Wood choice for Chisel Mallet? Cumuru?

[Doug Shepard]

It occurs to me eyeing my new LV chisels that it's probably about time to make a decent wooden mallet to use on them. I've saved several mag articles with different mallet versions figuring I'd eventually want to make one. My Marples Blue Handles were getting hit with a small dead blow mallet but I think that's probably asking for problems hitting the wooden handles (boxwood) on the LV's. So I got to wondering about finding some Lignum Vitae to make a mallet and searched the threads here. I stumbled across one of my own posts from several months back asking what some eBay Curumu wood I picked up cheap might be good for.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=40685
So far I haven't put these boards to use yet. Might this be a good choice for a mallet?

[Michael Pilla]

According to this info cumaru is very hard and should make a nice mallet. I wonder if there is an issue with the mallet wood being much harder than the chisel handle wood? I would think not. I just made a mallet with an ash head for use with my Ashley Isles chisels (bubinga handles). So far so good.

Michael

[Alan Turner]

I generally use whatever tropicals I have around in scrap for mallet heads. Bubinga, Padauk, etc. Hickory for the handle is a good choice.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I generally advise against using Lignum Vitae for the heads of mallets. First of all, it is hard to get good stock in the thickness necessary for a mallet and when it is available it is expensive. The major problem though is that the material is very likely to check and crack. The density is so high that it is almost never truly and completely dry when you buy it and that makes for the problems later in the mallet's life. Some books will tell you to store the mallet in a plastic bag with a small amount of water to prevent the cracking, but I can tell you from personal experience going back almost 30 years that this does not work for very long.

Like Alan said, many of the tropicals like Purpleheart, Bubinga, etc are quite hard and have the necessary toughness. My 2 normal user mallets are both hard maple.

[Doug Shepard]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I do have a little bit of purpleheart too so could go that route. I've also got some ipe. I know that's certainly hard enough, but that stuff gives me gluing nightmares. One more question through. I was planning on making a square head mallet. Not a big honkin mortise chopping mallet, but something smaller. What's the advantage of going with the round type, or is it just a personal preference thing?

[Mark Stutz]

Doug,
I have one made from Ipe. Got some decking at the end of the season=cheap, and glued it up with gorilla glue. Works well. I also have a nice chunk of Osage Orange waiting to be turned into a mallet. BTW, the Ipe is round. I've read here and there about people prefering square mallets for chisel work...les like ly to deliver a glancing blow, but I prefer round, and I've never had this problem, so MY conclusion has been that it is a matter of personal preference.

Mark

[Michael Pilla]

I think it's personal preference.
I went with a square head; I had an ash 2x2" turning square so I cut off a 4 or 5" length, mortised it and put a cherry handle up through it. The friction fit was so tight that I started using it that way. However I intend to wedge it or maybe put a pin through the entire head assembly to keep it all together (using glue as well). This particular mallet is for tapping, not bashing. I cut miters of 5 degrees on both faces so they angle downward slightly.

hth,
Michael

[Steve Wargo]

I can't remember where or when I was told that a round mallet is more efficient to use than a square head mallet. I beleive it has something to do with the focus of weight in one central location on the striking spot. A cylinder shape distributes the pressure more efficiently. A square head has drawbacks from ergonomics and resistance and whatnot. I don't know how true this is, only what I read, and unsure of the credibility of the source. I do know that I used to use a square mallet, until I tried a round one. Now that's all I use. I have 3 or 4 of them. I have a couple hard Maple ones, and a Beech one I turned that is light weight. It's the only one I use for carving tools... if I have to strike a carving tool. But The one that is on my bench all the time is the largish bloodwood one I turned. I agree with Alan's statement, that any old tropical will do. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[Mike Henderson]

I prefer a round mallet. I don't really "wack" the chisels and gouges with this - I more tap them just to save my hands.

I made the attached mallet out of maple and some scrap ebony that I had. The ebony has held up well, but the maple has began to delaminate (the picture is an old one and doesn't show the delamination). That's probably the fate of any mallet - wearing out - but they're very easy to make.

You should probably plan to make several mallets. Getting the right weight and the size of the handle takes several trys. Make one, use it a while, then make another with modifications based on what you liked and didn't like on the first one.

Good luck!

Mike

[Doug Shepard]

Hmmm. Maybe it's time I fired up my $30 Delta lathe and practice a few spinny things. Gawd, here comes another slippery slope.

[Bob Smalser]

I don't recommend super hard woods at all. Too much bounce.

I use soft Bigleaf Maple and weight them with lead. Here's an incredibly powerful, 48oz, dead-blow mallet made right in the shop. The dings just add some character.

[Jim Becker]

Mine is turned from local Osage Orange with a scrap oak handle.

[Mark Singer]

I have several....a carvers mallet which is maple....steel japanese chisel hammers...a small round brass mallet. What is strange is I perfer a big round mallet even for dovetails and just reduce the blow to a tap...I think I just like the balance....another of those favorite tools