Reclaimed Oak Barn Wood

Truck load of reclaimed oak from an old barn that is soon to be torn down. This is the second truck load I've brought home so far. I could probably get another full load but not sure when or if I'll be able to make it back now that the ground has thawed for the spring. Hopefully the ground will dry up before the fields around the barn get planted so I can get back.

Most of the wood appears to be White Oak with some Red Oak mixed in.

Reclaimed White Oak and Walnut Box

White oak and walnut – all reclaimed. Finished with BLO and beeswax/orange oil combo. All the parts came from a single piece of oak and a single piece of walnut. Many, many thanks to Doug Stowe for the books on box making and the inspiration.
The spline crosscut sled is directly from one of Doug’s books that I bought recently. The thin piece of walnut on the jig is a story stick used to gauge where the stop block is placed.

Almost forgot, the lid strap is made from scrap leather and the inside of the box is deerskin. I found a couple of deerskins at a yard sale recently for really cheap and thought they would be good for box interiors. I used spray glue to attach it to a thin piece of cardboard and then fit it to the box.

Be sure to click the link below to keep reading and to see more photos...

Joiners Mallet

The complete set of plans for this mallet was found in Shop Notes Issue 2, March 1992.

Made from leftover Walnut and White Oak. I had a blast building this one and I’m planning to make more just because it was so much fun. I finished it with a couple of coats of Danish Oil. The weights for the head are split-shot sinkers (small ones) that I just happened to have in my tackle box. And the leather for the face of the mallet was found at a local craft store – a bag of remnants for 5 bucks.