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Home Bar Project

Awesome job jheu2. She's a hot one (as in lit red) Love the rail. How's the solid surface lower counter going?
 
It's all done and just sitting in the garage waiting for me to finish the stain. Thanks for the thoughts.
 
Excellent job! Always envious to those that have wood working skills. I can do a decent enough job on simple projects, but nothing like this. :thumbsup:
 
jimfet said:
Put some liquor shelves on the back wall and you are done.
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...with some liquor on those shelves of course. That might be the costliest part yet.

The Arm-R-Seal adds a nice amber glow to the stained wood. Looks great!
What did you use for the stain BTW?
 
valvenator said:
...with some liquor on those shelves of course. That might be the costliest part yet.

The Arm-R-Seal adds a nice amber glow to the stained wood. Looks great!
What did you use for the stain BTW?
Click to expand...

I first used Minwax Wood Conditioner, then Gunstock to give everything a base color. Then finished with a couple coats of General Finishes Candlelight Gel Stain.

Vertical surfaces are now finished but I still want another 1-2 coats on the bar top, arm and bar rails, and a couple on the foot rail. Then to install the counter, sink and reconnect the electrical and lighting. Still haven't decided what I'm going to do with the back bar, but there's a console I'm repurposing since the preamp/tuner section was inop. That may tie the hobbies together, especially if I connect a light source to the jewel on the console. Some taxi lights brought back from Kuwait will add a nice blue glow.
 
I had to sand a little heavier than a light scuff due to a couple small runs of the Arm R Seal which I missed (removed with a razor prior to sanding). So today's, and all future coats, are just going to be hand wiped/rubbed with a soft rag for a super thin coat that can't run anywhere.

Regarding liquor costs, I've been gradually building up the basic stock, but in a different sort of way. I wanted the offerings of my bar to be somewhat unique, i.e. you might not find them in the local liquor store. So, on my travels for work I try to bring back things from the city/country I've visited or from duty free (sometimes there's offerings you can only get there). It doesn't always work out, but so far it's been fun. The Grand Marnier is from Paris (deGaul airport), Amaretto diSaronno from a trip to Rome, Irish Whisky is from Dublin (Teeling, the only one actually made in Dublin any more, and Jameson's - Caskmates Stout Barrel version), Gin (The Botanist, from Heathrow, though it isn't actually a London Gin, but from the Isles), Scotch (Strathisla 12 - Heathrow and Bowmore Black Rock Amsterdam's Schipol Duty Free since I don't get to Scotland), Rum - Mount Gay (wife's favorite found in Lisbon Airport since I don't get to Barbados) and Koloa Kaua'i Dark Rum (though purchased on O'ahu...wanted to make authentic Mai Tais you know), Vodka - Russian Standard Platinum (Brussels Crew Duty Free) and Wodka Gorbatschow (Amsterdam Crew Duty Free). Most of the wine I have is brought back from France, Spain or Portugal (Paris, Madrid and Barcelona, and Lisbon), and Belgian and German beer brought back from Brussels, Amsterdam, and Munich. I brew my own though, so the beer brought back is usually meant for aging or tastings prior to brewing that style. I haven't yet purchased the Swiss Apricot Aperitif specialty, not sure I will. Geneva and Zurich are for chocolate anyway right?
 
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I watched your build thread ... it's almost too beautiful to use! I was thinking about a similar project until I followed the build out ; I got scared off. My plan is to seal off my garage - and build it out as a play room.


Thanks for the inspiration ... time for a drink!
 
Funny you said that. My wife has asked a couple of times if we were actually going to use it...i.e. She must have felt that I made it too nice to use. While it won't see use like a neighborhood pub, since I've gone to the effort to build it, we'd better use it is all I'm saying. The next big challenge will be for me to clean up the construction mess and reorganize the basement so that it CAN be used. When the kids were young, we left the basement to their "creativity", so we've never really had a large space like this to have friends over, etc. it's always been to the main living space, or just a couple to watch a movie. Hopefully, this is the motivation to break that cycle.
 
My dad was big into the "bar" thing--he had one in the basement, rather simply constructed, but we had many a party down there and the bar area was the most popular. He had four or five round tables that sat four each, so there was plenty of room for anyone else to sit near the bar, as the bar itself was usually standing room only once the stools were taken. He also had quite a few liquors, including things like creme de cacao, creme de menthe, sloe gin, a few varieties each of scotch, Canadian whisky, gin, vermouth, etc. Essentially, he could make just about anything if asked. He had always wanted to own a bar, but gave up after one failed attempt to buy one in the mid 70s.

Our basement was big enough that I still had an area to work on projects (electronics) as well as a sitting area with couch, chairs and TV. We also had a shuffleboard down there, which made the rounds in the family over the years, and a ping pong table.

I have noticed that at other parties as well--the bar seems to be a central attraction, even if it is not stocked with liquor. (My ex in-laws had a small one in their basement. Hardly any booze, since the family were primarily beer drinkers, but everyone enjoyed it nonetheless.) If the rest of the basement is cozy, everyone will want to gravitate down there.

Host an AK get-together to give it a proper break-in. ;)
 
Finished...for now. Got the sink in, water hooked up, cabinet doors hung and glassware moved down. Liquor is in the cabinets til I get the back bar finished. The big challenge now will be cleaning up the surrounding area so it can be used.

Future portions will include the back bar, perhaps an overhead frame that follows the bar lines for lighting/looks, trimming out the window and book/game case and getting a smaller chest freezer as a keezer to hold the current draughts. I'll move the big one to another room for use in brewing (fermenting, lagering, cold storage, etc). I also need to dress up that back wall, hang the chalkboard for the beer list and hang the dart board, etc.IMG_0919.JPGIMG_0920.JPG
 
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