This custom mantle was built from mill-sawn 4/4 walnut boards, sourced through our local supplier, and surfaced in our shop. I love to use rough lumber from the mill as you never know quite how each piece will look until it is surfaced down to S4S lumber. This batch included some really great pieces of wood with lots of character! The finish coat is a resin-modified tung oil over bare walnut sanded to 220 grit. … [Read more...] about Custom Mantle in Walnut
mantel
Building Box Mantels and Floating Shelves
Floating shelves and box mantles are popular items that are commonly requested by customers. Many newer homes have existing drywall alcoves with no shelving and a basic mantle, or no mantel at all above the fireplace. Box mantels and floating shelves can dress up a space and add real estate value. They can be finished with either paint or stain. Material Selection and Tools A great product always starts with great material! It's more difficult to make something nice out of material that is warped, bowed, or defected in some way. With the exception of reclaimed projects, which we will approach differently, we hand-pick the pieces of lumber we will be using to build each project. For this project, the customer had requested Pine. We were able to find very straight, nice 8' lengths of #2 Pine at our local lumber store, and this was a great start to the box mantel and floating shelf project! Tools, Processes & Systems Once the material is back at the shop, it's time … [Read more...] about Building Box Mantels and Floating Shelves