Above 1200 Sq/FT The ASYLUM - Happy 40th Birthday to Me! (Est. 2005)

shopnut · Mar 29, 2012

Red Leader said:
Shopnut I thought it was kinda funny that the tv didn't work...

After this statement I had to go back and reread what I wrote. What I meant to say was "I don't know" if the TV still worked since I hadn't even turned it on to try it (and that probably makes more sense with the rest of what I said in that reply). I went back and edited that reply. I don't suspect I did anything to damage the TV, but I'm sure I have plenty of other examples where my tinkering has totally ruined something

On the next trip out, I should have time to test all the electronics.

Stick Figure · Mar 29, 2012

The best part about this thread, is that anytime someone accuses me of having crazy ideas that are "over the top" I can show them your thread and I will look sane again! :lol:

Thank you for that.

R1chy · Mar 29, 2012

shopnut said:
...I'm debating whether to add some panels inside to hide the mess back there. Whatever it is, it will need to be easily removed for servicing.

You can use a black cloth as a back drop in the compartment. Make it large enough to attach to the inner walls, yet still allow the TV to move in/out. But cutting a slit in the middle you can drap it around the back of the TV and use velcro to keep i closed.

R1chy

Omphaloskeptic · Mar 29, 2012

I'm waiting for Shopnut to use the shipping styrofoam back shell as a female mold for a custom fiberglass/graphite fascia to hide all the hardware in the wall. Just thought I'd throw yet another sub-project into the mix! lol

flybefree · Mar 30, 2012

If the asylum is crazy then I don't want to be sane?

shopnut · Apr 1, 2012

djinn said:
I loved the aluminum tile board so much I was going to use some in my shop but Lowes didn't have it or pull up the item #, nor did Home Depot. Where would I follow in your footsteps and obtain some of that pretty stuff?

shopnut said:
I have finding any mfr info for the tileboard on my "to do" list for you. Lowes was clearancing it about 5 years ago when I stocked up on enough to finish off the Asylum. I recall someone reporting shortly after that they weren't able to find any in their local store anymore. I believe there is a label containing a website on the back of the sheets so I will get that for you when I have a chance and let you know. After 6 years, the tileboard has turned out to be a great choice for me.

MORE DETAILS ON THE TILEBOARD PANELING…

Here you go djinn. The tileboard (and pegboard) was sold in 4x8' sheet by a company named Decorative Panels International. This is all that was on the back and I included the close-ups for the additional numbers that might aid in your search. If you find out more about it, post it back here for me and the rest to see - Thanks. Click to zoom these thumbnails.

I store my excess sheets in what I call my "plywood pocket" so that it doesn't warp while it's waiting to be used. One sheet is pulled out slightly here for demonstration purposes, but it slides all the way back in behind the big whiteboard.

shopnut · Apr 1, 2012

Stick Figure - You are welcome. I'm just glad I can provide that service to you

R1chy - I kept thinking about how much of a pain it was going to be cutting and fitting tileboard back there, but I like your brilliant idea much better. :thumbup:

I have a little bit of black polypropylene sheet left over that might substitute nicely and be a bit easier to clean. If the velcro doesn't pan out, maybe some banner grommet holes and bungee cords to keep it stretched tight :dunno:

Thanks for putting me in a "flexible" state of mind!

Omphaloskeptic - Unfortunately this TV came with just foam in the corners of the box, so no nice half mold to start from. Great idea though. A lot of times, I use shipping material for odd projects - it seems like such a waste to just pitch it out.

flybefree - I've probably said it before, but - Sanity is WAAAAAY overrated!

Vernmotor · Apr 2, 2012

OK Great Job buddy ! I am happy with that Vid ,,way cool ! I had a big smile on my face !

shopnut · Apr 3, 2012

Thanks. Glad I could brighten your day Vernmotor. I'll make a new video when I get the cabinet all finished off.

machine_punk · Apr 3, 2012

Why don't you rivet up some aluminum panels to cover the mess behind the TV (Just Kidding...that is MY garage with the aluminum and rivets).

All kidding aside...that is COOL! I was looking at your initial posts on the project and thinking "ho hum...I suppose at least it is keeping him busy while he recovers." But after seeing that final video, I was floored! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?! I think my posts are a little like that...when I am just getting started on a new project and the vision is still mostly in my head, with a LOT of fabrication work left to do, it is probably a bit hard to get excited by it.

Anyway...all that to say that I vote for the retractable TV as the coolest project I've seen on GJ this year.

M_P

JF5000 · Apr 3, 2012

shopnut said:
I bought the cable swage tool at Home Depot in the late 1990's when I needed to make a long 1/4" cable to help persuade some tree fall directions when I was playing lumberjack. I'm pretty sure I paid around $60 for it back then.

I still buy the various size ferrules at Lowes to this date. I bet Home Depot still has them as well. Look in the chain/cable area in the hardware section - they probably have the tool there too. If not, I'm sure places like aircraftspruce.com carry them for online ordering.

Thanks Man!! :thumbup:

shopnut · Apr 3, 2012

JF5000 - you are certainly welcome.

machine_punk - Who doesn't like aluminum panels?

I'm sure there are plenty of readers that are bored with my beginning posts when a project is started. But, its all part of the process and I find it much easier to give 20 minutes here and there for project updates as I go rather than trying to find time to post an all-inclusive story at the end. Plus I'm sure many of the details would be lost since my memory is not getting an better, ya know.

Maybe sharing more CAD plans or something would help the readers understand my vision early on in the process. :dunno:

My projects at work are no different - low excitement at first and by the time the prototype starts going together, we have a whole factory of onlookers interested in what's going on (but in this case, possibly because its something that might determine the future success of their company)

As for your comments about the finished TV system - many, many thanks for your very kind comments. It's probably borderline as far as being classified as a garage project, but I think I'll have less trouble with the TV if its tucked away when not needed. Plus it was pretty darn fun putting it all together.

Amazzen · Apr 3, 2012

Shopnut....You got me so excited about the TV project, I went out an acquired these 24V DC motors of my own.

A little too excited, because I don't even have an application for them.

...YET!

Cool stuff, thanks,

Paul

PS Is the TV working now?.......J/K......

shopnut · Apr 3, 2012

Amazzen - Funny! But don't feel bad - I do that all the time. I walk into the surplus store looking for a certain project part and walk out with 10 other parts yurning for a project.

Don't worry, my projects always find surplus parts and my surplus parts always find projects (eventually)!

If you're looking for a power source for those motors, I think some of the computer printers had 24V supplies. Not sure if they are AC or DC though. Or has the Batmobile been converted to an industrial 24V system yet?

Have fun - whatever you build!

(Yes - the TV survived the testing phase and is almost wired for normal use.

More to come on that soon.)

Amazzen · Apr 3, 2012

shopnut said:
Amazzen - Funny! But don't feel bad - I do that all the time. I walk into the surplus store looking for a certain project part and walk out with 10 other parts yurning for a project.

Don't worry, my projects always find surplus parts and my surplus parts always find projects (eventually)!

If you're looking for a power source for those motors, I think some of the computer printers had 24V supplies. Not sure if they are AC or DC though. Or has the Batmobile been converted to an industrial 24V system yet?

Have fun - whatever you build!

(Yes - the TV survived the testing phase and is almost wired for normal use. More to come on that soon.)

Thanks and glad you're not wasteful with the surplus stuff. I'm kinda like that too, but trying to cut down.

I actually have a couple of 24V DC transformers in the shop somewhere (I think I know where I stashed them). I think I'll grab a variable power supply just in case

.

The Batmobile doesn't have any real atomic batteries, but I did manage to automate a few gadgets including the entire roll top dash...

I'll grab a video soon and you guys can check out the "shopnut" in me too!

There you go.....bet you never thought you would have a Batmobile in your thread huh?

Where were you when I was building this darn thing???

shopnut · Apr 3, 2012

POW! BAM! BOOM! I've got a Batmobile in my thread! Excellent!

Man, it looks like a ton of time when into that car. I don't remember what all the buttons and levers are supposed to do, but it sure would be fun to hook something up to them, regardless if it was actually authentic to the TV show. And it would be kind of cool if they were somewhat useful things with that WOW factor.

Yes, let's see that video!

shopnut · Apr 3, 2012

THE TV DOOR IS PAINTED YELLOW…

I figured the only way I was going to get a good paint job on this roll-up door was to remove it from the housing and wrap it around some curved shape, thus exposing as much of the hinge area as possible. I didn’t want any unpainted white stripes showing. With it strapped to my spare air tank, it looks kind of like some medieval shield or something. It actually worked out pretty good being on wheels like that.

Here it is with the first and the final third coat of paint.

Here is the door and the lower louver basking in the sun under the protective cover of the porch roof. So much debris falls from our trees that I try to move freshly painted stuff here as soon as I can.

After two days of watching the paint dry (boy, was that boring

), I re-installed the door very carefully onto the drum without scratching it. To prep the entire assembly for installation, I rolled up some strips of bubble-wrap with the door to keep it from rubbing itself when in a tight roll.

And here it is, mounted up in place. Again, I got lucky and didn’t scratch anything. I also was lucky in the fact that the TV didn’t need to be removed while all this was happening and that saved a bunch of time.

Next up is installing the control panel permanently in the wall.

Wingnut65 · Apr 4, 2012

Holy Cow, Shopnut, Congrats on scoring a Batmobile virtual visit to the Asylum :thumbup:

shopnut said:
...After two days of watching the paint dry (boy, was that boring ) ...

You must not have been doing it right... How many cold ones did it take?

:beer:

Door looks great!

shopnut · Apr 4, 2012

Wingnut65 said:
Holy Cow, Shopnut, Congrats on scoring a Batmobile virtual visit to the Asylum

You must not have been doing it right... How many cold ones did it take?

Door looks great!

Yeah, don't tell my cars about that Batmobile visit - they will be jealous, throw my 8-Track tapes out onto the front lawn, and change the car door locks on me. :lol:

Beer? Wouldn't touch the stuff!

(actually both fridges are packed full for just such occasions)

Thanks. I got lucky with the paint drying enough in two days to be handled. Normally I paint something and let it dry for a week or two just to be sure. I was a little impatient this time.

Omphaloskeptic · Apr 5, 2012

Shopnut, the door color looks great! Is there a fabric backer on the door to prevent it scuffing the face as the door wraps on itself?

Not to nudge away from your terrific thread, but I am looking forward to Amazzen's Batmobile thread. I wonder what his soundtrack choice will be? heh-heh

Say, --- now that you have all the kinks worked out on the 'VAUD pod' (new buzzword!), can we expect to see its big brother installed at the edge of the loft? I suspect it will be engineered to rise vertically from the loft deck end joist to snuggle right up to the trolley beam, and of course it will have to have its own soundtrack! lol Before long the L.S.D.'s C.A.N.D.O. (Control Automation Nested Device Operators) will surpass even the Cape Kennedy Launch Control.
:lol_hitti

Amazzen · Apr 5, 2012

Hey Omphaloskeptic.....take it easy; I need a turntable for my Bat before another TV gets installed!

Besides, he doesn't even have time to watch the first TV...(I do like the "Batman yellow" mind you)

Nananananananananananana.....

Wingnut65 · Apr 5, 2012

Amazzen said:
Besides, he doesn't even have time to watch the first TV...(I do like the "Batman yellow" mind you)

Nananananananananananana.....

shopnut · Apr 5, 2012

Omphaloskeptic - I kind of hated to cover up the extremely durable white coating that was on those aluminum slats, but yellow just seemed right to match the painted doors below. The door did not come with a fabric backer, but I temporarily added some taped-on bubble wrap on the last 16" (part that actually overlaps yellow) to protect the fresh paint while I was running it up and down. I'm thinking it might be good insurance to affix something permanantly to guard against the scuffs and your mention of fabric gave me the idea to use some leftover stick-on felt on the backside - Thanks!

42" is as big as I want to go - although, I do normally have that C.A.N.D.O. attitude so who knows? Come to think of it, there may just be enough room to fit it in the garage door valance panel I was planning... Dang it Ompha, stop giving me ideas - I'll never get done with this place!

Ompha/Amazzen/Wingnut65 - I predict peer pressure with force a Batmobile thread soon, and I sense it is in the works

And a turntable may come in handy for not only the Bat, but the Zamboni as well! Never done one of those but there's a first time for everything - start collecting the parts Amazzen, we have work to do.

Omphaloskeptic · Apr 6, 2012

OOPs, my bad guys! When I said "its big brother installed at the edge of the loft", I was referring to the tambour door of the VAUD pod, not the TV! I'm thinking that Shopnut wouldn't want his 'stuff' stored in the loft to be visible to the casual observer on the shop floor; he being the neat-nik, OCD, squared-away, ship-shape, totally-together kind of guy that he is, just would not permit his loft 'stuff' to be exposed to the general public's view. lol

Amazzen, I understand your need for the Batmobile turntable (ala' Shopnut) takes precedence over the loft construction; I totally agree! I mean, the Batmobile is done and truly needs the proper and fitting setting to complete the tableau, but before the turntable can be added, you just have to acquire a couple of mannequins dressed as The Batman and Robin, and placed prominently in the seats of the Batmobile. I, for one, would implore you to add a third mannequin creeping up the trunk; who else but Catwoman, done as realistic as possible as any one of the following:

http://tytempletonart.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/the-top-ten-catwoman-actresses-2/

Shopnut - When you do find yourself free to begin the loft construction, please, please, please, do all of us here at GJ (and Mrs. Shopnut too) a really big favor; buy the largest friggin' TRAMPOLINE you can find and place it beneath your loft work area.

REMEMBER - GRAVITY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND! :lol_hitti

P.S. - Re: tambour cloth
Placing a 'free hanging' cloth on the backside of the tambour door (attached to the axis of rotation) would do two things:
1) Prevent the door from scuffing itself.
2) Act as a flat screen monitor 'dust cover' when the door is closed.

shopnut · Apr 6, 2012

Omphaloskeptic - Yes, you are getting to know me too well and I planned to conceal my goods up in the front loft, especially with a clear view into it from the second floor office bay window. A tambour door could be a great solution up there and I will now toss into the decision making process.

For quite a while, I have been pondering on this concept, mainly due to the triangular shape of the openings.

Cables would pull the doors up into the rafter area, hopefully out of the way. The slats could be made out of the vinyl soffit material. It's been simply a thought in my head until you mentioned it because it's one of those "wait and see what room is left over for it" situations. The loft platform, library ladder rail support, and other nearby structural items will probably influence which direction I go. I'm a sucker for tambour doors, however, and that is now in the running - thanks.

Oh great - now I want a Catwoman in my shop and I don't even have a Bat. My vote goes for Lee, Halle, or Michelle - Meeeeooooowwwww! (I guess I wouldn't turn down a visit from any of them, really :thumbup:

)

The cloth for the door backside is a good idea, but I already found out that bubble-wrap that is fastened back there currently gets hung up on the top end of the TV if the lower edge isn't taped to the door. It's pretty tight back there, but I'll keep playing with it - I like the idea of an extra dust cover.

Trampoline! Are you crazy? (don't bother - I know the answer :willy_nil

) That thing by itself will surely lead to more STUNTs and WEEPs.

Amazzen · Apr 6, 2012

Okay....you guys are getting way too batty...
Funny...I already have the 2 mannequins ordered (Adam West driving and Burt Ward jumping into the car over the door), have always planned on a Superman in the Phone Booth, so a Catwoman would be way cool....hmmmmmmm :beer:

Back to reality...May I suggest using a linear actuator to push a triangle door out and up. (blind hinged at the rafter of course)

No fuss, no muss....

Omphaloskeptic · Apr 6, 2012

Great 'Batty' minds think alike! Now you realize we all want pics of the mannequins when you get them costumed and arranged. All that's missing is the TURNTABLE; get on it Shopnut, muy pronto!

Amazzen, linear actuated triangle doors - I LIKE IT! Like you said, "No fuss, no muss"; for someone of Shopnut's talents, that is. lol

shopnut · Apr 7, 2012

Amazzen/Ompha - We sometimes get a little batty here on Garage Journal, but you have to have some fun amongst all this work, right?

Doors that swing out and up, hmmmmmm - I guess they could be constructed in a light-weight fashion like my PVC-framed checkered-flag doors creating the full stripe around the lower perimeter of the place. It could work if there's enough room for them to swing out and not interfere with the railing I have planned along the leading edge of the loft platform (need to protect against that GRAVITY thing, ya know).

Add other one in the mix -Thanks!

Omphaloskeptic · Apr 7, 2012

Ah, the seed of inspiration has been planted and is taking root; well done Amazzen!

Shopnut, Okay - maybe the trampoline idea is just a bit wacko; how's about a Hollywood stuntman's airbag set-up? :bounce:

No rebound - Guaranteed!

Continuing the checkerboard border theme onto the loft door panels would really go far in maintaining the continuity of design you have built; very nice.

Contributing a few 'Batty'/silly/crazy ideas to your thread is just a way to keep the to-do list fun and less tiresome....

IF LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE, THEN WE ALL MUST BE ON DRUGS!

(OMPHA')

shopnut · Apr 7, 2012

Airbags - now you're talking. In fact, I think I need a full airbag body suit!

shopnut · Apr 7, 2012

THE TV CONTROL SWITCH IS MOUNTED IN THE WALL…

It was time to cut another hole in the wall, but this time for a wall switch box. The nice thing about the tileboard is it can be removed and modified as needed. This also makes it very easy to gain access inside the wall for running new wires.

The chosen spot (red square) was centered directly above the latex glove dispenser and aligned with the top edge of the yellow door frames. Now I guess I need to add something else below the dispenser to get my symmetry back

.

Luckily, this was just a small panel that came out with just a few screws - some are pretty complicated and take quite a bit of disassembly. Those short 2x4s are what reach out to support the sides of the dispenser box. My new switch box installs just below the horizontal wall purlin above.

Before removing the wall panel, I marked exactly where the edges of the wall plate needed to be and worked backward from there to where the box cutout needed to be. Two holes were drilled for jigsaw plunge points and the 4 cuts were made. I use blue painters tape on the outside of the cut to protect against scuffs from the saw base. I want to point out again how nice it is to have a workbench surface with a blade recess in it when cutting boards with a jigsaw or circular saw. The INDEX on page one will lead you to overall pictures of my outdoor bench, if interested.

The wall panel is back up with the double gang box inserted in the hole. As you may recall, those switches shown are only used to support the black cover plate and have no other function.

Here it is with the wall plate and rocker switch installed. Of course “Deploy VAUD” and similar would have sounded more technical for the labels, but I wanted to keep things somewhat user-friendly for Mrs. Shopnut and visitors.

AN UPDATE TO THE TV SYSTEM WIRING SCHEMATIC…

I scribbled down some updates to the wiring harness as I was building it and decided to update the file with wire colors and terminal block (TB) designations before it was forgotten. This should make any troubleshooting in the future a bit easier – a couple of years from now, this is certain to be erased from my on-board memory blanks (my brain).

Note that TB5 and TB6 serve no real purpose – I just didn’t want 2 wires dangling in the box and I had spare terminal blocks to insert them in.

All that is left is the door trim – I'M GETTING CLOSE!

Vernmotor · Apr 8, 2012

shopnut says .Stop giving me ideas - I'll never get done with this place!- Well we never intended for that to happen !

Wingnut65 · Apr 8, 2012

Vernmotor said:
shopnut says .Stop giving me ideas - I'll never get done with this place!- Well we never intended for that to happen !

That's just what friends are for...

shopnut · Apr 9, 2012

Vernmotor/Wingnut65 - Well, it may not be in your plans to have this place finished, but it is in mine!

There are lots of car/bike/misc projects patiently waiting for some TLC. I do appreciate all the encouragement, ideas, and just general razzing, however - it keeps the energy level up.

I'm sure there are many little details/improvements that will be worked into the place after it is "finished", though. And of course there's that evolution thing that's bound to happen as years go by and needs change.

shopnut · Apr 9, 2012

TRIM IS ADDED AND THE TV SYSTEM IS FINISHED…

I used the same black vinyl trim used extensively in the Asylum to create the channels for the door track. Sorry, I forgot to take close-up pictures of the overall channels. At the top, I needed a special curved piece on each side to help guide the lowest door slat into the track when it started coming off the drum and this is what I came up with.

And here are some shots with the trim all finished.

During a recent INDEX update, I noticed forum member wolflrv actually planted the seed in my head for the way the TV pops out of its hole and swivels to the left. (Reply #1038). Thanks for wasting all my time Buddy!

AND AN UPDATED VIDEO FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE…

I captured this video in a bit higher resolution for clarity. Play time is just under a minute and it has sound so turn it down if you are in a comprising spot. I also turned the TV on for a brief moment just to prove to some of you (not to name names) that this thing still works.

Note: Clicking the picture will take you to my Google site – just click on the image there to start the video (we can’t directly embed videos here from what I understand

).

Vernmotor · Apr 9, 2012

So I got to ask? has your wife see this work now that it's all done ? and if so what did she say ?

Wingnut65 · Apr 9, 2012

That project can be stamped with the big 'DONE' stamp.

Now on to the next endeavor... to be continued in the next episode of The Asylum!

shopnut · Apr 9, 2012

Vernmotor - Yes, she has seen the final version in person. But first let me give you a few comments from her as the project progressed.

Most of the misc parts were delivered via the mail and arrived when I was not real mobile yet. I remember her having a few choice words when she had to haul in that pile of surplus motors. I think it started with "What have you done now?" when we pulled into the driveway and she saw the stack on our porch - it went downhill from there. :sad:

Next were my solo trips to the Asylum when I was still pretty feeble. I promised to check in often via the phone because she knew I was going to be up on the ladder quite a bit installing it all. She was happy to hear I used the crane to lift that sucker up there.

I think I drove her nuts when I finally filmed the working system and was trying to synch up the video with the sound clip - that Mission Impossible tune can be quite annoying after about 50 plays, you know. Looking back, I probably should have learned the new software with a tune more pleasing to her until I got the hang of it.

She gave me a ride out to the Asylum on the most recent trip so I could bring my Triumph back to the city garage (it was trapped there since the acicident) and she got to see the final version then. She commented that she was glad it didn't fall on my head as I stood under it pressing the button - no respect, I tell ya! Like usual, she slapped her forehead, but this time I was dubbed "Supreme Geek". I think that is actually a step up for me! :lol:

Honestly, I have to believe she thinks it's pretty cool since I have proof of her sending the video link to several people and she asked for the file so she could load it on her work computer and show people (website is blocked at work). God only knows what she's actually telling people, though

Wingnut65 - Yes - "DONE". One of the few lately. There's a couple more projects in the works, but I'm still not sure what I will focus on next - so many things revolve around that darn front loft being completed.

Omphaloskeptic · Apr 10, 2012

Supreme Geek (aka Shopnut)....

We, your lowly engineering interns, salute you (done with right hand held reverently over our 'pocket protectors' and our left index fingers pushing our 'geek glasses' up the bridge of the nose) while 'nose humming' the 'Mission Impossible' theme over and over and over and over....!

ALL HAIL HIS GEEKNESS, THE SUPREME GEEK!

We are quite sure from what you say that Mrs. Shopnut is indeed duly impressed, but she must suppress her hubby adulation tendencies because her primary function as a wife is to keep her hubby humble!
:lol_hitti

shopnut · Apr 10, 2012

Ompha - THAT is funny. I told Mrs. Shopnut what you had wrote and all I heard was a sinister laugh. I think she has a master plan, and I'm afraid I am not going to like it!

Above 1200 Sq/FT The ASYLUM - Happy 40th Birthday to Me! (Est. 2005)

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