Project Mantle

I believe this is the first project that I've completed since starting this site.  Here is probably never-ending, Yearly got abandoned, and Code Grasp and I are currently locked in a stand-off (the book and I are both showing a lack of interest in the other, while still not giving up hope that the project may gather some steam in the future).  And so it's quite nice to actually finish a project, and do so on time (I actually finished last night).

Though the final product might not show it (wait for it), this project was harder than I thought.  Our house is rarely level, and the pre-existing 2 inch mantle was un-level in two different ways.  It was nothing two small wedges couldn't fix, but it was another reminder that there's always something that doesn't go smoothly.  This concept, that my work always needs a slight modification (there's also a wedge in the crown molding in our den), has me thinking about my woodworking in general lately.  I think it's safe to say that though I do good work, it lacks a certain degree of precision.  I can't think of a woodworking project I've done yet that there hasn't been a spot or two that I've prayed a heavy application of paint would render unnoticeable (I'd say I'm 1-for-4 in paint actually doing so).  It is also that which creates this lack of precision that I'm learning sets apart my woodworking projects from my technical ones.  Not only am I far more competent at computer-related projects, but they offer a non-linear approach that leaves room for trouble-shooting, and probably more importantly, the ability to add finishing touches later that look like they were there all along.

When working with wood, or probably more accurately, when working with saws, there are numerous finite events that create permanent outcomes.  One could always go get more wood if that outcome is not perfect, but there is always a loss of something physical.  In programming, the only real loss is usually time.  I'm slowly getting used to this difference, and appreciating this approach to projects, but the ability to make a cut that cannot easily be reversed takes some getting used to.

What I'm now wondering about my woodworking is, do I have the ability to become more precise?  My lack of precision is a result of either a) a lack of experience and/or b) a lack of touch.  I'm sure I will improve as I get more experience, and I am hopeful that my current lack of touch stems from that and not an innate talent I'm missing (the same one that lets a painter paint and an MLB player hit a curveball).

But back to the project.  There's something satisfying about using the product of the work you're doing to complete further work:

This angle probably best shows what I did.  I routed the wood with a molding design, then added a pre-molded strip below it to make for a more decorative and supportive transition between the new mantle and the old one:

And then painted it to fit in with the living room color scheme (which some call boring and others call sophisticated):

And there you have it: a finished mantle.