Wooden Mallet

[Terrance Mitchell]

I want to buy or make a wooden mallet. How heavy should it be? I am cutting out slots for bow tie after I hog them out with a router. I also occasional cut a dovetail. I see carver mallets shaped like an upside down bottle on the heavier side and hammer type 6 to 9 0z. Tired of using my claw hammer.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Paul Sellers has a three part free video you can find on YouTube.

If you don't have stock to make that one, this laminated one has worked well for me.

https://www.wwgoa.com/article/build-....google.com%2F

[Mike Baker 2]

Nicho;as, thanks for the link.

[Derek Cohen]

I want to buy or make a wooden mallet. How heavy should it be? I am cutting out slots for bow tie after I hog them out with a router. I also occasional cut a dovetail. I see carver mallets shaped like an upside down bottle on the heavier side and hammer type 6 to 9 0z. Tired of using my claw hammer.

For most morticing or chopping into hard wood, other than Japanese bench chisels, the mallet I use weighs 24oz. For dovetailing, again un-hooped chisels, my hammer weighs 8oz. For Japanese bench chisels (e.g. dovetail chisels), I use a gennou weighing 225gm (8 oz). I also have a super heavy mallet at 36oz for extra heavy duty work.

For all hammers and mallets used with unhooped chisels, I strongly recommend a hammer face made with a veneer of UHMW. This is hard enough to provide excellent feedhack, yet has just a touch of give to prevent damage (both to the chisel handle and the malllet head), which hardwoods will do.

The UHMW is seen below on my modified Veritas cabinetmakers mallet (now 24 oz with Jarrah handle) ...



Regards from Perth

Derek

[steven c newman]

I don't have a "name brand" mallet...
IMAG0141.jpg
Mine started out as a chunk of Spalted Maple
IMAG0140.jpg
The one laying down on the job is one I had from my Late FIL. Was too lightweight. The mallet standing up, came from a block of that Maple. Feels like about 2 pounds.....been my go-to mallet ever since. Handle was turned to fit my hand, as the other was too scrawny.
SDC12791.jpg
Hmmmm, I wonder IF I can use this as a brand name .......

[Jim Koepke]

I want to buy or make a wooden mallet. How heavy should it be? I am cutting out slots for bow tie after I hog them out with a router. I also occasional cut a dovetail. I see carver mallets shaped like an upside down bottle on the heavier side and hammer type 6 to 9 0z. Tired of using my claw hammer.

The hardest part of making a mallet it finding a good piece of wood to make the head. Some folks make laminated mallet heads due to the difficulty of finding a worthy hunk of material.

Sometimes one can find the wood if they are in an area where pallets or firewood come from such sources. One of my favorite mallets came from my firewood pile:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ads-to-Another

This one weighs in at ~24oz or 680 grams. This one is my "big bopper."

My most used mallet came from a hardwood pallet. It is just an oak ~2X4 with a handle formed on one end.

It is on the left in this picture:

Mallets Compared.jpg

It is actually a nice mallet for light chisel work and other instances where a little percussive persuasion can help.

The mallet on the right is made from some oak a neighbor gave me. The handle was turned on a lathe.

If you have a lathe it is easy to turn a mallet.

Making a mallet is a good project to gain skill in mortising. A mortise on a mallet head is smaller at the bottom than the top to keep the head on the handle. It is also good experience to fit the handle.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

The UHMW is seen below on my modified Veritas cabinetmakers mallet (now 24 oz with Jarrah handle)

Derek, how did you attach the UHMW to the face of that mallet? I usually have to use screws to attach it to anything.

Thank you.
Fred

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Fred

It's tricky stuff. I find that epoxy is helpful in keeping it from moving, but a screw or nails is needed to keep it attached. Together they work well.

My plane hammer (8 oz), which is also excellent for dovetailing with bench chisels, has the UHMW attached with epoxy and a screw. This has stayed put for a few years so far ..





Both the Big mortice mallet and the Veritas (with an older, since replaced handle) use nails. These have stayed put for about 2 years so far ...



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks Derek. That will help me.
Best,,
Fred

[Ken Martin]

Last month I found a busted mallet in an antique/junk shop for $2. Turned a new head from walnut and mounted it on the old handle. Didn't weigh it but guess about 16oz. Head is 3.5in dia., 2.75 in face dia. and 6in long. Have only used it a couple times but feels good in the hand.

Ken

[bridger berdel]

Here's one I made sometime in the '80s

http://68.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6...m32o1_1280.jpg

http://68.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6...m32o2_1280.jpg

http://68.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6...m32o3_1280.jpg

Head is apitong, handle is red oak. It's been my go to for mortising and such for a long time.

[Gary Cunningham]

I make mine from laminated 3/4 beech. You can rough out your handle top before you glue on the last piece.

I make handles out of hickory or maple. I was given a 1" persimmon board, and someday will turn it into more mallets.

Mallets are like Lays potato chips. You can't have just one.

[phil harold]

I was considering putting the remains of a deadblow hammer (the orange urethane busted off of mine while it was being abused one day)
into the head of a mallet
epoxy the cylinder in working end

[Terrance Mitchell]

Just got back into internet range to read these posts. Thanks for the links and ideas. I like the idea of having more than one. So I may buy a make do and then find some good wood.

[Jim Koepke]

I was considering putting the remains of a deadblow hammer (the orange urethane busted off of mine while it was being abused one day)
into the head of a mallet
epoxy the cylinder in working end

Another idea for this is to make a laminated head with hollow areas to include some lead shot. Do not fill the hollow as the shot needs room to move. As a dead blow mallet is in the down stroke the shot is suspended in an almost weightless state. When the mallet strikes its target the shot then goes to the impact end of the mallet in effect continuing the blow and resisting the mallet's tendency to bounce.

jtk