Mallet for dovetails?

[Daniel Rode]

I'm currently using a Vaughan soft face hammer (http://www.vaughanmfg.com/shopping/Products/12-OZ-Soft-Face-Hammer__SF12.aspx) for dovetails. I think it's 12 oz but feels more stout when swung. It's good, but not ideal. I find I use my wrist a lot for dovetails. I use short, controlled taps and longer sharper hits but all wrist driven. I think I'd like something more massive but not overly large. 16 - 18 oz, perhaps. I thought about making something from a dense, heavy wood (purpleheart?) but I think the head would end up too large. Good for mortising, but maybe a little bulky for dovetails and detail work?

I don't want to spend a fortune on this. I'me NEVER going to buy a $100 mallet. If I have to buy a mallet, my limit is about $20.

What do you use for this type of work?

Also, I'm going to make a larger wooden mallet for mortises and heavier chopping. Is oak OK for this? I have some 5/4 QS oak scraps that would be a good size for laminating. I also have some rift sawn red oak scraps.

[David Weaver]

Wood is good 20 ounce. I use it for everything, including mortises. I've turned my own out of verawood and other more common stuff, and used just about everything else I could get my fingers on (though I've never bought a hundred dollar mallet, either, mallets aren't the part of the hobby where I waste money). The WIG mallet is just better than any of the things I've made - the urethane is indestructible, you can smack holdfasts with it, it doesn't skip off of things when you strike - it's hard to exaggerate how nice it is to work with.

Oak is fine for a mallet. Bevel the edges so you can't splinter a big chunk off of it. Don't worry about whether or not it's perfect wood, just put it together solidly and use it until it breaks and then make another one when it does.

http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Is-Good-WD201-20-Ounce/dp/B002LVUWQI/ref=as_li_wdgt_ex?&linkCode=wsw&tag=wwwnorthwinda-20

(that link is creek-ized so that the creek gets a kickback - it doesn't change the price of the item, so might as well have some of it sent here if anyone buys one).

You can choose something lighter if you'd like, but I think I'd reserve light duty mallets to be those that you make for yourself. 20 ounces is ideal to me for everything, i'd rather have one mallet under my bench than 5.

It's a little more than $20, but it's made in the states and the price includes shipping. Grizzly has an import knock off for about 20 bucks, because ....well that's what grizzly does. I haven't always found their shop fox knockoff items to measure up to what they're copying, though. Actually, none of their knockoff items that I've bought have been very good quality, but maybe this one would be the exception because it's just urethane wrapped around maple. I chose to send the $$ to the people with the original idea.

[Sean Hughto]

While I have lots of mallets, and turn new ones on my lathe routinely just for kicks, my go to day-to-day always on the bench and always used mallet is my 18 oz. Wood is Good urethane. Just a good tool all around.

[Sean Hughto]

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3085/2806744167_02dedf102f_z.jpg?zz=1

Maple:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2799/4294677960_5736058f60_z.jpg

Hickory:
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4079/4881250862_7bb0bda4ae_z.jpg

Vera - very heavy for its size:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6427428239_5af05e59e1_z.jpg

[Brian Holcombe]

I use a 13oz mallet for detail work and a 24oz for most furniture joinery.

[Andrew Fleck]

I'm another fan of the Wood is Good mallet. I like it a lot better than the conventional mallets I used to use before I started taking hand tool work more seriously. I use the 20 ounce, but I'm sure the 18 ounce would work just as well.

[Derek Cohen]

One of the best mallets I have used for non-hooped chisels is the 18 oz Veritas Cabinetmaker's mallet. I prefer this to a carver's mallet as the strike is focused and less likely to cause a glancing blow, which would be less accurate.

My Veritas has been slightly modified. Leather has been added to one wooden face, and I replaced the handle with one of my own to fit my hand.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Mallets%20and%20hammers/chiselhammer1_zpse90d509b.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Mallets%20and%20hammers/chiselhammer2_zps4bb2c388.jpg

For hooped Japanese chisels I use a 375 gm steel Tenryuu gennou. These may be had quite cheaply. Again, this one has a handle of my own ..

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/AHandleforaGennou_html_m73069e39.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Anthony Moumar]

My joiner's style mallet is 550 grams which is close enough to 20 ounces that it makes no difference. I use it for pretty much everything. I'm not a fan of the carver's style mallet. I shaped the handle so it was comfortable to hold at the bottom and the top. If I need extra control I like to hold it up near the head.

[Jim Koepke]

My go to dovetailing mallet came to me from a friend's estate.

284015

It was a piece of oak 8/4 by 4". He cut a bit off to make a handle. I cut the finger notches to fit my hand. From the nail holes it likely came from a pallet.

I have not weighed it.

I tend to hold my mallets a bit loose so as to not transfer the shock to my joints.

jtk

[Daniel Rode]

I've never used a round mallet before. The size and shape seem like they would work well especially when the force is coming primarily from my wrist. My concern is the glancing blow that Derek mentioned. I'm of two minds on this issue.

My first guess is that a glancing blow, especially with a hard strike, might drive the chisel askew and this would be potentially bad. I'm imagining a kind of a pop-up flyball hit. But the more I think about it, the more I recall that I can strike a round back chisel or a flat back chisel with the small plastic face of my current hammer and I don't recall ever missing in a way that caused a problem.

Is this really an issue I should worry about?

The WIG 18 oz has a smaller head that the 20 oz which I think I'd prefer. Has anyone used both? Does it really matter?

[David Weaver]

Glancing blow isn't really a problem - for two reasons.
* With very little practice, you'll learn to hit pretty straight on the head of whatever you're swinging at.
* Even if you don't get it perfect, the urethane head is grippy and it doesn't just ricochet off of things

For a very long time, I assumed carvers mallets would be a poor choice to use with tools, but once you use them, you find they're not. It's actually a little faster to work with them - all you have to do is pick them up, there's no need to orient them.

[Sean Hughto]

Is this really an issue I should worry about?

No. ........................

[bridger berdel]

I seem to use, in no particular order, a heavy driver I made 30 years ago from apitong, a couple of sizes of rawhide mallets and a small brass hammer. I have others, but those get the most use.

[Sean Hughto]

Here is stupid video I made several years ago. One minute in I'm swinging that WIG mallet chopping those dovetails in some hard maple. Lots of dovetails and I've never missed. It ain't like I'm joe athlete or anyhting either. If I can do it, so can you. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chevy_chase_hughtos/3496155520/in/set-72157607001006126

[Daniel Rode]

Thanks. It doesn't hurt to see it in action :) At any rate, I think I'm going to order the 18 oz WIG mallet and make myself a square faced wood mallet out of the scrap oak for good measure.

BTW - I'm so easily distracted. I really like that dovetail marker you were using. It's nice and thin. Did you make it or buy it?

[Sean Hughto]

http://www.woodjoytools.com/page9/page9.html

[maximillian arango]

Happy this came up I'm going to get one of the wood is good mallets

[Daniel Rode]

Thanks for the link. Best $25 I spent this month. I don't need this but it seems more convenient than my bulkier DIY markers. I was going to try to get some brass angle and make some nicer markers but I'd rather spend that time working wood.

http://www.woodjoytools.com/page9/page9.html

[Tom M King]

I use mallets all day some days. Since I bought the Wood is Good 12 and 30's, no sore wrists or elbows, and no beat up chisel handles.

[Jim Matthews]

I use a Stanley 16 ounce soft face mallet. Bought it second hand
and it's always on my bench.

It has replaceable heads on either side.
Not too heavy to use for awhile,
not too light as to be ineffective.

I like a flat face that's better than 1 1/4" diameter.
I don't miss, much.

http://www.mscdirect.com/product/00273730?src=pla&008=-99&007=Search&pcrid=15557577904&006=15557577904&005=21882504424&004=4409695744&002=2167139&mkwid=sJXegN7a0%7Cdc&cid=PLA-Google-PLA+-+Test_sJXegN7a0_PLA__15557577904_c_S&026=-99&025=c

[Casey Gooding]

I've used a Blue Spruce mallet for years and couldn't be happier with it. The Wood is Good mallet is nice, but a bit bouncy for me when cutting dovetails.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I've been meaning to grab one of the WIG mallets. When the OT check comes in, maybe this is the kick in the pants if I remember.

I will say, for a whole lot of my dovetails, I saw out the waste tight enough with the coping saw, that I don't *need* a mallet - hold the chisel against my shoulder and press with my body, and paring cuts handle the whole operation sans whacking. It's nice, because the coffee doesn't vibrate off the bench, and the chips don't end up in the mug.

[Jim Koepke]

and the chips don't end up in the mug.

Pine chips add an interesting dimension to coffee's flavor.


jtk

[Adam Cruea]

I've been meaning to grab one of the WIG mallets. When the OT check comes in, maybe this is the kick in the pants if I remember.

I will say, for a whole lot of my dovetails, I saw out the waste tight enough with the coping saw, that I don't *need* a mallet - hold the chisel against my shoulder and press with my body, and paring cuts handle the whole operation sans whacking. It's nice, because the coffee doesn't vibrate off the bench, and the chips don't end up in the mug.

If your coffee vibrates off the bench, your bench is too light. :D Though like Jim, I have found some woods impart a nice aroma and taste to the coffee. Hahaha!

To answer the question from OP though, I use a small hickory mallet I made from 2 chunks of 5/4 hickory I had lying around from my bench build for light work and a large hickory mallet made from 2 chunks of 8/4 (again, leftover from my bench build).

Big thumper's head: 7" long, 3 1/2" tall, 3" wide made of hickory (8/4 laminated). The handle is 12 1/2" long from top to bottom.

Little thumper's head: 5" long, 2 1/4" tall, 1 3/4" wide (5/4 laminated). The handle for that little guy is 9" long. It is also made of hickory. The head for little thumper wasn't soaked as long.

284066

[Daniel Rode]

Thanks Adam! I might make 2 just because they make such a nice pair :)

What angle did you use for the faces? Also, I missed the "soaked" reference. What were they soaked in?



The head for little thumper wasn't soaked as long.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Daniel

You should make one. In fact, if you can turn you should also make a carver's mallet, and then compare the two types. Aim for about 18 oz for each.

Mallets are such a personal thing. I used round cabinetmaker mallets for many years. My favourite is the Blue Spruce ($80, so out of the price range you mentioned), but I made many for myself as well. In time I came to prefer a square or hammer-like mallet. They focus their energy better. You can actually get away with a slightly lighter mallet. Still, it is a personal preference.

A gennou can be had for $20. These are designed for Japanese hooped chisel handles but work on any hooped handle.

Another alternative is a 19oz Thor with a nylon head. This is quite stiff - I dislike a squishy head as it absorbs too much energy. The Thor is balanced and I use it when noise is an issue (my family are likely to complain at siesta time). Veritas (pre modification) and Thor ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Mallets%20and%20hammers/Hammer2_zps3a4b3abc.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Daniel Rode]

Thanks Derek.
The Veritas is functionally a lot like the hammer I'm using new but heavier. The angled face and wood inserts are nice touches. What I don't like is the price. It would cost me about $50 delivered and I'm not convinced the action would be any different than my current. The Thor is a bit less but I dislike the handle for some reason. I've see Paul Sellers us one but I don't love it. The make a wooden handled version but the face is only 1".

[Derek Cohen]

Dan, the handle of the Thor is super comfortable. I am not mad about look of the white nylon, but the construction is tough and stiff and the balance is excellent.

The price of the Veritas is $39 (excluding shipping costs) - wait for their free shipping day?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Daniel Rode]

The list for free shipping day is getting longer and longer :)

Dan, the handle of the Thor is super comfortable. I am not mad about look of the white nylon, but the construction is tough and stiff and the balance is excellent.

The price of the Veritas is $39 (excluding shipping costs) - wait for their free shipping day?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Graham Haydon]

I should make my own but the Narex http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Narex_8253_Mallet_650g_23oz.html I can get in the UK is nice. Main thing is don't worry too much about it, get one and practice. Whichever you choose will soon become an extension of you. One of the guys here has a carver's mallet and it just feels weird to me.

[Adam Cruea]

Thanks Adam! I might make 2 just because they make such a nice pair :)

What angle did you use for the faces? Also, I missed the "soaked" reference. What were they soaked in?

They were both soaked in BLO. Little thumper was soaked for a day I believe, and big thumper was soaked for a week.

For the face angle, I just ran a straight line from the bottom of the handle to the top corner of the head. Thus far it's worked for me, and I can basically just drop Big Thumper down on a mortise chisel into hickory and take out a 1/16" chunk. Giving it a "put your back into it" whack, the chisels will dive down progressively farther.

[Chris Griggs]

They were both soaked in BLO.

Really, BLO? Not a secret mix of your own sweat & used motor oil from the Harley (with perhaps a touch of lambs blood)? BLO seems a little, shall we say too refined, for a man of your grit.

[David Weaver]

used motor oil

Carcinogenic! Even tough guys don't want to get cancer!

Used oils and unrefined oils (even unrefined mineral oil, though I don't know where someone gets unrefined minearal oil) are carcinogens. Fresh motor oil isn't as bad (if it may still be bad anyway, I'm not sure).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2612787

Strange result in the summary is that used diesel engine oil didn't test as carcinogenic where used gasoline oil did. Somewhere there are people who spent $50,000 on a diesel pickup hooting based on that result!

End result, don't use used motor oil on things, not even on sharpening stones.

[allen long]

The Thor-branded hammer that Derek has showns us does not deserve to carry that name. Adam's big thumper - Now that is a mallet worthy of the name THOR!!

I bet the chisel drives itself out of sheer terror when it simply sees Adam's big thumper coming close!

Beautiful Mallets, Adam.

I use the rubberized carvers round mallet for a variety of wood butchering - but I generally don't really put my back into it. I also have the Vertas round brass mallet but it tended to mark up the chisel handles. I put a small section of PVC pipe on it by using a heat gun to soften the pipe) I use it when I really need a little more finess in murdering the wood.

[Chris Griggs]

Carcinogenic! Even tough guys don't want to get cancer!

So its just sweat and lambs blood than?

[David Weaver]

So its just sweat and lambs blood than?

Yeah, that's OK. You can tap the drain at the gym and the local butcher.

[Chris Griggs]

Yeah, that's OK. You can tap the drain at the gym and the local butcher.

Well its ok for guys like Adam.

My secret finish would need to be made from hemp oil and soy milk. :)

[David Weaver]

Oh yeah, used sweat and blood isn't vegan. I forgot!! There really isn't anything as gross in the vegan world....maybe rancid banana oil.

[Chris Griggs]

Oh yeah, used sweat and blood isn't vegan. I forgot!! There really isn't anything as gross in the vegan world....maybe rancid banana oil.

Well, I suppose I'm ok with human sweat and blood....I like non-human animals better than I like people. Mix that with fermented rancid banana oil and I think we've got a winner.



errrr....just to say on topic...my favorite mallet is my turned "Katrina Mallet". Friend and creeker Archie gave it to me back when I lived in NOLA. He turned it from a hunk/branch of live oak ("live" being the species not the state of the tree) he found when he came back from katrina. Love that mallet.

[Robert LaPlaca]

I use mallets all day some days. Since I bought the Wood is Good 12 and 30's, no sore wrists or elbows, and no beat up chisel handles.

Another fan of the WIG mallets, I use a 18 ounce mallet.. It doesn't take much make the tendonitis flair up on my right elbow and thankfully I can use the WIG mallet all day and have no fear... As soon as I so much look at an Estwing hammer the tendonitis flairs right up..

[Adam Cruea]

Well its ok for guys like Adam.

My secret finish would need to be made from hemp oil and soy milk. :)

I'd be too tempted to torch the mallet after a soaking in hemp oil.

And yes, just BLO for soaking. I was going to use bunny tears and some of Satan's urine, but I couldn't find a bunny when I made the mallet. :mad:

I was also all out of Harley oil. That's what gets used to cook my wild boar bacon and ostrich eggs (sunny side up, of course). :D

[Chris Griggs]

I'd be too tempted to torch the mallet after a soaking in hemp oil.

And yes, just BLO for soaking. I was going to use bunny tears and some of Satan's urine, but I couldn't find a bunny when I made the mallet. :mad:

I was also all out of Harley oil. That's what gets used to cook my wild boar bacon and ostrich eggs (sunny side up, of course). :D

This makes me happy on so many levels! :D

[Tom Vanzant]

Back to the topic... For chopping dovetails, I mostly use the 20 oz Veritas journeyman brass/cherry mallet but sometimes a no-name beech mallet measuring 5-1/4 x 3-1/2 x 2-1/2. The beech mallet is my go-to for mortising. Most of my bench chisels and mortising chisels are Narex from LV...not pretty but work fine in cherry, maple and walnut.

[Daniel Rode]

Thanks for all the tips!

The WIG mallet arrived today. The size, weight and balance are pretty much what I hoped for. It felt very natural as soon as I took the first swing. It's 50% heavier and the extra mass helps. For me, that means slower more controlled swings and taps. That part is nice but the real benefit is that it's easier to propel with wrist movements. It looks and feels indestructible. The handle was smooth and needed no work at all, so that's probably worth the extra $15 right there.