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David Getts
aking antels
BY DAVID GETTS
O£ l" COll£CTlON
MON'T"t~L
,_- RET\Rt DE L" E DE
, "QUE Ol L~ Vlll
,auOTH.:
8
PUBLISHING
LJND~N
I'RESNO, CA
MAKING MANTELS
Text© 2002 by David Getts
Photographs© 2002 by David Getts
Wustrations © 2002 David Getts: Figures 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, ':1:0, 41, 88, 89. 90. 91, 129, 130, 181, 182, 183,
184.185,186,187,216,230,231,248,302,305,306,315, 318,320,321,335,339,
~~0.341,342,3~3.
Wustrations ©Linden Publishing: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. 23, 2-l,
25.26.42,44,48,49,50, 51,52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73. 75, 76,
74,
77, 78. 79,80, 194,195,198,200,201,202,203,208,211, 243, 319, 324,325,328,345,352.
All
rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec
tronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in reviews.
ISBN 0-941936-72-4
First printing: August 2002
Printed in Singapore
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Getts David, 1959-
Making mantels I by David Getts.
p. em.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-941936-72-4 (paperback: alk. paper)
11tels. I. Title.
2002
""v.
Neither the author nor the publisher assume
"i-
sufFered or for damages or other losses
presented in this publication.
TAB L E OF CON TENTS
Acknowledg-ments ................................................................................................................ 7
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 1 A Brief History of Mantels ............................................................ ! 0
Chapter 2 Mantel Design .................................................................................... 16
Chapter 3 On-Site Inspection ............................................................................ 30
Chapter 4 Materials for Mantels ...................................................................... 42
Chapter 5 Non-Combustible Materials Used Around Fire Boxes ...... 62
Chapter 6 Gallery of Mantels ............................................................................ 72
Chapter 7 Fabricating an "Off-the-Shelf' Mantel ......................................9 6
Chapter 8 Fabricating a Complex Mantel .................................................. 114
9 Wood Finishing ................................................................................ 148
Mantel Installation .......................................................................... 162
Specialty features ..............................................................................1 78
Safety' •.......................................................................................1 8 8
ofS upply ............................................................................ 196
...o nn••••••••••••••••• ...• nnenoo•••••••·•••••••""'""""'"""''""''"""'""" '""l98
E ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PEOPLE
we surround ourselves with. Without the help of the following people, I
would not have been able to put this book together.
First and foremost I would like to thank mv wife, Lori. \Vithout her endless
J
patience, encouragement, and support, I would not haYe been able to endure. I also
wish to thank my son, Tyler, for reminding me of the important in life, and
thin~s
my daughter, Emily, for her abundant supply of pencils!
A special note of thanks goes to 1\.Iichael G. \Valters Photography for the hard
work and many hours spent on photographing this work. All photos are by
~liehacl
G. Walters. except those on pages 92, 93 and 94, which I took
myself~
In addition, I would like to thank the people who helped collect information and
those who opened their homes to photographing: Mr. & Mrs. Greg Smith, l\lr. &
Mrs. Herman van Deursen, Mr. & Mrs. Dana McDonald, Mr. & Mrs. Al Patey, 1\lr.
& Mrs. David Duce, Mr. and Mrs. Ken Pascoe, Mr. & Mrs. Marc Portsmith, Mr. &
Mrs. Jim Armstrong, Mr. & Mrs. Martin Dafforn, Mr. & Mrs. James Maher, Diane
Wells of the Diocesan House (Leary Mansion), Greg Watson of the Marymoor
Museum (Clise Mansion), Larry Kreisman of Historic Seattle, Northwest Mantel of
Kirkland, WA, Craig Sawyer of Craig Sawyer Designs, The Sorrento Hotel, and The
Stimson-Green Mansion.
Last and absolutely not least, I would like to thank God, who has privileged me
with the breath of life. •
Introductio n
HE FIRST MANTEL I BUILT WAS
over 20 years ago. It was a simple shelf with two corbel supports.
At the time I thought that was all a mantel was. Although I had seen
ornate mantel surrounds, I had not yet developed an appreciation
for them. It wasn't until I received my first commission to build a
full mantel surround that I took notice. I began to see all the ele
ments that show a woodworker's prowess: mouldings, frame-and
construction, carvings, matched veneered paneling, and
Coupled with that was the coalescent beauty of
the atone mason's craftsmanship. As with
bow little know
you
Learning about a subject is the beginning of enlightenment. I've had
clients who have hired me to build them a cabinet. Through the education
process of design, learning about materials, and technique, they eventually
came to understand it's not just an object they will receive, but an experi
ence. Seeing a craftsman ply his trade in the creation of an object made
specifically for them forever changes how they view the craft. Knowledge
of a subject heightens your appreciation.
But acquiring knowledge in the learning process is not enough. Apply
ing what you've learned is the next logical step. Each individual processes
knowledge differently. Therefore, how you apply what you've learned
could be in the form of building a mantel or simply enhancing your enjoy
ment of mantels. The intent of this book is to be a stepping stone-part of
the learning and application process.
Building mantels has always been a source of joy for me. Seeing the
work of other craftsmen has complemented this joy. Whether they arc
simple or complex, mantels express both the builder's creativity and the
homeowner's lifestyle. You don't have to build a mantel to benefit from
its warmth. But building one increases your appreciation because of what
you've learned.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
The material in this book is divided into conventional chapters to guide
readen through the process of designing and building a mantel. However,
when constructing a mantel, it would be a mistake to become trapped in
lin ear fDrmat oft he book. While it's logical to assume that, for the most
.ulive undentanding, the information in Chapter 1 should pre
in Chapter 2, I caution you that this assumption is
reading. In actual construction, things are often different.
may require a better understanding of materials (dis-
5) before you can address the design iaaues pre
how to inatall the finished project
the decilino of whether you wDl pre
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oo the fireplace for both beating and cooking. The fire suaound often c:onsisted J •
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CHAPTER
o f Mantels
N THIS DI SCUSSION I WILL HIGHLIGHT
only selected aspects of the mantel's evolution, not specific detail
changes. Nonetheless, it's worth attending to the roots of the
mantel's development, since these basics will support the fruit
that is borne on your project.
A mantel is defined as the whole of the finish around a fireplace. This
includes the chimney breast covering in front (and sometimes on both
sides), the shelf above a fireplace, and even the lintel-the beam, stone,
or arch that supports the masonry above a fireplace. As shown in the
illustration on Page 16, mantels can include all or any combination of
the elements above. In addition, the clements used to adorn or embel
lish the fireplace opening, including freestanding stoves, all fit within the
definition of "mantel."
