How would I make this cut?

[vinny186]

http://www.houzz.com/photos/2561100/Downtown-Toronto-Condo-modern-kitchen-other-metro

First, is that one solid piece of wood for the ceiling? If not, how was it formed to look seamless?

Second, what tool would I use to make the cut for the long "strip of light?"
I would like to do something similar in my bar ceiling but have four strips of light (along each side)

 

[nealtw]

Can you take it down?
How deep do you need the groove or do you need it right thru.

 

[JoeD]

Router with a straight cutting bit and a guide of some sort will make the groove.

 

[mako1]

I'm guessing it is a piece of MDF that is veneered.Same as the cabinet.

 

[beachguy005]

I'd use a plunge router with a dado bit and a straight edge. The wood could be furniture grade .75 plywood with wood veneer banding on the edges.

 

[vinny186]

Ok thanks. Looks like I'll have to get a router and make a jig since I'll have to make four different cuts all the same size. It's a 65" x 75" area so I'll probably use four sections of wood to fill in the area. Here's a couple pics with it half framed out.

 

[nealtw]

Your first question was about the wood. I would guess that it is vinyl or laminate counter top or veneer all of with would have a join somewhere. The trick part is they all will be over a solid surface below which will also have to have a join as the widest substrate that I know of is 5 ft.

 

[joecaption]

So how do you work on the light when it fails built like that?

 

[vinny186]

Very good question. Still working on it.

 

[vinny186]

For one, these lights are LED and they'll get used once or twice a week, so they should easily last until I move out.

If I do have a problem I think I can make the slot, where the light will shine thru, wide enough to squeeze my hand in, disconnect the bad light strip and reconnect the new one.

 

[bud16415]

I would use door hinges (2) on the one side and one on the other side to act as a latch. Pull that pin and lower it down to service anything behind it or with a couple people helping pull all 3 and remove the whole panel.

 

[vinny186]

bud, I don't think I've got the woodworking skills to attach hinges and have everything line up properly although I think your idea would work as long as I could hide the hinges.
The area to get covered is 75" x 65" so I was going to get two 4x8 sheets of wood and cut them down to get four equal sized pieces to cover the space. I would then add trim to cover the seams between the panels. Perhaps I could find a way to "slide in" the panels as opposed to nailing or screwing.

 

[bud16415]

I would build the whole thing on the floor and then take it apart and attach the frame then the panels hinges or slides or whatever you like.

 

[vinny186]

Here's a pic of the ceiling with the LED's installed. I just need to start trimming the inside and outside of the ceiling. Which leads me to my next question...

 

[vinny186]

My 2 pieces of 1x6 don't meet up properly. The board on the right is nailed in already so was hoping I could just shave off a bit of the left board near the bottom.

Before I attempt the cut, anyone have any tips?

 

[bud16415]

Block plane or belt sander, some trial and error and then some wood filler tinted to match.

 

[frodo]

back cut the the end next to the wall.

 

[vinny186]

I'm not good with a coping saw. Could I use a miter saw to remove the majority of the wood material on the bottom half of the left board and get as close as possible to the stained mitered edge then sand away the remaining material?

I also think if I were to pull forward the right board I might get a slightly better fit - that's probably the right thing to do.

 

[frodo]

looks like the board on the left is a 1/4'' short.

 

[vinny186]

I fixed the uneven boards by adjusting the one on the right, now I need to trim the inner and outer areas of the ceiling - starting with the inner.

The unstained area you see is 2 1/2" and I want to trim the entire inner perimeter with crown moulding but I'm not sure that's an option. I'd also like to trim the bottom of the 1x6 and whichever trim I put next to it - essentially with a piece of trim that will cover the underside. I also need to cover the gaps down the center where the panels meet so I would need that trim to have a similar thickness to the edge of the trim that will fill the inner border so that when they butt up against each other they're at the same level.