Help with bar plans...

zacstark

I've never built anything with wood so I'm trying to compensate by planning this out as much as possible. I'm a 3d animator so I created a digital model of my basement and built the bar digitally.
I'm planning on building the real thing now (if the wife approves), so I'd like to know if there are any gaping holes in my plan or anything I'm missing.
Here's the video showing the structure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S5J64O2fv4

Any feedback is much appreciated!!

oh'mike

My computer is whacked out --no videos for me this week---How about a still shot ?

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Willie T

A few suggestions?

Build the sides (ends?) with full-length studs rather than add the top section. If you are to add a part, the stepped-down area would be the one to add.

The countertop should be built with enough of a "cutout" so that the freezer top stays open by itself. Can you use a sliding top freezer instead?

All the hinges should be inset mortises so that the framing will not have a large gap.

Consider "Boomer" double-direction hinges on the door. This is a big plus in a "hands-full serving" situation.

The wall ledger (countertop stop and rest) should have rounded ends so that no one will snag their hips.

Provide a means to stop and hold the countertop opening piece just past vertical. Do not plan on letting it flop back down on top of the rest of the countertop. I might hinge it the other way, up against the wall, and provide a spring catch on the wall.

The vines are going to be a HUGE knee problem. And they will have to be un-attached (or separated) around the door hinge area, or they will soon be pulled loose.

Leave easy access at the back of the light soffit to work on the lights... maybe hinge a door or two back there?

I see that the sign will be a "stop" for the wine glasses. Are you sure you will never want to pull a glass out from the front?

Plan to have recesses milled into the top surfaces of the wine glass slides to accurately position the glasses in alignment one with another. This keeps the racks looking clean and sharp.

As designed, the bottle cabinet does not seem to have any provision for securely containing the bottles on their narrow shelves. Trust me, you will eventually hit a bottle with your knuckles while removing an adjacent bottle, and you will have broken glass and booze everywhere.

What are you going to do when you open those upper cabinet doors? The doors may turn out to be too wide to walk past comfortably. Would you consider making them "sliders" (Bi-pass doors)?

Great animation, by the way!

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Willie T

rossfingal

Good eyes - "Willie T"!!
Also - nice animation!!
"RF"

zacstark

Thanks Willie T. Very thorough and super helpful. I'll probably end up implementing everything you've suggested.

Thanks again buddy!

Willie T

BTW, they do make "controled closing speed hinges" (like toilet lids) for that countertop opening piece. A good safety measure.

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Willie T

Augie Dog

Willey is a wise old bird and makes some very good points.
Highlighting one of his; I would swing the gate off the wall as well as the bar top because that will be much more structurally sound than the bar that you don't want to fasten to the floor.
If you fasten a 2x frame to the wall that is as wide as the bar is deep, you will have at least one stud in the wall to fasten it to. After you skin it with plywood it will be at least 2" thick and your bar top will have an angle to lean against the wall and stay up by itself when left open.
The gate will operate much better from the wall. Swinging from the bar will torque the end of the bar unless you screw the end of the bar to the floor.

I assume you already have the freezer and just want to use it. But I personally would not do all this work and use it as you have pictured. I would make a work surface counter top and use a dormitory style fridge under it, if I was going on the cheap.
Every time you want in that chest freezer, you will need to completely clear off your work surface. That willl get old in a New York Yankee minute :-)

Great video, very cool graphics. I could train people from something like that. Awesome!

I hope you have something to root for from behind that bar. Your time is coming, I can feel it.

Millertyme

great job with the design. What program did you make that with?
Im not sure why willie said you would need access the lights from a panel on the side. They are can lights right?Unless he means something else

Looks like someone already mentioned the door swing. Its on the wrong side. The top is right. You will pick up the top with your right hand and it will be easier to open the door with your left hand

Willie T

If you will watch the animation again, you will see that it may be necessary to do some wire hookup inside the box to be able to install more than one light. This will require making up connections within a J box. This is a whole lot easier to do if you can open a door and work on the box, and not try to do it all through one of the light holes. If he pre-wired everything, no problem. But I can see possible problems in this area for a first-time builder.... thus, the suggestion of a door or two on the back of the box.

Also, I would leave the door hinged on the bar. I would not try to install it on the drywall due to the probability of there being nothing behind the drywall to fasten to. This eventuality would require tearing into the wall to install framing inside the wall to mount the door to. A lot of work, and it necessitates patching and repainting the drywall... possibly the whole wall.

If there is a provision to hold the hatch up against the wall (a latch of some sort), it won't make any difference which hand you use to lift the hatch top or open the door.

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Willie T