I need a small block of hard maple

[Don K]

Hey guys,
   I'm wondering if someone can help me? I want to build a wooden mallet of hard maple. I have the plans and I need a dry rough block about 4X4X6 to cut down to the finished dimensions. I will make the handle from white oak or hickory which I have plenty of. I've heard that maple has a high resistence to shattering or splintering. I guess it must be tough if they make cutting boards from it. If some one can help with this I would be glad to pay for cost and shipping. Send me a PM if anyone is interested. Thanks in advance.   
Don 

[woodmills1]

I have some stuff I made for turning squares, let me see if any are 4".  Dogwood makes a good mallet head too.

I just looked and yes many of these were 4 inch thick.  send me a pm and I will send you the list of these blocks and you can pick the one you want. these are coated on all sides with anchorseal so should be in very good condition.

[Ron Wenrich]

Persimmon is another good wood.  The better golfclub heads used to be made from that.

[SPIKER]

I've found splitting maple was usually not too hard, , willow was one of the harder to split woods.  not sure if that helps ya or not and I can't tell ya how much was hard vs soft maple either as I haven't split any in a LONG time.   I do have some mulberry which seems very split resistant but I have no real data only the end of a maul...   I know a lot of people like the mulberry for smoking meats/port (I'm told it has a sweet flavor? not sure about it myself but will be cooking with some this summer as I had 1/2 a tree come down)

Mark M

[Furby]

I might be able to get you a piece of dry dogwood if you want that.
I'll have to look.

[SwampDonkey]

I would use white ash. I have piece of white ash I use as a pounding block, and I hit it with a hammer. It gets some hard whacks. It never has split. I know the edges cut like glass. It's very hard stuff. White ash is even harder than beech, but not as hard as persimmon, but has the same shock resistance. Hophornbeam O. virginiana has the highest shock resistance and is as hard as W. ash. Shagbark hickory and locust are as hard as persimmon.  Persimmon splits easier than ash. Find some Osage Orange, that would be really tough to beat. Personally I would go for the white ash, my favorite tree and I've made a few things from it. I've see n a lot of hickory handles split along the grain and I've had an axe with a maple handle I made 15 years ago and never broke it yet. ;D

[Ironwood]

How about a Hickory sapling root ball. Use the portion just below ground level. If they used them for hitting a steel froe, it IS durable. I made one and Man IT TAKES THE ABUSE.  Can't be beat (no pun intended)

                             Reid

[woodmills1]

List is sent. :P

[Don K]

Where is it sent??  ???

[SwampDonkey]

 :D :D :D :D :D

Laurel and Hardy ??  ;D

[woodmills1]

sorry I replied to my own email, just now replied to the board email.  If you didnt get it send me an email.  woodmills1@aol.com

[Engineer]

I've got a firewood pile full of black locust, hop hornbeam, shagbark hickory, white ash and sugar maple, so if you only need a piece 4x4x6, I can send one along.  I just cut some nice dry 4x4 ash posts up for railing posts for my stairs and there's a few 6" blocks can be had.

I'd love to get my hands on some persimmon or osage for mallet heads if anybody wants to do a wood swap.

[Jeff]

sorry I replied to my own email, just now replied to the board email.  If you didnt get it send me an email.  woodmills1@aol.com

If you replied to the board email the forum will get it and no one else.

[Don K]

Thanks for all the responses. Woodmills offered some turning blocks, but I think a wood mallet would not be a fit end for that, but Engineer is posting me a scrap piece of a deck post. Hopefully if anyone asks where I got the mallet, I can say from a piece of a guys deck in Vermont.  :D :D