# Bar Room Design



## cdbrown (31/3/10)

Hey folks,

All moved into to the new place last weekend and whilst most of the stuff still remains in boxes I thought I might as well start planning out a bar. Have a room set aside for the task and just looking for some advice, perhaps typical measurements, things to consider and must haves.

The room is 5.6m long (north and south walls) and 3m wide (east and west walls). There's a set of french doors and two windows on the south wall, other walls nothing. Door is eastern end of the south wall. See the attached sketch.

Was thinking having a straight bar up towards the western end of the room, perhaps leaving enough space behind for myself to get in there for drinks, some shelves mounted to the wall for spirits, maybe a glass fronted bar fridge or two and a sink. Glassware and other drinks could go under the bar. There's a sink and hardwood counter top in the granny flat which I could use for this application.

I've seen around the place that bar height is usually about 1.1m but don't really say a minimum depth of the countertop. Thinking about 60cm. I've got quite a few fonts which I'll mount along with a beer engine so will probably go for a shelf below the bartop for these to mount to otherwise they could be too tall. The freezer with a collar is going to be about 1.1m so the bartop will probably need to be forward of that or increase the height.

Anyway just looking for some comments and suggestions.

Cheers
-cdbrown 

View attachment Bar_room.pdf


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## raven19 (31/3/10)

Are you looking to fit a pool table, couches, table tennis or pinball machines in there?

I would go a simple straight bar with plenty of room for various fonts and your beer engine. This leaves a heap of room for whatever else you want to have in your man cave! B) 

Other items to consider:

Running hot and cold water
Power point locations
Sink / drain pipe - link to sewer
Storage under bar - additional bar fridges (fermenting/lagering), etc?
Bar stools on other side for mates?
Using it for serving only or standing and playing barman?
Clock
Music/surround sound
A/C, insultation

Just a few ideas/suggestions to add to the dream bar list.


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## andrewl (31/3/10)

And one of those retro table top arcade machines... Always wanted one of those!


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## under (31/3/10)

Photo's mate!! Much easier to get a visual, along with the floor plan. My 2c.


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## Carboy (31/3/10)

Every Champion Brewer and Bar Room needs one of these...

:lol:


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## winkle (1/4/10)

Carboy said:


> Every Champion Brewer and Bar Room needs one of these...
> 
> :lol:



Why buy when you can rent?

View attachment 36813


(He usually wears a blue safari suit so he's not dodgy)


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## zoidbergmerc (1/4/10)

raven19 said:


> Are you looking to fit a pool table, couches, table tennis or pinball machines in there?
> 
> I would go a simple straight bar with plenty of room for various fonts and your beer engine. This leaves a heap of room for whatever else you want to have in your man cave! B)
> 
> ...



+1 to all these things,

you might also want to think about data outlets if you want a PC to act as a jukebox (that's just what' I'd do.)

But it looks like you've got a pretty good setup there.

Also, get a fooseball table, thank me later. THEY ROCK!


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## cdbrown (1/4/10)

Thanks for the replys. Took a few photos this morning. Excuse the mess as we only just moved in on the weekend. All brewing will be done in the shed area next to the bar so no need for fermenting fridges. 

Have a near complete MAME arcade machine for gaming. Panel suits 4 players. The machine will also be a jukebox and will put some speakers up in the room as well as outside. The wall mounted tv will be connected to the audio system. Any data I need to transfer to the MAME pc will be done by portable hard drives or the 8gb usb sticks I have. Prefer not to run cat5 cables back to the router in the house. Wireless dongle might work. Would love to get a pinball machine but it wouldn't really fit in the room with the arcade machine.

No couches inside the room, but maybe some sort of bench seat outside the bar.

There is hot/cold water provided to the granny flat so wouldn't be hard for a plumber to run some lines around the back of the structure and connect it to a tap. 

There's a couple of plugs and with a powerboard will be enough. 

Drainage could go to a small garden bed or run back to other end of structure.

Split system A/C already there and working. Mounted on the north wall (that's pressed tin in the picture)

There will be storage under the bar for things like CO2 bottle, glasses, conditioning bottles, other spirits and most likely wine that doesn't fit on a rack. If I go for the sink against the west wall and utilitise the bench from the granny flat, then will most likly put a bar fridge under that. Then on top have the spirit bottles. Will put a shelf up for the "top shelf" scotch collection.

Bar will be suited for sitting on bar stools so will make the bar top have an overhang so you can get your knees underneath.

Will be a barman type bar with area behind for me to serve drinks, plus a stool so I can sit and enjoy as well. Will add some heavy duty hinges to the list so I can have the end part of the bar top to flip up, allowing access behind the bar (just like a pub).

Cheer
-cdbrown


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## raven19 (1/4/10)

Looks like floorboards on the ceiling - trippy! :huh:


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## cdbrown (1/4/10)

Yeah - previous owners had a salvage business of some sort and used a lot of salvaged gear when they built that room, adjacent shed and granny flat. Floor board roof makes it quite rustic and reminds me of a small old english pub.


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## leiothrix (1/4/10)

About the scotch you plan to put on a shelf - is that a good idea? I mean it will look pretty and all, but isn't it best to keep pretty much everything out of light?

Spirits are generally in clear bottles which offer no protection at all. I know they won't skunk like beer does, but excess light probably wont do it any favours.

Rob.


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## bonj (1/4/10)

andrewl said:


> And one of those retro table top arcade machines... Always wanted one of those!


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## andrewl (2/4/10)

Thats the type Bonj! With the plastic seats and all!!!!
The floor boards on the ceiling are there so when your drunk and can't get back up, your not all that disorientated!
I reckon it'd look good done up as an old style English pub, clean up the floor boards and the panelling around the walls and your halfway there


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## kelbygreen (2/4/10)

looks like they enclosed a deck. you would want to put underfloor insulation there or sheet it with underlay and tile the area as it will be cold in winter with the breeze coming threw the floor. Also if its not hard I would insulate the skillion roof as well would be bloody cold in there in winter by the looks lol


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## jetfoley (3/4/10)

Pretty generic ideas here on my part, but still, given the size constraints... 
I assume the Freezer you talk of is in fact a kegerator?
If it were my bar I'd look at mounting the TV to the roof and getting a fooze ball table (i don't think a pool table will fit in that room)






http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee14/je...ey1/barroom.jpg


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## boingk (3/4/10)

Having a spirit cabinet (ie shelves) behind the bar would be nice, and you could put a wooden-slat roller door or even a canvas blind over it during the day. Look trick with all the glassware and spirits up there, and be protected from light when you're not using it. Wouldn't be space-consuming or expensive, even a few old bookcases given a sand-back and varnish would do.

Looks like a good setup you'll have there, just make sure there are some small end tables or a coffee table near the lounge and plenty of coasters.

Cheers - boingk


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## under (3/4/10)

Mount the tv on the wall (If its a flat screen). Its a space saver of all.


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## winkle (3/4/10)

Bonj said:


>



I've always liked the look of those stools Bonj <_< .

The MAME machine will rock, mind you the floorboards on the roof will mess up your head when you have a nanna nap.


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## cdbrown (4/4/10)

the roof is tin, then some insulation, then the wood. It's not decking that's been covered over. We have an lcd that will be wall mounted. A mate is hopefully doing something in sketchup so will post that on tues if done. Will lay out the taps to get an idea of space and post that up. Cheers


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## bonj (4/4/10)

winkle said:


> I've always liked the look of those stools Bonj <_< .
> 
> The MAME machine will rock, mind you the floorboards on the roof will mess up your head when you have a nanna nap.


You can get the stools at Bunnings or anywhere that stocks Caroma products.


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## oldmacdonald (6/4/10)

I would put the bar in such that when you're sitting at the bar you look out through the windows. I.e. the barman stands between the bar and the windows, facing the pressed metal wall. This would allow the barman to turn around and serve beers through the double hung windows to people outside. Would be a perfect man cave that way - blokes inside at the bar and playing arcade games with the sheilas outside, being served through the windows so that the don't have to come inside where they'd be likely to start nagging their husbands about something unimportant.


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## cdbrown (6/4/10)

I had considered running the bar in that direction, but it would take up most of the room. Current planning is the bar is still at the back of the room, with a typical bar tender set up. Placement of the bar will mean having easy access to serve through one of the windows. Still waiting on my mate for the sketchup drawing. Also waiting on myself to go and line up the fonts to see how much space they will actually occupy and figure out a height for the bar that they will mount to. What do you reckon a good tap height is (from floor to tap)? 1.6m? 

Edit - very very rough sketch of the bar 

View attachment bsketch.pdf


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## cdbrown (7/4/10)

Here's a couple of 3d sketches of the room. The bar will hopefully be drawn in later today.

Currently trying to decide how many taps to mount to the bar. Found 5 of them so far in boxes
- beer engine
- flooded grolsch font
- flooded heineken font
- lowenbrau ceramic font
- fosters font

Still looking for the guiness font to make the 6. Also have a second beer engine which after watching Three Sheets last night will more than likely get a spot on the bar. Two different hand pumped ales for winter mmmm. Will get a pic up tomorrow of the fonts.

What are people using to insulate the beer lines?


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## cdbrown (8/4/10)

Some more pics this time with the proposed bar. Drinking height is 1120mm and the height for mounting the taps to is 900mm. Means the tap height for the taller fonts is about 1350 which I think will be good. Also a crappy phone photo of the taps layed out. 7 taps takes up about 1.1m


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## cdbrown (19/8/10)

The pressure is on to get the bar designed and built. From measurements of the room the bar will be 2.3m long and for the most part have a drinking surface depth of 40cm (except the return). Thinking a 15cm overhang for front and 10cm on the side. The serving side bar will be 2.2m wide and 60cm deep. Would like to keep the theme of the room right (approval purposes of SWMBO) so the bar front and side covered in thin jarrah board which have bevelled edges (same profile as the wall) and the top wide jarrah boards. All the supporting structure will be treated pine and any shelves probably mdf. A chippie recommended using 90x40 for all the framing. I've done away with the little flip up section at the end of the bar as it interferes with the window.

I still need to go and check out the thickness of standard timber. Do you think 22mm thick floor boards might be too thin? Perhaps look for something more like 40 or 50mm for the bar tops. Keen to here from people with their own wooden bar top to see what they have. What sort of joints for the frames would be best - pocket hole, screw from outside to end of timber, using brackets?

Cheers
-cdbrown 

View attachment bar_sketch.pdf


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## Jerry (19/8/10)

G'day cdbrown,

Re the bench tops, personally I prefer the look of a thickness of around 40mm. It gives it a thicker, chunkier look. A single thickness floorboard would look a little thin.

Cheers

Scott


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## mika (19/8/10)

As Jerry has mentioned. 22mm while more than adequate for the purpose, looks wrong, so you'll find a lot of bench tops have a 'lip' around the edge to give it the impression of thickness. Best of both worlds, thick looking bench top without the thick looking price.


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## Jerry (19/8/10)

mika said:


> As Jerry has mentioned. 22mm while more than adequate for the purpose, looks wrong, so you'll find a lot of bench tops have a 'lip' around the edge to give it the impression of thickness. Best of both worlds, thick looking bench top without the thick looking price.



Yes.

Our newish kitchen has Ceasarstone benchtops and they're done the same way.

When I built my bar I used some left over floor boards and did the same thing. A bit of fiddling around but if done properly can look really good. And much cheaper than 40-45mm thick boards; and lighter.

Scott


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## cdbrown (19/8/10)

Cheers for the replies and tips on bigger boards or to put a border. I'll try and check out some timber places to see what stock sizes and prices they have - I'm sure that will help with the decision.

Any pics Scott (Jerry)


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## Jerry (19/8/10)

Photos in the kegging setups thread.

Bit hard to see the detail but hopefully gives an idea.

Hoping this link works.



Scott

Edit - Link didn't work and I've gotta go.

Photos on page 40 in above thread. Post 788

Sorry


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## Jerry (19/8/10)

This should work.

Link

There you go, I'm getting much better at this computer thingy stuff.  

Scott


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## cdbrown (19/8/10)

Cheers Scott. So are you saying that the bar top is about 20mm and that you used some spare flooring to boost the edge thickness to 40mm? I can see on some pics that there is a slight colour difference between the top half and bottom half of the edge. Looks good mate, well done. What wood was that and what did you apply to get the good finish?


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## Online Brewing Supplies (19/8/10)

mika said:


> As Jerry has mentioned. 22mm while more than adequate for the purpose, looks wrong, so you'll find a lot of bench tops have a 'lip' around the edge to give it the impression of thickness. Best of both worlds, thick looking bench top without the thick looking price.


Yes this is how it is usually done.looks the goods as well.
GB
GB


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## Jerry (20/8/10)

cdbrown said:


> Cheers Scott. So are you saying that the bar top is about 20mm and that you used some spare flooring to boost the edge thickness to 40mm? I can see on some pics that there is a slight colour difference between the top half and bottom half of the edge. Looks good mate, well done. What wood was that and what did you apply to get the good finish?



G'day cd,

The bench top is made of Tasmanian Oak flooring that was left over after I did the floor. From memory its 19mm thick. Across the front and down the side there is an extra length glued to the under side of the top. The finish I used on it, after lots and lots of sanding, was Cabots CFP. There are lots of different products available though.




You can just make out in the photo the chipboard substrate that the floorboards are attached to. The narrow piece runs across the front hiding this and gives the illusion that the bench top is much thicker than it is.

Here's a couple of close up photos of the front. You can see where the timber is joined. It's more noticable in the photo than it is when you're looking at it.






To give you an idea of bench thickness differences here's a photo of a bathroom vanity we've just had installed. It's 20mm Ceasarstone. We have the same bench in the kitchen but it's 40mm thick. 20mm looks good in the bathroom but would look too thin in the kitchen.




Hope this helps with some ideas.

Cheers

Scott


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## cdbrown (20/8/10)

Cheers mate that's great. Love how you've done the border. Did you do biscuit joints for joining the boards together?

Took a look at jarrah boards last night at the big green shed - standard sizes seem to be 150x19 or 125x30 and the thicker is about $10 a length more.


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## Jerry (20/8/10)

cdbrown said:


> Cheers mate that's great. Love how you've done the border. Did you do biscuit joints for joining the boards together?
> 
> Took a look at jarrah boards last night at the big green shed - standard sizes seem to be 150x19 or 125x30 and the thicker is about $10 a length more.



No, being floorboards they are tongue and groove, so no biscuits required. If you end up using something other than floorboards then you will need to use biscuits.

Personally, I'd go and have a look at proper timber merchants than Bunnings. You'll get a much greater choice and the quality will be much better.

I used proper flooring adhesive on the chipboard, laid the board down and then screwed up from underneath to keep the boards in place while the glue went off. So no nails or screws visible on the surface.

Scott


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## Jerry (20/8/10)

cdbrown said:


> Did you do biscuit joints for joining the boards together?



Sorry, if you meant on the outside, then no.

Just used wood glue and screwed to hold in place while the glue dried.


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## cdbrown (20/8/10)

Ok - so tongue and groove floor boards glued together over some chipboard. Makes good sense.

I won't be getting the timber from bunnings, my BIL works for Laminex group so will get most of the stuff from him, anything else I'll try for a salvage or 2nd hand place.

So thinking go for the 20mm thick boards, glued and screwed to chip or mdf board, jarrah strip around the edge for asthetics.


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## Jerry (20/8/10)

Sounds good.

I only used Tas Oak because its what I had left over. If I was buying the timber specially I would choose a hard timber, like Jarrah, or one of the lighter ones like blackbutt, spotted gum etc.

Lots of different ways and combinations.

Good luck with it.

Scott


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## cdbrown (11/10/10)

Have finally begun construction of the bar. The keezer collar was installed on the weekend and just need to get all the gas lines sorted and then the beer lines. Have constructed the 3 frames of the bar and just a few more cross members to get it all rigid before putting in some shelves. End plan is to have polished jarrah top, but I want the bar ready for action in a couple of weekends time so will use some particle board. Ended up reducing the length to 2.2m after seeing how much room was left to squeeze past so need to cut some pieces a little shorter.

Three frames





Bar all framed up.


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## cdbrown (15/10/10)

A bit of an update. Have 2 shelves installed on one side, still have 2 more for that side and 2 for the other side to do. All the timber supporting the shelves are already cut and ready to go, just need more brackets. The shelves themselves still need to be cut to size and thankfully with the help of the jigsaw don't take long. This morning I had a little bit of time before work so I began installing the glosswood panels for the front. Starting to take shape.

Two shelves in






First panel on





A few more panels installed


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## cdbrown (18/10/10)

Some more updates over the weekend. The bar isn't finished but it's in a state that can be used for a party this weekend. 

Some more panels





All front panels in, just need to do the side panels





From the serving side where I'll mount 6 fonts and 2 beer engines - space on the left is for the gas bottle and empty kegs, conditioning bottles and whatever else will fit. Shelves on the right are for bottles at the bottom and then glasses in the others.


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## cdbrown (19/10/10)

It's been full steam ahead lately in the bar room. Last night I mounted the taps to the bar. Nothing is hooked up to the kegs yet but hope to do that tonight. I'll be putting in a bench along the back wall with a sink and am considering putting the hand pumps on there freeing up space on the bar for the taps that will be used the most and allowing some area for mixing drinks.

Taps installed





Behind the bar - shelves for spirits, glasses and misc





Behind the bar - storage for kegs and large items


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## Spoonta (19/10/10)

looking good mate


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## cdbrown (20/10/10)

It's pretty much alive now. Ran beer lines to the 6 fonts, making each line a bit over 2m. Wrapped the lines in some laundry insulation foam I got from the big green shed. Probably need to insulate the individual lines as they come off the bundle, but that can happen later. Fosters and guiness both drip from the tap so need to pull the handle off and give the seals a clean. So good having beer back on tap and a bar rather than mounted to a small table.

8 kegs, 6 beer lines





Insulated beer line trunking





The first sample - pilsner. mmmm


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## Spoonta (20/10/10)

so when you haven the boys over for opening night


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## cdbrown (20/10/10)

Got some family and friends coming over this weekend for Browntoberfest. I'd like to get the brewing process down better before offering up my beers to fellow brewers. Had tentatively offered to host the xmas swap but that ended up being all sorted.


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## mxd (20/10/10)

looking good, what's the first pour like and the 2nd if greater than 45 minutes ? Does the length of the line (out of the freezer) cause many issues ?


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## matr (20/10/10)

cdbrown said:


> Got some family and friends coming over this weekend for Browntoberfest. I'd like to get the brewing process down better before offering up my beers to fellow brewers. Had tentatively offered to host the xmas swap but that ended up being all sorted.



I work in Guildford so anytime you need a 2nd opinion on a sample let me know. Happy to take one for the team before you mass distribute.  

Cheers, Mat.


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## cdbrown (20/10/10)

matr said:


> I work in Guildford so anytime you need a 2nd opinion on a sample let me know. Happy to take one for the team before you mass distribute.
> 
> Cheers, Mat.



Cool. I just live up the road from the Rose and Crown. I think I've nearly got the same amount of beers on tap as they do!

mxd - not really tested things out as only got it hooked up about 10 last night. No doubt there will be some foaming as I always get some. Will have a proper idea of how it all goes on Saturday, pouring steins so should be a reasonable time in between pours.


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## Spoonta (20/10/10)

looks good mate I am in thorlie so not that far away if you need any help Michael


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## ScottKemp (20/10/10)

I am probably too late, but I was gonna suggest rather than a lift up entry to have a door that opens both ways, that way when your carrying anything (beers, kegs, etc) you can just boot it open rather than put every thing down first.

I am very glad I did it with mine! :beer:


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## cdbrown (20/10/10)

Hey Homer,

I decided against the lift up entry in the end, mainly due to the placement of a window. Going to go for a small return like you have if I get jarrah boards, or not if it's a rough edge slab


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## ScottKemp (21/10/10)

You wont regret a two way entry and with a small key latch you can stop the little brewers getting in quite easily - just check before you boot it open, cause if it is locked, it hurts your toes a fair bit! :icon_cheers: 

Cheers
Homer


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## cdbrown (24/7/11)

A bit of a very over due update. 

Previously





With the jarrah boards installed and the bar top in place but not secured (made some mods to it)





Without the top on, can see the 'splash back' boards to prevent liquid or anything else from falling down the back





Putting in jarrah dado panels over top of the fake liner boards I had originally





Bar top in and secured





Next time will be installing the jarrah onto the top and then putting edging all around to make it look like thick jarrah timber. Lots of sanding back of the dado panels is needed to make them come up nice.


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## outbreak (24/7/11)

Here I am thinking there are no beers on handpump near me! Very jealous.


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## cdbrown (15/11/11)

Well looks like I've stuffed this thread up a bit by sorting the files in photobucket but here's a bit of a recap and the current situation 
Frame





Fake panelling





Serving side





With taps


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## cdbrown (15/11/11)

Jarrah boards on serving side





Panelling replaced with jarrah boards and top bar support in place





Jarrah going on the top bar





Nearly completed construction


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## cdbrown (15/11/11)

Lacquer on the panelling





2 coats on the top, 1 coat the rest





3rd coat on top, 2nd on the rest (final coat for now)





Now to clean the room from all the dust generated by the belt sander, put the taps on and hook it all up again!

Need to put a small 1/4 round at the bottom and get my hands on a foot rail.


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## bonj (15/11/11)

lookin' good cdbrown... now get that sucker finished!


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## Parks (15/11/11)

FK YEAH!

:icon_chickcheers:


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## raven19 (15/11/11)

Ross has fittings etc for foot rails on his website iirc.

Awesome progress!


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## Spoonta (16/11/11)

raven19 said:


> Ross has fittings etc for foot rails on his website iirc.
> 
> Awesome progress!


 cbrown give me the size foot rail you need might have some thing


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## cdbrown (21/11/11)

Spoonta said:


> cbrown give me the size foot rail you need might have some thing



Foot rail 2.2m long.


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## Spoonta (21/11/11)

s/s brass or wood mate


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## cdbrown (21/11/11)

Brass for that old english pub style feel. S/S wouldn't suit and the wood would probably end up getting lost among the lacquered bar and uncoated floorboards.


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## Spoonta (21/11/11)

k see what I can find


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