Making our fireplace mantels

Last fall we learned of the plan to take down a huge pecan tree growing on the grounds of the Dallas Texas Temple.  It was a beautiful old tree towering over the front lawn obstructing the view of the Temple and occasionally dropping dead limbs which could have injured patrons strolling around the grounds.  We got permission of the Temple President and Engineer to take some sections of the tree trunk after it was cut and before it was hauled away.  From those sections we planned to have mantels made for our new home.

The workers tied ropes into the upper limbs in order to ensure the tree dropped where they planned without damaging the surrounding area.

After the two main trunk sections were cut I selected a piece over 13 feet long and another about 8 feet long from which I would have the mantels cut.  I also collected several smaller sections to be used to make corbels to hold the mantels.

I could never have been able to load the huge sections of logs onto the trailer without the help of my good friend Stan Carter.  He brought a heavy duty truck and powerful wench which we used to pull the logs up makeshift ramps.  In the end we managed to load approximately 5000 pounds of freshly cut wood.

For the past six months the logs have lain behind our motorhome drying somewhat before being sawn into planks.  With the time quickly approaching for us to mount the mantels, I decided I'd better haul them to the saw mill to be cut.  I cannot thank my neighbor and good friend Steven enough for his generosity.  He always seems to have the perfect tools for any job.  In this case, his John Deere tractor lifted the logs and placed them onto his 20 foot long trailer, pulled by his pickup truck.  Thanks Steven.

At the saw mill the operator made quick work of unloading my logs and stacking them for cutting the next day.  Unfortunately, they were already scheduled to cut some other wood so Brenda and I would have to return later the next week to retrieve the mantels and boards.

The modern saw mill is much smaller and easier to handle than those from decades past.  Nowadays, two men are able to load the logs, cut the slabs, and stack the lumber very quickly.

After a few days we returned to collect our sawn lumber.  I was very pleased at the quality of their work and just hope the next steps of planing, cutting decorative edges, and sealing the wood goes as smoothly.

In addition to the lumber which I wanted, I also had to haul off all the extra slabs cut from the outside of the logs.  Much of it was useless and I burned it in the rubbish pile at the construction site.  But, some of those slabs had plenty of useful wood, which I cut into lengths suitable for burning in our fireplaces - all while admiring our custom mantels made from trees from the temple!