How to Make a Wooden Mantel Shelf for a Stone Fireplace

A stone fireplace evokes a rustic and natural feeling that would be enhanced by a rustic mantel shelf. A hand-hewn beam complements the style of a stone fireplace. Traditional woodworking tools and a reclaimed wooden beam are all that is required to create a mantel shelf that will be a center of attention and conversation.

12-inch-wide reclaimed wooden beam, 24 inches longer than the fireplace
Adze
Miter saw
1/4-inch drill bit
Drill
4 3/8-inch carriage bolts
3/8-inch driver bit
Sandpaper
Wood finish

Instructions

- 1
  Place the reclaimed beam on a work surface. Slice off thin shavings of wood along the beam with an adze to create a hand-hewn look until the desired effect is achieved.
- 2
  Cut the beam 12 inches longer than the fireplace stonework using a miter saw.
- 3
  Cut two 6-inch long blocks out of the remaining section of beam. These are the supports, or corbels, for the mantel shelf.
- 4
  Drill two 1/4-inch holes through the center of the 12-inch width of the supports. Space the holes 1 inch in from each end of the 6-inch length of the supports.
- 5
  Place the supports onto the bottom 12-inch width of the mantel shelf beam. Position one support 18 inches in from each end.
- 6
  Drive a carriage bolt through each of the holes in the supports into the bottom of the mantel shelf beam.
- 7
  Sand the beam with a progression of coarse, medium and fine-grit sandpaper.
- 8
  Apply a wood finish to the mantel shelf and supports. Allow the finish to dry prior to installation.

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