When we remodeled our kitchen, we removed the wall separating the kitchen from the living area, including the gas log and masonry fireplace and chimney. What a dusty mess! So we decided a better place for a gas fireplace would be on the opposite wall. I hired the metal fabrication company next door to the studio to press brake the cantilevered mantle so it would be structural, have smooth edges for sitting, and not need refinishing. They also sheared some of the 3/16" plate for me, and I built the framing and support components out of steel angle. I drilled and counter-sunk the plate and drilled and tapped the framing angle as I went. It all bolted together perfectly and to the wall.
3D model in SketchUp, shop drawings in VectorWorks.
