As a woodworker, it’s hard to turn down the offer of free timber, especially when it’s a “You haul” situation…after attending a woodworking show, and chatting with various vendors about their products, I was thrilled when one vendor asked if I’d like the timbers he’d produced demonstrating his tools, as long as I could haul them away at the end of the show.  I said yes, and soon found myself with 4 square, very green timbers measuring around 60″ x 8″ x 8″ each.  As they dried, ideas kept popping up as to how we could utilize them, and the one that came up most frequently was mantel shelf…mantel shelf…and soon, we found ourselves waiting for the perfect client with the need for a mantel shelf to come along.

The timbers dried, and we soon found ourselves stubbing toes and bashing shins on these gorgeous pieces.

Finally…a client came along looking for exactly what we had – a mantel shelf to fit a design that was modern with a rustic feel to it.  After they’d done some major renovations and redecorating, we were pleased to deliver this beautiful hand planed timber and let it grace their family room.

Leaving some of the rough spots from the live edge, we planed and sanded the top shelf portion, to allow for safe placement of decorations, without any fear of damage to either the shelf or the decorations.  Stained with java to match the rest of the decor, and finished with a satin polyurethane, this beast is now the anchor to the space, and a conversation piece, even when undecorated.