With the basics out of the way, it's time to get started on the fun as the memorabilia-covered bar is added to the space.
- Though most of the lighting was installed in the construction phase of the project, a supplemental monorail lighting system (figure A) is added to the bar area for additional illumination as well as architecural interest. As McMichael's friend Fuad Reveiz explains, this lighting system is highly versatile: each fixture can be moved to any point on the rail, the cable lengths are adjustable and the fixtures themselves can be even be interchanged.
- Next, Reveiz and McMichael move on to the bar area. They position a ready-made cabinet over the plumbing (figure B), centering it on the back wall of the alcove. Then they measure the top of the cabinet to determine the size for a plywood top, taking into account a two-inch lip.
- After determining where the sink will be placed, the two trace the manufacturer's sink template onto the new plywood top (figure C). Next, they drill a starter hole at one corner of the template outline and use a jigsaw to cut out the area ( figure D).
- Once Reveiz has attached the plywood top to the cabinet (figure E), McMichael secures the brushed-nickel fixtures to the sink (figure F) and sets the sink in place (figure G).
Note: Since the countertop is not yet finished, the sink will not be secured in place until after the decoupage counter treatment is complete.
- The bar, which will be built using expanded metal, with a footrail fashioned from Major League Baseball bats. Reveiz explains that the bar should be located three feet from the walls on either side and should be 46" tall in order to comfortably accommodate guests of all heights. To ensure that taller guests will have ample leg room, the bar top will extend out over the base of the bar by 11".
- McMichael has hired a local metal fabricator to cut and weld the galvanized steel and expanded metal bar base (figure H) from to the desired specifications. (Cost: about $300 for a 3'x7' bar.)
- Next, black-painted 3/4" plywood is cut to the exact interior size of the base and fitted in place behind the metal on the front and sides (figure I).
- For the footrail, two holes are drilled in two bats, which are then attached along the bottom of the bar with galvanized lag bolts (figure J).
- The bar top is constructed with two sheets of plywood (a top and bottom layer), and is secured from underneath using two screws (figure K).
- To add interest to the bar top and integrate it with the room's theme, McMichael's wife Jennifer has color-copied and cut out a comprehensive collection of ticket stubs, photos, magazine covers newspaper clips, which she has carefully arranged in a grand collage (figure L). To attach each piece to the plywood, McMichael coats the backs of the items with a glue stick, then presses each one carefully in place (figure M).
- Once all pieces are secured, she pours self-leveling epoxy onto the surface ( figure N) and brushes it evenly over the entire area, working quickly to distribute the product before it dries.
Tip: To make this job easier, McMichael recommends selecting a self-leveling epoxy to alleviate concerns about uneven areas in the finished surface.
- After finishing the application, allow the epoxy to dry 72 hours undisturbed.
RESOURCES :
Do-It-Yourself Plumbing
Model: 0060101229
Author: Max Alth
Sterling Publishing, 1987
Out of Print
Installing and Repairing Plumbing Fixtures
Model: 1561580759
Author: Peter Hemp
1994
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
Woodworking Basics: The Essential Benchtop Reference
Author: William Perkins Spence
Publisher: Sterling
ISBN: 0806909412
Paper Perfect : Hundreds of Stunning Practical Projects in Collage, Decoupage, Papier-Mache. . .
ISBN: 1842152963
Order this title from Amazon.com.
The Decoupage Gallery: A Collection of Over 450 Color and 550 Black-and-White Design Motifs
Model: 0823012891
Author: Dee Davis
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Watson-Guptill Publications
Website: www.watsonguptill.com
Hardball Warehouse
Hardball Warehouse
Duluth, GA 30096
Phone: 678-957-0885
Fax: 678-957-0887
Email: info@hardballwarehouse.com
Website: www.hardballwarehouse.com
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