Hi,
This is my first attempt at Blogging.
I’ve been planning on building a fireplace mantel for quite a few years now. So late this fall I started on this project. The cold weather got an early start this year , so I couldn’t finish it, so I brought it to town to work on it this winter.
My sweetheart has been snapping pics. of my progress. They turned out pretty good, so I’d like to share some with you.
The shelf is made of 3/4” Birch plywood, with a Black Ash fascia board. I like Black Ash for carving. It looks similar to Oak , but is softer, almost the same as Basswood.
This is one of the patterns transfered to the board. Their will be a total of about 5 separate relief carvings on this project. I scaled these patterns down from patterns shown in Wood Carving Illustrated magazine, by Lora S. Irish. You can also download patterns from her website. www.CarvingPatterns.com. She also is a moderator on www.woodcarvingillustrated.com
If you wish, you can view my Gallery at http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/3627
There will be a slight delay before I get to working on this again, because I’m in the process of reorganizing my workshop. I’ll add some more pics. when I start working on it again.
-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
5 comments so far
Thor
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50 posts in 719 days
posted 654 days ago
Hi Dick,
This will be fun to watch. That black ash looks like it has a lot of grain in it and will make a beautiful finish when you’re done.
I couldn’t help but notice your outdoor workshop area and the cool log benches you made for yourself. True rustic going on there.
Christina
pat sherman
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354 posts in 814 days
posted 652 days ago
dick. nice mantel.
i like the view from your work area. nice.
i bet you hate to leave that to go back to town. iwould.
looking forward to watching the carving progress.
-- pat,ohio...http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/patshwigar/
Dick Cain
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4808 posts in 742 days
posted 651 days ago
Thanks Pat,
You got me thinking, & I changed the spelling of (mantle) to mantel. Some sellers ads use it both ways, but mantel is the architectural spelling of it.
Although when you say the word, it sounds the same.
-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
Obi
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2147 posts in 679 days
posted 571 days ago
I was hired to build a Mantel for a friend of mine and he wanted it to look like one giant beam, so I 45’d all the joints. I’ll post it when I’m finished. It looks a lot like yours without the carving.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
MsDebbieP
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11555 posts in 603 days
posted 571 days ago
I love watching the projects in progress!! It’s kinda like being involved in the birth of a baby.
Thank you so much for taking the time to blog this and thanks to your special lady for taking the photos!!
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)