Mallets

[hbmcc]

To each his own, but honestly, why buy any mallet when they are incredibly easy to make.  Even if you don't have dense wood, you can add weight to it.  Maybe its just me.

Checked the Wood Is Good mallet and have to agree with you, Admiral. Pretty pricey. However, I look at wood and don't understand the $5/foot price for every day hardwood (Eastern US and CA species here on the left coast). I have some Robinia (Black Locust) I could split and fashion; or, a Dogwood that needs pruning, but so far, a beater stick seems to want to be something else.

[Hank Knight]

Bruce,

I turned a carver's mallet out of dogwood. It turns nicely and takes abuse pretty well, but it's too lightweight for a serious mallet. If you decide to use dogwood, add some lead shot to the head.

Hank

[Admiral]

Checked the Wood Is Good mallet and have to agree with you, Admiral. Pretty pricey. However, I look at wood and don't understand the $5/foot price for every day hardwood (Eastern US and CA species here on the left coast). I have some Robinia (Black Locust) I could split and fashion; or, a Dogwood that needs pruning, but so far, a beater stick seems to want to be something else.

I've made several over the years, one was made out of maple and cherry scraps, 1/2" or so square cutoffs that I glued together (with regular old yellow glue) in a checkerboard pattern with the edge grain oriented as the faces of the mallet, turned a handle, drilled a hole, relieved the edges and Bob's your uncle.  It's a little dinged and banged up, but has not come apart in 12 years.

[hbmcc]

It seems odd that a good DIY project should be ignored in favor of a purchase. I am shy on local resources for a good mallet--even my dogwood is an eastern species--but there is always Woodcraft and their turning stock in the craziest stuff the world has to offer. 

I just go further toward simplicity and use sticks, like Follansbee. (Sticks seem to be a prerequisite for riving.) However, they are just a little below bourgeoisie for chisels.

[bandit571]

Turned one a few years ago...as the one I inherited was to lightweight..

   
The one standing up fits my hands better..


Had a block of Spalted Maple, used half of it.

.

   
Used this "leftover" for a few knobs...

[Timberwolf]

I need to add a Mallet to my tool collection.  I have a big heavy mallet for mortise chopping and setting hold-fasts. The smallish round mallet that I have been using for chiseling is getting beat up to a point that I will not be able to use it anymore.

I am currently looking at the Blue Spruce mallet, and wondering what other manufacturers/mallets are out there that would be similar to the Blue Spruce quality.

Blue Spruce has a 13oz and a 16oz. Which size would you want for general chopping chores, such as removing waste on dovetails?

...........................
I have a couple of sizes of this mallet.....I use the rawhide for chisels...
http://www.garlandmfg.com/mallets/split.html

[RonB1957]

I need to add a Mallet to my tool collection.  I have a big heavy mallet for mortise chopping and setting hold-fasts. The smallish round mallet that I have been using for chiseling is getting beat up to a point that I will not be able to use it anymore.

I am currently looking at the Blue Spruce mallet, and wondering what other manufacturers/mallets are out there that would be similar to the Blue Spruce quality.

Blue Spruce has a 13oz and a 16oz. Which size would you want for general chopping chores, such as removing waste on dovetails?

The 16.5 Oz. ships out today.
Ron

[AHill]

If you have the money (seems like you do), IMO, there's no better mallet out there than the Blue Spruce ones.  Quality and workmanship is excellent, and the resin-impregnated head will not mar or chip or dent in use.  I splurged on one several years ago, and it still looks new.  I have several mallets of different shapes and weights for different purposes.  I use the BS mallet mostly for chopping dovetails.  I made a mallet myself where the head is lignum vitae and the handle is osage orange, held in place with a walnut wedge.  I soaked that mallet in BLO overnight and let it cure.  For some reason, the lignum turned blue-green.  Very interesting, but still works like a champ.  I also have a Wood Is Good mallet, but I don't care for the urethane.  They say it transfers more force into the chisel, but for me, I just don't get the feedback I'm used to with my wood mallets.  Just my preference.  YMMV.  If Wood Is Good is on your shopping list, I highly recommend trying one out if you can before purchasing.

[Derek Cohen]

I wonder why so many like carver's mallets for hammering chisels? I suspect it is because they are easy to make. I made several over the years, and eventually purchased the Blue Spruce (16oz) ...



After a made and experimented with a few traditional joiner's mallets, I moved to the Veritas Cabinetmaker's mallet, which I modified with a more ergonomic handle and added UHMW to the faces. The UHMW offrs a harder surface than leather, and better feedback, but still protects wood-ended chisels.



The reason for the move away from a carver's mallet is - in my experience - the joiner's type offers a more directed force, and they are more efficient and controlled in their striking.

I use gennou for Japanese chisels. These better suit their steel hoops, and provide immediate feedback.



For mortising in really hard wood, I made a 38 oz brass infilled joiner's mallet (the faces have since been covered with UHMW) ..



.. but will use the Veritas (at 18oz) for most tasks. 38oz is too heavy for casual use.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[bandit571]

Still in use..
  

   
Seems to work just fine..


And, without having a Sales Pitch...