Wood Mantel with Hidden Storage — board plan

What to buy, and which parts come off which board.

Buy 5 boards at 8 ft.

3/4" × 5 1/2" — 1x6

3 boards · 6.3 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 68% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 19 1/2" left over
60"5 1/2"5 1/2"4"
1. Front (door) — 60"
2. Ends — 5 1/2"
3. Ends — 5 1/2"
4. Center divider — 4"
Board 2 · 36 3/8" left over
58 1/2"
1. Top and bottom (60" mantel example) — 58 1/2"
Board 3 · 36 3/8" left over
58 1/2"
1. Top and bottom (60" mantel example) — 58 1/2"

3/4" × 2 1/2" — 1x3

2 boards · 1.7 board feet (includes 15% for knots and defects) · 61% of the boards you buy used

Board 1 · 37 7/8" left over
57"
1. Hanging cleats — 57"
Board 2 · 37 7/8" left over
57"
1. Hanging cleats — 57"

Cuts are listed longest-first, which is how they should be made: the awkward pieces get placed while there is still board to place them on. The layout assumes one end of each board is squared off (1") and that every cut costs 1/8" of kerf — the reason six 16″ parts do not fit on a 96″ board.

3/4" × 5 1/2" — 1x6

Board 1 · 19 1/2" left over

Board 2 · 36 3/8" left over

Board 3 · 36 3/8" left over

3/4" × 2 1/2" — 1x3

Board 1 · 37 7/8" left over

Board 2 · 37 7/8" left over