Making croquet mallets

[Kizar_Sozay]

I bought a set for my daughter's family.  $200 at Amazon and I found it at a sporting goods store for $40.  Assembling it I was disappointed with the quality of the mallets.  I can see them splitting.  The reviews on Amazon confirm this is a big issue. 

I don't have a lathe but I can buy hardwood dowels.  Is there somewhere I can get a tap and dye equivalent for wood to thread handles on the mallet heads?  I searched Amazon for mallets w/o the set and they run $60-120 ea.  I know for a fact the grandson is going to be the first to break one of them so I wanted to be able to come up with replacements.

I recall croquet was a good game for house parties and gatherings as you can take your turn and mill about with guests for ten minutes until your turn comes around.  Drawback to croquet is stumbling over the wickets.

[Stwood_]

Trying to think of the co's name that made/marketed wooden taps and dies. Name eludes me at the moment. They made a die and holder that you could take a 3-4' dowel and run it through full length.

[BpB123]

I bought a set for my daughter's family.  $200 at Amazon and I found it at a sporting goods store for $40.  Assembling it I was disappointed with the quality of the mallets.  I can see them splitting.  The reviews on Amazon confirm this is a big issue. 

I don't have a lathe but I can buy hardwood dowels.  Is there somewhere I can get a tap and dye equivalent for wood to thread handles on the mallet heads?  I searched Amazon for mallets w/o the set and they run $60-120 ea.  I know for a fact the grandson is going to be the first to break one of them so I wanted to be able to come up with replacements.

I recall croquet was a good game for house parties and gatherings as you can take your turn and mill about with guests for ten minutes until your turn comes around.  Drawback to croquet is stumbling over the wickets.

You can get a tap and die ... a variety of sources

https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly...doEALw_wcB 

Link is to Grizzly.. Tab ~$16-$18, Die ~$30 

Amazon also has them .. many others

Hope it helps

[goaliedad]

Simple hole drilled thru the head and a wood wedge to hold the handle in place?

[Phil S.]

Beall also makes a threader you use with a router -

http://www.bealltool.com/products/thread...reader.php

But maybe more than you want to pay for a one use tool.

I'm inclined to agree with GoalieDad.  Just drill a hole through the head; wedge and glue the handle in place.  Works for all the hammers in my shop.  If you want to be extra sure you could cross drill the head and pin the handle in place with another smaller diameter dowel.  You probably have all the tools you need to do this in your shop already.

Phil

[Eurekan]

Pretty easy to come by. Here's one at Amazon Woodworking threads

[MstrCarpenter]

I would cut a "v" in the pole and use the flat bottom hole to drive the wedge home. A little glue acts as a lubricant; but work fast so the parts don't swell from the moisture. You only get one firm shot, and orientate the wedged perpendicular to the grain on the head. The only way to get it apart is to drill it out.

You might also want to Google how to make dowels without a lathe. There are many methods to make them.

[Timberwolf]

I bought a set for my daughter's family.  $200 at Amazon and I found it at a sporting goods store for $40.  Assembling it I was disappointed with the quality of the mallets.  I can see them splitting.  The reviews on Amazon confirm this is a big issue. 

I don't have a lathe but I can buy hardwood dowels.  Is there somewhere I can get a tap and dye equivalent for wood to thread handles on the mallet heads?  I searched Amazon for mallets w/o the set and they run $60-120 ea.  I know for a fact the grandson is going to be the first to break one of them so I wanted to be able to come up with replacements.

I recall croquet was a good game for house parties and gatherings as you can take your turn and mill about with guests for ten minutes until your turn comes around.  Drawback to croquet is stumbling over the wickets.

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Threading the handles is only going to weaken them..All the strength will be in the "root diameter" of the threads..I would drill a hole through the mallet and using marine grade epoxy, glue the handle directly into the head..If by chance one should break, drill it out and glue in another handle.

Or forget about it and make them a cornhole set. They'll like it better anyway...

[Woodworm!]

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Threading the handles is only going to weaken them..All the strength will be in the "root diameter" of the threads..I would drill a hole through the mallet and using marine grade epoxy, glue the handle directly into the head..If by chance one should break, drill it out and glue in another handle.

Or forget about it and make them a cornhole set. They'll like it better anyway...

Threaded handles also become loose.

[R Clark]

Not OP's original question, but for the same project:  Is there some reason why the mallet heads have to be round?  Was over at my daughter's place last night and they had a set with square heads.  It was a set they got from some department store.


Since you don't have a lathe, going square on the mallet head would also give you a wider choice in wood than buying dowel stock.

There are also ways to make them round without using dowels. Make them square, knock off the corner, then shave them down to round, for one.