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Thread: Old mallet didn't fit my hand

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
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    12,120

    Old mallet didn't fit my hand

    So, I had a piece of Spalted.....whatever woodIMAG0141.jpgactually, this is the leftover half. Cut the blank into a couple 11" long blanks. Chucked the other blank up into the lathe. The old Craftsman, "T" railed older than dirt lathe, and it's EOM chisel set. Fastened the lathe to the top of my workbench. In the Dungeon Shop, there just ins't room for extra machines, and thier dedicated bases. Fastened the lathe down so it wouldn't walk away. Started to dig around for the old mallet, to use as a pattern. Oh well, get started with out it... Got a basic round cylinder done, and THEN found the old mallet. The grip on the old one was a little too scrawny for my hands. made a few lines to mark out where the grip was to be. Got close, sanded it down to smooth. Tried the size of the grip while sanding, too. Parted off one end, and sanded that smooth as well. Took it upstairs and added a dark oil finish/stain. let it dry in the setting sun awhileIMAG0142.jpgstill a little dark, so a wipe down to remove some of the finishIMAG0140.jpgand now, you can see the grain better. The old scrawny mallet is laying down. Mallet is 11" long, maybe 2-3/4" in diameter at the headend. And, it even fits my hands! maybe an hour of work....cost? It IS scrap wood, afterall.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Roanoke, Va
    Posts
    52
    Looks like spalted maple. Good looking mallet mate!

    cheers

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    New Castle,Indiana
    Posts
    20
    I have turned a few mallets, different sizes for different needs. Your work looks good, hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    Looks like a nice carving mallet.

    I have turned a few mallets but prefer the flat face models like my cherry mallet and my big ash mallet:

    The Big Bonkers.jpg

    I also had a big birch mallet but one end of that was reconfigured to be a meat tenderizer and sold at the farmers market.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Mount Sterling, KY
    Posts
    2,504
    Nice job on the mallet. Curiosity question, most mallets I have seen(not many I must confess) have a flat striking surface in the length. I notice yours is turned with a contour, Is that a help in striking its target?
    ____________________________________________
    JD at J&J WoodSmithing
    Owingsville, Kentucky

    "The best things in life are not things."

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
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    I seem to like the roundy one. The way I swing a mallet? Being round focuses my "aim" a bit more. I also watch the grain on the mallet, about like using a ballbat, .....hit a sweet spot. No signs of any cracks...yet. Seems to be about a 2 pounder in weight. Biggest thing for my was a nice, FAT handle. Fingers can get a better grip on it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Leland, NC
    Posts
    476
    The round shape is usually a carvers mallet. It is amazing how a person will consistently hit the tool correctly on a rounded surface.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Virginia and Kentucky
    Posts
    3,364
    Nice looking mallet. Does the spalting make the wood weaker in the spalted areas?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
    Posts
    12,120
    Haven't noticed any difference, so far.

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