Mantle “Capper” Project Complete & Installed

[Jim Becker]

The Mantle Capper Project that originally began as a thread in the Design Forum and has been detailed through construction in another thread is now complete and installed...at least it's placed on the fireplace with a little minor adjustment and support to be done before it's fixed permanently in place.

This was a pleasing project as it offered the opportunity to once again do the "hand cut dovetail thing" as well as work on something large in scale. Everything about the 22' x 25" great room room is big...the fireplace, the space (the cross beams are 12' off the floor), etc., so this mantle cap/top follows suite. It's 104" wide and 20.5" deep. The apron is about 6" high and the top is 2 3/8" "thick".

I normally don't do anything to cherry to affect the color other than oil and garnet shellac, but because there is very little natural light that will fall on this piece, I used some WB dye (left over from the armoire project) to "age" the wood a little. From there the finish was a liberal application of BLO followed by one application of Tried & True oil/beeswax and a final finish coat of Mylands beeswax. The finish is silky smooth and picks up both the color of the wide, "pumpkin pine" flooring and the new lights that hang down over the dining table. (Those were also installed today...)

Overall, I'm pleased with this project. Would I do anything different? I probably would have used something more inexpensive for the "field" of the top than the $83 piece of cherry veneered MDF core since the top is only visible from the loft/library, but otherwise, I'd not change any techniques.

On to the next project...whatever that turns out to be! (And yes, those horribly designed barnwood cabinets and shelves on either side of the fireplace will go away someday...it's on the project list)

[Dave Falkenstein]

Good job, Jim. Did you use your Festools for that project? Smile.

[Jim Becker]

Did you use your Festools for that project?

Oh, yes...as follows:

1) MFT and plunge saw to crosscut cherry veneer MDF core sheet goods for field
2) OF 1010 router and guide rail to cut the slot for the inlay between the two panels that make up the "field" to hide the joint
3) 300 EQ jigsaw for waste removal during dovetail work
4) 150/3 sander for...sanding
5) Rotex with buffing pad to polish the wax
6) TDK drill/driver to screw apron to top assembly
7) CT22 for dust collection with all of the above except the drill/driver for obvious reasons and the Rotex since it was just buffing. The CT22 was also used with my biscuit cutter

[Ray Bersch]

Looks great, Jim, and it seems you tamed that cherry pretty good.

You know, when you mentioned the other day that "you can only see it from the loft" I meant to mention to you about the large book case I finished just before the holidays. It is installed in our living room that has a cathedral ceiling. Crown molding trims the top of the case, but I miscalculated the width of the cap needed for the top of the crown - it was all clear oak so I just installed oak supports to carry the cap because "you can only see it from our balcony and when comming down the stairs." Well, I can see the ding dong this EVERY SINGLE TIME I go down those stairs and it irks me to no end - sooo, you done good and now it won't bother you several times a day.


Good job.
Ray

[Jim Becker]

Thanks, Ray. As you can see, the overlaps on the dye worked themselves out--you got to see it "in the raw" on Friday when you made your visit. As to the "good material" on the top...the shame of it is that you can't see the beautiful figure in the veneer from so far away. That's my real reason for "regret" in using that particular sheet stock for the field...you just can't enjoy it unless you use binoculars! (Or a long lense...)

Mark, it did work out nicely. It's "rustic" enough to mate with the room and refined enough to satisfy my tastes and desire to add a little "modern" to the room. The new lights over the dining table are working nicely in that regard...I'll post pics of them in the "Weekend Doings" thread this week.

[Ray Bersch]

...you just can't enjoy it unless you use binoculars! (Or a long lense...)

or are a few years younger

[Jim Becker]

or are a few years younger

No dice. Since my LASIK surgery two years ago, I have 20/15 in my right eye and 20/20 in the left and still can't really enjoy the figure from that far away! I'll take a photo tomorrow when there is light with my long lense so folks can appreciate the nice figure on the top. This is the same sheet goods that my friend Russ is using for his kitchen cabinets that I posted an example of awhile back in the Design Forum. Awesome stuff. (Unfortunately, he's stalled on that project because all of a sudden, a ton of paying work came in...)

[Ray Bersch]

The wood figure your talking about, right?With that, I'll sign off for the night .....

[Mike Vermeil]

Nice work Jim. Fits the house really well. By the way, what type of house do you live in? An old timber frame house? Converted post & beam barn? It's been a while since I've been to PA. How far are you from Coatsville? Darn pretty country out there.

[Jim Becker]

By the way, what type of house do you live in? An old timber frame house? Converted post & beam barn? It's been a while since I've been to PA. How far are you from Coatsville?

Mike, our home is essentially in three sections. The oldest part is about mid-1700s and is made of limestone...walls are 24-18" thick. (Base to top) That area houses my office, the TV room, Dr. SWMBO's office (a BR) and the guest room. The middle section is 1950s based on the balloon frame construction, but modern dimension lumber. The kitchen and current MBR/bath is in this section. The newest section (the great room in this thread) was build in the 1980s...and is the worst build part of the house. The two large 8" x 8" cross beams are structural, but all the rest of the "barn beams" are purely cosmetic. In fact, they are merely applied to the structure as decoration and even have joints in places that don't make sense. The look is grand until you get to the details. The previous owners designed the room, but were not "highly skilled" in choosing contractors...my shop building, however, was built really well!!

With any luck (and maybe a visit from the Prize Patrol... ) we'll be adding an addition off the back to add about 1500 sq ft of living space including a master suite, laundry, solarium and guest room. The present structure is only 1900 sq ft, one full bath and three bedrooms which is ultimately too little for when our kids join the family. (We're adopting siblings from Russia)

We are about an hour and a half east and north of Coatsville. If you look on a map and pick out Doylestown...we are in the Buckingham area just north and east of there.

[Ted Shrader]

Jim -

Very nice. It fits well with the motif? of the stone surround. The hand cut dovetails are big and rugged, yet elegabt enough to have that original feel.

Well done,
Ted

[Scott Lemmers]

Jim,

Great looking room!! Your project really fits the look.
Are the cabinets next to the fireplace original? They almost look like some old barn wood that I have.
My new place is a 1865 farm house with two old large barns. One is a two story that is going to be repaired to house my shop and other things and the second will probibly be taken down to fix the first one and to use the wood for projects.
Once again great job!!

[Mark Singer]

Jim,
Beautiful job!!! It fits nicely with the fire place. The wood really works well in the room. I think it is great to see a project go from design through construction to a final piece....Excellent!

[mike malone]

nice job JB. I see you were astute enough to suit its' mass to the size of the room...and BTW nice room!!
best/mike

[Corey Hallagan]

Very nice Jim and a beautiful room.... sounds like a beautiful home for that matter.

Corey