Fireplace Mantle #1: Fireplace upgrade

Boy!

What an astounding upgrade, you turned a plain looking room into what’s now fit for a palace.

Thanks for the reminder on using Bondo. I always makes me think auto body work.

Are you sure you have enough clamps? ;o)

-- Dick Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Great project, Lee. Excellent results. It really transforms the room.

I have a question about the crown moulding around the ceiling. How did you deal with going form the horizontal line aboive the fireplace to the slope on the side walls? I have three rooms with sloped ceilings and have held off installing crown in those rooms becasue I can’t wrap my mind around the compound angles.

-- Jack - Mission Viejo, Calif - I may not be good, but I'm slow.

Great blog and end result, Lee!

Also a great idea about the bondo in the kerfs of the moulding!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

That’s an amazing transformation, Lee. You are a MASTER craftsman! Thanks for the great tip on the “Bondo” too. I’ve used it on cars, and you’re right, it is easy to form and sand, and is very permanent.

-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28

Good looking job!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Thank you guys.

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

great looking job lee ! i havent kerf cut any crown in a few years , guess im gettin lazy i usually use the flex mold now . you did a really nice job of it .

-- if you aint the lead dog the scenery never changes

Hi Verne;

Thank you sir!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

A couple of great tips here Lee! Bondo and placing an odd number of flutes. I also like how you hid the electrical (round covers) by going with one outlet. Another good idea.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Thanks Dadoo;

Who’s Bob Vila?

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Wow, very cool, filling kerf cuts with bondo to bend crown is a great idea, one that I’ll be filing away :) The upgrades to the room look stunning.

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

Thank you Damian.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

What a transformation of that room! Very impressive.

I think the reason that an odd number is best is because its more pleasing to have something in the center. Our eyes and brains can pick that out. This is also a good guideline for balusters in a stair railing or balcony.

-- I get payed to play with power tools! What could be better than that?

Thank you sparky;

Both for the comment and explanation.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Ah Bondo to the rescue. I’ve filled many a chip and knot hole in something to be painted.

The room looks fantastic Lee. Great job.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Great stuff Lee. I have used Bondo to repair saddle trees and fill knot holes and who knows what all else. Wouldn’t be without it. I think if I remember right, the odd number is to keep the eye from trying to divide the piece. I just know it holds true in a lot of areas.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Thank you Karson.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Hey Thomas;

Thank you for the kind words, and the input on the odd number rule.

The added bonus is I like the smell of it, and it dries fast.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

I use bondo in most of my habitats for birds. I have even used it on decoys. Check out my pintail in my projects gallery. The whole rump area is holding the tail on this duck with bondo. The habitat in the Black-necked Stilt shore bird, is all done with bondo. I tell about it there. Good stuff to work with. Your work is fantastic.
HAVE A GREAT ONE…. HAPPY EASTER!!!

-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com

Awesome Job Lee

-- bryano

Thank you my friends!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Son of a gun bud you are the man!

Odd number to recover mesuring errors, kerfed moldings , bondo.

Where did you learn all that stuff and how the heck did you get such a good result?
I do the odd bit of this stuff but not to the extent you have taken it so I can really appreciate your skill.

Good on you Lee.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Hi Bob;

Thank you.

For one, working with an incredible designer, who was very much into design and proportion, and authenticity. I renovated and worked on many historic buildings in Philadelphia, I got to see how it was done in the 18th century. Although bondo wasn’t approved by the Philadelphia Historic Commission, we could use a particular brand of two part epoxy for any repairing of rotted wood, (like window sills).

Moldings on arched doorways and windows were kerfed in the same manner, but with a much finer blade whick required little or no filler.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com