Mantles

[WLC]

For those of you that saw mantles, how big do you typically saw them?  Thanks!

[irvi00]

If its my log that I'm going to put up to dry and sell later, I just cut it whatever it squares up to. When someone buys it I'll throw it back on the mill and resaw whatever dimension they want. If its their log, whatever they tell me to cut it. I encourage them to cut it 1 inch oversize, allow it to dry and bring it back so I can true it up.

[WV Sawmiller]

   If I'm sawing them for stock, which is usually the case, I saw them either 3 or 4 inches thick and usually leave both edges live.  I have to handle by hand and that is about as much as I can move even using a pulley and ATV winch to get them up on some heavy duty shelves I built.

   When a customer buys one I offer to put it back on the mill and edge one or both sides for him. I try to leave a minimum of 12" between the start of the sapwood. I saw them either 8 or 10 feet long even though most people want them shorter. I suggest they may want the excess for making their corbels. Sometimes people try to get a better price for a shorter one. I tell them I'll be glad to cut it off as a convenience for them but the price is the same as not likely I'd be able to sell the rest although some bowl turners might use them.

   If sawing for a customer I saw whatever size he wants and edge or not based on what they want. I sawed one for my son's best friend last week out of a 7' walnut he was fixing to cut for firewood till son told him I could cut him a a mantel and he decided on 3" and we edged one side. I ended up with three 8/4 and one 4/4 live he did not want or need which was pretty decent sawing compensation in my mind. I'll sell or make benches out of the 8/4 pieces.

   I get people who tell me the want a standard size mantel and I tell them there is no such thing. One guy bought 2 piece of walnut to join to make a 23" wide mantel. Before he came he said he did not know which wood he wanted but he knew he did not want walnut - then he saw an 18" X 10' 8/4 slab I had out and there was not more searching.

   

[moodnacreek]

That depends on the demand and how flat I think I can dry it.  I just finished stacking 3500+ foot of walnut mostly 2" because it's in demand and dries good. If it had been maple I would go 2 1/2" , elm also. Oak maybe 2 1/4". 
Sounds crazy but what do you do with all those twisted planks in the years to come ?  You have to resaw them flat and still have some thickness left.

[Chop Shop]

4" thick by 8-12" wide and 6-8' long are the most common requests I get.

Some want bigger, some smaller.

[YellowHammer]

2 3/8" and also 3 5/8".
This gives me the least drying defects to maximize my investment in logs and covers most of the customer requests. 

I've done some 5" and 6" and they crack when dried.  I tell people that the more I mill the piece to be the size of a crosstie, the more it's going to crack and look like a crosstie.  If they want a crosstie for a mantle I can cut them one. 

Most folks prefer and purchase mantles with no cracks even though they say they don't mind cracks. 

[Magicman]

I once sawed an 8" X 16" X 12' for a mantel.   I have often wondered how they planned to attach it.  That particular job was for so much crazy stuff that I just kept sawing the cut list and asked no questions.   

[Andries]

Some are short.

[Andries]

Some are long.


A mantle is one of those projects that needs wood with character !

[WDH]

4.25" thick x 12" wide and either 8' or 10' long.  Some square edged, some with one live edge.  This is what I usually cut for mantle stock.

[WV Sawmiller]

Danny,

   I usually leave both edges of mine live until the customer buys it then I'll edge for him if desired. With both edges live someone may still buy them for a bench or counter top where they want both edges live. JMHO.

   My theory is you can always make the smaller, shorter and sometimes that includes edging.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I sell a good many Mantels mostly to contractors.

There are no set dimensions for a Mantel.
I keep different sized Mantels that are finished in my show room.
They are 4 inches up to 6 inches thick x 5 to 8 inches wide and up to 6 feet long.

These are for sell but mostly to show a customer how we finish them.
I also keep about 12 -16 unfinished Mantles under the shed. These are off the mill and not finished.
They are mostly 8 x 12 x 10 and can be re sawn to a particular size.
Some have live edge some don't.

If they come looking with a particular Mantel in mine and IF you have a big inventory, they will usually find a Mantel that they like better than what they had in mind.

We also sell 4 inch shelves to go on top of a Mantel if thats what they are looking for.

We will sand them and Tung Oil them if they like or leave them rough.

It is up to the customer how to install them.

[Magicman]

All of that plus Poston da Goat even knows how to correctly spell mantle mantel.   :D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

All of that plus Poston da Goat even knows how to correctly spell mantle mantel.   :D

Yep....I can't remember who it was  :......but somebody called me out on my spelling of Mantle one time.  :D

[WV Sawmiller]

David,

   What do you mean by a 4" shelf on top of a mantel? I am more confused now than I normally am. :D I guess I always just thought of a mantel as a big shelf over the fireplace.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

David,

   What do you mean by a 4" shelf on top of a mantel? I am more confused now than I normally am. :D I guess I always just thought of a mantel as a big shelf over the fireplace.

Here is something I just laid together for this picture.
The shelf can be as thick as the customer wants or has wide. The contractor professionally installs it per his methods and usually puts stone around it.

Work with your buyer. A tall cathedral ceiling with a larger fireplace really needs a larger sizer Mantel to look proportional. Smaller gas fireplaces would look better with another size.

Its a mantel with a shelf on top.
Its an option..... if a customer likes the face of a mantel but want a wider place on top to set larger things like Taxidermy Animals or technology, like TV, disk players or whatever.....the shelf gives them more room without having to choose another, HEAVIER one piece mantel. The shelf can have live edge (like the one in the pic) or can be squared. I have sawn them live edge and left 1 or 2 short knots on the edge.
They sell. Look again at Andries Mantel....the more character the more money.