A new mantle..

[John Keeton]

When we built our home, we had the timberframers bring us a 6x9 red oak timber to use as a mantle piece. Over the last 4 years it dried, split, and cupped badly. It ended up sloping nearly 2" and the LOML wasn't happy about propping things up level, particularly when she tried to hang the grandkids' Christmas stockings. We had bolted it in during construction and there was no way to remove it.

Ended up taking a sawzall with a demolition blade and ripping the mantle, leaving about 4" still bolted above the stone. Took 2 hours!!

Built this "box" to slip over the old remnant. It isn't furniture quality, but it is FLAT and LEVEL - the two requirements that I was given. My first attempt at scribing to stone, and my first attempt at crudely carved applique. The little brass plaque was given to us by the timberframers and was recovered from the original mantle.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John.....Very nicely done! I think your carvings are beautiful. Very elegant and I'll bet SWMBO is thrilled with it too! If not....you've spoiled her!

[Brad Noble]

I agree with Ken. Very nice! I'm about to start to make a mantle for my youngest daughter so pardon me while I steal some ideas from yours. :D

Brad

[scott spencer]

John - That is soooo cool and such a unique design. It's so nice to see original work like this. I love it!

[Jim Becker]

Looks furniture quality to me!! Nice job!

[Richard M. Wolfe]

John, I think I'd have to disagree with the 'not furniture quality ' part. Nice save....and very nice carving.

We sell mantlepieces and if you don't want something to check or split you'd better not get anything over three inches thick, with, in some cases, the exception of cedar. And oak is one of the worst to split and deform.

[Carroll Courtney]

Gos,John that is one nice mantle.How hard was the carving,I've done carving in soft wood but was afraid of oak.Nicely done!

[John Keeton]

Guys, thanks for the compliments, but that's the great thing about pictures - you can't see the mistakes!

Carroll, I planned the oak to 3/8", bandsawed the shape, and did the rest with a dremel and flexible shaft. I tapered or backcut the back side to give them some relief, and then dished out the front some to try to give them some dimension. Other than sanding, there is no "hand work" in the carving - I guess my first post was a little misleading.

Richard, the timbers were raised green, as was the oak mantle. We knew we would get a lot of cracks and checking, but the center of the log from which the mantle was cut was along the top. When it dried, it really turned down on the front, and was getting worse all the time. We had "big" shims under everything my wife put up there.

As you can tell, the 'box" is oak veneered plywood, so hopefully we won't have much more movement out of this mantle.

Ken, the "boss" was pleased, especially with not having to worry about stuff sliding off!

[Lori Kleinberg]

John, the mantle is beautiful. If you don't tell, I bet no one would see the mistakes. I like the "carving" too.

[John Keeton]

Thanks Lori. I am always my worst critic. My biggest goof was that I violated a cardinal rule, I tried something without using a scrap first. Made up some pin nail filler and decided to use "just a touch" of yellow dye because it looked a little too brown. Yellow goes a lot further than you think! The finish picked up some of the dye in places. Unless the light is really on it you can't see it. My wife says it doesn't show, but I know its there!!

Lesson learned - never use yellow dye in filler! Not even just a touch.