Bowling Pin Woodworker's Mallet

Frank Townend

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Messages
1,069
Location
Alexandria, Virginia
Based on an idea from Larry Marley's Web Site I decided to see if I could turn a Carver's/Woodworker's Mallet from a Bowling Pin.

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I bought a couple of Bowling Pins from eBay, but was told later you may get them free from a local alley.

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I started out by driving a dowel into the bottom hole for my spur center, then made parallel cuts through the plastic shell with a parting tool.

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With face shield on, I used a roughing gouge to "flip" off the bands of plastic shell.

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Here are a number of plastic shell "rings". I held the roughing gouge tightly against the tool rest and they popped off rather quickly.

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This is what a bowling pin looks like beneath the plastic shell.

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As I turned a tenon for my chuck, I cut it deep enough to release the plastic foot.

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Here is the foot ring, it pops right off. Had I known simply removing enough wood to release the foot would create a nice tenon, I would have followed that path.

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Here is another photo of the foot ring. This picture also shows the dowel I drove into the hole at the bottom of the bowling pin so I could use my spur center.

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Here I have marked the bowling pin with one inch lines to aid layout of the mallet.

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Here it is in the chuck, ready to turn to shape.

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The mallet, starting to take shape.

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Shaping the handle.

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After getting the shape I was pleased with, I used my Ci1 Easy Rougher to prepare to part the mallet from the lathe.

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And here is the finished mallet, ready for some serious woodworking.
 
Frank that was very interesting to watch the progress!!! Excellent mallet in the end also!!! Very very neat. This is one project I will be showing the students tomorrow. Thanks for the idea and useful knowledge to get a finished project. Great work and great useful tool at the end.
 
I found Larry Marley to be of invaluable help.
I'll add a couple of observations:
  • Some of the glue joints want to separate in the process of turning, I used CA glue and they seem to be holding together nicely.
  • Larry said a couple of pins he turned were "hollow", as is the case here. Not shown in the picture, and something I will fix later, is a two inch deep hollow 1/8" inside the bottom and about 1/4" inside from the sides.
Worst case the striking body will be 2 1/2" long after I turn off the hollow. I could turn a plug, or even use lead, etc. for weight, but because this is a prototype, I may just turn it off.
 
Nicely done and nicely documented, Frank. The end result is not only good-looking, but will be very useful around the shop.

Westley, I think most bowling pins are maple.
 
Thanks for posting, Great idea and of course a great "GREEN" use of another item sent to the landfill :thumb:

The Green Nazis will love your accomplishment. :D

Although the design doesn't thrill me, the process does. I am on a mission to obtain some Bowling pins thanks for the inspiration.

:huh: Now, who do I know that has a connection to a Bowling Alley? :dunno:
 
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