Question about mallets

Status
Not open for further replies.

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
My favorite Mallot I turned from a piece of Lignum Vitae. My second favorite one I made oversized from a piece of Hard Maple.

Lignum Vitae

DSC_0388_800x532_.jpg


Hard Maple.

Mallet101.jpg


That's part of the piece of wood that the Mallet was turned from next to it. About 5" square.
 

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
I read somewhere never use a brass head mallet on a chisel. True or false?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
I read somewhere never use a brass head mallet on a chisel. True or false?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I watched Mary May using a small Brass Head Mallet with carving tools during WIA (she was in the booth next to us,) but then with her talent she could have probably used a hammer or baseball bat with great effectiveness.

Personally, I prefer the wooden ones, but my talents are no where near hers.
 

SubGuy

Administrator
Zach
Now this is a question I have long pondered and never thought to post, Thanks for posting OP!
-Now and additional question, if you don't have one of those spinny thingies, what should one purchase? I have seen wood, brass, a green poly looking thing and rawhide.
-Which is better and why, turned or square head?
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
Now this is a question I have long pondered and never thought to post, Thanks for posting OP!
-Now and additional question, if you don't have one of those spinny thingies, what should one purchase? I have seen wood, brass, a green poly looking thing and rawhide.
-Which is better and why, turned or square head?

I found a fantastic looking square headed one at a flea market with all kind of history / markings on it. I unfortunately tried to use it to pound some 5" square legs into a 5" thick workbench and it broke. Fortunately I was able to extract the handle portion that broke and re-glue it and it is now as good as new. Would have hate to have ruined something as old as this piece evidently was.
 

stave

New User
stave
the benefit to using a round mallet is not having to look where you are hitting the chisel or gouge. The mallet will not easily deflect off the head of the tool. Square head mallets have to hit directly on center or will deflect off and hit your hand right below your thumb. Now that smarts after a whack or two!

stave
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
Mallet design gets as varied as pocket knife design. When you get one that you like and it fits your hand, write down the dimensions for later duplication.

Some woods are better than others for the long term.
Weight in pounds per square foot, woods averaging 40 lbs to 50 lbs seem to work well. Above 50 lbs/sq ft, reducing the diameter helps on wrist weight. Head size, I like 3-3/4 - 4" diameter. Handles I like 1-5/8" at the swell for my arthritic hands. Diffuse porous woods last the best (cherry, beech, maple, etc.) Semi ring porous woods like walnut do OK. Ring porous like ash and oak have a tendency to splinter and shred after heavy use ( I pound on steel shafts from time to time).
 

SubGuy

Administrator
Zach
Oh and to answer the OP, I don't carve. I use chisels only. Carving hasn't made it into the tool belt yet.
 

nn4jw

New User
Jim
Now this is a question I have long pondered and never thought to post, Thanks for posting OP!
-Now and additional question, if you don't have one of those spinny thingies, what should one purchase? I have seen wood, brass, a green poly looking thing and rawhide.
-Which is better and why, turned or square head?

It's a personal choice of course. For chisel work I like my poly round head mallet. For me the poly is less prone to slip if I get slightly off compared to wood. Esthetically the wood ones look better to me though. I like brass round mallets for small carvings, but that's because I can control them with small strikes and let the weight of the heads do the work.
 

ScottM

Scott
Staff member
Corporate Member
Now this is a question I have long pondered and never thought to post, Thanks for posting OP!
-Now and additional question, if you don't have one of those spinny thingies, what should one purchase? I have seen wood, brass, a green poly looking thing and rawhide.
-Which is better and why, turned or square head?

Zach, find a nice block of wood and send it South. I am sure one of your NCWW friends who owns a spinny thingie could make you one.
 

bluedawg76

New User
Sam
For the non-turners, hands down the best mallet is the Wood is Good Mallet:
http://www.woodisgoodco.com/mallets.htm

you can find them on amazon.

They're not nearly as loud as the traditional wooden mallet (square or round face). I (my family) grew weary of the loud banging from my chopping mortises. Most folks like the heavier 18 or 20oz mallets for mortises however I use my 12oz for just about everything.
 

nn4jw

New User
Jim
Yep, the Wood is Good mallet is the one I was refering to when I said I liked the green poly ones.
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
did anyone ever take Roy's class on the "Magical dovetail mallet?"
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Premier Sponsor

Our Sponsors

LATEST FOR SALE LISTINGS

Top