White oak starts out warm tan but can darken to nearly java black in a barn environment. This oak beam mantel was once a sill timber, so it was rotten and very rough-looking when we found it. But white oak is known for its rot resistance, so there was still plenty of solid wood underneath. We carefully cut each face to reveal the wonderful streaked color. I think we are about the only company to offer this unique style.

This oak beam mantel is a work in progress — only the front face has been sanded. The top and bottom still need sanding. We left it as-is so that we can shape it to meet your needs. The mantel is currently 6.5in tall x 8.5in deep x 66.5in long. It is a very nice mantel in that size. It would be a “perfect” mantel closer 5in tall to remove a little extra critter character in the upper right. Regardless, we’ll work with you to size accordingly and finish up. We do this at no additional cost.

This particular sill timber came from an old barn. It was a large beam that rested on the foundation wall, and it would have been wet on regular occasions near the ground. White oak was often used for sill timbers and fence posts because of its natural rot resistance. The wood was likely sawn on-site using a mill similar to the one in the picture.

This piece is free of mortise pockets, but it does have lots of nice bolt and nail holes.

When we apply the top coat finish, we can preserve the current natural color, or use a hard wax oil end up close to the sample picture near the end of the set. Likewise, we could also apply ammonia to naturally darken and decrease the contrast between the lighter wood and the darker streaks. We would not want to eliminate them, but just tone it down a bit. We’re happy to work with you on some nice color options without using traditional stains.

The barn from which this piece was sourced was situated near New Prague, Minnesota, a town known for celebrating its immigrant heritage, like many other towns in the area such as New Germany, Hamburg, Cologne, and Green Isle. We were fortunate to have taken a complete set of pictures of the barn. This particular beam was likely unremarkable in its original form, hidden in the basement of the barn. However, it has undergone a remarkable transformation through hours of sanding, brushing, and cleaning — ready for another couple of decades in your home.

It can be shipped anywhere in the lower 48 states via FedEx Gnd for $150

About the tag – E is for Elephant and Egg and Eskimo.  Harkening back to another Little Golden Book A-B-C. The first edition was published in 1951.