Old barn beam for a mantle

[ooba tooba]

Reduced hours at the auto plant gives me time to do a few projects, and occasionally make an extra buck helping my best friend, who happens to be an awesome carpenter. His project yesterday was installing a large antique barn beam over his customers fireplace in Saline. Kev is the go to guy for kitchens and baths for a remodel outfit in Northville, but can handle anything thrown to him. I tagged along mostly to just help lift this thing into place. The homeowner obtained the beam at a place in Waterford called Reclaimed Michigan where they seem to specialize in old barn wood, beams, doors, hardware... apparently they offer to cut, sand, plane, stain your purchases too which is cool but this owner wanted it as is. I just thought it was really cool so I thought I’d share some pics. It was neat to see how the old farmers pinned the cross beams together. Kev cut 4’ off the end per request, planed the wall side and drilled holes in it to line up with the 10” lag bolts screwed into the (2) 2x12s that made up the face above the fire box. Birds kept us entertained out a nearby window. The mantle is to be surrounded by ledge stone soon.

 

[ooba tooba]

I rounded the bolt ends with a grinder where we cut off the heads for an easier fit, and put some construction adhesive in the holes and nice big circles on the wall side. It ain’t going anywhere. They’re losing the mirror and mounting an elk head. He says his wife doesn’t know that part yet Lol

 

[TJ808]

Nice work, that looks great!

 

[ooba tooba]

Nice work, that looks great!

Thanks! I will work with my buddy whenever I can. I always learn something, and this was definitely a new one for me. I’ve measured and fabbed and installed plenty of stone fireplace surrounds/hearths but never a barn beam

 

[WisJim]

Many years ago my wife and I spent part of our summer weekends tearing down a barn primarily to get the beams. They were 60+ feet long one piece pine 12 by 12s, four of them running the length of the barn. Lots of 4 by 4 corner bracing, everything pinned together with wooden pegs that we knocked out with a big punch and sledge hammer. Used a couple of the beams in the house we were building. Ended up with a barrel of used nails from the sheathing and wooden shingles.

 

[ooba tooba]

@WisJim.. that sounds like it was quite an undertaking. You may possibly know if this is accurate, but I was told that back then they would build a barn around a tree that they were using for it and eventually they would cut it to a certain length to use as a lever to hoist assembled sections upright. Then they would just chop the rest of the tree when finished.

 

[ooba tooba]

Sharpened side of a peg used to join cross beams.

 

[WisJim]

@WisJim.. that sounds like it was quite an undertaking. You may possibly know if this is accurate, but I was told that back then they would build a barn around a tree that they were using for it and eventually they would cut it to a certain length to use as a lever to hoist assembled sections upright. Then they would just chop the rest of the tree when finished.

I've never heard that, but who knows what they could have or might have done given the right conditions and circumstances.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Ooba, that is very cool. The customer made a great choice for a mantle.

I used to live in Waterford, so I had to look up Reclaimed. Had no idea it was there. Looks like a typical Michigan winter day in the pics.

 

[yeldogt]

@WisJim.. that sounds like it was quite an undertaking. You may possibly know if this is accurate, but I was told that back then they would build a barn around a tree that they were using for it and eventually they would cut it to a certain length to use as a lever to hoist assembled sections upright. Then they would just chop the rest of the tree when finished.

Never heard that story -- but, I'm sure it was done ... why not if you have a nice hoist available?

Have owned a couple old barns -- rebuilt one into a residence. The weight of the timbers amazing when you think of the work needed to position them.

I'm doing an 1870 stone church conversion now and the trusses have 34' timbers -- when we replaced roof some of the vertical roof deck had boards 20" wide and over 30' long. Huge hemlock trees ....