I found some decent poplar at a decent price locally (central Florida). I'm
working on my screen porch and need a molding at the top to hide the
juncture of wall drywall (new) and ceiling drywall (done long ago). The
poplar will be it so I'm off to my shop to join an edge, rip and surface.

Boring post? Yeah, but at least I'm chopping wood

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

"dadiOH" wrote in message
...
I found some decent poplar at a decent price locally (central Florida).
I'm working on my screen porch and need a molding at the top to hide the
juncture of wall drywall (new) and ceiling drywall (done long ago). The
poplar will be it so I'm off to my shop to join an edge, rip and surface.

Boring post? Yeah, but at least I'm chopping wood


Be sure to prime and paint that piece as poplar does not hold up well out
doors especially if it is humid.

On 8/19/2009 7:06 AM dadiOH spake thus:

I found some decent poplar at a decent price locally (central Florida). I'm
working on my screen porch and need a molding at the top to hide the
juncture of wall drywall (new) and ceiling drywall (done long ago). The
poplar will be it so I'm off to my shop to join an edge, rip and surface.

Boring post? Yeah, but at least I'm chopping wood

Boring? No, ripping good, I'd say!

[boom-TISH]


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

Refreshing. Thx.

Just bought some poplar myself but no idea if it was good price or
not. Forgot to look. It also is for a home project. I am building a
fireplace surround with fluted columns, etc and mantle to hide badly
done brick work (not mine, it came that way). I am building it mostly
out of MDF but thought the actual mantel shelf should be real wood to
stand up a little better. Yeah poplar is soft but it will hold up
better than MDF would and it won't take much abuse.

It all gets painted white when I am done.

The main reason I am excited about this project is I am going to buy a
Bosch 1250DEVS 6 amp orbital sander to sand the paint off of the
bricks that will be left exposed. I have been jonsing for one of these
monster sanders for a long time and I found a local tool supply house
that has them in stock. I have a few other projects lined up for this
bad boy as well.

On Aug 19, 7:06*am, "dadiOH" wrote:
I found some decent poplar at a decent price locally (central Florida). *I'm
working on my screen porch and need a molding at the top to hide the
juncture of wall drywall (new) and ceiling drywall (done long ago). *The
poplar will be it so I'm off to my shop to join an edge, rip and surface.

Boring post? *Yeah, but at least I'm chopping wood *

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it athttp://mysite.verizon.net/xico

The main reason I am excited about this project is I am going to buy a
Bosch 1250DEVS 6 amp orbital sander to sand the paint off of the
bricks that will be left exposed. I have been jonsing for one of these
monster sanders for a long time and I found a local tool supply house
that has them in stock. I have a few other projects lined up for this
bad boy as well.

Hopefully you don't have paint in the joints.

Yes I do and I have a couple of ideas about that.

1. Try using the edge of the sander pad. The joints are standard
width, probably close to 1/2" or more and the grout wasn't wiped to be
to deep.

2. If this is only partly succesfull or not succesfull, I'll make a
bullnosed sanding block and try by hand.

3. Try paint remover

4. Try wire brush attachment on corder drill

5. Grout over roughed up but not totally removed paint

6. Paint the grout lines gray.

I did a test sanding of the flat part of the bricks with a palm sander
and it came of clean and easy but took some time. So the big sander
will speed that up.

I am also only leaqving exposed a small portion of the existing brick.
Here is a picture. I have made lots of changes to the design but this
does show the exposed brick as it will be.
http://www.sonomaproducts.com/Graphics/fireplace.JPG


On Aug 19, 11:17*am, "Leon" wrote:
The main reason I am excited about this project is I am going to buy a
Bosch 1250DEVS 6 amp orbital sander to sand the paint off of the
bricks that will be left exposed. I have been jonsing for one of these
monster sanders for a long time and I found a local tool supply house
that has them in stock. I have a few other projects lined up for this
bad boy as well.

Hopefully you don't have paint in the joints.

SonomaProducts.com wrote:

3. Try paint remover

4. Try wire brush attachment on corder drill

5. Grout over roughed up but not totally removed paint

I like these three. Alternatively, get a cat and tell s/he, "NEVER SCRATCH
HERE!"
____________

6. Paint the grout lines gray.

Argggg...

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

"SonomaProducts.com" writes:
Yes I do and I have a couple of ideas about that.

1. Try using the edge of the sander pad. The joints are standard
width, probably close to 1/2" or more and the grout wasn't wiped to be
to deep.

2. If this is only partly succesfull or not succesfull, I'll make a
bullnosed sanding block and try by hand.

3. Try paint remover

4. Try wire brush attachment on corder drill

5. Grout over roughed up but not totally removed paint

6. Paint the grout lines gray.


7. Sand Blast?

"Scott Lurndal" wrote in message
...
"SonomaProducts.com" writes:
Yes I do and I have a couple of ideas about that.

1. Try using the edge of the sander pad. The joints are standard
width, probably close to 1/2" or more and the grout wasn't wiped to be
to deep.

2. If this is only partly succesfull or not succesfull, I'll make a
bullnosed sanding block and try by hand.

3. Try paint remover

4. Try wire brush attachment on corder drill

5. Grout over roughed up but not totally removed paint

6. Paint the grout lines gray.


7. Sand Blast?

there is a sand blaster that can be used in this situation. it has both a
blaster and a vacuum, so the dust/residue go elsewhere instead of into the
local atmosphere. you do need a hepa filter on whatever you're using to suck
though.

dags 'vacuum sand blaster'

http://badboyblasters.com/id92.html
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....&group_ID=1839

"SonomaProducts.com" wrote in message
...
Yes I do and I have a couple of ideas about that.

1. Try using the edge of the sander pad. The joints are standard
width, probably close to 1/2" or more and the grout wasn't wiped to be
to deep.

I would not suggest that, it will probably ruin the pad.


2. If this is only partly succesfull or not succesfull, I'll make a
bullnosed sanding block and try by hand.

Keep in mind that the grout is going to be very porus and the paint probably
soaked in quite a bit. You will probably have to go in relatively deep.

3. Try paint remover

You might try that on all surfaces, there are some pretty effective and
environmentally safe ones out there. IIRC the WoodWorking shows has a
vendor selling such a product, soy bean based IIRC. You might doa search on
the www.Woodworkingshows.com site.


4. Try wire brush attachment on corder drill

I believe that will damage the edges of the brick, too hard to hold in the
slot perfectly.


5. Grout over roughed up but not totally removed paint

Probably a better idea.


6. Paint the grout lines gray.


Probably the best idea but do that before sanding any of the brick faces or
you may find your self sanding again. ;~(




I did a test sanding of the flat part of the bricks with a palm sander
and it came of clean and easy but took some time. So the big sander
will speed that up.

I am also only leaqving exposed a small portion of the existing brick.
Here is a picture. I have made lots of changes to the design but this
does show the exposed brick as it will be.
http://www.sonomaproducts.com/Graphics/fireplace.JPG


On Aug 19, 11:17 am, "Leon" wrote:
The main reason I am excited about this project is I am going to buy a
Bosch 1250DEVS 6 amp orbital sander to sand the paint off of the
bricks that will be left exposed. I have been jonsing for one of these
monster sanders for a long time and I found a local tool supply house
that has them in stock. I have a few other projects lined up for this
bad boy as well.

Hopefully you don't have paint in the joints.

SonomaProducts.com wrote:
Refreshing. Thx.

Just bought some poplar myself but no idea if it was good price or
not. Forgot to look. It also is for a home project. I am building a
fireplace surround with fluted columns, etc and mantle to hide badly
done brick work (not mine, it came that way). I am building it mostly
out of MDF but thought the actual mantel shelf should be real wood to
stand up a little better. Yeah poplar is soft but it will hold up
better than MDF would and it won't take much abuse.

It all gets painted white when I am done.


WHITE PAINT on a fireplace surround?

HeyBub wrote:
SonomaProducts.com wrote:
Refreshing. Thx.

Just bought some poplar myself but no idea if it was good price or
not. Forgot to look. It also is for a home project. I am building a
fireplace surround with fluted columns, etc and mantle to hide badly
done brick work (not mine, it came that way). I am building it mostly
out of MDF but thought the actual mantel shelf should be real wood to
stand up a little better. Yeah poplar is soft but it will hold up
better than MDF would and it won't take much abuse.

It all gets painted white when I am done.


WHITE PAINT on a fireplace surround?

Yep. Works fine if it's a good fireplace. Unfortunately what passes for a
fireplace today would get the builder ridden out of town on a rail in the
1700s.

J. Clarke wrote,on my timestamp of 20/08/2009 11:15 PM:

done brick work (not mine, it came that way). I am building it mostly
out of MDF but thought the actual mantel shelf should be real wood to
stand up a little better. Yeah poplar is soft but it will hold up
better than MDF would and it won't take much abuse.

It all gets painted white when I am done.

WHITE PAINT on a fireplace surround?

Yep. Works fine if it's a good fireplace. Unfortunately what passes for a
fireplace today would get the builder ridden out of town on a rail in the
1700s.


Probably mentioning something you're already aware of, but aren't you concerned
with MDF giving off fumes when heated by the fireplace? I can't remember
off-hand which chemical (formaldehyde?), but I know it's not very healthy. The
painting might help contain it, maybe?

Never really thought about it. I do know that MDF supposedly off
gasses formaldyhide (sp?) for a while when new but I didn't think it
was forever. Wasn't sure if the newer manufacturing process has
eleminated that or if you have to buy special non-formaldi type. Also
didn't know that heating it would elevate the effect but it makes
sense. Yes it will be painted. Maybe that helps. I also don't think it
will really get too much heat, it is back from the opening a bit and I
don't plan to have any bonfires.

Last winter here in California, my first in this new house, I didn't
even use it for a fire. I will use it this year, at least when
entertaining.

If I die or get cancer, I guess I post a warning here.

On a related note to this thread, I ended up using jasoc paint
stripper for the face of the bricks and a wire wheel to clean the
grout lines of the painted brick. I planned to go all the way to clean
brick but there were several layers of different colored paint white,
and two different reds and then the lightest red is the brick itself.
Plus some carbon deposits on the bricks just above the opening. By
just removing 85% of the coverage I ended up with the greatest looking
distressed brick. Better than I could ever have planned for.

I'll post pics once I finishing triming and painting the surround.



On Aug 23, 4:40*am, Noons wrote:
J. Clarke wrote,on my timestamp of 20/08/2009 11:15 PM:

done brick work (not mine, it came that way). I am building it mostly
out of MDF but thought the actual mantel shelf should be real wood to
stand up a little better. Yeah poplar is soft but it will hold up
better than MDF would and it won't take much abuse.

It all gets painted white when I am done.

WHITE PAINT on a fireplace surround?

Yep. *Works fine if it's a good fireplace. *Unfortunately what passes for a
fireplace today would get the builder ridden out of town on a rail in the
1700s.

Probably mentioning something you're already aware of, but aren't you concerned
with MDF giving off fumes when heated by the fireplace? *I can't remember
off-hand which chemical (formaldehyde?), but I know it's not very healthy.. The
painting might help contain it, maybe?

Do a Google search on Fireplace Surround and then jump to the images
page and it is 50/50 white paint or natural finished wood. As much as
I love wood, this little 1,000 sq ft ranch house is just not suited to
elaborate woodwork built-ins. I am toning down the complexity of the
design to try and fit in with the general style of the house while
adding some classic elements of design. The white base boards will
also wrap around from the adjacent walls to tie the surround back into
room. That is not show in the picture.

On Aug 20, 5:01*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
SonomaProducts.com wrote:
Refreshing. Thx.

Just bought some poplar myself but no idea if it was good price or
not. Forgot to look. It also is for a home project. I am building a
fireplace surround with fluted columns, etc and mantle to hide badly
done brick work (not mine, it came that way). I am building it mostly
out of MDF but thought the actual mantel shelf should be real wood to
stand up a little better. Yeah poplar is soft but it will hold up
better than MDF would and it won't take much abuse.

It all gets painted white when I am done.

WHITE PAINT on a fireplace surround?