I just finished my fireplace

[Smokin' Joe]

I just finished my real stone fireplace. I did the last of the mortar work this week.  I am thinking of mounting my Pennsylvania Fowler that I made from a Jim Chambers kit but.......haven't quite built up the nerve yet to drill holes for the brackets :cry:

 

[Two Feathers]

I just finished my real stone fireplace. I did the last of the mortar work this week.  I am thinking of mounting my Pennsylvania Fowler that I made from a Jim Chambers kit but.......haven't quite built up the nerve yet to drill holes for the brackets :cry:

Hi Joe
Beautiful buddy. I'd be scared to death over drilling holes too. :no: 
How's that Patch knife holding up?
I hope you, your wife and family had a great Thanksgiving.
God bless:
Stoney1
PS: LOVE the dog!!!! Wolf hound?????

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Thanks!  It’s a Spinone Italiano. I know... you never heard of it.

 

[Two Feathers]

Thanks!  It’s a Spinone Italiano. I know... you never heard of it.

Joe
 You got that right! I've heard of a lot of breeds, but that one threw me. My Father in law used to raise AKC registered hunting beagles, so I got to see a lot of different breeds at shows, but Spinone Italiano, is beyond me. No matter the name it's a beautiful dog!! Thanks.
Stoney1

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

I love it. Nice work! Nice stone. The dog looks like a good one. 

I have heard about your dog's breed. There was a Dogs 101 show or something that spoke highly of the breed and I read about it when I was looking for a dog in a book. Yours seems bigger than I remembered?

Two thoughts:

1. Do you have to drill? Is there another hanging option? Can you drill up to the ceiling and drop something down? Can you drop a hook over the top and drop it down? IDK. Just spitballing.

2. I have always wondered about keeping nice guns above the fireplace. Heat and keeping guns nice don't seem a good fit in my mind. Remove it when you are burning? (Chuckle) I would!

The will make your holidays very cozy. Thanks for sharing.

 

[exMember]

wow that is a piece of art! How long did it take you?

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Thanks Colonel, I was thinking the same thing as you about hanging a nice rifle over the fireplace.  I'll chew on that one for awhile.  

Thanks Jon, The fireplace took me about 3 weeks.  The dealer set-up the fireplace unit, did the chimney work and ran the gas line.  I did the electrical, framing and stone work.  I purchased the stones from a brick and stone dealer.  They named the stones "Wine Cellar".  They are cut flat on one side and average about 1 1/2" to 2" thick.  The mantle I purchased on Craigslist for $35.

Here is a pic of the stones that my wife and I carried down to the family room:

 

[Buck Conner1]

My neighbor has a puppy that's a Spinone Italiano that is all feet, fun to watch him running and playing in their backyard. Good looking kid Joe.

The Spinone Italiano (Italian Breed). It was originally bred as a versatile gun dog from what I was told and to this day the breed is still a capable dog for that purpose. The Spinone is a loyal, friendly and alert dog with a close lying, wiry coat per the neighbor. We (the wife) has had several different National Championships with (13" Beagles, Maltese and German Rottweilers), she knows dogs. Your kid is from an ancient breed that can be traced back to approximately 500 BC. Per the wife that knows this stuff like we know muzzleloaders (to each their own).

On hanging your beautiful rifle, give that some thought. Real fireplaces when heated up (burning) can dry out gun stocks pretty fast if too close (I know as I did as you have mentioned - hanging a rifle above the mantel and cracking a nice Poor Boy). 
That's a good looking fireplace, nice job.  :hats off:

 

[Buck Conner1]

Hey, let's see how many want to show their pets on a new Topic page, could be fun seeing what the other guys has to share. We knew Smokin Joe has a good one, how about you???