gavel question

[Frank Fusco]

I make a lot of gavels for organizations I belong to. They have a way of vanishing. I believe the outgoing chairmen think the gavels belong to them and keep. Oh, well, I really don't mind.
I have been asked to make another but the requester wants it from walnut. I have a lot of walnut, that's not the issue. Usually, my gavels are made from hickory, maple, ash or Osage Orange. I use these woods because of their strength. I don't want the handles to break.
Walnut does not possess the long grain strength of something like hickory.
What say the jury......would you use walnut for a gavel handle that might be only about 3/8" diameter at the most slender part?

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

Based on what I'm seeing on the Googlenet, it looks like walnut has has only slightly less tensile (bending) strength than hard maple:

http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Design/Nature_of_Wood/3_Wood_Strength/3_Wood_Strength.htm

I think you should be fine, especially if you can cheat that 3/8" diameter to be a little bit fatter.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

Walnut tends to split along the grain a bit worse than some of the others you list in my experience.. I think it's likely fine but would look for a pretty straight grained peice for the handle part to mitigate that.

 

[Jonathan Shively]

You could also do a CA finish on it. The shell of the CA might help increase the strength.

 

[Dave Hoskins]

All the gavels I made in the past were done with pecan or bodark. I have no experience with walnut as none is around here. Just black walnut. But, if it is as you say, then Vaughn may very well be right. Just make the shaft a bit heavier, and it should be fine. Or, convince the requester to have a multi wood gavel. Use something else for the handle and walnut for the head.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

How about bodark or hickory dyed dark brown?

 

[Chuck Ellis]

I would think you would be okay with the walnut, unless the user hammers like it's a sledge hammer... but, like Vaughn suggested, would make the slender part a tad fatter.

I generally don't go below 1/2 inch on my gavels.

 

[Bob Gibson]

Mine is walnut and I've used it since DeMolay in 1965 with no problems

 

[Frank Fusco]

Thanks all. Fatter tends to make the handle look less elegant.....to my eye. I may use walnut for the head and OO for the handle as it turns dark with age and exposure to light.

 

[Frank Fusco]

OK, I have struggled with this less than earth shaking issue for several days. Have finally decided to go all walnut. Most commercial gavels are walnut and others use it without problems. I will make a skooch fatter than planned originally. I have put more time into overthinking this non-issue than it will take to actually turn the gavel. Thanks all for the input.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

I think mixing the woods would have looked funky. Making it all out of walnut sounds like the way to go.

 

[Rennie Heuer]

another vote for all walnut

 

[Ryan Mooney]

If we didn't spend time overthinking projects what would we spend the time doing? So very guilty here