Mantle “Capper” Project Started

[Teresa Jones]

That is one big fireplace - and I am a native Texan!!

You did a very nice job on the dovetails, Jim. I took a class on hand tool applications at Homestead Heritage in Elm Mott, Texas and we made a candle box with hand cut dovetails. It was certainly intimidating, but turned out pretty good.

I haven’t cut a dovetail since then, machine or hand!!!!

TJ

[David Fried]

The dovetails look nice! (certainly better than mine!) Appears you're half way there. Are you still planning on cutting dovetails in the 8/4 top?

Between the long johns and facial hair it looks like you're pretty well prepared for Siberia. Perhaps you should start sipping Vodka just to develop a keen pallette.

[Jim Becker]

Are you still planning on cutting dovetails in the 8/4 top?

It will only "appear" to have an 8/4 top...actually 2 3/8" "thick". But it's a solid frame with cherry ply to fill in the field. Due to the length, there will be a seam in the middle of the field that will get a Mark Singer "ebony" inlay to mask the joint.

Between the long johns and facial hair it looks like you're pretty well prepared for Siberia. Perhaps you should start sipping Vodka just to develop a keen pallette.

I think I'll stick with fine wines...I'm not much for hard liquor. Never have been. Nor beer, other than good microbrew. But I suppose when we eventually get to the travel part of our journey, there will be some vodka served at some point!

[Dave Malen]

Nice job Jim,
Nothing beats the satisfaction of working with hand tools.(well maybe not everything) This weekend I built some doors. The rails were about a thirty second of an inch higher that the stiles. I used my number 4 plane to even them out. Worked great.

Dave

[lou sansone]

Yea, Dennis, I probably could have posted in the Neander forum, but only the dovetails will be done by hand. I still used my Festool jigsaw to knock out the waste... ...and the table saw and Mini Max J/P to prepare the stock.

In a good sense, both this project and the armoire forced me to do the dovetails by hand due to the long pieces. I don't know that I would do them all the time this way...I like my D4...but being able to is a good skill to learn. Doing the ends of the long board(s) horizontal is a little bit of a pain due to having to kneel down, but that was only for the saw cuts.

I try to learn something new on every project so that the next time I'm presented with a similar situation, I have more choices.

hey jim

I am the guy who cuts them all by hand... now that wasn't that bad was it? Seriously though, I found that after a 100 or so DT's I am getting pretty good at it. Jigs have their place, but it seems to me that when you are only doing a couple of units that is takes less time and you really can't screw them up ( well maybe that is not exactly true, but it takes more time to do it than it does with a router )

good job
lou

[Mark Singer]

Jim,

Excellent! You are really getting in the groove....dovetails by hand yeilds a much nicer product and it is done in about the same time. Very nice work! This will be a great project! Sorry I missed the post I was skiing this week....I am safer in my shop then on the slopes....glad to be back.

[Jim Becker]

Well, here's an update on this project with a bunch of pictures. Today's activities started with "slivering" the dovetails from last weekend's production to close up some gaps. The "slivers" of cherry are fitted diagonally into the gaps to present end-grain on both sides. In this manner, the adjustments will largely disappear after sanding and finishing.

Once that was accomplished, I moved on to making the field for the top of the capper from some MDF-core cherry sheet goods I scarfed off my friend Russ (for a fee, of course... ). If the fireplace were not so tall, I would have used solid stock, but since the only view of the actual top surface will be from 20 feet away up on the library/loft, I went with the sheet goods. Additionally, since the width of the project is greater than 8' I needed to rip down two pieces that were 19 1/4" wide and then cross cut them to provide two halves that can be joined in the middle and make the full width necessary. Biscuits were used for alignment and since gluing panels end to end is not going to make for a joint that could survive a crash-landing fly, the joint was backed up on the underside with some plywood glued and screwed to the material across the joint. Then the joint was routed out on the "good" side to take a small inlay that cleans up the joint. I was originally going to use something contrasting, but decided to use a simple 1/4" wide strip of cherry.

While the glue cured on the field panel, I sized the cherry frame that will surround it. This had to be done after the top field was joined so that the front piece would be exactly the right width after the dovetails were cut. Speaking of which, they went fairly easily given last weekend's practice. Very little "slivering" will be required...

From there, the frame was assembled around the field, again using biscuits for alignment and glue blocks underneath to provide a solid joint since fasteners into the MDF would be virtually useless.

Tomorrow, I'll bring out the card scraper to level the frame to the field and do any necessary "beautification" of the dovetails. Once that's done, it's time to finish and prepare for the final installation on the fireplace...something I'm looking forward to since the current rough barn wood capper is nearly impossible to clean.

Pics:

• Slivered dovetails in the apron made last weekend
• Cutting biscuit slots to help keep the two halves of the field piece level with each other. Yes, the CT-22 hose fits very nicely on the Freud J102...first time I ever used it without spraying "stuff" all over...especially nice when working with MDF!
• Joining the two halves of the field with reinforcing plywood
• Routing out for the narrow inlay that will mask the joint in the field
• Field and frame clamped up

[Jim Becker]

One additional picture from today...the dovetail in the top frame.

[lou sansone]

hi jim


looks good... I can't quite figure out what and where this is going to go in respect to your fireplace. Is it going to sit above it with the "field" parallel to the wall? I am kind of slow...
lou

[Jim Becker]

Lou, look in the thread referenced in the very first post. There is a drawing. This cherry unit replaces the barnwood mantle cap that presently sits on top of the stone.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Jim, lookn' good. Before long, you're going to be whipping out those hand cut's in no time flat. You're second picture is great. The lighting was perfect. It could be the cover shot of the next big Tauton release on hand cut dovetails

[Jim Becker]

Thanks, Jason, but it will be a long time before I could ever "whip out" hand cut dovetails! (Especially without risking another visit to the ER...) I'll be happy enough if they look even marginally acceptable since these cannot be hidden behind a molding like the ones on the top of the armoire were!

Those first couple of pictures really did turn out nice. Interestingly enough...I accidently flipped the camera from "Auto" to "P" on the selector and they were taken sans-flash. The color depth is really nice for those close-in shots taken that way. I guess I have to play with the camera more...in my copious free time, of course...

[Steve Inniss]

Jim,
I agree - looking good, you are going to enjoy those dovetails every day.

I also agree, pics 2 &3, what a wonderful environment to spend time doing great work. -Steve

[Jim Becker]

All the construction on this project is now complete and the finishing process started. After a whole bunch of sanding, the apron was assembled to the top to make the final assembly come together. When I build furniture with solid cherry I pretty much never put any kind of color on it. Unfortunately, the solid stock and the sheet goods in this project were a bit "too different" so I decided to even things up with some dye. This will not really be a detriment since the fireplace is not located where it gets a lot (well...any) sunlight so it merely kicks the UV aging/oxidation process a little. After the BLO, garnet shellac and a top coat, this piece should be pretty much the same color as the cherry candle stand that already graces the room. But that's all for next week. Here's a few pics from today:

• Sanding away...dirty job, but somebody's got to use the Festool!
• Assembly complete. This piece is about 106" wide!
• Dye applied and starting to dry. Please note that this is not the color that it will be. WB dyes when they dry are dull and lighter in appearance than the final shade. The color becomes richer and darker with the application of BLO, garnet shellac and a top coat.

[Jim Becker]

Today, the piece got a light sanding to knock down the fuzzies from the WB dye before applying a liberal coat of BLO in the morning and letting it soak in for awhile. After wiping off any excess, Dr. SWMBO and I did a little shopping. Late in the afternoon, I applied a coat of Tried & True oil/beeswax formula, rubbing it in thoroughly and left the heat on overnight. It's already "silky smooth" and just the way I love cherry to feel.

If I am happy with the results I see in the morning, I may go ahead and install this thing tomorrow as I can do additional coats and/or the final coat of wax in the house with no issues. I'll be glad to get this one out of the shop...it's taking up a ton of room...