Designing a mallet

[Hasin Haroon]

You mention some good points there Derek, I definitely enjoy being able to pick up a round mallet and not having to align it before striking (though a good handle design makes aligning it straight very natural and easy). I do turn to my joiner's mallet for heavy use, though that is probably because it is larger and heavier. Thinking about it, I realise that a round mallet the same size and weight as my largest joiner's mallet would be rather unwieldy.

[Jim Koepke]

I think selling a couple items for any money at all would grant me some much needed social license for my hobby from my wife. Only issue is find customers...

Finding customers is an endeavor. Another approach is to make nice things for the wife. If she does any crafts, perhaps a nice carrying case for her tools and supplies.

jtk

[Hasin Haroon]

Indeed...I can tell you're no newbie to gaining social license for woodworking! I'll need to look into some sort of knitting supplies box, or a simple loom design...one that isn't all that contrived like one of those swedish contraptions.

[Pat Barry]

Question for all on the subject of wooden mallet design: How important is it that the handle / head be easily replaceable? For example, heads / handles that re designed to be easily separated. This is an elegant solution but how important? Seems that most of these tools are very robust and if say, the head needs to be replaced that can be done fairly readily either by just replacing the head, adding an insert, or even replacing the entire thing, regardless of how the handle and head are joined, handle and all. How often are handles actually replaced due to damage / breakage?

[Jim Koepke]

Question for all on the subject of wooden mallet design: How important is it that the handle / head be easily replaceable? For example, heads / handles that re designed to be easily separated. This is an elegant solution but how important? Seems that most of these tools are very robust and if say, the head needs to be replaced that can be done fairly readily either by just replacing the head, adding an insert, or even replacing the entire thing, regardless of how the handle and head are joined, handle and all. How often are handles actually replaced due to damage / breakage?

The first mallet of my making is still going strong:

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

It has seen regular use for 6 years. If you look at the third image in the post you can see a crack in the handle. Hasn't caused any problem and the handle has become highly polished from being used.

As you say above, it is rather easy to just make another if one has a bad day and breaks a mallet.

For me the hardest part of making a mallet is finding a worthy piece of wood. Though lately with a lot of firewood being cut and split a few good candidates have shown themselves.

jtk