The beam was 6″ x 6″ PAR – planed all round – so it was anything but round.

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Some shaping helps it look more aged & natural…

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I used a freshly sharpened kukri to carve off the sharp edges and shape it around the knots. [Side note: have a read at this: wikipedia:Kukri — what a great tool.] I followed that with a belt sander at 80 grit, then hand-sanded to 120-grit. Oak is a nice wood to work.