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+-- Thread: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. (/showthread.php?tid=7352552)
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Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - ®smpr_fi_mac® - 01-23-2020
I have a chunk of lignum vitae. About 4" square, and 15" long or so. I bought it *solely* to make a mallet out of, maybe two. My current mallet is a round carver's mallet, a cheap one by Narex, and I use the crap out of it. Its face is scarred like crazy, and it's only three years old.
I don't care to build a joiner's mallet out of *this* lumber, because what I have is not really big enough. That, and I'm not really convinced that I need a big joiner's mallet. Maybe in the future.
I am leaning towards replicating my carver's mallet and using ash or something similar for the handle. And then a simple T-shaped mallet by turning the head on my lathe and drilling the hole for the handle. Maybe wedge it to ensure it doesn't come out.
I've watched lots of YouTube videos on *how* to make mallets, but haven't really comes across explanations of *which* one (or two) I should make. Should I add a leather face? Should I bore it and add lead? Should I add ferrules to the faces?
I'm a hobbyist. I mainly make small boxes. Occasionally a larger piece of furniture.
Can you guys help me out?
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - farmerj111 - 01-23-2020
Personaly, I think this one would be the most useful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNhWZKr5mEg
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - Alan S - 01-23-2020
My approach is to start with a bunch of firewood, and turn a set of carving mallets varying in diameter from ~2" to ~4.5". Put them on the shelf next to the bench, so that after a while you'll know which size you want from more durable wood. While you're at it, make a couple of joiner's mallets and get a deadblow mallet, rubber headed mallet, and if you happen upon it, pick up a rawhide-faced cast iron head mallet too. Then if you see a small tree with a convoluted rootball, you can make it into a couple sizes of maul.
If you still have any room to work, you are well set up to choose a mallet or two. See which mallet you like for which task. If the head of the one you like splits, make one like it with a ferrule. If it mars your work, add a softer face. If the one whose weight you like is unwieldy, add weight to a smaller one. If you can't take the smell, or if orange is not your color, but otherwise you like the harbor freight deadblow, make yourself one. Sometimes it's easier, cheaper, and faster to just try things.
I am an example of the risk inherent in this approach: I have not yet gotten rid of any of these, though some are stored farther from the bench than others. The joiner's mallet is the only one that is always at the bench.
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - Timberwolf - 01-23-2020
(01-23-2020, 03:48 PM)®smpr_fi_mac® Wrote: I have a chunk of lignum vitae. About 4" square, and 15" long or so. I bought it *solely* to make a mallet out of, maybe two. My current mallet is a round carver's mallet, a cheap one by Narex, and I use the crap out of it. Its face is scarred like crazy, and it's only three years old............................
I don't care to build a joiner's mallet out of *this* lumber, because what I have is not really big enough. That, and I'm not really convinced that I need a big joiner's mallet. Maybe in the future.
I am leaning towards replicating my carver's mallet and using ash or something similar for the handle. And then a simple T-shaped mallet by turning the head on my lathe and drilling the hole for the handle. Maybe wedge it to ensure it doesn't come out.
I've watched lots of YouTube videos on *how* to make mallets, but haven't really comes across explanations of *which* one (or two) I should make. Should I add a leather face? Should I bore it and add lead? Should I add ferrules to the faces?
I'm a hobbyist. I mainly make small boxes. Occasionally a larger piece of furniture.
Can you guys help me out?
I made this one out of Lignum about 45yrs ago and it's perfect for carving and other light duty.....
![[Image: fullsizeoutput-b1d.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/65CpLRPn/fullsizeoutput-b1d.jpg)
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - Handplanesandmore - 01-23-2020
Depending on your objective...
Just to have something for chopping - +1 on "I am leaning towards replicating my carver's mallet"
Want a challenge (and have time) - Make one of a different design such as mortise & tenon (machine or by hand).
If you use sharp tools, lead in the head is unnecessary. I dislike heavy mallets, wasting my energy in lifting (I know lump hammers are trendy in some corner but I'm a woodworker not a trend- chaser
).Simon
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - ®smpr_fi_mac® - 01-23-2020
So, what I'm reading is that I need to buy more lignum vitae and make one of each type.
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - Bill Holt - 01-23-2020
Brad, I don't think you need to buy anything. My first lathe projects were mallets. The second one was from a piece of live oak and is still my back up. The sixth is Osage; a little smaller with a little weight added is my go to. I use mallets almost every day.
Duplicate your favorite mallet and you will be a happy camper.
Side note: grandson raised his hand yesterday and will be headed to USMCRD in June.
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - Arlin Eastman - 01-23-2020
Brad
Check out what one of the guys here bought from another member.
https://www.forums.woodnet.net/showthread.php?tid=7352486
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - ®smpr_fi_mac® - 01-24-2020
Bill, I bet you're a proud man right now! He'll be terrified soon enough! June will be 26 years since I was in boot camp. I should probably turn some from scrap first; at $10/lb, this vitae isn't cheap!
Arlin, those look too pretty to use!
RE: Help me decide which mallet to make, please. - Timberwolf - 01-24-2020
(01-24-2020, 09:52 AM)®smpr_fi_mac® Wrote: Bill, I bet you're a proud man right now! He'll be terrified soon enough! June will be 26 years since I was in boot camp. I should probably turn some from scrap first; at $10/lb, this vitae isn't cheap!
Arlin, those look too pretty to use!
..............................
Lignum Vitae, in earlier times, was used as the bearings in small hydro-electric power plants..The mallet I made was part of one of those bearing blocks..rescued from the fire they were in as the Inglis, Florida plant was de-comissioned years ago. They burned most all of them..I still have the other half of the bearing in my attic. If I had know they were going to be destroyed I would have gotten them all !!!!!!!
