coffered ceiling construction UPDATED

[Per Swenson]

A coffered ceiling.

Credit for the construction method goes to Gary Katz.
I found the hardest part of the job was to get the electrician and HVAC fellas
to show up at the meeting, at the same time.
The first step, after selling the job is to lay the ceiling out on the floor.
Find dead center of the room and start your boxes from there.
I used three different colored chalks, one each for the frame, box molding and crown.
On this job I was lucky, as I framed and hung the sheet rock myself. On 30 feet I was only off level by ¼ inch in one spot. Thank you lasers.

Back to the floor part, after checking, then rechecking that all was well with the math,
I clear coated the chalk lines on the floor with a couple of cans of Krylon.

This allowed me to stop the worry, after mechanicals, sheetrock, scaffolding and
the detritus of construction, the lines where still there.

All of the lines where then transferred up by the tool that made this job possible.
The Hilti plumb laser.



With the Ceiling transferred it was time to make the T’s and crosses for the framing.
Nothing but 1x6 and 1x4 stapled and glued together. To attach them to the ceiling I used the combination of PL premium and locktite grabfast to glue and nail these pieces exactly to the lines.









On to the ceiling panels.
1/4 royal mahogany plywood, cut to size and sanded with 220.
All work was done on the ground. I sprayed them with Target Waterborne shellac tinted
with honey amber transtint. Sanded with 400, then shot them again.
Again, I glued them with both PL premium poly and Locktite grabfast adhesive, combined with
one inch staples around the edges. The staples weren’t necessary.

[Per Swenson]

Next up is the bottom ply grid.
This is ½ inch royal Mahogany ply, ripped on the job with Festool.
All of the intersections where treated with the router and slotting bit. and everything fit together with ¼ inch splines.
The finish, WB shellac and Target brown mahogany stain.
I glued them up with the locktite and 23 g pin nails.
This is a lot easier then it looks, with the slots and splines it’s a one man job.
Actually the whole thing is a one man job.

[Per Swenson]

Now its jus a matter of installing the boxes.
Made these out of 1x5 mahogany off the big stack in the back yard with
Nothing more then a door edge bit and a pass through the shaper.
The crown, came out of the same stack and was made on the woodmaster.

[Jim Becker]

Great project, Per!! A real "looker"!!

[Per Swenson]

To finish this baby off, Bob dusted off the Carvewright and made us some custom rosettes.

32 of them. It will hide all the seams at the intersection and give em a one of a kind ceiling.




I will include finished shots when it happens.

Happy labor day every body.

Per

[Richard Wolf]

Great work Per. Working on the ceiling is a difficult job.

Richard

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Excellent work Per, as we've come to expect from you!

[Cecil Arnold]

Per, you make it look too easy, and I know it isn't.

[John Lucas]

Per,
I think that this is one of the most advanced projects I have seen here and so well presented. Thank you for both. Utterly amazing. Magnificent and beautiful. I hope the customer appreciates all of that and pays on time.

[lou sansone]

hi per
fantastic job!... I learned a lot just from this one post. the hilti is really cool. thanks
lou

[Wes Bischel]

I found the hardest part of the job was to get the electrician and HVAC fellas to show up at the meeting, at the same time.

After being in product development for building products for umpteen years, I can say trade coordination is a HUGE issue. from the looks of things, looks like you were able to pull them all together.
Fantastic job Per. I know how easy it is for these installations to go bad (let alone all of the material prep!) I just hope the GC and clients are as impressed.

Wes

[Per Swenson]

Wes,

I am Chief cook and bottle washer, GC, framer, drywaller, spackler,
Finish carpenter. This is a commercial gig so electrical was out.
For those who are not Familiar with what I do or are new to the forum,
Swenson&Swenson designs these bars builds these puppys right
down to the coolers and soda guns..
Its nice work.

Per

[Peter Pedisich]

Per,

Great post, thanks for sharing the pics and details!

Pete

[Per Swenson]

Here is a before and a shot of the framing.

P.

[Don Baer]

Great job on the rosettes' BOb.

.....

.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Oh and Per you done good too..:D

[tod evans]

pretty! nice job per!

[Jim Becker]

Wow....thanks for that "before" picture, Per! It really brings the project into perspective. A BIG jump in "class" for that room in a way that only Swenson & Swenson can do!

(I wonder when the original "Swen's Son" got into building bars back in northern Europe... :D :D :D)

[fred woltersdorf]

per, beautiful workmanship.what kind of miter jig are you using?it looks alot like the jessem only a different color.thanks fred

[Ian Barley]

Very impressive work Per - as always.

[Per Swenson]

Fred,

Its a Jesem, but rockler blue.

One of those deals of the day.

I didn't realize it was blue with rockler engraving.
Threw my whole color cordination off.

Heh heh.

Oh, and Tod, Ian ,Jim ,John,Richard, you too Don, aww shucks , everybody, thanks for your kindness

Per

[jud dinsmore]

per,

how long did this take you to build? i recently built one using the gary katz method singlehandly and just wonder how long it should take one person to complete. granted mine was all paint grade trim so it doesn't compare directly with yours. i did a 13 x 13 room with nine boxes (consisting of 1x6, with upside down base, and crown molding) and crown around the outside of the room in about 30 hours. i didn't install any plywood inside of the boxes against the ceiling and made my own rosettes (only needed 4). thanks for the post. great work.

jud

[Per Swenson]

Hey Everybody,

Man o man, the hardest thing is trying to take a picture of a ceiling.

This is the best I can do. It does not really show it all.

Next instalment will be Bubinga overhang with carvings and

Paneled walls...stay tuned.

Per

[John Timberlake]

Looking good. Don't let my wife see this.

[Richard Wolf]

Sure looks great Per. Try laying on the floor to take the picture, I've seen a munber of bar ceilings from that perspective.

Richard

[Peter Pedisich]

Sure looks great Per. Try laying on the floor to take the picture, I've seen a munber of bar ceilings from that perspective.

Richard

:D :D :D :D :D

[Paul B. Cresti]

Per,
Great work! Man o Man do I remember how much work that was & how stiff my neck was! Try taking pictures at this perspective...plus you get to rest a bit ;)

[Jay Knoll]

Per

Fantastic job! Thanks for the pics

Jay

[Dennis Peacock]

Beautiful work and craftsmanship Per. Simply outstanding. Congrats on a beautiful job well done. :D

[Steve Clardy]

Lookd great Per

[Dan Mages]

Great work!! You make it look WAY too easy.