Decorative Fireplace Facade

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The in-laws are wanting a facade built on their fireplace that they recently converted to gas logs for Christmas, and I had to accept as this was part of the justification process with the wife which enabled me to finally build a half *** metal shop. Just kidding, I like working out in the shop more than anything else, so I was glad to do it. The project started this weekend and after cutting up the frame and doors, I took the frame over to their house to make sure that everything was perpendicular, parallel, plumb and square, which it surprisingly is. I'll weld what I have cut up and add the scroll work this weekend hopefully.The one thing that I have not yet decided is how I am going to secure the frame to the fireplace surround. The angle frame will sit inside the fireplace (recessed) with the face exposed, which the doors will be hinged from. I have allowed for 1/8" gap all the way around, and intend on using black fireplace caulk to trim the gap between the brick and facade.- My first idea was to add some tabs to the back of the frame which would allow me to lag it to the second row of brick behind the facade.- My other idea was some sort of compression based mounting system that would allow me to "sandwich" the facade to the inside edge of the fireplace opening and hold it in place via compression (nuts welded to frame with bolts going through or something like that).- Lastly, there is a big angle iron header (30+ yr old house) at the top of the fireplace opening. I was thinking of shimming the bottom/sides and potentially plug welding to the header. This is actually the option of last resort due to the proximity of natural gas lines, and I probably will not go this route.Does anybody have other ideas to better mount this said recessed facade frame to fireplace opening?Here is what I have so far:(mind you, the doors are sitting on the opposite side of the frame in the pics than they will be in real life as I was just laying the pieces on the table as they were cut):Small pre-fab sketch to keep my head in order:Attachment 932791And a couple pics of what I have so far. The flat bar was just set there for my viewing, evaluating and will overlap the entire crack between doors. They have an existing fireplace screen with mesh material that I will re-use to tack behind the scroll work just before finish and paint work.Attachment 932801Attachment 932811
Reply:This is what it is going into:Attachment 932821
Reply:Finally able to dedicate some hours to this project. Made a bit of headway, though might not be ready by Christmas. The scroll jig that I made isn't tight enough, so they needed a fair amount of tweaking. Bad back, feeling it now.Attachment 943851Attachment 943861Attachment 943881Attachment 943921
Reply:Attachment 943931Attachment 943941
Reply:Looks great!"The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it." - Thomas Jefferson If the Lights are a Flashin', STAY OFF the tracks!!! It might be me at the Throttle...
Reply:Try using spring pins in your frame, will make it easier to remove for cleaning. I would use 2 at the top and 2 on the sides down low. Make them or buy some.RegardsDave
Reply:That looks great!  Nice job.
Reply:looks great keep the pics coming  clifton
Reply:Very nice work.  I would never have gotten the scroll work to look the same in both doors.  Good job!Cant wait for the finished pics!ECAVE Still learnin'Lincoln AC225Lincoln 135SPHF ChopsawVictor O/ANumerous other items
Reply:He's got a couple of "tricks" that make that fairly easy. 1st is the scroll jig he's showing near the end of post 3. It's fairly easy to make consistent scrolled ends using one. 2nd is the chalk outline on the steel table. You simply lay your piece on the outline and tweak as needed to get it to match. Assuming the doors are the same size, it's not hard to get several than match really close.You did a really nice job on the blends between the pieces.  They flow very nicely together and that often isn't easy.The only thing that "bothers" me is the flats on the ends of the scrolls. That just comes from me knowing how they were made and irritates the blacksmith in me who would have done them hot and not ended up with the flats. Nothing wrong with what you did, it's just that to me those parts really stand out in my mind..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Ecave, DSW hit it spot on with the description on how things stay consistent. I actually wasn't happy with the consistency, but left well enough alone on this one. If my jig was tighter, the scrolls wouldn't have needed as much tweaking, and consistency between the scrolls would have been closer from the get-go. I'll re-work the jig another day.Thanks DSW, and yep, once a system is in place it's pretty easy. I was thinking the same thing about heat while I was bending them, I only had about a 1/4" in the hole for the initial bend of the scroll and thats the flat spot it created. Getting the firepit stoked before hand would have probably served me well.BTW smilingdave, thanks for the spring pin idea. I was going to try and do a compression fit, but may just ask them if they are ok with me drilling into the brick. I think that if it were lagged or pinned, it would create a more permanent install.-Niche
Reply:Well done,Looks beautiful!
Reply:Originally Posted by BrianCWell done,Looks beautiful!
Reply:Into the wee hours of the morning..Attachment 971391Turned into this..Attachment 971421Attachment 971431Attachment 971441
Reply:Although not happy with the turnout of the handles as I kinda rushed through them only for the overall project to miss the Christmas deadline by two weeks. They welded on nicely though.Attachment 971451Screen riveted to back sides of door and painted..Attachment 971481Attachment 971491
Reply:Installed..Attachment 971501Attachment 971511-Niche
Reply:Oh, sorry. Latch made at top with a spinner on handle that turns to open/close doors. Gas fireplace and only opened to light and turn off. Next time (if there is one) heat insulation/isolation will be added to the handles too.-Niche
Reply:One small thing I noticed in one of the last picts. The right set of scrolls has a kink in it.The left set blends quite well. The large "kidney" shape made by the 2 scrolls I circled in Yellow seems very even. That also applies to the 2 scrolls I circled in blue. However on the right hand one, while the large kidney shape works well, the smaller one the area circled in red has that kink that looks "odd". The blend on the very top scroll on the right also isn't quite there.I'm not busting on your project. I'm pointing out a small defect that can make the difference between something that looks a bit "amateurish" and something that nails it on all levels. It's really tough to get things to look right and blend well. You managed that on the left one quite well, but not quite on the right.Having a chalked outline on a bench to compare your actual work to a theoretical example can help you make the small adjustments that can be needed to get things right. Some times it can be tough to notice things like this until you get it all together and step back away from the whole and compare the two to each other..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Ahh, good point, I see both. Bad thing now is that it is gonna drive me crazy till I fix it! I am also seeing that I need to do a bit of tapping on the handles too. This may be a curse, as I will probably see something every time I go over..Thanks for noting the nested circles too, I'll have to remember that if I ever do another. I drew a couple of center lines when I drew my pattern, but mostly eyed the scrolls. Starting with circles/ovals makes sense.-Niche
Reply:Yeah it's nice how each one balances itself with the next. I wonder if you couldn't get a 3rd smaller one in as well. Might be too busy though.I've always liked grills that all the elements seem to work as units instead on individual parts. the best are those where you can see large parts out of many of the sub components and can't tell what was supposed to be with what originally..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:That  is a great looking set of doors you built.   I know your relatives really liked them. Congrats.
Reply:Top Notch creativity. I like it.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain