Wood, Fire and Whiskey...The Mancave Chronicles

[entropy]

I guess I missed something here so forgive me. Why are you having this stuff shipped? You should be able to find the products (or some very similar) locally. The only item may be the particular manufacturer for the forms (Z countertops). The local big box store had something similar, but a local contractor supply was so helpful, we ended up buying everything thru them. You could even make your own forms If need be. Personally, a lot of the additives seemed like overkill, although I’m sure it’s good stuff.

[rob_s]

I guess I missed something here so forgive me. Why are you having this stuff shipped? You should be able to find the products (or some very similar) locally. The only item may be the particular manufacturer for the forms (Z countertops). The local big box store had something similar, but a local contractor supply was so helpful, we ended up buying everything thru them. You could even make your own forms If need be. Personally, a lot of the additives seemed like overkill, although I’m sure it’s good stuff.

overkill is my middle name

plus, like you said, if you'd used their mix you probably wouldn't have smoked your drill. The "normal" countertop mix generally recommends a mixer, not a paddle mixer. The various products from z-countertops are designed as part of the system to make certain aspects easier (like the mixing, the pouring, the patching/finishing, etc.). There are a lot of advantages to having a more flowable mix.

But, at the total cost of what this is adding up to, those advantages probably aren't worth it to me at this point.

I *can* make a lot of things, but I try to limit that to things I want to make or like to make, not have to make just to save money. Always trying to balance the $ cost against the time cost against the fun factor against the aggravation factor.

Which is why what I'd really like to do is pay someone else to deal with the concrete aspect of this project, haha.

[entropy]

Well boo...that’s no way to have fun.

Who ever heard of a do-it-yourself home improvement job coming in under budget anyways...

[entropy]

Necropost. I dragged up the one on pipes, and figured I’d add on to this.

I ran out of time in the early spring to finish the floor, bar appliances, and some of the other. It’s a work in progress obviously. Got a TV installed, with the signal to the barn via a WiFi bridge and router. Decorations plugging along. My “pre-retirement” was cut short which kinda put the kabash on my progress at this time last year.

[entropy]

Been absent a while. College graduations, other commitments. Over the past few months, the project has pretty much come to completion. After much consternation on the floor, I ended up with a compromise of sorts. I did RaceDeck tile with a thick breathable non-mesh landscape cloth underneath. As much as I wanted wood, the temp extremes on moisture in the spring precluded it’s use. I’m on the fence on the RD product. We’ll give it a full year and seasonal change and see how it does. I will say the customer service is outstanding from them. A beer fridge, a few more pics on the wall... As I post here, I sit in it with a glass of rye and a bowl of Evening Stroll.

[Lex Luthier]

Been absent a while. College graduations, other commitments. Over the past few months, the project has pretty much come to completion. After much consternation on the floor, I ended up with a compromise of sorts. I did RaceDeck tile with a thick breathable non-mesh landscape cloth underneath. As much as I wanted wood, the temp extremes on moisture in the spring precluded it’s use. I’m on the fence on the RD product. We’ll give it a full year and seasonal change and see how it does. I will say the customer service is outstanding from them. A beer fridge, a few more pics on the wall... As I post here, I sit in it with a glass of rye and a bowl of Evening Stroll.

That is a good proper watering hole!

[rob_s]

End of work today. Came up a few screws short, they’ll be here tomorrow, so I have a little work to do when I get home tomorrow night.

Attachment 70679

Lots of progress since this pic. Wanted to search up this thread to see how long it’d been since framing up the basic bar.


The exterior sheathing (a burnt bamboo) and bar top (cedar, built by me) have been on for quite some time.



We got the counter top in a few weeks back



And the main thing that had me thinking about this today, I got the pull-out shelves built and installed. 28in full extension slides and they fit my water-tight bins perfectly.





Been messing around with mocking up the cabinet doors. Using reclaimed panels from the front door of my old house, which creates some challenges. Getting close though.