JJohn's Urban Timber
John Haling leaning low across a glossy freshly poured live-edge slab in his Whitmore Lake shop, checking the finish

Whitmore Lake, Michigan · Since 1998

Wood with a story. Crafted for yours.

Specialty sawmilling up to 60" in diameter, vacuum kiln drying, wide-slab surfacing, and reclaimed Michigan hardwood slabs — all processed in-house by John Haling.

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  • 4 In-House Sawmills
  • Logs Up to 60" Diameter
  • Vacuum Kiln Dried (6%–8%)
  • 51" Wide Slab Surfacing

Core Services

Complete in-house timber processing

Every stage from raw log to flat, kiln-dried slab happens at our Whitmore Lake workshop — never outsourced.

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John Haling sawmilling a large hardwood log on the band mill in Whitmore Lake

Logs Up to 60" Diameter

Custom Sawmilling

Four in-house sawmills engineered to handle massive urban and customer-supplied logs that commercial mills turn away.

Service details
In-house vacuum kiln drying chamber at John's Urban Timber

6%–8% Moisture Balance

Vacuum Kiln Drying

Low-temperature vacuum moisture extraction that dries thick slabs in weeks while preserving natural color and preventing checking.

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Surfaced and sanded large hardwood cross-section cookie in the shop

Surfacing Up to 51" Wide

Planing, Sanding & Jointing

Abrasive planing up to 51" wide, helical head planing, wide-belt sanding to 120 grit, and precision face jointing under one roof.

Service details
Stacks of kiln-dried live-edge hardwood slabs in the Whitmore Lake workshop

100% Reclaimed Hardwoods

Live-Edge Slabs & Lumber

Kiln-dried Walnut, Sugar Maple, White Oak, Cherry, and Elm slabs — flattened, sanded, and ready for custom furniture builds.

Service details

See the Work

Meet John in the workshop

Get a look at the shop, the sawmill, and the man behind it — then give John a call.

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Filmed at 6609 Esch Rd, Whitmore Lake · Custom Sawmilling & Vacuum Kiln Drying

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Selected Work & Inventory

Featured wood & craftsmanship

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Custom Live-Edge Black Walnut Executive Desk crafted at John's Urban Timber

Custom Craftsmanship · Michigan Black Walnut

Live-Edge Black Walnut Executive Desk & Dining Tops

Sawn from a single salvaged Washtenaw County walnut log, vacuum kiln dried to 7% moisture, and surfaced flat up to 51" to highlight the natural heartwood figure.

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Bookmatched live-edge black walnut slabs in the Whitmore Lake shop

In the Shop Now · 14" to 51" Wide

Bookmatched & Single-Piece Slabs

Kiln-dried Walnut, Curly Maple, White Oak, Cherry, and Red Elm slabs flattened and ready for tables, islands, and bar tops.

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Handcrafted reclaimed hardwood tables built from local Michigan timber

Commercial & Residential

Custom Tables & Countertops

Precision panel glue-ups, dining surfaces, and multi-table builds.

Wide finished live-edge hardwood slab with rich natural grain figure

Flattened & Sanded to 120 Grit

Ready-to-Finish Live-Edge Tops

Bring your own slab or select one from our racks for custom surfacing.

Display of domestic Michigan hardwood species and figured lumber at John's Urban Timber

Michigan Hardwoods

Shop & Species Gallery

Explore our log yard, milling equipment, and figured domestic lumber.

John Haling standing behind a custom live-edge bar counter in his Whitmore Lake shop

Meet John Haling · Est. 1998

Some logs shouldn't become firewood.

When storm winds knock down an old-growth walnut or a municipal project clears a massive sugar maple, commercial mills pass on them. Since 1998, John Haling has stepped in to give those salvaged Michigan trees a second life in Whitmore Lake.

"When you call or visit our shop, you're not talking to a salesperson or an order taker. You're talking directly to the sawyer who will cut, dry, and surface your wood."

Established
1998
Milling Capacity
60" Dia.
Slab Surfacing
51" Wide
Timber Source
100% Salvaged
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By Appointment · Whitmore Lake, Michigan

Got a log too good to become firewood?

Tell John what you've got — a fallen yard tree, a log to mill, or a custom slab project. Browse our available wood or call the shop directly.

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Call John · 734-741-9499