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Thread: Mallet

  1. #1
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    Mallet

    I was going to make a mallet out of this piece of Lignum Vitae, but now im thinking that it might be too hard for a mallet head ? Im afraid it will destroy my handles on my LV PM-V11 bench chisels. They are made of hard Maple I think

    20160204_200931_resized.jpg

    Should I go for it or find a softer material for the head ?
    Best regards

    Lasse Hilbrandt

  2. #2
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    Hard maple or beech, not because the lignum vitae hammer wouldn't be awesome, but because it's such a precious material that you may find better uses for it in the future.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  3. #3
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    Suggestions would be appreciated :-)

  4. #4
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    Yes, terrible choice, send the chunk of lignum vitae to me immediately and I'll make a nice mallet for you out of maple, osage orange, walnut, cherry, cocobolo, what ever you want!

    Just kidding. I don't smack bench chisels often. I suspect lignum vitae would be good for some mallets - I use it for a lot of things, turned and machined, when I can find it. I made my general purpose shop mallet from Dogwood, turned in one piece.

    For carving, I found this about mallets:
    https://whiteeaglestudios.wordpress....0%99s-mallets/

    But for expensive bench chisels? This guy has a different outlook:
    "...a good rule of thumb is to always use a mallet that is softer than the chisel handle."
    https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/...0Handle%20Hard

    BTW, one thing I like to do with things with separate handles that are used smacking - join with screw threads instead of glue. For example, I make gavels and although they won't (or shouldn't) get the abuse a woodworker's mallet will get, they seem to hold up and there is no glue joint to loosen. Just an idea.

    gavels.jpg

    JKJ

  5. #5
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    Re the gavel: plus it's always good to get in good terms with a judge!

  6. #6
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    JKJ I was thinking of making a slight tapered hole in the head and then make a kerf for a wedge at the top of the handle.

  7. #7
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    If you ever make your own hand planes a thin piece of the lignum vitae makes a great sole when glued to the bottom of the plane. It is hard and naturally oil filled, making for a smooth action.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lasse Hilbrandt View Post
    JKJ I was thinking of making a slight tapered hole in the head and then make a kerf for a wedge at the top of the handle.
    I've always seen mallets like this with a tapered mortise like that, however most of the time the handle is also tapered also so it slides in from the top and tightens itself with use. You could probably kerf and wedge it as well.

  9. #9
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    It looks like the grain might not be right for a jointers mallet. A turned carvers mallet might be good.

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

  10. #10
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    How should the grain be directed for a joiners mallet?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lasse Hilbrandt View Post
    How should the grain be directed for a joiners mallet?
    In line with the striking force.

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

  12. #12
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    Paul Sellars has some blog posts and free videos on building a nice mallet (search for "Paul Sellars mallet"). I used his plans and instructions when building mine and am really happy with the way it turned out.

  13. #13
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    Do you mean hit with the end grain ?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lasse Hilbrandt View Post
    Do you mean hit with the end grain ?
    Yes. Here are two of mine that have served well:

    The Big Bonkers.jpg

    The top one is of ash and the bottom one is a local type of cherry.

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

  15. #15
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    Mine looks a lot like Jim's (his are nicer), but the head is laminated from 4/4 stock. It looks like his may be out of solid stock. The plan to have an angled mortise, with the wider opening at the top, kerf, and wedge, ought to hold well. I used maple scraps for the head, and another piece of scrap for the handle.

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