Hi There, I have a client that wants me to make a floating mantle out of a 3″ x 12″x 5′ piece of cedar I have some ideas but would like to hear it from you guys as well.
Thanks
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It would be relatively simple to bore a hole in the edge near the ends and embed a couple of rods or pieces of all thread in the wall or fireplace face and slide the thing on with a couple of set screws from the underside to hold it firmly onto the rods.
Personally, I think something that deep as a purely floating mantel is not the ideal look. When I did one with similar proportions to yours, (mine was a box truss of poplar 2 1/4" x 8" x 44") I decided to add a pair of false corbels (2 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 6")on the underside about 1/6 the way in from each end to give the eye a visual "means of support" and also to triple the resistance to the moment arm of force tending to bend the mantel downward at the front edge.
With only 3" of contact with the wall, it's going to be very hard to make a secure connection. A cleat on the wall with a matching mortise in the back of the mantle would work, but I don't think it would be secure enough unless it was bolted. You could use a hidden bolt from underneath, but that would require a hole big enough to fit a wrench.
If you could use shelf brackets, it would be a lot simpler.
Run a couple or 3 long (8"-10") x 1/2" lags into studs, after they're into something solid,(3,4") cut the heads off. Drill mantle in appropriate location, epoxy bolts and slide mantle on.
I've also done one on a zero clearance stove by bolting a 6"x8"x5' piece of I don't recall what through the wall with some blocking, before closing up the sides of the stove enclosure for faux stone.
Back in the 90s, I scribed a Red Oak mantle, about 8”x12”x10’, IIRC, to a fieldstone wall, drilling it out to accept pre-existing 5/8” re-rods which protruded from the stone at odd, non-matching (in both the horizontal and the vertical plane) angles.
I got it to fit, first try, to within no more than a 1/4” gap at any point around the approximately 22’ perimeter of the mating wood-to-stone surfaces.
I’ve been threatening to post pics of this project for a few years now, and one of these days I’ll scan those emulsion photos of that cave-man-era project, and make them digital.
Don’t hold your breath, but I’ll try to get it out there soon.
AitchKay
I am waiting!
Don't know whether this would apply, but I recall a TOH episode several years back where they wanted to do a wood mantle and it was nixed for flamability issues...
PaulB
http://www.makeabettertomorrow.com
http://www.finecontracting.com
Bing has it exactly. I don't even bother with the epoxy as I usually have to drive them on with a sledge anyway. I've hung from the edge with no give at all.