For broadband owners only: go here http://www.homebydesignshowhouse.com/3d.asp
and take the tour. Note the eyebrow arch curved mantleboard seen over the fireplace in the parlor, and then tell us how you would make it. It is about 12’6″ end to end.
Thanks.
Replies
Laminate it
Mr T
Happiness is a cold wet nose
Life is is never to busy to stop and pet the Doggies!!
I have been thinking and sketching, and I have an idea. See the attached.
From straight 2x10 stock, lay out and jigsaw the top and bottom curved patterns in form boards. Make one top and one bottom, then rough out and use a router with pattern bit to make the others. Sandwich all five together with glue and screws, then use them with a vacuum bag press to glue up sandwiches of 1/8" stock, six thicknesses with cherry on the show sides.
Now you have a top and bottom. Use them to lay out a back board to go between, which will fasten on the back side with glue and pocket screws. Now you have a curved "U" channel.
Screw the whole thing to the wall through the back board, then take 3/4" solid cherry stock, three boards, and biscuit the three to the face of the assembly. Use a big router to trim the face to the shape of the mantlebox, using a pattern bit.
Finally, rout a roundover edge on the top and bottom front edges, and smooth everything up with RO sanders.
Voila! Or is there a simpler way?
Bob
Am I reading you correct?
Do you mean that you would glue up these 2X10's in solid cherry?
If you want to save on some material you could do everything that you propose with something like MDF and face it with solid cherry. You wouldnt have to use MDF, could use something like poplar. I dont think what you have here is difficult to make(dont mistake that for cheap to make)
I also think that you could do as Mr T said and laminate it, you could save on cherry by doing the same thing, use something less expensive in the core and the good stuff on the outside. You could make a possitive/negative jig and glue it up in that.
How deep is that mantle? Do you have some measurements? I think you can do a lot of it with the router as you suggested. I think there is a number of ways that you can go with this and still achieve the same results.
Doug
Just looked at your pic again, maybe what your proposing is what I just said, not sure if I understand what you have in your pic. Not saying your pic is no good, sometimes i dont see what others are trying to convey.
Edited 8/8/2004 5:12 pm ET by Doug@es
The 2x10s are just the form. Take a look at my pic, then imagine a 6-thickness stack of 1/8 "thin boards," all 6-1/2" wide by about 13 feet long, the top thickness being select cherry, the others poplar or birch or something less expensive than cherry, then slap on the glue, bag 'em all up with the form, and turn on the suction.
My drawing shows the shape of the top "form" above, then the mantlepiece shape in the center, then at bottom, the shape of the bottom form.
The mantlepiece you see if you take the virtual tour is about 6 x 6 in cross section, and of course looks at first like it is one massive piece, but I can see the front is in three pieces, and I'll bet the top and bottom faces are laminations, with the center hollow as I describe.
Edited 8/8/2004 11:52 pm ET by Bob Dylan
Do you need to actually make this or are you trying to start an argument..... I mean Intelligent Discourse..
:)Mr T
Happiness is a cold wet nose
Life is is never to busy to stop and pet the Doggies!!
Did you look at the one seen in the virtual tour? Yes, I need to make it, or find someone that can.
Bob
You don't have to do this in a vacuum. If you make the two jigs(pos/neg) you can clamp the living crap out of it and accomplish the same thing.
The shop I was in in IA used to clamp up radius work all the time, had great results. You just have to have plenty of clamps, but if its a one time deal you can probably do something with make shift clamping.
The vacuum is nice if you have access, but not 100% necessary either.
Doug
Bob
OK, I went back and reread and looked at your picture. The way that you described in your last post is probably the way I would do it because I think its the most efficient use of time and material.
At first I though you were suggesting the use of solid cherry, way to expensive!
I've seen you refer to this house several times on BT, is this house something you are going to build, are building? or just curious?
Doug
I took my clients to see the real thing, and they want me to reproduce it on their lot.
I ran this by a guy at work, another woodworker, we both thought that if you do it with just the two mold pieces that you can get excellent results.
Make sure that if you go that route that you build your jig with the thickness of the mantle added in. eg. if the radius on the lower side curve is 110" and you have a 3.5" thick mantle your radius on your upper part is 113.5". I know that is probably obvious but I know someone(me) who did one with both radius's the same and couldn't figure out why I couldn't press the two pieces together!
I have some pictures of jigs but cant access them right now so I drew a quick sketch of how I would build the jig.
Other wise you can contract me to build it and in that case send a lot of money and a place to ship the finished product to.
Doug
I have built a number of mantles like that particular one.
Both solid stock ,cherry/alder/ V-grain fir/white oak....and also a squared off cedar log! I did them by book/end-for-end grain matching,and building them torsion box style. Very effective, very beautiful, lamination/joints near invisible...only other woodworkers can spot the seams.
More info/help will require contact, cheers,Phil.If it is to be.... 'twil be done by me.