At Second Glance............

After I assembled the mantle, I began to take a critical look at it. There were some gaps where the vertical and horizontal members joined. The more I looked, the more it bugged me. Since all of it was assembled with pocket screws, except the crown molding, which I fastened with micropins, I decided to take it apart. It only took an hour to disassemble it, re cut the horizontal portion and put it all back together again. Everything flushes up much better now. I think it all began with me watching Japanese woodworking videos. Those guys are so meticulous and patient. It makes my stuff  look like it was made with a chain saw and a sledge hammer. I stained it and brought it up to the house for a trial fit. It's crooked because the left side is resting on the old TV stand/DVD storage cabinet. That will go away once the mantle is ready to install. I'm pretty pleased with the way it looks. There was a fireplace door that I built when we moved in. It never fit quite like I had wanted, but I never got around to fixing it. Now I will have to make a new pair. This time it will be a better fit