butzla
Member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2008
- Messages
- 1,233
Just finished installing a fireplace mantel I designed and built this winter. It's carcasses are made of cherry veneered plywood all else is sold cherry. I initially built the top out of plywood too but was unhappy with the sub 3/4" thickness I scrapped it and went with 1" solid stock. I've read here and other forums where using solid stock on mantel tops is unwise as it is prone to splitting. However, I came up with a clever way to allow for expansion using my new domino. I cut 4 dominoes along the back so they are parallel with grain and 3 along the front of mantel top running them perpendicular to grain. I set the width setting to smallest on aprons and set the width to widest position on top to allow for expansion.
[attachthumb=1] [attachthumb=2]
I thought about just using metal angle clips on the front of apron, then hide them with the crown molding, but since I used a mini-crown this was not possible. And again I was worried about the expansion issue. The only problem I see is if the top cups, it will pull away from crown molding. Time will tell and I can always try something else as dominoes are not glued so disassembly will be a snap.
I also used dominoes on the reinforcing the extensive miters on top/bottom carcasses and the column tops and bottoms.
Anyhoo, here's the finished result, I still have to install base boards along walls.
[attachthumb=3] [attachthumb=4]
I bought the domino almost exclusively for mortise / tenons on furniture projects but am very quickly seeing the potential this tool has for many other applications. I don't know how else I would have solved this problem without it.
[attachthumb=1] [attachthumb=2]
I thought about just using metal angle clips on the front of apron, then hide them with the crown molding, but since I used a mini-crown this was not possible. And again I was worried about the expansion issue. The only problem I see is if the top cups, it will pull away from crown molding. Time will tell and I can always try something else as dominoes are not glued so disassembly will be a snap.
I also used dominoes on the reinforcing the extensive miters on top/bottom carcasses and the column tops and bottoms.
Anyhoo, here's the finished result, I still have to install base boards along walls.
[attachthumb=3] [attachthumb=4]
I bought the domino almost exclusively for mortise / tenons on furniture projects but am very quickly seeing the potential this tool has for many other applications. I don't know how else I would have solved this problem without it.
