Fireplace mantle

[Al Smith]

I've been fiddling with this thing for about a week .

It started out as windfall about 5-7 years ago .Had a guy bandsaw it and stored it stickered to air dry in my shop .Turned out okay as far as the lumber .

Mrs Smith being Mrs Smith wanted something with a little bling to it so here it is .Raised panal front .Panals done on a radial arm saw with a moulding head which is a pain in the buttocks .A router could do it in one pass but a panal raising cutter would have cost be 65 bucks.

All fasteners are concealed beings it's a hollow mantle .Had it been solid ash I'd have needed a crane to install it .Heavy enough as it is .There was a time I could hoist 80 pounds to shoulder level pretty easily but it seems those days are behind me .

 

[Al Smith]

More pics

 

[MasterBlaster]

Very nice! Cool fireplace...

 

[Adam_P]

Looks great, Al. It's always cool to make something out of a tree you actually had contact with. Is Mrs Smith pleased with it's level of bling?

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Very nice indeedy

 

[Al Smith]

Is Mrs Smith pleased with it's level of bling?

Pretty much .There's a boo boo on the bottom rail about center .The freakin ogee cutter walked out on the router for some reason and caused the mistake .I used wood filler which never takes stain like wood .Should have used saw dust and Elmers glue .

Eventually I'll either find some brass bling or make some details myself both the cover the screw up and add some pizzaz to it .

 

[rskybiz]

Very nice Al! Your shop bench reminds me of mine from time to time too

 

[woodworkingboy]

Looks good, Al. I guess that Mrs. Smith has ruled out ornaments besides family photos. I don't see any favored Mac pistons or cylinders on display up there. Should age nicely too.

 

[vharrison]

Al, very nice! You are always doing something to update your house.

 

[Aclarke]

Looks great Al! i have a bunch or Black Acacia logs stockpiled and hope to do the same in the future...

 

[Al Smith]

I looked into acacia hardwood flooring .Wow talk about expensive.

That work bench is in the garage .My actual shop is worse and larger ,60 by 70 .

It's kind of a pain in the buttocks trying to do wood working in a garage .I have to park Mrs Smiths car outside and move that freakin 350 pound table saw out to the middle and set it up .It's like 10 pounds of chit in a 5 pound sack .

My actual shop is 22 miles away from the house and besides the inconveninace of being so far away I can't do wood working and welding in the same building .I'm not going to take the chance of burning the place down .That would suck with a half life .

 

[woodworkingboy]

Al, I know the worry too, about welding in a wood shop. Even with a well swept up place, there is dust under things where sparks can fly. I usually try to limit welding to earlier in the day, so I will be there for some hours after, in case some flare up should arise. You can't be too careful.

 

[Al Smith]

I had a little fire just from the sparks of a 14" cut-off saw .Made a believer out of me .