have any of you built a bar? I want to make one and was wondering if you guys could help me out with some ideas/pictures

for your table top, have it all bottle caps with glass over it. i think it was on the manshow once.

Bottle caps...cool idea!

I collected tons of coasters from pubs, night clubs, restaurants etc. and set them on a black table under glass. I always get compliments on it. I really like the bottle cap idea, but it's probably easier to collect coasters.

There are lots of web sites out there that can give you some ideas and some where you can even purchase some plans.

Check some of these Google links.

This site has a lot of ideas to get you started....

http://www.barplan.com/

How you do the bottle caps:

Arrange them in a frame, pour in acrylic, let dry, enjoy. You can even tint it and shoot light through it if you wish.

Call these people:
http://www.hastingsplastics.com/

I personally like cultured marble, but my buddy and I used Pergo flooring when we built his and it looks like an oak bar and it's virtually indestructible.

Go ahead and put in a kegerator and a wine chiller (both cheap at home depot) and put in a small hand sink if you're serious. I also would get a small ice maker in there somehow. We installed a soda gun in his bar too, 20# co2 tank and 4 syrups plus water. The back bar was made with a piece of mirrored plexiglass with some wood trim and a mantel we found at a yard sale. Looks really nice, next time I am over I'll take some photos.

http://www.sodabarsystem.com/index_Soda_Dispenser_IC.htm

That's his Soda Gun, he bought it used at a restaurant supply house for $800, so check those places out before you buy new.

Oh yea, buy a StarX bottle opener, they are the best at opening bottles without breaking the cap, and a nice mixer and mixing tools are a must.

and PLEASE buy a decent corkscrew.

I just saw on the show mancaves the other day this stuff called Barcoat i think it was that they used for the top of the bar. They put down all sorts of sports related cards, clippings, etc and then put that stuff right over it. Looked like it gave it a nice waterproof, smooth coating.

This isn't a home bar, but here's a link to my portable bar i built for camping and tailgating. Folds up to fit in the back of the X with the rear seats folded down.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/559298598JFqYsc

thanks for the replies guys..some good links in there.
I was thinking of trying to do something like this for part of the bar: http://www.customizeddesigns.net/clients.html

how easy is it to work with (glue/cut) that acrylic stuff?

Here's mine.

It looks a lot nicer when the lights are down, before last call...

[img]http://tkfiles.storage.live.com/y1pnavh3...iHZBYBwwy4qX3hg[/img]

[img]http://tkfiles.storage.live.com/y1pnavh3...0Ayuak24rOzg2GM[/img]

[img]http://tkfiles.storage.live.com/y1pnavh3...FYbMwwE3fvjYsnw[/img]

Those look nice, I guess... but think about what you give up in space. Those are huge space hogs if you ask me, four or five cubic feet to show off 6 or 7 bottles? I'd rather use the space to show off some nice glassware or some polished silver ice buckets, drop in a sink, etc. Bottles of booze always look like bottles of booze, even when you uplight them.

My opinion only... it's your bar! Go nuts!

traveling fool...nice bar!! thats exactly what i want someday in my house (this bar is for my room at college next year)..as for the uplight thing it would only be a small one if i even made it.

heres what ive made up so far...rough design, dimensions are off, details/how it will all fit together and be built arent there. Oh and i go to bentley college..thats the symbol on the front. the top of the bar will probably be some type of acrylic with lights under it. Is there any type of acrylic that has somewhat of a roughed up finish so things dont slide around? Oh and thanks ripcurl for those pics, i am going to have to steal your fold up design

the fold up design definitely comes in handy. it's actually a lot heavier than i wanted it to be, but the nice thing about the hinges is that i can just pop the pins in and out to separate it and make it easier to carry.

your plans looks good so far. another idea for the lighted display is to just use black lights under plexiglass. cheap and easy