Bright side of the horrible remodel hell - My Mantle

[Fiddleback]

Well, we are in the final stretches of the new flooring adventure. I say adventure so that I sound positive, but its been hell. Its solid wood flooring, because it will allow refinishing out dog damage. The house has been impossible to live in. But the floors are down. I installed new base boards. I've got the kitchen and living room painted. Several rooms to go. One of my many careers was painting.

Today though, the one part of the project that I am going to enjoy will get started. Today my mantle came in. My buddy Lee Tigner and I did a trade for the mantle. The wood is White Oak from a late 1800's log cabin log. I have quartersawn White Oak planks to make the wooden fireplace wrap part. This is going to be fun.

These pics are the mantle piece with the old under structure. Also shown is the quartersawn planks stacked on the table behind the mantle.

Two of the surfaces on the piece are hand finished and original to the cabin log. Lee cut the opposing face and the rear face for me. They are smooth.

 

[Odaon]

That'll be sweet once it's all finished up! Good luck, remodeling is a pain!

 

[CAD]

Be sure and show us the finished product!!

Chris D.

 

[JustinFournier]

I feel your pain. Have a Reno on the go that is $9000 over budget and 8 months late.

 

[Blade814]

Lee comes up with some cool stuff

 

[Fiddleback]

OK. Today I cut the plank that is going to space the mantle from the wall. This is necessary because the mantle piece itself is 7" wide. Its cut from 1.75" thick White Oak. Its going to be covered up except for the end grain. I've distressed the ends to look like the beginnings of a 2nd mantle beam hidden in the wall.

I also stained those two boards. I am going to do a two stain color process. I started today with the darker color. Jackobean. Tomorrow I will sand and bursh wheel that off, leaving only the grain and deep scars at that color. Then I'll put on provincial. Then I rub it down with Teak Oil.

I'll come in tomorrow to do the rest of the staining and start cutting and joining the planks that will outline the bricks on our fireplace. That wood is quartersawn White Oak, and will simply get a coat of Provincial and teak oil.

The top of the piece is a flat sanded plane.

There is some pretty cool termite damage at the back corner of the top plane. The piece was baked in a kiln, so there is nothing alive inside it.

 

[Fiddleback]

OK. This is what I did this weekend. I started out Saturday morning cutting the planks, and joining everything. By the end of the day I had the mantle frame done. Of course, once I got it home, Leah didn't like the color. No big deal. I re-stained it the next morning. Posting pics and finished pic.

 

[Tim the Wizard]

Looks great.

 

[JustinFournier]

Looks good. Wife did the white painted brick fireplace too. We're gonna find out how well the paint holds up soon enough.

Have Stonecounty Ironworks making us a screen, set of tools and log holder. Should be awesome.

 

[mjbine]

If you would like to get more detail in the mantel, coat it with some dark wax. It bring out the great flaws, knots, cuts, dings and anything to life by creating deep shadows in the wood.

 

[Fiddleback]

mjbine Got a brand. Iĺl give that a shot.

 

[mjbine]

mjbine Got a brand. Iĺl give that a shot.

Annie Sloan Soft Dark Wax. It was made for use with Chalk Paint in order to distress a freshly painted items. I have used it on stained distressed wood. It is a night and day difference.

 

[Scotcha]

WOW looks amazing!!!

 

[Choppaman]

Fiddleback Looks great Andy. Great work! Thanks for sharing your step by step! Once the area is finished off with furniture, etc. How about a step back photo to see how it all pulls together! Of course with a fire going!