Hidden man cave

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

cowgo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2007
Messages
578
Reaction score
12
Location
Kansas
I recently started building a "secret" prohibition room/poker parlor. A part of my basement was walled off with book shelves and I carpted, wallpapered and used a simple plywood/laminate bar with a 2 tap tower over a Sanyo.

14183-Bar1.jpg


Tomorrow I hope to build the bookshelf door, which will basically be a bookshelf on swivel casters hinged against a base plate in the wall with a piano hinge.

14183-bar3.jpg


I've been trying to avoid SWMBO decorating tips....my space!
 
Inga: "Put ze candle back!"

A swinging bookcase and hidden beer poker room are just too cool. Congratulations.
 
Dogs playing poker. Classy! I love that idea of making a speak-easy. Now you'll need a dumbwaiter to avoid the Revenuers, see? You also gotta find a place to hide the tommygun in case one of the dames rats you out. :D
 
Nothing says classy like a 3x5 tapestry of Dogs Playing Poker!

I got the idea for this project HERE

This should be a seamless bookshelf all across with the casters hidden behind the baseplate. There'll just be a magnetic latch. Nothing fancy like a bust of Papazian with a tiltable head and red button release latch.

We're all iced in here today, so I should be able to get quite aways through completion....assuming I can stay away from the taps. Beer doesn't mix with driving, power tools or surfing ebay.
 
You're probably gonna have problems hinging that bookcase. The back corner will get caught on the book case next to it, unless you leave a gap between them. You could leave a gap, and then cover it with a piece of trim attached to the hinged book case to hide the gap.

I'd go with the secret book that you tip off the shelf for a latch. Use a spring loaded latch on the wall inside the speakeasy, then run a small cable through eye hooks along the back of the bookcase. Take a block off wood, glue a book cover on it, hing the lower front corner of the block/book to the shelf, and attach the cable to the top back corner of the block by running it through a little hole in the back of the book case. Then when you tip the top of the block/book toward yourself it'll pull the latch on the door.

This is how I'd go...just because it's so darn cool! IMHO. But your room is already pretty darn cool!:rockin:
 
Very cool and good timing with the update. This is in the basement. We had issues with one of the foundation walls this summer. Several thousand dollars to straighten from the outside. I had to re-do and re-sheetrock that entire wall, plus the the bookshelves. But it should be done this weekend.

Pics of the completed project soon with the secret hidden bookshelf door for our own personal blind tiger.

Wow, now that's kismet. Ask for an update the same freakin week I'm finishing up on it all.
 
And I got picked on for asking about it when the op date was in 2007.. look at that! lol The same week your finishing it up.

Cool!!! :D Any plans for a spyhole to identify visitors? :)

How about a picture on the other wall (in that hallway) That you can slide the eyes to the side and look through haha... spooky
 
I have a room behind my bar that is used basically for storage, and it has earth on 4 of the walls. I think I might steal your Idea and have a hidden beer cellar. thanks for the idea.
 
Just finished! Excuse the poor cellphone pictures. The door is a bookshelf atop 4 swivel casters with a 6 foot piano hinge.

cave1.JPG


Here's a pic looking into the bar.

Cave2.JPG
 
A different angle

Cave3.JPG


Getting ready for poker, brew and cigars:

2_brew_day_12.jpg


The door is surprisingly easy to open. A finger size hole was drilled on the inside of a shelf to supply a hidden grasp to open.
 
That is really cool.

The only thing that could make it better would be to set up a latch that is triggered by a secret book... that only you know the name of.
 
The pictures make everything appear out of plumb, but it's entirely level and true square. Even loaded with books the door is easy to open.

To make the opening clear, the door book shelf is about 3/8's of an inch short of the adjoining fixed shelves, but the trim completely hides the tiny gap. The kick board hides the casters. The piano hinge does not stick out or is as obvious as it appears in the pictures. The pics don't do the project justice. I had a realtor tell me that this room will either drive a buyer straight out the door or get a contract that same hour.

Good idea on the peep hole. That would be simple enough, a little inch round hole with a small spring hinged 2 inch covering from the inside, maybe have fun with it and incorporate it with a picture on the inside of the door.
 
The pictures make everything appear out of plumb, but it's entirely level and true square. Even loaded with books the door is easy to open.

To make the opening clear, the door book shelf is about 3/8's of an inch short of the adjoining fixed shelves, but the trim completely hides the tiny gap. The kick board hides the casters. The piano hinge does not stick out or is as obvious as it appears in the pictures. The pics don't do the project justice. I had a realtor tell me that this room will either drive a buyer straight out the door or get a contract that same hour.

Good idea on the peep hole. That would be simple enough, a little inch round hole with a small spring hinged 2 inch covering from the inside, maybe have fun with it and incorporate it with a picture on the inside of the door.

It looks better in the pics than you probably think! :)

My only concern was the brightness of the piano hinge. I'm sure it is less obvious than in the pic, especially if you are not looking for it. It could easily be toned down though with a little stain if need be. (paint would just be wrong)

Now we need a new pic fully loaded with books!! This is way too cool. :)
 
We sold this house a few months back. The realtor said that the hidden blind tiger mancave accounted for the sales price being higher than other comps. We made money in this down economy because of homebrew!

Take notes all you would be flippers!

We bought a big ole 125 year old Victorian in my old neighborhood in Topeka (http://potwin.org/) The basement lends itself extremely well to a hidden mancave, 3x the size of my former. I can't get a pool table, but there'll be a poker table, an 8 cubic liter keezer (5 taps) bar, my 1964 Seeburg jukebox, a very nice electric fireplace, 52 inch plasma screen TV viewable from twin wingbacks with a 300 count humidor coffee table and an 8 Ball Deluxe pinball machine. Work to commence in March.

I'm actually trying to work out my basement indoor electric brewery now. There's a 240 volt plug in (left from moving the washer/dryer upstairs) and hot & cold water tap w/ drain just begging me to do it. The Brutus 2.0 2 vessel set up looks perfect!
 
We sold this house a few months back. The realtor said that the hidden blind tiger mancave accounted for the sales price being higher than other comps. We made money in this down economy because of homebrew!

Take notes all you would be flippers!

We bought a big ole 125 year old Victorian in my old neighborhood in Topeka (http://potwin.org/) The basement lends itself extremely well to a hidden mancave, 3x the size of my former. I can't get a pool table, but there'll be a poker table, an 8 cubic liter keezer (5 taps) bar, my 1964 Seeburg jukebox, a very nice electric fireplace, 52 inch plasma screen TV viewable from twin wingbacks with a 300 count humidor coffee table and an 8 Ball Deluxe pinball machine. Work to commence in March.

I'm actually trying to work out my basement indoor electric brewery now. There's a 240 volt plug in (left from moving the washer/dryer upstairs) and hot & cold water tap w/ drain just begging me to do it. The Brutus 2.0 2 vessel set up looks perfect!
Prediction: This man's new man cave will take the crown of "coolest DIY project ever posted on HBT" when completed.
 
By May, this should be a finished combo electric brewery/mancave/keezer build thread. I'll have pics, parts/price lists and videos along the way

Brew it
Drink it
Enjoy it
 
The first project that made you money (congrats, especially in this economy) is sweet and I can't wait to see what you do with the Victorian!!
 
Back
Top