Replies

1. 
   Qtrmeg_ | May 24, 2001 05:51am | #1

   *
   Very cool Lynn, what goes around comes around, and somebody owes you one right now. ;-)

1. 
   Greg_Brown | May 24, 2001 09:32am | #2

   *great story Lynn, from the first post. Thanks for sharing it.

1. 
   Ian.D.Gilham. | May 26, 2001 02:11am | #3

   *Lynn,You didn't say what the marble was but if it is a light color, that would be the explanation for the white mortar on the back.I did a job involving white crystallino marble cladding and we found that when we filled the cavity at the back with grey cement, the dark color showed through in places. We had to use white sand and white cement.

1. 
   splintergroupie_ | May 26, 2001 03:10am | #4

   *I dub thee "El Gecko", Artiste Extraordinaire!

2. 
   lynn-_the_art_gecko | May 26, 2001 03:10am | #5

   *
   No, just kidding!
   In fact, thanks to everyone for the suggestions on how to take this beauty down. It went much faster and soother than anticipated, and not a single piece cracked!
   If you are curious about the details, please read on...(boring technical and emotional account to follow):
   I have new respect for my putty knives! I chipped away at the mortar, in places held together "by force of habit" and other places like, well, like mortar. I gently tapped with a hammer to help in places that didn't have marble in the vacinty. Did so much chiseling these last two days I feel like I could have carved a new one in that time... that isn't true ofcourse...the thing was gorgeous! Seeing the chisel marks on the backs and sides, and contrasting them with the smooth finish on the cravings gave me pause to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into its creation. I digress...
   There were 12 pieces in all. There were two very ornate facings on the columns, which were sided with plain marble slaps. These sat on two pediments, oddly, one was solid marble and the other made up of 3 sections and hollow. I guessed it had something to do with passing the gas piping from one side and drilling and attaching a small piece being easier than through a solid one. And if you screwed up, a small piece can be replaced. Either that or the other solid one broke ant that is all they could salvage...? If anyone knows the real reason, or even has a good story to sell me, let me know.
   The pieces were set in place and filled with a mortar-concrete concoction... say both because there were two distinct compounds added, one white and chalky, one gray and cement-like. It looked like they may have been added at different times, as a patch in the taller, slanderer of the slabs had been added at some point. They had mortared a piece of black marble to the back of the piece and then re installed it.
   The columns and horizontal front piece (the mantel proper I suppose) were attached by a small gauge wire which fit into slots on each piece like a large staple. Surprisingly there were no clips connecting the mantel to the wall. Instead, there was a course of brick which protruded into the mortar/cement mixture on the back of the mantel. In some places, brick was tumbled in as though simply added to the mortar. It looked like expanding foam but mortar.
   The top shelf of the mantel was set in a leveling bed of the same stuff.
   The body of the mantel took only a couple hours. The pediments were set on a bed of concrete and then tiled UP TO with thick (3/4 inch) glazed tile. So I had to get rid of the surrounding tile to get to the base of the feet. My putty knife isn't quite that good and neither is my elbow grease, so I used a masonry blade on my circular saw and in the corners the same blade type on my grinder. That made a bit of dust, but the folks were soooo happy it came out nicely, and that I had had the foresight to cover things with plastic, they let the maid help me clean.
   Last thing I did was draw a diagram of how to reassemble it and labelling the pieces, which was placed in an envelope and taped to the back of the top piece.
   Destination: the attic with hopes that some day some one besides me sees the beauty in it and restores it.
   I shouldn't slam the home owners, they are after all, fixing up an old house in a rebounding neighborhood when they could easily afford to build a starter mansion in the sprawl called our west end. Bonus, they gave me the old chandelier from the bedroom, which after being cleaned and rewire is stunning (!!) and only missing a couple crystals.
   Also discovered in the process; 3 rat nests, a metal badge from a Porsche and pencil scribels on the top, which upside down look like my initials, but turned out to be a stylized "#2"... it did weird me out for a second though...
   Thanks to everyone who contributed opinions and comments.
   I hope all my future forays into the unknown go so smoothly, and even if they don't, it means a lot to know that this board exists to share the trials and tribulations.
   Your grateful reptilian friend,
   Lynn