adding trim to fireplace

Before (just a reminder how I started)

I’ve added the trim to both ends of the mantel. See that little empty spot to the right? Today I cut the piece of wide trim for it, and I trimmed (using the jig saw) the lauan to match. Lots of piddling little things that take a lot of time!

I taped and glued this trim on Tuesday night. I also taped and glued the trim on the other side of the firebox. Then I sat back (around midnight) to admire my work. Suddenly I noticed on the right side, it was ALL WRONG! Wish I had taken a picture, but pure panic set in, I jumped up and started ripping off tape, hoping that I was in time to remove the trim without any damage. Whew! I was just in the nick of time. I decided to call it a night and head to bed, start fresh on Wednesday.

It was a sunny day (but very cold) on Wednesday, a good day to set the miter saw up and get busy. I drew a rough sketch of what I wanted my trim to look like, took some measurements and got busy.

I am showing you how I cut the trim. I do NOT suggest you do this! In fact I highly recommend you NOT do this. This trim is very thin and fragile. It is nearly impossible to cut the tip off without splintering and splitting it. I did that several times and then decided I needed to find a better way so as not to have so much waste. If the piece I was working with was long, I used a scrap piece of wood to hold down the very tip. This kept the tip in place, not flying up and hitting me. It also kept the trim from splitting.

I don’t have a picture of another way I cut the trim. If it was a short piece, I cut one end off of a long piece. To cut the other end off I laid a piece of small scrap wood on top and cut through both pieces at the same time. This allowed me to keep my fingers a safe distance away from the blade. Remember, I am not suggesting you use this method. I highly recommend you using a yellow miter box and hand saw. (I do not have one)

This is the hearth taped to “dry fit” everything. I wanted to fit it all, step back and take a look. I didn’t want any near disasters like I had the day before!

This picture is another view of the dry fit process. Sort of reminds me of my hands of late…full of band aids. I think I can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel!

See that cute applique? That was a Christmas gift from Jamie. I’m always complaining about how expensive they are. She bought me this one and two smaller ones. Isn’t she the sweetest? love ya girl!

gail