Maker's Mob Black Friday// Cyber Monday:
This task proves that the very best laid strategies do not constantly guarantee success. I did a lot of preparation prior to I started, however still managed to squander half a sheet of relatively pricey plywood.
A few of that returns to when I was first thinking about doing this ceiling and at that time I thought I would utilize painted MDF rather of plywood. The painted MDF panels might be used with either side dealing with down and I would not need to worry about orientation. Or a minimum of that's the excuse I'm going with.
Truth is it was a basic (but expensive) mistake and it's a rare task that does not have at least one.
Turning to the positive, I like this ceiling and think it was well worth the time and effort. And while the mistake I made did increase the cost, I believe it was insignificant when I look at the completed outcomes.
I'm able to visualize things in my mind's eye prior to I begin, and typically completion outcome is nearly as excellent, however this time it was much better. Much better after I changed the centre panel, that is.
The slots I cut in that panel and making it a tray with sides to give it extra measurement actually finished the appearance.
The plywood I used is 1/2" maple veneer. The private parts weight very little and are sturdily glued to the installing blocks, which are also sturdily glued and screwed to the ceiling.
The finish is two coats of semi-gloss water based urethane sprayed on, gently sanded after the very first coat dried. This produces an extremely smooth durable finish.
The lighting is simply two LED store lights installed back to back to cast the light sideways throughout the ceiling.
Another project that I did in this staircase are the shelves I produced my film collection:
These stairs go down to my basement where I have actually established a space for listening to music, enjoying movies and shows and reading:
The room is a sanctuary far from the remainder of the world without any web gain access to. No phones either.
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This project proves that the best laid plans don’t always guarantee success. I did a lot of planning before I started, but still managed to waste half a sheet of fairly expensive plywood.
Some of that goes back to when I was first thinking about doing this ceiling and at that time I thought I would use painted MDF instead of plywood. The painted MDF panels could be used with either side facing down and I wouldn’t have to worry about orientation. Or at least that’s the excuse I’m going with.
Fact is it was a simple (but costly) mistake and it’s a rare project that doesn’t have at least one.
Turning to the positive, I love this ceiling and think it was well worth the time and effort. And while the mistake I made did increase the cost, I think it was insignificant when I look at the finished results.
I’m able to picture things in my mind’s eye before I start, and usually the end result is almost as good, but this time it was better. Better after I changed the centre panel, that is.
The slots I cut in that panel and making it a tray with sides to give it extra dimension really completed the look.
The plywood I used is 1/2″ maple veneer. The individual parts weight very little and are solidly glued to the mounting blocks, which are also solidly glued and screwed to the ceiling.
The finish is two coats of semi-gloss water based urethane sprayed on, lightly sanded after the first coat dried. This produces a very smooth durable finish.
The lighting is just two LED shop lights mounted back to back to cast the light sideways across the ceiling.
Another project that I did in this staircase are the shelves I made for my movie collection:
https://youtu.be/jvjqeyT3rjc
These stairs go down to my basement where I’ve set up a room for listening to music, watching movies and shows and reading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsIqbJ55Z0k
The room is a sanctuary away from the rest of the world with no internet access. No phones either.
The first casualty of any engagement – is the plan. 😂. Given how skilled a craftsman you are… I’m sure you know the trick of painter’s tape and CA glue in place of double faced tape – so I won’t get into that. Ha ha on the neighbor joke.😊. I bet your arms were tired after that project. The rectangular slots in the centerpiece made all the difference in the world. That really really turned out to be excellent. Thank you so much for sharing. Happy holidays. Best to you and yours.
Looks incredible!
I love the look, thanks for sharing your mistakes because even pros make them so it doesn’t make me feel bad when I mess something up in a project.
That’s really fantastic John. A great idea and we’ll executed in the end. Love the slots you added to the centre piece and don’t worry about all the changes. We all make mistakes and it’s not unexpected when you are making a one off unique feature project like this. Thanks for sharing all the do overs. Makes us all feel more human.
My wife and me where watching this in awe! I admire your dedication! Your house is slowly turning into a beautiful museum full of unique woodwork!
I think I might have spent more than a few minutes laying on my back on that scaffold staring at the ceiling… great problem solving, John, and also well explained!
The camera ran for as long as it took me to get back up, which seemed to be almost impossible.
Spectacular John. I always expect something good but this was beyond that. Great work John.
John’s house is going to become one of those blue plaque historic landmark places, celebrated for its design and craftsmanship.
Or next owner straight up demolishing
Definitely.
Though that does depend on who will live in that neighborhood / town, sorry to spoil the party.
The fella has got to be realistic; you can’t really expect from the crowd that’s pulling down Washinton statues to cherish pretty things.
Gorgeous!!! The most unique ceiling lighting I’ve ever seen. Great job!
Love this John. Can’t imagine how many hours this took but it was well worth it. Stunning
Thanks Keith 🙂
Wow! I love this project, John! Using the entire ceiling as a light fixture is brilliant. The results are really stunning.
This is one of those one-of-a-kind custom jobs that ends up far greater than the sum of its parts. Amazing job John!
This is wonderful! I do not envy you the time you spent working above your head, that’s hard. My wife just walked past, spotted the ceiling, and is very impressed. I’m confident that she knows me well enough not to suggest something similar here.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
Very original, yet again.
Love your taste. Everything you design has that mysterious quality that it looks both, simple and complex at the same time.
John, you’re definition of deceptively simple is most people’s idea of simply terrifying! Great job mate!
Great job John! When things like that happen I always remember my dad saying these are not always mistakes these are learning points in a craftsman’s life. A great craftsman can take a mess and make it awesome good job buddy keep it up
John, this looks really great! Thanks for the inspiration. I’m planning something similar, but with curves that mirror the shape of our fireplace. Now I have a good idea of how to build that. I won’t use plywood but a very lighweight but sturdy sheet material, that is normally used to build the interior of caravans and mobile homes. Slightly more expensive but perhaps an alternative for someone who can’t or doesn’t want to put too much additional weight under the ceiling.
Thanks again, I love the design!
Greetings from Germany
Andreas
This gave me an idea but for Christmas decorating on my ceiling. I’m coming back to this video when I want to make a version of this for my own space. I can find inspiration for odd uses and I love this video and idea 🙂
One of my favorite parts of a project is finding out that your carefully made plans didn’t account for something and having to come up with a solution on the fly (When the solution I come up with works out anyways). Really tests your problem solving skills and is super satisfying when it works.
A very interesting project with a fantastic result! Honestly, the fact that you show your mistakes and how you deal with them really deserves recognition. Many creators edit their films in such a way that you think everything goes easily and without errors, where the reality is often different. I am a beginner carpenter and despite the fact that I enjoy working with wood and plywood, many times I had a moment of discouragement and doubts about my abilities. I was very influenced by the “perfect and easy” movies on YT, where I compared myself to the creators and thought that I was bad or I lacked skills or worse, I needed some great and often expensive tool. Thanks to your videos, I found out that even the best craftsmen need some time to create a design and that they make mistakes. The trick is to admit it, show it, and tell you how to get out of trouble while still having a fantastic end result.