Tank and bar area is all being done professionally by a cabinet company. The woodwork there would take me forever and I can't do the lacquer finish I want without a monster spray booth which I don't have. For instance the one of the bottom tank skins is 10 feet long by 3 feet high... and its all one piece. Thats a big *** spray booth. I'm paying dearly for it... especially since I know how much it costs to make. The markup is stupid.. its like 2.5-3 times even figuring a "normal" amount for labor. It'll be gorgeous once its done though. It'll all be solid cherry in a lighter stain with a lacquer finish.
600 gal display/900+ gal build thread in the Chicago 'burbs.
- Thread starter wmilas
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The ply for me is the backing for the paneling. I'm going to put the ply down, and join it, then build up the design over the carefully laid out joints. Its will be a series of squares with a moulded inlay inside the squares. Kinda hard to describe, I'll take pictures of it as I do it. I'm planning on staining the stock and starting on it the week after next unless things get crazy here at work.
PaulieWalnuts
New member
that is gonna be legendary!
Half of the cabinets were dropped off ahead of schedule so there has been a lot of staining of baseboards, windows, and trim work. We are going to get some cabinets in next week then go back to more trim work. I'll see if I can get some shots up tonight.
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Lots of work this weekend. The Base is in the fishroom, and caulked. There is still some caulking to do on some other seams but its coming along. The cabinetry install is progressing along. The bar is partially in. Monday some of the cherry panels will go in along the tank hopefully. Tomorrow I need to poly the back of the panels and roll the ply the panels attach to on the reverse side to waterproof them. That's going to take all day 
I need to rolls on the ply, and 2 coats of poly on the panels.
Some pictures:
I did not like the way the drywall turned out on the stairs heading down so the tapers came back and skim coated over the paint. Another mess
Its a bit of a mes where the pool table will go. Its power tool central:
The hardwood stock that hasn't been put up,stained ect yet. Yes, that's ALOT of stock.. solid cherry mostly and a lil bit of oak.
3/4" Cherry ply:
Look! windows! Don't mind the weird colors.. parts aren't stained yet.
One of the lower panels for the fishtank. That's solid hardwood cherry. No ply.
Liquor cabinet for the top shelf stuff. There will be glass shelves. It runs floor to ceiling along one side of the tank. Top is lighted and casts through the shelves and bottles.
I need to rolls on the ply, and 2 coats of poly on the panels.Some pictures:
I did not like the way the drywall turned out on the stairs heading down so the tapers came back and skim coated over the paint. Another mess
Its a bit of a mes where the pool table will go. Its power tool central:
The hardwood stock that hasn't been put up,stained ect yet. Yes, that's ALOT of stock.. solid cherry mostly and a lil bit of oak.
3/4" Cherry ply:
Look! windows! Don't mind the weird colors.. parts aren't stained yet.
One of the lower panels for the fishtank. That's solid hardwood cherry. No ply.
Liquor cabinet for the top shelf stuff. There will be glass shelves. It runs floor to ceiling along one side of the tank. Top is lighted and casts through the shelves and bottles.
Behind the bar is coming along:
In front of the bar looking towards the bathroom:
Detail on the front bar panel. I like the fluted columns:
Bathroom:
Fishroom. Still need to drag the last water container in. The sump and one of the storage containers is in:
Standing where the sump will go looking towards the door:
Shots of the study:
Also got word that my ATB Cone XL made it to California from Austria and is in transit to me. 2 cartons, 85 lbs
Can't wait to see that beast of a skimmer.
In front of the bar looking towards the bathroom:
Detail on the front bar panel. I like the fluted columns:
Bathroom:
Fishroom. Still need to drag the last water container in. The sump and one of the storage containers is in:
Standing where the sump will go looking towards the door:
Shots of the study:
Also got word that my ATB Cone XL made it to California from Austria and is in transit to me. 2 cartons, 85 lbs
Can't wait to see that beast of a skimmer.
Robb in Austin
New member
Dood!
That basement rawks!
I'd never leave!
GREAT freakin' build!
That basement rawks!
I'd never leave!
GREAT freakin' build!
black_kapre
New member
dude can we fast forward the process..... when its all done already...........the suspense is killing me.........=>
Woodwork is looking great. I agree with the fluted columns - very nice... I'm planning to do something similar with the woodwork around my tank.
It looks like you have the baseboard seal in the fish room - hard to tell, but looks that way in the pictures. If so, can you explain how it's installed and where to purchase it? Thanks.
It looks like you have the baseboard seal in the fish room - hard to tell, but looks that way in the pictures. If so, can you explain how it's installed and where to purchase it? Thanks.
Oldtimer: Sorry forgot to let you know about that.
I bought the baseboard at The Tile Shop in Lombard. I bought all my tile there btw. They have a really great selection of high end tile there btw. Anyways the baseboard is vinyl and comes in lots of colors in 50 feet rolls. Also comes in rubber too I believe. You use vinyl cement to adhere it to the walls.
Basically take a large putty knife or trawl and slather the whole back of it, then slap it up, push tight and eject the excess out of the top and bottom. Go back with a rag and clean up the excess. You should be able to get it so just a little squishes out. This, in theory completely seals it to the floor and wall with no air gaps. I went back and caulked the top and bottom line and any joints because I'm anal.
Today I'm coating the chipboard that goes around the bottom of the stand that the panels will adhere to. I'm planing on using construction adhesive to adhere the chipboard to the stand, then using some 2x4's to frame around teh stand to add more strength, then adhering the finished panels to the chipboard with finishing nails/brads.
The chipboard is coated with some water resistant stuff, but I don't trust it. Its getting 3 coats of drylock.
The top of the tank is being lightly framed out (will have to coat the frame later with drylock from the inside.. ugh) and the top panels with the doors will affix to that.
I've put 1 coat of high moisture (flooring) poly on the back of the frames and doors, and I plan to do another coat tonight hopefully.
I bought the baseboard at The Tile Shop in Lombard. I bought all my tile there btw. They have a really great selection of high end tile there btw. Anyways the baseboard is vinyl and comes in lots of colors in 50 feet rolls. Also comes in rubber too I believe. You use vinyl cement to adhere it to the walls.
Basically take a large putty knife or trawl and slather the whole back of it, then slap it up, push tight and eject the excess out of the top and bottom. Go back with a rag and clean up the excess. You should be able to get it so just a little squishes out. This, in theory completely seals it to the floor and wall with no air gaps. I went back and caulked the top and bottom line and any joints because I'm anal.
Today I'm coating the chipboard that goes around the bottom of the stand that the panels will adhere to. I'm planing on using construction adhesive to adhere the chipboard to the stand, then using some 2x4's to frame around teh stand to add more strength, then adhering the finished panels to the chipboard with finishing nails/brads.
The chipboard is coated with some water resistant stuff, but I don't trust it. Its getting 3 coats of drylock.
The top of the tank is being lightly framed out (will have to coat the frame later with drylock from the inside.. ugh) and the top panels with the doors will affix to that.
I've put 1 coat of high moisture (flooring) poly on the back of the frames and doors, and I plan to do another coat tonight hopefully.
Thanks, I'll have to get some. It's exactly what I was hoping to find. Did you just caulk the corners?
How are you sealing around the bottom of the stand btw? I wonder if I could do something with baseboard around it and just trim the height to line up with the bottom panel that my sump will sit on. I want to mantain a seal around the entire perimeter of the fish room.
How are you sealing around the bottom of the stand btw? I wonder if I could do something with baseboard around it and just trim the height to line up with the bottom panel that my sump will sit on. I want to mantain a seal around the entire perimeter of the fish room.
I caulked the top and bottom joints of the baseboard and the corners.
As far as the stand, we level poured the concrete floor up past the stand. I then caulked the joint around the stand. The overflow boxes protrude out past that joint so in theory nothing should leak under the stand. None the less I took that foam insulation stuff and blew a joint on the outside facing out towards the bar on the other side of the stand and caulked the whole inside of the stand. The downside here is water will pool in the area inside of the stand if any somehow makes it in there. It cant possibly escape anywhere though. I don't see how that can happen though. What I will probably do is put water sensors inside the cavity of the stand and turn everything off if they get wet.
Does that make sense?
As far as the stand, we level poured the concrete floor up past the stand. I then caulked the joint around the stand. The overflow boxes protrude out past that joint so in theory nothing should leak under the stand. None the less I took that foam insulation stuff and blew a joint on the outside facing out towards the bar on the other side of the stand and caulked the whole inside of the stand. The downside here is water will pool in the area inside of the stand if any somehow makes it in there. It cant possibly escape anywhere though. I don't see how that can happen though. What I will probably do is put water sensors inside the cavity of the stand and turn everything off if they get wet.
Does that make sense?
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