Mantle pieces - cutting lots this week if anyone has any requests...

[Big J]

I've never really done mantle pieces up until now, but I have a few shorter sections of Oak and a short section of Ash to cut.

 

Lengths are 4-5ft and there will be mantles at 6x3, 8x3, 6x4, 8x4, 10x4, 8x5, 10x5, 8x6, 10x6 and 12x6 if anyone needs one. Price will be in the region of £20-25 a cubic foot depending on quality and species.

 

Pretty easy to ship the lighter ones around the country for peanuts, though I might have to get imaginative for economically moving the heavier ones.

[bobh]

I'll give one of my customers a ring, they were muttering something about one the other day.

All kiln dried I presume?

[Big J]

No, not kiln dried, fresh sawn. Will crack and distort a little when installed, but most people seem to regard that as a plus. I would offer to kiln dry, but for that thickness of timber, it's very hard indeed to achieve that much of a reduction in MC. Air drying is more effective.

[Alycidon]

Needs to be dry really, heat from a stove is far more than that from an open fire and will cause them to warp. They are sometimes let into the plaster so warping would also crack the plaster.

 

One of the stove trades fire place surround manufacturers had major issues a while ago using oak that was not dry enough.

 

A

[Big J]

I suppose that it is the environment into which they are installed. Scotland is a good bit damper than down south.

 

Either way, I'll just pop them into the barn to dry. I've got a batch of 2.25 inch oak in there at present that was cut last April that is down at 29% already. Mantle pieces shouldn't take that much longer I suppose.