what would be a good finish for chestnut?  I made a mantle piece out of some very nice old and wide boards I won on ebay.  no wormholes, nailholes and very nice quarter sawn boards (1-1/4″ x 18″ x 12′ – two of them – I used one plus a section of another board).

I read on an old post about using “Tried and True”.  I’ve seen this in Woodcraft (unfortunately the Pittsburgh store closed down unexpectedly last month), and not sure if Rockler carries it.  Would anyone expect any issues if exposed to a bit of heat?  The mantle is about 3′ plus above the fireplace, and the stones get a little warm.  It sits on some sandstone capstones (or whatever the correct term is for the flat stones that stick out, 12″ wide and about 1-1/2″ thick).  Is there anything else comparable that I might look for?

I also saw someone recommended fuming to bring out a nice patina.  I did have to plane the boards down some to clean off the bird poop and paint, and they supposedly were boards laid down over rafters in an old ohio barn, but they still do have a nice tone.  I tried not to plane down too deep.  I like the color now, and wouldn’t want it to get too dark.