Completed January 24, 2026

It Is Time

Seeing a Plan Come Together is Like Magic

This is when I was finally able to start building a theater. In this first photo you can see that I am in the process of building the projector screen frame. I'm using ~ 1x3 pine boards, which had been planed down from 2x4. I'll fasten them with pocket holes while they're held together with bar clamps.

You can also see the shelf I had recently hung on the back wall for the projector. I had to hang my sweater off the side to keep myself from bonking my head on it... again.

Photo of assembling the projector screen frame made from 1x4 boards

On the back side of the frame I installed metal bar stock, hoping that I will eventually figure out how to make a primitive set of masking boards.

Photo of steel bar stock epoxied into a channel cut into the back of the vertical pieces of the projector screen frame.

This rack was gifted to me by a good friend, and super nice guy. He gave it to me way back in the planning phase, and I was excited to incorporate it into my theater design. Had he not given me the rack, it's hard to say how this theater may have turned out differently.

Photo of the 2 post gear rack newly bolted to the concrete floor.

Getting it loaded with the gear was one of the most exciting parts of this build. I had bought pieces of this gear nearly 2 years ago at this point AND I STILL HADN'T TESTED IT. I was so nervous/excited about getting it setup.

Photo of the front of the gear rack stocked with amps, processor and HTPC

The back looks pretty before all the wires get plugged in. I am not so good at cable management. Please forgive me for my sins.

Photo of the back of the gear rack stocked with the processor, amps and HTPC

I got these different colored power cords from CablesPlus. I really like being able to see where each piece of equipment is plugged in.

Photo of several power cords all different colors.

Here I'm test fitting the projector screen frame and painting the frame and mount.

Photo of the projector screen frame being dry fit onto its mount in front of the alcove

It's ready to be wrapped.

Photo of the projector screen frame and mount recently painted black

I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of the wrapping process. I'll have to check with my wife. She helped me with it, and it went so much faster with 2 people.

Photo of the newly wrapped projector screen hanging on the mount with speakers behind it. The screen shows Billy Murray doing the weather from the movie Groundhog Day

So the first movie I watched in The Meridian Underground was Groundhog Day. I was sitting on one of those barely padded folding chairs. By the end of the movie I was so uncomfortable, but I was too excited, and had to watch the whole thing.

I was glad to get the couch down the next day.

Photo of the 4 seat couch in the middle of the room

It's not a theater unless there are surround speakers! I decided to build these little shelves out of some scrap wood. Before this I hadn't made a plan for how to mount these little guys.

Photo of home made speaker shelves holding the surround speakers

Here you can see the JVC projector in it's home on the shelf, and the newly installed entry door (without a knob yet). At this point I'll take a few months off to enjoy the theater. After I get the doorknob on.

Photo of the projector sitting on its shelf above the 4 seat couch. The entry door is installed, but it doesn't have a door knob yet.

Phase 5 complete. The Meridian Underground is operational as of 2026/01/24

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