My first turned mallet

Lee Laird said:

Mike,

How does the 28 oz. weight of mine compare to those you make/use?

Regards,

Click to expand...

Lee - I went and weighed a few of mine and, although they're all different, most are around 11 oz (see first picture - the ones in front are the ones I use and the background is for the students). The heaviest one I have, "the bonker", is 20 oz (second picture - in lignum vita). For carving you don't need a heavy mallet - in fact, it's more of a hindrance - you just want something to replace the heel of your hand.

Just an added note. Since I make mine out of scrap, sometimes I have scrap that's not long enough to make a mallet (not 11" long). What I do then is make the head and handle separately and glue them together (see picture 3). I rough out the head and handle. Then I put the head in my 4 jaw chuck and drill a 1" hole into the end of it, using the center mark as a guide. I make the hole maybe 1.25" deep. Then I chuck up the handle again and turn the end down to fit the hole. When I get close, I take it out and do trial fitting until I get a good fit. I glue the handle to the head using epoxy and put it in the lathe to hold it together until the glue sets.

Then I turn it down like a regular mallet. I've also done it where I've turned the handle down first, before glueing. No matter how "accurate" I try to be, the handle is a bit off center, so I have to take a bit off to make it concentric. As long as you recognize that and leave a bit more wood on the handle, it works out fine.

Mike

Mike,
I like the looks of the various mallets you've made. Great idea, too, melding two short pieces into a mallet. Who doesn't have scraps??

Even though I have about eight or nine full sized carving gouges and other shapes, I really haven't gotten into true carving. I use my mallets more for when I'm making hand cut dovetails and removing the waste wood. My previous mallet is a blocky thing with a rectangular head and an angled mortise which the handle slides down through and wedges into place. The old mallet weighs in at 21 oz. I guess I'll get better at estimating the weight, or at least I hope I do. I'm not sure how the turned mallet will handle compared to my old mallet. I guess I'll have to make a couple more to try out different weights and see what works best.

Really helps seeing more variations on the mallet theme.

Thanks,

Lee
Very nice job on the mallet. Looks real nice. I am kind of addicted to turning different kinds of mallets myself. I turn one after turning a vase or something and am thinking what to turn next. I find them very easy to give away. Good luck in your turning endeavors. Mitch

Mitch,

Thanks. I have certainly met quite a few who feel the same about the mallets. I have no doubt I will fit into the mind-frame, even if my turning can be suspect. I like the idea of making them as gifts.

How long have you been turning? I've not even completed a bowl on my own, yet. I hope to hone the skills and feel comfortable with items like a vase or a bowl.

Thanks again. I appreciate your thoughts.