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hollow fireplace mantle

Started by tule peak timber, January 20, 2017, 03:52:01 PM

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tule peak timber

Hollow fireplace mantels offer a lot of good features. They are light weight, inexpensive to ship, easy to install and don't move like a solid mantel. I started building hollow mantels a few years back because the demand for mantels exceeds the amount of large solid, dry wood that I produce. Generally speaking, 4-6" I still do solid by running the material through the kiln and trying to get it to crack and dry as much as possible, but above 6", I only do hollow mantels. The smallest hollow mantels typically are 4-6' and the largest, a box beam, 37' x 2' x 2'. Hollow mantels lend themselves to being curved, oddball shapes and can be easily jointed to go around corners, wrap around style. A few pics of where we want to go using reclaimed woods and a little elbow grease.

  

  

 
   Today, I pulled one of my cookies out that has been kiln dried and I mapped out the sections I want to feature in the end of the hollow mantel. I keep a pretty large library of kiln dried cookies, typically in the various woods that make good mantels. Mantel material in my case is heavily checked and cracked. End pieces and select pith cuts for the face and less character woods for the tops and bottoms. The pith cuts are in the kiln right now, so I'll use the time to set up the ends. 

  

  

  

  

 
The cookie gets portioned up 1" oversized and sandwiched between 2 pieces of engineered panel stock. Any kind of panel stock, plywood, mdf, osb, is fine as this will later form a reference point from which to cut the very tight joinery to make the end plugs. There are 2 sandwiches in the pics as I am building 2 mantels for the same customer. These sandwiches get bandsawed in half later, thereby forming 4 ends. And so we start.
Rob
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

69bronco


21incher

that is a great way to use cookies. I learn something new from each of your threads. Thanks for taking the time to share with us. :P
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Just Me

Nice! I like the use of cookies. I don't have that capability but have been building hollow for quite a while. I usually do a finish with an adz and a broadax after they are assembled. Sometimes carvings like the one in this pic. Wish I had a full picture of this mantle.



I carved it to match the entertainment center I made. Picture looks confusing but in real time that is a beaver as seen above and below the water. Kinda fun. I carved the panels on the flat out of 5/4 cherry and then put it together.

Thanks for posting, always enjoy seeing what you are up to.

tule peak timber

Just Me-you do beautiful work :)
  Back to the two hollow mantles, the basic forms are glued up in a simple rabit joint.The joint is referenced from the flat inside as the outside is not flat at all. The top and bottom were picked from some pretty rough stock to compliment the faces.The rougher -the better. These pieces were stabilized with epoxy and sent through the resaw to get thin pieces.The end plugs are split and ready for fitting tomorrow. Rob

  

  

  

  
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

tule peak timber

And in go the end plugs. A tight fit is necessary for the end result to look good.

  

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Ljohnsaw

John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

cbla


69bronco

Wow, that's some rough looking lumber! Most would have put it through the woodstove! Can't wait to see the finished product!!

terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: tule peak timber on January 20, 2017, 03:52:01 PM

 
Is this image photoshopped?  :D :D  Can you explain what you are doing at the other end of this little piece of wood and what diameter blade you have on that saw!   thanks
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Just Me

Just an idea I had....

It would be cool to put in a block back about 8" in the end of the mantle and use the cookie, tapered a bit and Soss hinges to make a hidden compartment. Customers love hidden compartments. Or one that dropped out of the bottom? I do them quite often but I don't tell them until it is installed and paid for.

Cool stuff!

Larry

tule peak timber

This mantle has guns inside it with a hidden door. Exactly as you described Larry.

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Weekend_Sawyer

Great thread. Gives me a couple of ideas.

How hot does it get inside that mantle, I'd be kind of worried about the guns, I don't know, getting too hot?

Thanks
Jon
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

21incher

Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

Just Me

Quote from: Weekend_Sawyer on February 07, 2017, 12:51:56 PM
Great thread. Gives me a couple of ideas.

How hot does it get inside that mantle, I'd be kind of worried about the guns, I don't know, getting too hot?

Thanks
Jon

Looks like a gas log.

tule peak timber

Some distressing with a Kutzall, an adze, router bits and sand paper. These mantles are going out with a light grey hue. 

    

  

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Magicman

 :)  You do mighty good work there pilgrim.   smiley_thumbsup
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Just Me

How do you do the gray? That is the best aging I have ever seen.

69bronco


tule peak timber

Quote from: Just Me on February 15, 2017, 06:25:52 AM
How do you do the gray? That is the best aging I have ever seen.
The grey is done two ways , with Eco Wood Treatment, and pigments. Eco is a commercial wood oxidizer and the pigments help in very small doses. Grey is more difficult to pull off than a lot of other colors.  Rob
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Bruno of NH

Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Darrel

I'm impressed by how genuine these hallow mantles look?  I just got an order for a juniper mantle. I think I'll try my luck with hallow. It will probably take several tries before I'm satisfied with the results.
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

tule peak timber

Quote from: Darrel on February 15, 2017, 01:43:15 PM
I'm impressed by how genuine these hallow mantles look?  I just got an order for a juniper mantle. I think I'll try my luck with hallow. It will probably take several tries before I'm satisfied with the results.
Keep in mind you can build the hollow style with a natural edge face, a curved face, and even have them go around corners. I normally sell mantles around Sept, Oct. every year,,,but in the last 2 weeks I've sold 7. Go figure.......
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

Darrel

Quote from: tule peak timber on February 15, 2017, 01:50:50 PM
Quote from: Darrel on February 15, 2017, 01:43:15 PM
I'm impressed by how genuine these hallow mantles look?  I just got an order for a juniper mantle. I think I'll try my luck with hallow. It will probably take several tries before I'm satisfied with the results.
Keep in mind you can build the hollow style with a natural edge face, a curved face, and even have them go around corners. I normally sell mantles around Sept, Oct. every year,,,but in the last 2 weeks I've sold 7. Go figure.......

This one is not big as far as mantles go. 4-6" X 10-12" X 7' with live edge. The customer also wants lots of knots on the live edge.
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

tule peak timber

Natural edge mantle example

  A 14 foot curved mantle

 
persistence personified - never let up , never let down

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