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Help with design

loucarabasi | Posted in General Discussion on March 22, 2008 02:02am

Fellas, I’m working on a basement job. We have a wall that sits proud of a recessed area for the fireplace cleanout. The problem is; The wall will have a tv in the center. There is a door on the right to access the closet behind and I think its gonna look bad. I was thinking of building a cabinet around the tv (shelves left and right of it) Right side cabinet would be a secret type passage to gain access to the closet behind. I have a full woodworking shop and we mainly do cabinet work so the shop can support the millwork on the site. It may be costly??? Does anyone have any ideas to acess this area. Heres a picture of it (can someon resize for me)

Thank you, Lou

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  1. cargin | Mar 22, 2008 04:17pm | #1

    lou

    Download Picasa from google for free.

    You will love the pic organization and it's easy to resize pics.

    Rich

    1. DougU | Mar 22, 2008 04:40pm | #2

      Rich, I've been after Lou to download irfanview ever since he came on here, I think its as lost a cause as trying to get Frenchy to post pictures...............oh wait, frenchy did learn how!

      Doug

      1. cargin | Mar 22, 2008 08:27pm | #4

        Doug

        But I don't know how to take someone else's pic and resize it.

        I tried to get Irfaview and I had trouble downloading it.

        Picasa is nice.

        Rich

        1. DougU | Mar 22, 2008 08:50pm | #5

          I don't know how Picasa works but to take a picture from the net just right click on it, left click on "save as picture" and you will be prompted to name it, also will save to where you designate, in my case it saves to "my pictures". Then I go to my pics and presto, there it is. I then go to irfanview and do what  I want to the pic.

          I have seen some pictures that I can not copy to my pics but usually anything on BT I can do it to it!

          from there I can handle it just like any other picture that I have in "my pictures"

          Doug

          1. cargin | Mar 22, 2008 09:09pm | #6

            Doug

            Not to hijack a thread but, where do you live in Iowa?

            Are going to JLC in Minneapolis?

            Rich

          2. DougU | Mar 22, 2008 09:38pm | #8

            Not to hijack a thread but

            Yea, heaven forbid!

            I live in the Amana's and I didn't know about JLC in Minneapolis, when is it? Are you planning on going?

            Can I assume this is an annual thing there? I know that a few years ago I talked about going up there and meeting up with Basswood and maybe some one else but cant remember right now, I never made it.

            You going? Now I gotta go over to JLC and find when it is.

            Doug

          3. cargin | Mar 22, 2008 11:04pm | #10

            Doug

            It's about the second week of Oct.

            No this is not a yearly thing for MN. I think they do 4 each year and this is about as close as it gets for the midwest.

            I've have tenatively planned on going with my 2 sons.

            It's time we (I should say I) get serious about how we run the business. I need to run it smarter and more profitably.

            I am largely self taught ( both trade and business) and henceforth the boys are too. It would be good to get around some experts and do some learning.

            I don't care how many times you have done something there is always better ways to do it.

            I have also found that there can be a regional pattern ( that may well be flawed) but everyone does it that way. That's how they were taught and that's how we are going to do it.

            I have a sister in Cedar Rapids. So we have a place to stay when we go to Iowa games. She is an ISU grad so that's always fun for a few barbs. I have been to the Amana once for breakfast at a family style place.

            Sorry lou, but we really hijacked this thread.

            Rich

          4. DougU | Mar 23, 2008 12:34am | #12

            I have been to the Amana once for breakfast at a family style place.

            they're all family style(the restaurants)!

            Well if you do plan on going let me know, I wouldn't mind the experience. Never been to one and hear plenty about them but never seams like they're in the neighborhood, this isn't all that far from here.

            Tim into the wrestling thing? Looks like Iowa will take back the crown tonight, and many years to come with Brands at the helm. I think it was 2000 since the last championship, time it came back home where it belongs! I had a chance to go to St Louis to attend but with Easter tomorrow the timing wasn't great.

            I gotta go, gotta go back and re-read what the original question was!

            Doug

            Edited 3/22/2008 5:34 pm ET by DougU

          5. cargin | Mar 23, 2008 12:56am | #13

            Doug

            Like I said I am planning on going. I would also like to go to SD hunting in Oct and a fishing trip this year.

            There's alot of water going under the bridge before Oct., and alot can happen, but by late summer I should be pretty firm  on going or not.

            Not Tim is not into wrestling, I have tried to get him interested but to no avail.

            He's watching K State and Wisc. now.

            He is home today and tomorrow. We have been bringing him home every other weekend.

            He is just on fire on the weekends at home. It's fun to see.

            Rich

  2. DougU | Mar 22, 2008 04:46pm | #3

    Lou

    People cant help you if they cant open the picture!

    View Image



    Edited 3/22/2008 9:47 am ET by DougU

  3. cargin | Mar 22, 2008 09:36pm | #7

    lou

    The picture is too dark.

    All i can see is some joists and some steel studs. No detail.

    No help coming from this quarter.

    Rich

    1. DougU | Mar 22, 2008 09:42pm | #9

      Rich

      I didn't notice how dark the pic was until I read your post. I lightened it us considerably.

      View Image

       

      Edited 3/22/2008 2:43 pm ET by DougU

  4. cargin | Mar 22, 2008 11:13pm | #11

    Lou

    Is the kind of help you are looking for?

    Rich

    File format
  5. DougU | Mar 23, 2008 01:03am | #14

    Lou

    I've done several hidden doors in the past few years. If you think the door way is going to take away from the look your going after then by all means hide it.

    What is it that you are going to do with the wall - you dont mention anything other then the TV?

    Here's some pictures of a few of the hidden doors that I've done. I've done some that had to be completly undetected (hidden safes) but that doesnt seam to be the situation here?

    Doug

     

    1. cargin | Mar 25, 2008 03:59am | #16

      Doug

      You get all the nice places to work. Good looking stuff. I'll bet it was fun to work there.

      Makes my mouth water.

      Alas back to making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

      Seriously it looks good.

      Never heard back from Lou. I wonder what he is going to do with the basement.

      Rich

      Edited 3/24/2008 9:01 pm ET by cargin

      1. DougU | Mar 25, 2008 04:26am | #17

        I wonder what he is going to do with the basement.

        Lou does some pretty nice work, he's probably up-stairs right now making a hidden door for the basement!

        Doug

  6. User avater
    popawheelie | Mar 23, 2008 03:52am | #15

    Gary Katz has a hidden entrance on his website. But it is put in an existing door opening and uses a bookshelf to disguise it. It might give you some ideas.

     

    http://www.garymkatz.com/TrimTechniques/hidden_pivot_bookcase_install.htm

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