–SOLD to Justin S in Casper, Wyoming (WY) —
— August 22, 2018 —
— We have several other beams from this same batch still remaining. Contact us and we can craft one specifically to your needs —

This is the craziest thing. We rarely find butternut in these old buildings, but here we have it. This mantel was originally a sleeper beam in an old 1800s vintage granary. That is essentially a floor joist, but they use these oversized large logs instead. The logs have two original rounded tree-like sides and 2 hand hewn sides. The original beams we about 8in tall and ranged from 10 to 15in wide. They were up to 14 feet long. Many of the original pieces had bark on them.

On this particular mantel, we cut the top to remove some rot and leave a nice flat top surface. Bark was removed from the front and sanded to match the shape of the log. The front face has lots of beetle trails. Not to worry, it’s been kiln treated, but they add some nice character. The bottom has original hand hewing marks from a person swinging an ax in the late 1800s.

Butternut is a very nice hardwood. It is often referred to as “White Walnut.” It is soft and will ding relatively easily, but grain patterns very similar to black walnut. It is cherished by wood carvers because it is easy to carve and yet has a very nice character.

In the picture set, you can see images of the original granary near Waconia, Minnesota. We believe that it was built by the Steinhagen family back in the 1880s.

We have several other butternut sleeper beams from the same place. We can finish one of those up if it better suits your needs. In a couple of those pictures, you can see some of the source beams.

Because these beams are a little softer, they require more robust packaging. This mantel ships for $125 via FedEx Gnd.