've noticed no echoing. It is also fully floating and not connected to any walls etc.

Yes I can connect a mic to the system.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

B- one said:


> Nice looking room, and great Christmas present.


Thanks B


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Unable to leave well enough alone... I decided to add a wine and beverage cooler to the room.


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## foraye (Jun 16, 2008)

Initially I was going for the 50+ wine and 80+ can Coolers but the wife talked me out of it..."when will we drink 50+ bottles of wine or beer?" 










Ok unto the build...

I nstalled them directly behind the bar, recessed into the mechanical room.


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