The reclaimed wood beam
We picked up a wooden beam reclaimed from an old barn somewhere out of the Midwest at our local lumber yard. The idea: hang this beam above the fireplace as a floating shelf with no hardware showing. Rather than buying off-the-shelf brackets, we made our own.
Creating the drilling jig
We had leftover 2"x6" boards from a previous project, cut to fit the dimensions of the beam's wall-facing side. This became a drilling jig to keep the holes we'd drill into the beam perpendicular and straight. We marked the center of the wood, measured five equidistant spots along the length, and drilled through on the drill press. With the jig clamped flush against the mantel, we drilled the corresponding holes into the beam as deep as the drill bit allowed.
Fabricating the steel bracket
We picked up two ⅜" flat steel bars, about 36" long, from the local hardware store. Since the mantel was longer than 36", we welded two pieces together to get one continuous length. Using the drilling jig again, we transferred the hole marks onto the steel bar and drilled them out large enough for ½" steel rods, then cut the rods to length with a bandsaw. Using the mantel as a template, we placed the rods into the drilled holes and checked that the flat bar aligned correctly on top.
Side note: at this point we realized five holes and five rods gave us more chances for misalignment than we wanted. If we did it again, we'd use three holes and rods instead: plenty strong, with less risk of things not lining up.
Recessing the bracket
For a cleaner look, we routered a relief into the wooden mantel along its length so the bracket sits recessed rather than proud of the surface.
Wall installation
Using a stud finder, we located studs along the wall and secured the bracket with ⅜" lag bolts. Once the bracket was on the wall, we slid the wooden mantel over the steel rods and decorated.
Final thoughts
It took way longer than we expected (months), and we had to hammer it more than we'd like to admit to get it straightened onto all five rods. But it looks fantastic, and we've been thoroughly enjoying the fireplace ever since.