This is the tool I make out of Live Oak for boat builders.
Note the knarly grain. That’s why I thought the bowl was Live Oak.
I used to get the wood from a lumber yard in Florida that milled it for
dunnage but they are no longer in business.
I'm presently looking for a new supply.
Since Live Oak has virtually no commercial value it's not readily
available. It comes mostly from trees that are either blown down or
taken down to clear land.

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
This is the tool I make out of Live Oak for boat builders.
Note the knarly grain. That’s why I thought the bowl was Live Oak.
I used to get the wood from a lumber yard in Florida that milled it for
dunnage but they are no longer in business.
I'm presently looking for a new supply.
Since Live Oak has virtually no commercial value it's not readily
available. It comes mostly from trees that are either blown down or
taken down to clear land.


That looks like a serious mallet. Any chance you could treat us to some
pictures that actually shows this thing in use? Good on ya for making a
tool that must be hard to find.

In article ,
Kevin wrote:

I'm presently looking for a new supply.
Since Live Oak has virtually no commercial value it's not readily
available. It comes mostly from trees that are either blown down or
taken down to clear land.

Perhaps some of your customers? I seem to recall mystic seaport (museum
that builds/maintains a lot of wooden boats/ships) dispatching crews to
recover live oak when storms went through areas where it's a common
tree. I believe that they were looking for it for frame parts, so they
probably produce cutoff chunks when they put it to use.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
This is the tool I make out of Live Oak for boat builders.
Note the knarly grain. That’s why I thought the bowl was Live Oak.
I used to get the wood from a lumber yard in Florida that milled it for
dunnage but they are no longer in business.
I'm presently looking for a new supply.
Since Live Oak has virtually no commercial value it's not readily
available. It comes mostly from trees that are either blown down or
taken down to clear land.


That's a cool handle Kevin,.. Down in Houston I'd say that 50% of the oaks
are Live Oaks and do not fall in the category that you mention concerning
being cleared or blown down. Down here they come in a wide variety and most
are very nice trees.

Rice University campus and the streets surrounding the campus are almost
entirely shaded year round by some pretty old Live Oaks.

I find it interesting that nobody has mentioned that live oaks were used in
building the sailing vessels in the early days of settlement of this
country. Their massive and many branches were just right in the framework of
the vessels, Joined by growth at the bottom, thus requiring no joinery
there, they were premium boat building material.

http://www.urbanforestrysouth.org/Re...tion/file_name

gives a good description of the tree and it's use.

Walter.

"Leon" wrote in message
. net...

"Kevin" wrote in message
...
This is the tool I make out of Live Oak for boat builders.
Note the knarly grain. That’s why I thought the bowl was Live Oak.
I used to get the wood from a lumber yard in Florida that milled it for
dunnage but they are no longer in business.
I'm presently looking for a new supply.
Since Live Oak has virtually no commercial value it's not readily
available. It comes mostly from trees that are either blown down or
taken down to clear land.


That's a cool handle Kevin,.. Down in Houston I'd say that 50% of the oaks
are Live Oaks and do not fall in the category that you mention concerning
being cleared or blown down. Down here they come in a wide variety and
most are very nice trees.

Rice University campus and the streets surrounding the campus are almost
entirely shaded year round by some pretty old Live Oaks.

On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:58:30 -0400, Kevin wrote:

This is the tool I make out of Live Oak for boat builders.
Note the knarly grain. That’s why I thought the bowl was Live Oak.
I used to get the wood from a lumber yard in Florida that milled it for
dunnage but they are no longer in business.
I'm presently looking for a new supply.
Since Live Oak has virtually no commercial value it's not readily
available. It comes mostly from trees that are either blown down or
taken down to clear land.

There are several live oaks on the west coast. Other than firewood none
have much commercial use although I think the grain - which is much like
yours- is quite attractive. One of them, Quercus chrysolepis, the Canyon
Live Oak, is also known as Maul Oak
--

09=ix

wrote:
I think you just might have to do a bit more R&D on that 'corking
mallet'.

1. there are no rebound slots either side of the handle boss.
-----------------------------------
They are on the top not the side, as they were on Drew mallets (see Image).
They run from behind the front ring to just into the handle boss, as on
a Drew mallet. The slot is tuned be the owner.
This is the fist mallet I made and the one I use for caulking.
-----------------------------------
2. Live Oak was considered 2 nd quality behind the mysteriously called
Black Mesquite ( not really a Mesquite botanically).
-----------------------------------
That wood has never been successfully identified by anyone. We don't not
know what it was. Every piece of wood I've been handed that was called
"Black Mesquite" held no resemblance to a Drew mallet.
-----------------------------------
3. are the rings tempered steel with a taper on the inside?
-----------------------------------
Better, they are 4130 Chrome-molly steel.
Take a Drew mallet apart. The taper on the head rings is on the outside
with no taper on the inside.
-----------------------------------
Do a Google search on C.Drew and Co. They were the premier maker of
corking irons and mallets.
-----------------------------------
....and they have been gone for years. I did a great deal of research
before I started making these (ten years ago) including talking to
members of the Drew family and caulkers that have drew mallets.
Most of all teh records of the company were destroyed in a fire and the
old Drew factory in Plymouth MA.
I took all my measurements off of original Drew mallets including the
rings.
I'm a shipwright and was just going to make one for myself. Others saw
and liked it so much I make them for those who want one


http://pages.sbcglobal.net/djf3rd/

From your source.

"The better rings are/were made from tool steel hardened and tempered. "

Not according to the Drew company and the people that have them.
I've worked with original mallet rings and they are NOT tool steel.

I also have a full selection of Drew irons to do the job.

Garrapata wrote:
On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:58:30 -0400, Kevin wrote:

This is the tool I make out of Live Oak for boat builders.
Note the knarly grain. That’s why I thought the bowl was Live Oak.
I used to get the wood from a lumber yard in Florida that milled it for
dunnage but they are no longer in business.
I'm presently looking for a new supply.
Since Live Oak has virtually no commercial value it's not readily
available. It comes mostly from trees that are either blown down or
taken down to clear land.

There are several live oaks on the west coast. Other than firewood none
have much commercial use although I think the grain - which is much like
yours- is quite attractive. One of them, Quercus chrysolepis, the Canyon
Live Oak, is also known as Maul Oak

I've tried Canyon Live oak but I find that Quercus virginiana, they
stuff I get from Fl, to work the best.

Leon wrote:


That's a cool handle Kevin,.. Down in Houston I'd say that 50% of the oaks
are Live Oaks and do not fall in the category that you mention concerning
being cleared or blown down. Down here they come in a wide variety and most
are very nice trees.

Rice University campus and the streets surrounding the campus are almost
entirely shaded year round by some pretty old Live Oaks.



They handles were traditional Cherry, how am I to argue with
tradition....beside as you say it looks great.

It turns out the cherry had good shock absorbing qualities.