Ideas for finishing and hanging a reclaimed mantel

[dirtmcgirt79]

Okay, so our fireplace is faced with what I believe to be stone veneer. My wife has been on me to add a mantel for years and this is the year that I've decided to take it on. I have sourced a 6"x6" red oak beam out of an old barn on a family farm.

The fireplace itself is 5' wide and we would like to install the 5' beam as a floating ledge without corbels or braces.

Here comes the problem. How do I get the beam to match the stone's surface so that we have a nice even look. I am attaching pics.

My first thought was to try to hollow out some of the back of the beam, leaving about an inch of thickness on the top and bottom. Then I could try to scribe the pattern of the stone onto the top and bottom and cut it out with a jig saw. While this may be doable, I'm not sure where the studs are behind the stone, and I don't know how I would anchor it to the wall and be able to count on it holding the weight.

Second thought was to try and cut out the stone all the way to the studs where the mantel would attach. Then insert large 3/4" lag bolts into the studs then attach the mantel to those lag bolts by drilling holes in the back of the beam. The obvious problem with this is cutting the stone. Not only will it leave an awful mess in the house cutting with power tools, but it'll also be pretty time consuming I assume.

Third and most expensive option would be removing the stone facing and starting over from scratch. It would probably be the best option, but really don't want to go that route if I can make other options work.

Also, the beam is pretty rough and has lots of potential for splinters I assume. What kind of finishing would you guys recommend that will leave the reclaimed look, yet provide a safe surface to work with?

If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

 

[pen]

Some pics of this fireplace would definitely help.

If you tried to attach them, I don't think it worked.

 

[dirtmcgirt79]

Sorry, I forgot to post the pics... I hope this works.

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[UMainah]

Sorry, I forgot to post the pics... I hope this works.

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Fixed it

 

[Nick Mystic]

If it was me I wouldn't try to get the back edge of your mantle to match the contours of the stone wall. In order for proper clearance the mantle is going to be mounted somewhere near eye level, so people won't be able to see the fit of the mantle against the rock face very easily. As long as you don't plan to put stuff on the mantle that is so tiny it could fall into the tiny gaps (or through them) I think you would be okay. If one or two stones mess up the fit from sitting relatively flush you could always deal with just those few instances by using a wood chisel to remove a little wood for a better fit.

 

[dirtmcgirt79]

You know Nick... You are absolutely right. I think I've been putting too much thought into it. I finished cutting the beam to size and hollowed out a channel in the back for the 2x4 today. When I held it up in place the gap is barely even noticeable at all. The fit is so much better than I had imagined it would be. Now I'm just happy that it won't be a ton of work as I originally thought it might be.

Thanks for the suggestion. And thanks Umainah for fixing my pics.