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| Recording station is still intact....
I start construction.
Space is limited so I have to elevate the floor around existing gear.
I hope the sawdust doesn't kill anything....... but everything could use a good cleaning any way.
(sorry... the next few pics are a little dark) |
Look closely.
My FX rack is moved out of sight.
In the foreground, you can see the "kneewall"
In the background, you can see the bandboard where all the floor joists will be connected.
(those dang wall cabinets have *got* to go ) |
I forgot to move my little DanElectro "Nifty50" amp from under the cutting table.
I hardly ever use it and my stepson has its "sister".
At the time I was hoping it would be Ok....... I know, now, it's pretty much toast.
(will try getting an air compressor and blowing it out) |
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| Yeah..... I'm suffering from storage space envy
That's my 2 Yamaha Speakers rising out of the floor joists.
This pic was taken from the entrance door to the garage..
That's *still* a refridgerator...... but the floor joists look a little more like they're supposed to look
Look closely...... my entire DAW is gone now.
One word to describe the moment....
whaaaaaaaaa
(those dang wall cabinets have *got* to *go*) |
Perspective of the new flooring
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New found glass packs.......
How do I make these work in a studio environment? |
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| Kids are helping take down those dang wall cabinets....
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Oops......
The wall cabinets are now gone
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Day one....
Moving the contents of the garage to a corner.
Gottah start somewhere
(it's amazing the crap 2 kids can accumulate in 7 years) |
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| Using my trusty table saw.... I create channels to accomidate the 2 seperate pieces of glass.
This is gonna be soooooo damn cool! |
Would ya look at this "unit????????
It even comes with a built in shelf.
I am sooooooo proud of myself.
Admittedly..... the caulking is very visable.
But it's supposed to turn clear in a day or two.
I can't wait to get this puppy installed and move on to the next wall
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basic framing for the window wall.......
I got more "tempered" glass from a job the day before...... patio door.
Get out some kleenex...... the next few pics describe triumph and disaster |
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| Understand this new window unit was heavy as hell.
I assembled it on the back patio and then used a piano dolly to move it to the
driveway to run it up a ramp into the house.
In this pic, look at the pretty grooves
Man! This puppy was sooooo sweet!
I got it with in 1 foot of the door........ lost control and it hit the driveway.
Cah RASH!
(It wasn't tempered glass)
The next pic shows the aftermath |
There ya have it....
Nearly 2 days of work down the tubes.
This particular pic was taken the night after the new unit was destroyed. (Monday nite)
The night I dropped it....... I didn't even cuss.
I walked into my studio and kindah sat on the floor in a modified fetal position and just wanted to cry.
But HEY!...... This thing was free and I still have my "tempered" arch topped window.
I look at my arch top window for consolation........ there on the bottom left...... a frikkin crack.
Still pluggin away....... more to come in the weeks to follow
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This is what I call my little hole in the wall.
I actually record(ed) music here. LOL
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Beyond the refridgerator.... to the right, is the entrance door to the garage.
There's approx 5 feet of parallel floor.... the the new floor breaks at a 38 degree
angle for approx 9 feet....... then resumes a semi-parallel positioning for approx 12 feet.
( I *love* being able to break the "rules" by not having to conform to normal construction
"standards" of square and uniformity)
FWIW..... this pic lies to the naked eye.
The floor IS actually holding up a refridgerator......
even tho the floor joists look like they are about 6 feet apart
( 24" centers.... and solid as a rock) |
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This is *the* reason my wife allowed me to start this project.
This is a $450 "glass pack" I salvaged from a window replacement job.
(slavaged = free)
Even my wife couldn't pass up the prospect of having such a cool feature in this new project.
This is a 6 foot tall, arched top "tempered" glass pack....... will be installed in the "angle"
section of the raised floor.
(keep in mind how I punctuated the word tempered) |
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| This is the semi-"final" version of the opening for the broken viewing window.
The span was too long to go unsupported so the "header" is made up of 2, 2x6's.
The space at the top equals 5.5".
Exactly enough room to squeeze in 2x6's for ceiling joists. |
This pic kind of gives you a final perspective of the general layout of the control room.
The "door" on the left isn't actually a door opening.
It's framed to accomidate the arch topped "tempered"
window.... which I just don't have the heart to throw away |
One of the requirements my wife made was for me to get rid of that damn pole
This worked out nicely as it gave me a precise parameter to work towards.
Of course, I'm having to plan on adding a wall covering eventually (sheetrock)
So I had to figure out angles and give myself something to nail to |
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| First "span" for the ceiling joists.
Eventually, all the walls will be furred out 1.5" so that's a double 2x6 unit
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Remember I said the opening at the top of the wall was framed to accomidate a 2x6 *exactly*???
In my sitting and staring at the process, I decided it would be much better for all involved if the ceiling joists did *not* touch the existing ceiling.
I only had to take 2 boards back down and trim about 1/2" or so.
The rest, I trimmed down before I put them up (duh)
And my daughter is collecting the sawdust to make "fairy dust" (g) |
With all the angles on the floor, you can imagine the framing nightmare for the ceiling.
The flooring kind of sits and holds it's self.
Drywall has gravity working against it..... so angles and connections *have* to be solid, square and firmly attached.
(geez.... at this point I'm wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into (g) |
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| Last phase:
This is a side view of the latest portion of the project.
Located over the "broken window" opening, I've added some framing to "vault" the ceiling.
The light shows that the ceiling joists do not touch the existing ceiling.
Going to take a break from framing to let my wallet rest a bit.
Dragging my audio gear back into the room so I can listen to some of the great
Mixmasters tunes that have been posted in the past weeks.
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I figured I had better decide on what I was going to be lighting before
I actually set the lights in their permanent positions..... Hence the need for a console desktop.
Did a litle research and the one(s) I liked were either too small or way too expensive.
If you scroll back on these pics you'll see a metal worktable.
I cut the legs to make the new desktop be at a normal height.
This is a replica of a console desktop I saw in a very nice studio.
I contacted the studio and asked about the cost of theirs. $900 was the answer.
Have saws and aint afraid of using them...... Total out of pocket expences equalled appox
$40 by designing and making this myself.
Maybe my wife will let me get that 24ch mixer now.... I *did* save $850 here |
Got my audio gear back up (finally).Once I do a little sanding
and painting, this console will actually look like a piece of furniture....
But final coats of paint will probably be months away.
If you look closely, this thing is on wheels and has an open back.
Hopefully, I'll *never* have to crawl under gear to do wiring again.
I describe that feature as a "Good Thing"
My new role as a Southern husband comes with a LOT of new responsibilities.
My wife sees I almost know what I'm doing here and has decided her office is a mess.
Side project #4 is now dressing up her walls for painting.
I'm thinking the time I actually get all this finished I'll probably have forgotten
how to play guitar..... Oh well |