We recently brought in a great batch of solid walnut beams. In the raw, they are roughly 4.75 x 10.5 x 6ft – 9ft. By the time we are done flattening, straightening, and sanding, they are closer to 4in x up to 9-10in.  This recent batch was freshly cut and then dried in a modern vacuum kiln. It was dried for almost 12 weeks. These beams are reading less than 10% moisture content at the core, which is excellent for a beam. It is in the same ballpark as beam material from barns that have been drying for 100 years. While wood does naturally expand and contract with changes in humidity, these new solid walnut mantel shelves should experience only minor changes. You can see some pictures in the photo set of the source wood. There are also several pictures of other finished walnut mantel shelves that we crafted from this batch.

Prices vary by size and quality, but are close to that $1000 ballpark. The raw source beams were quite expensive to acquire, but well worth it for properly dried material.

Please contact us at antiqueww@gmail.com or call 612-281-9330 for information on our current inventory.

The problem with thick walnut mantel shelves or slabs is that they are very difficult to dry without cracking and twisting. Most kiln driers prefer to do 1-inch thick material but do some occasional 2-inch, maybe 3-inch, material. Almost nobody kiln dries beams. Drying wood is a bit like cooking a roast. It will be done (dry) on the outside, but still rare (wet) on the inside. Wood dries very similarly. So, the larger the piece, the harder it is to dry. By contrast, steaks and burgers cook pretty quick. Thinner wood dries quicker as well.

Black walnut has a certain mystique about it. It is coveted by nearly everyone as the premium wood. You’ll often hear stories about someone’s valuable walnut grove or tree. I just heard one the other day about an 80-tree grove with trees about 18 feet in circumference (5-6 foot diameter). Sometimes the stories are true, sometimes not. The price of walnut does vary greatly with demand, size, and character. Walnut does indeed make some absolutely stunning countertops and tabletops with live edges. The wood just beneath the bark, or sapwood, is a lighter color than the rest of the heartwood.

We have several other options as well:

• Box beam with end-grain ends – Tough to distinguish our boxes from real beam.
• Walnut mantel with metal inlay – Nice way to add some thickness and interest
• Walnut mantel with textured wood inlay – Less expensive than metal
• Walnut mantel with smooth wood inlay

About the TAG- Racy Red Whole Pimientos. I never knew that they sold whole pimientos. I thought they were only sold in the center of green olives. Love the old illustration. Lots of fun.