Welcome
Welcome to Against the Grain
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About Us
How it all began
Here's a little about our family and how we got started. About 5 years ago, we bought a used sawmill with the plan of building our forever home by using the wood that we milled from our land. We honestly had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We had a normal 9 to 5 jobs. We harvested our own trees from our land and began making timbers and framing material. One morning a neighbor asked if we would like a hardwood log. We had never slabbed a tree before so when we sliced through it our eyes widened with delight- the grain was so beautiful. We didn't really know what to do with it so we put it on craigslist and social media where multiple people jumped at the opportunity to purchase it. From that day on we grew year after year and continue to grow and learn something new everyday.
Something very important to us, our number one goal at Against the grain is to go above and beyond for our customers. We want to have the best customer service possible for our customers. Whether it's your first time or a repeated customer, we want to support you every step of the way. We value your business! With out you our small business would not exist, so thank you.
(In this Photo is our youngest son learning how to read a tape measure. We hope that one day, little Jack (or one of our other little ones) will take over our business and carry it on someday. Everything we do is for them and the rest of our family.)
Live edge slabs
Against the grain is best known for our one of a kind, large, live edge slabs. Our slabs come from the New England area, mainly Maine and New Hampshire; but that doesn't keep us from traveling to other New England states trying to find that unique log. Our mill will cut up to 55" wide up to 20ft long. What makes Against the grain stand out from other mills is the capability of cutting table top slabs. Finding a hardwood log, large enough for a tabletop, can be challenging. A tree that size is easily over 150 to 200+ years old making it a multi generation tree that was most likely planted in the 1900s or before. Once we saw the logs into slabs, there is an extensive process of stacking, stickering and air drying the slabs prior to kiln drying them. Once through the kiln drying process you have a slab that is ready to work with. Typically when you cut a slab it takes 1" per year to airdry. so a slab that start life 2.5" thick will air dry 1-2 years prior to the kiln drying process. With the kiln you are forcing all the moisture out of the wood and killing all bugs that were living in the slabs. The moisture should be 9% or less when cycle is done. After the kiln has run its course we start the flattening process. As the wood dries it moves because your forcing the moisture out thus creating change in the wood.. The slabs never come out of the kiln looking like it did going in. Think of it as the human body as you age. Our cnc machine flattens any cup or twist it may have. Finally, it's brought to our store and put on display for our customers.
Kiln
One of the biggest and key factors that makes Against the grain stand out is our kiln dried stock. 90% of our inventory is kiln dried. People want to work with their slab right away. We recently upgraded purchased our kiln to be more efficient an keep our stock full. It takes roughly 4-7 weeks to dry 4,000 board feet depending how long the slabs have been air drying. When a slab comes off the sawmill the moisture content is usually 40-50% or more after its cycle through the kiln it should read 6-8%. Always allow your slab to acclimate for a week or two in your home or work shop.
Live edge rounds
One of our more popular cuts are our rounds and ovals. Rounds and ovals are a unique shape. Customers usually buy them for centerpieces for weddings or baby showers, coffee tables, end tables, night stand, shelves, serving trays and even mounts for their antler, or turkey fan. keep in mind we typically do not kiln dry rounds or ovals because they are an end grain cut. speeding up the dry process for such items typically reduces the quality . Rounds are ment to be dried slowly
Sizes usually range
8-40+" on rounds
2-3ft long 4-21+" wide on
Committed to Quality
Quality should never be compromised. No matter what product you choose, you can feel confident that our products are what we claim them to be. Majority of our slabs are planed or surfaced so you have minimal work when you bring your piece home. Any slab that you find can be reworked to your specifications.
1000s of slabs in inventory
Our goal at Against the Grain is to have a large selection of live edge slabs. We carry mostly hardwood most of them have great grain figure. Our most popular species are differnt types of maple, black walnut, box elder maple, cherry and pine. We do not carry exotic woods. All our slabs are domestic. We have people come from all over New England and have had people stop from New Jersey, Florida and Michigan. It's always wonderful to hear how pleased they are with our large selection.
Live edge tabletops
One of the benefits of coming to Against the Grain, we offer large kiln dried slabs that have been surfaced these slabs are ready to go and work with right away and you can really see the grains and the features within the wood. With that being said if you shop with us you'll be able to have a single slab making your very own dinning room table, desk whatever it maybe. Perhaps your not comfortable making it your in luck against the grain has you covered we offer finishing services weather its sanding it for finish, filling voids or all the above and applying a protective finish. We would love to help you get that one of a kind live edge slab making it the centerpiece of your home.
Our live edge slabs usually start around 20-40"+wide and lengths 4-7ft long sometimes longer if we find the right tree.
Live edge shelving
One of our most popular item at Against the grain is live edge shelving. We have 100s of pieces to choose from. Mostly hardwood most popular species is maple, black walnut. Sizes start around 2ft-8ftx6-12"wide×1.25+thick
Charcuterie boards and serving trays
A little over two year ago we opened up a small retail store. Our products are all hand crafted. With that being said we carry a good selection of wood products for your home. The most popular product is our charcuterie boards, every charcuterie board is different not one is the same they come in all different sizes.
We also carry serving trays,wine caddies,cribbage boards, bottle openers, key/dog leash holder, coat racks an much more. These make wonderful Christmas, birthday gifts, housewarming gift or maybe you want one for yourself. Looking to make it a little more special we can engrave a name,date or even a image
Outdoor furniture
During the warmer months we sell live edge picnic tables, outdoor benches also benches with a back perfect for the firepit, camp or on your patio or dock
Live edge slabs & Gift shop
Inventory
Live edge slabs
Based on board foot
Our live edge slabs are either air dried or kiln dried. We also just started offeringkiln dried turning blanks for wood turners.
Air dried slabs price $2-5 a bf
Kiln dried $5-10 bf kiln dried slabs are surfaced by cnc or planed. Tabletop slabs are priced $12-15 a bf
Turning blanks $2-30 each
Charcuterie board
$50-140
Charcuterie board are priced by the size species and figure
Boards are roughly 18"-3ft long an as wide as 7-18"
Serving trays
$45-120
Serving trays are priced on size and whether its engraved
Common size is 14-24long
Cribbage boards
65
Cribbage boards are $65 flat rate unless it has large image/ wording. Cribbage boards come completely finished. We also provide aluminum colored pegs with a deck of cards. Cribbage boards can be customized as well
Custom made signs
$40+
Custom signs are often ordered for your camp,home, house warming gift,wedding gift etc. Our signs are either cnc or laser engraved depending how detailed you want it.
Hand poured candles
$12-$40
Hand poured soy mix candle are made in house by my mother and I. We offer dough bowl candles which is our most popular and a jar candle. We use high quality wax,oils and bowls
Jared candles $12 or 2 for $20
Dough bowls $40
All candles come with a care card