Project: Computer desk, new eating bar, new wood floors

[mbrund]

Well I finally got around to getting started on this new project. The plans are to remove everything on the curb side from the co-pilots seat to the fridge (barrel chairs, table, and J-Booth) and replace it with a new computer desk, lower cabinets, and eating bar. We will be ripping up the marble in the kitchen right up to the bath, and the carpet all the way to the drivers seat. We will just leave carpet in the drivers area due to the effort required to build the foot area of the BB.

We have purchased hand scrapped and distressed hickory flooring. I am planning to glue only at the tongue and groove and make it a floating floor.

I have attached a picture of the proposed cabinet layout along the street side. We want to keep our curtains, so we have to notch the counter top 6".

Tomorrow I start to jack hammer out the marble and then float out the damaged plywood from the removal of the marble.

[White Hat Guy]

Michael: Wow, what a beautiful project. Please keep the pictures coming.

[Randy Dupree]

nice drawings!
keep us advised,we love to watch!

[Ernest Ekberg]

If you have never taken marble up before, you need some safety glasses and gloves as the shards that fly all over the place are sharp. You will also find a 6 inch square cut piece of wood under the marble- this is your fuel tank sending unit. Have fun- will take you maybe 3 days to take it up. I knows about these things

[DennyCayman]

Sure glad I don't have marble to remove although I am looking a doing a similar project that desk and low cabinets sound very nice. Please keep the photos coming. It is always nice to get new ideas.

Thanks Denny

[Mark105]

Michael
Be sure to beef up the counter top substrate to prevent the counter from bowing in the open span. Over time that will want to sag on you. You could double up on the plywood substrate and laminate that. (laminate both sides, bottom can be scrap) If you elect to use 3/4" substrate make plans to add some under counter support in the open area.

We install high end architectural millwork every day. The inductry standard is 3/4" thick tops. They look great for a while. Then someone sets a printer or a row of books or catalogs on the counter and they wonder why the counter is sagging. Once it starts it's tough to get it back.

The design looks great. What a nice work area. Keep us posted.

[mbrund]

Originally Posted by Ernest Ekberg

If you have never taken marble up before, you need some safety glasses and gloves as the shards that fly all over the place are sharp. You will also find a 6 inch square cut piece of wood under the marble- this is your fuel tank sending unit. Have fun- will take you maybe 3 days to take it up. I knows about these things

Hey Ernie, thanks for the advice. Guess you have done the ripping out the marble thing a few times .

I'm heading out this morning to start the job with the air chisle in hand and a full face mask for protection. Need to stop buy HomeDepot and get filler to fix the areas in the sub-floor that get damaged. May lay down some heavy mil plastic or scrap piece of plywood on the working tiles to keep the shards from flying every which way.

[Ernest Ekberg]

On Jerry Kessler's coach the air chisels were no comparison to a heavy hammer that was hit squarely on the tiles. Bluebird installed tile with either construction adhesive or thinset. Either one is tough

[mbrund]

Originally Posted by Mark105

Michael
Be sure to beef up the counter top substrate to prevent the counter from bowing in the open span. Over time that will want to sag on you. You could double up on the plywood substrate and laminate that. (laminate both sides, bottom can be scrap) If you elect to use 3/4" substrate make plans to add some under counter support in the open area.

We install high end architectural millwork every day. The inductry standard is 3/4" thick tops. They look great for a while. Then someone sets a printer or a row of books or catalogs on the counter and they wonder why the counter is sagging. Once it starts it's tough to get it back.

The design looks great. What a nice work area. Keep us posted.

Mark, thanks for the info on beefing up the counter top. I plan to build the initial top out of plywood (two 3/4 sheets glued together) and laminate it to make sure we like the layout. If we like it that way, then I will commit it to a solid surface counter top.

I had planned to put another cabinet in the middle area with slide doors as a pantry and small item storage (just like the one under the eating bar). But the wife suggested that we go with the ones in the drawing first and see how that goes. So we have that large span of counter with no support under it which has me a little concerned. I will put a ledger at the back screwed to the wall, but it hangs out 1'3" from the wall with no other support (unless I build 45 degree brackets to support it.

Will need to find someone in the Austin, TX area that can do the solid surface work once we are ready. I know HomeDepot and Lowes have crews that do it, just not sure I would trust them for this type of job.

Thanks to everyone for all the great advice and comments thus far.

[mbrund]

Originally Posted by Ernest Ekberg

On Jerry Kessler's coach the air chisels were no comparison to a heavy hammer that was hit squarely on the tiles. Bluebird installed tile with either construction adhesive or thinset. Either one is tough

Well got a good heavy sledge, and a dead blow hammer. So I will give that a try. What did you find the easiest method was to get the thinset up afterwards (figure that is going to be a putty knife and hammer job with lots of elbow grease)