Fireplace Restoration

We'll take a break from sewing for a bit. I've been working to restore my parlor since last September and am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the biggest undertakings was the restoration of the fireplace. Originally, the fireplace was covered with a mantel that went half way up the wall that was adjusted with some cheap plywood to make an arched opening. Behind the arch was yet more plywood that covered the brickwork of the original fireplace.

I wanted to make the fireplace consistent with the decor of the rural federal style, which involved floor to ceiling wood work. My first step was to remove the existing mantel to reveal the brick and see what I was dealing with under the plywood. I immediately realized why the plywood was there when I saw the shoddy masonry underneath. Seriously, who puts in a random cinder block when you run out of bricks! I'm good with wood and I'm good with iron, I have no experience with masonry. Luckily, I'm having a chimney company come out and tear down the crap masonry and they are going to turn it into a false firebox. I would have preferred a working fireplace, but the furnace exhaust that runs behind the bricked up wall prevents that from happening.

The first step is leveling out the wall brick around the brick to frame the fireplace opening, as seen in the picture on the left.  Luckily, the difference between the expose brick and the plaster wall was 3/4" so I was able to use 1" plywood to level the wall. After that, I framed the fireplace exterior and the walls with wood and moulding. To make the framing boards of the period, I routed a bead into the ends.

Once the fireplace was framed, I moved up the wall first starting with the mantel. Mantels in the Federal era a often small and made using and upside-down piece of crown moulding. That's exactly what I've used here. The mantle itself is only about 4" deep and sits a on the crown moulding. You can see the finished and painted mantel on the right.

The most frustrating part came next. I wanted to install two raised wainscoting panels above the mantel. I first tried using a wainscoting bit on my router table to cut the edge into the panels, but it didn't work. I think that the size and density of the pieces made it so that the router bit kept ceasing and it ruined a few panels. To cut the edges, I ended up making a sled for my table saw that slides over the gate. I raised and angled the saw blade appropriately to cut the panel edge, and clamped my panels to the sled. Then it was a simple slide down the track to get clean, solid wainscoting panels.

After mounting and painting the panels, I finished the job by installing two tin scones and display pegs for my musket. The musket is super cool by the way. It is a Pedersoli reproduction Brown Bess that is modified to be a Maryland Council of Safety musket that was made in Maryland during the American Revolution. This musket conforms to the orders placed by the Provincial Assembly of Maryland and even includes the proof stamp on the barrel that was supposed to be on all muskets. This is a one of a kind musket. 

The fireplace looks fantastic, and I can't wait for the mason to do his work and clean up the brick work. Then it will truly be done.