I had the unique opportunity to build this fireplace surround and mantle when a friend called and asked if I could make one for a new house he was building. At first, he wanted a simple rustic looking mantle shelf. After some discussion, he looked at some samples and decided on a more finished look. His main criteria was that it not be too ornate looking.
   What makes this project special is the wood I used. When my friend called to ask about making the mantle, he also asked if I could use a 16-foot timber he had. I said I'd need to see it and asked if he could bring it by my shop. He said he thought it was walnut and it was stored in a barn at his father-in-law's farm. I advised him to use a chainsaw to cut the timber in half so he could transport it home in a pickup truck.
    When he arrived at my shop, I went out to see it. I immediately noticed the two original ends had tenons on them. This told me the timber came out of an old post and beam structure somewhere. He told me his father-in-law bought the property back about 1950 and there was an old dilapidated barn on it. Several years later he constructed a new barn and used what could be salvaged from the old one. This timber must have been extra and they just stored it up in the rafters until my friend removed it to bring it here. 
    The surface of the two 8-foot 6" x 6" timbers looked very rough. The outside faces were hand-hewn, which gives some idea of its age. He wanted to know if I could get enough usable wood from the timbers to make the mantle we had discussed. I wasn't sure at this point, since I needed to see the condition of the wood once it was cut into boards. The first order of business was to remove several cut nails I could see in the timbers. I used a metal detector to locate a couple that broke off below the surface. After removing all the nails I could find, the next step was to  cut the timbers into boards. I contacted a friend with a bandsaw mill to see if she could cut them and what she would charge. Having someone saw these was much better than trying to do it myself. While sawing, she did cut into one nail I missed, which added an additional charge to the bill, but it was still worth it in the long run.
    With the boards home, I studied them, took measurements, and decided there was enough clear walnut to build the entire mantle with the exception of the moldings I planned to use. Since my friend said he loved cherry, I recommended making the moldings from it since the two woods look good together. I worked up a sample of both woods with some oil finish on them so he could get an idea of how they would look. He gave me the go-ahead and I got to work.
    You may follow this project from beginning to end by clicking on the links below. As soon as my friend's house is finished and they're all moved and settled, I'll take some final shots to add to the end of this.