Help - fireplace mantel with access panel

I think hinged joints are hard to pull off. This mantel will be in plain view, so I would build a solid box. Just leave an open channel at the back of the mantel to use as a wire chase. Cover the chase with a "T" shaped molding to match the rest of the box. Cut the "T" molding into 2 pieces, which will leave a hole behind the TV for the wires to emerge. You can use self-adhesive foam weather stripping for a snug friction fit.

The effort you spend hiding the wires pays off in droves. It will be a really clean install.



The more I think about it, you might just be able to drill a hole in the top of the mantel, and fish the wires through with a flexible rod. I have used "Fish Sticks" successfully to run AV wires. It is like a fish tape, but works better. You can find them in the electrical dept. at home improvement stores.

I have use SOSS hidden hinges and when closed they are totally invisible and very strong.
For a hidden panel you can get by with some really small ones.


They are available from a number of sources including Amazon.

Alternatively, maybe a modified version of Joe's suggestion might work. I could make the front with two or more frame and panel segments (like in the first picture I posted), using 1/4" plywood for the panels and seating them in rabbets in the frames with magnets to hold them in place.

I could use a forstner bit to drill circles in the back of the panels to seat some RE magnets, and drill in from the back of the frames (leaving maybe 1/8" to 1/16" of material) to seat the mating magnets behind a thin layer of wood - so that the bond isn't strong enough to risk pulling through the epoxy. I'm thinking that it might be too difficult to get a precise gapless fit with pull-out frames, but that could be solved with some bead or other small molding glued (only) to the panels after they've been seated in the frames.

I've never mounted a mantel before, but I was thinking that for a hollow box I'd just screw a cleat into the wall and build a false back into the mantel so that I could screw into the cleat from inside the mantel itself instead of just from the top/bottom.

I'm really curious to know what everyone thinks would be the simplest way to solve this problem, considering both the access issue and the mounting issue.

Edit: One last idea. Maybe I just skip making any sort of access panel to the mantel, and instead run the cords on top of the mantel and hide them under a hollow piece of trim. E.g., if I'm using 3/4" thick by 1.5" wide trim to frame out the mantel, I just route a hollow down the underside of the back piece of trim, say 5/8" x 1.25" If I need more space for cords, I could route into the top of the mantel where the trim sits to get another 1/2" or so.

I decided to go with front access rather than top access; because the mantel will be mounted on a cleat I had to leave a 1.5" gap between the back of the mantel and the wall, and since I'll be screwing the mantel to the cleat through the back and down from the top I decided this would make top access more complicated.

So, now I'm trying to decide whether to put the entire front on hidden hinges, make front face frames with removable panels, or do something else. I'd welcome comments on what you guys think would be the easiest way to leave an access point, and what would be the least conspicuous in terms of visible gaps.

On the plus side, the (open-faced) mantel build turned out great. The total gap between the mantel and the bookcases is less than 1/2" (i.e., just enough of a gap to provide wiggle room for installation), and that will easily be bridged by the frame trim.



(The mantel is just resting on the cabs; it will be installed at least 12" from the fireplace.)

Well, the project is almost done. I definitely overthought the mantel front - the friction fit is almost sufficient by itself, and with a couple of pin-and-roller door catches inside there's no risk of it falling off. All of my wires are fed into the mantel, and the speaker wires are tucked away and run up and over the bookcases. All that's left is to finish the crown molding, touch up the paint, and clean it up.

Current progress (except for some recently-installed crown molding):









Current status of crown molding:





I installed a 1" cleat on the chimney brick at the ceiling line to give me something to nail the molding to (other than stabbing at joists). This also gives me a small reveal (maybe 1/2"), which will help with the fit between the vertical brick trim and the crown. It also leaves me a tiny amount of furring space if I end up putting a white panel over the top brick (perhaps to hide TV cords).

Also, my father-in-law gave me some excellent advice for trimming the inset doors to fit the face frames. In order to shave VERY shallow angles (like, 32nds of an inch) to get perfect fits with (almost) even gaps between doors and frames, he suggested taping a washer to the edge of the door opposite the edge to be trimmed. The washer rode with the door along the fence (I clamped on a fence extension) and kicked the side-to-be-trimmed out by just a hair's breadth. This process let me dial in on the proper amount of trimming for each side of each door - a necessity considering neither of my taper jigs could accommodate this type of cut.

Once everything is done I'll put up better pics as a project on my profile. Thanks for all the advice!