Rock Elm is an incredible, somewhat rare domestic hardwood. The natural wood tone floating mantel shelf is a great fit into the modern aesthetic accented by real, natural touches. This one has a grat look and feel. Rock Elm almost unavailable on the modern market, but we find it from time to time in old barns. The trees are very slow growing, resulting in extremely tight growth rings and grain patterns. Look at those pictures of the end-grains, and try to count those growth rings. Probably close to 100 years from center to corner. It is also hard and heavy like maple. Finishing rock elm can be very tricky. Typical approaches tend to make turn it yellow or obscure the grain. When done right, the Rock Elm is wonderfully unique and has a contemporary flair.

Interestingly enough, this contemporary looking floating mantel was sourced from a late 1800s vintage barn located near Henderson, Minnesota. The original timber was hand hewn. We hate to cut off old hand ax works, but revealing the beautiful wood grains, in this case, was the right choice. There are still a couple hints of the ax marks on the front face. The back face was left as-is. The back is pretty square. We often leave the back un-cut so that we maximize the depth of the piece. We can cut flat at no charge by request.

This floating mantel is a little more expensive that average because of the nearly 7ft length. We can cut this mantel shorter and refinish the ends for an additional for no additional cost. It does have a minor twist on the back. To preserve the depth, this is probably best left as-is and shimmed behind the stonework upon install.
We have similar raw beams that are shorter than can be worked up for less cost.

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

About the tag – Amazing New Tool from a 1930s vintage Better Homes and Gardens magazine.