Making a Mantle

For many of those "we'll finish it later projects" they sort just happen spontaneously. Usually one of us will say "hey I was thinking about doing the ____ this weekend what do you think?" and the other usually replies with "ok." So that is pretty much what happened with the fireplace mission. We completed the slate surround then David sketched out some mantle ideas on a piece of paper then went shopping. 

He went to a speciality lumber and millworks store called Sears and Trostel. It is kinda like Build a Bear for carpenters. He got to mill his own wood and select the accessories he liked.  He came back with some speciality moldings and other fancy pieces of poplar. With all of these projects David and I have come to trust each others taste so naturally I loved what he selected. I assisted the project by holding things and offering up endless words of encouragement.  Since he was the artist for this project I asked him to dictate the process. I added some helpful hints for those who do not speak carpenter (myself included)... 

                                   

Here is David's version...First I milled S4S poplar into usable planks and cut them down to size.  The mantle project cost about $200 in wood and materials. The two columns were meant to be symmetrical in order to hold the mantle. Then I used slash material (junk wood) and installed nailers onto the wall so I would have something solid to build upon. I ensured the columns were plumb (straight up and down) and level.

Next I installed nailers on the newly installs columns so I would have something to nail the return onto. The return is the bottom piece that goes back into the tile. After that was completed I installed the first perimeter of moulding which, is floor trim installed upside down. 

                         

While I still had access to the wall, I installed another nailer to the wall. I screwed the nailer into the wall and screwed the top into the nailer.  

                            

Then I measured and cut the crown moulding so the 90 degrees angles would line up as if they were a coped edge. (Coped is when two moulding patterns come to a point so that they turn a corner). Once that was done I did the measurements for the top taking into account the rise and run of the crown moulding. I manufactured the top out of one solid piece of poplar. First cutting it down to size then sanding and routing the external edge. I planned for the the finished edge to have a matching ogee (an ogee is the name of a shape or look of a routed edge). I then installed the top across the posts.

After I installed the top I was cutting the crown mould and it wasn't looking quite right I thought I had mis-measured and would not be able to use the crown moulding I had loved so much. In a fit of rage I ran to home depot a got another piece of crown moulding that I didn't really like but had to make it work. When I returned home our neighbor was out walking his dog and he asked me what I was working on. I went on to explain the project and he told me "well I am a trim carpenter." After taking one look at how I had set the miter saw he told me I had not mis-measured, I had the saw angle wrong. I made a few minor adjustments, cut the piece and the original crown mould fit exactly how it was supposed to. And the crappy moulding got returned to home depot.  After many fine trim cuts (a millimeter a time) we installed the crown moulding and put one final set of nails in everything. We now refer to our neighbor as the carpentry angel! 

The last step was to embellish the columns with a raised box pattern moulding I had seen in a magazine. Below is an example we saw in a store.

My version:

As soon as possible we measured and bought a TV to put above the mantle.  Every time I look at the mantle I am amazed by the hard work we have done to make this townhouse ours. We have grown closer and stronger through this process. It is a wonderful feeling to have a custom fireplace that our hands built. The next step for the fireplace is to make a custom hearth and white wash or stain the wood. For now we go through way too much firewood.