Better solution than wood is good mallet?

[Tony Wilkins]

I have two wood is good rubber coated mallets that I got thinking they'd be good for my nerve damaged hands. Twice recently I've seen things that talked about the Loss of energy with these mallets. I'm wondering if I'd be better off with making a joiners mallet, getting a blue spruce, or something similar.

im trying to balance sensitive hands with weaker arms.

[Allan Speers]

Perhaps a wood mallet, but with a soft rubber-like handle?

[Tom M King]

I've been using them for several years now. Sometimes I use a mallet and chisel all day long. I've not damaged a chisel handle, or my arm, using one all day long. I'll never go back to wood. I use the 12 oz. for normal woodworking and carpentry stuff, and a 30 oz. one for timber framing chisels. Don't let the theorists of minutia convince you they are no good. I wish I had back all the chisel handles that have been worn out, and all the time back I spent making wooden mallets that wear out over the years. I don't have an issue with my arms, but got tired of beating tools down.

Hobbyists seem to be most interested in theory, and how a tool looks in their hand. I'm more concerned with doing the work, but then, I'm not a hobbyist. I'd stick with the Wood is Good mallets a bit longer, especially if you have issues with your hands, arm, wrist, or elbow. Hopefully, you have the 12 oz. one. I doubt I'll ever use anything else.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Find yourself a leather mallet. I have one and it hits hard but transmits less vibration to the wrist. I got mine on eBay long ago. Tandy used to make them but I believe have gone to all urethane. Leather mallets are made with round stacked discs compressed with a big metal threaded end cap, then sanded on the lathe.

[Tony Wilkins]

I've been using them for several years now. Sometimes I use a mallet and chisel all day long. I've not damaged a chisel handle, or my arm, using one all day long. I'll never go back to wood. I use the 12 oz. for normal woodworking and carpentry stuff, and a 30 oz. one for timber framing chisels. Don't let the theorists of minutia convince you they are no good. I wish I had back all the chisel handles that have been worn out, and all the time back I spent making wooden mallets that wear out over the years. I don't have an issue with my arms, but got tired of beating tools down.

Hobbyists seem to be most interested in theory, and how a tool looks in their hand. I'm more concerned with doing the work, but then, I'm not a hobbyist. I'd stick with the Wood is Good mallets a bit longer, especially if you have issues with your hands, arm, wrist, or elbow. Hopefully, you have the 12 oz. one. I doubt I'll ever use anything else.

i got a 12oz not long ago; I've had a 20oz almost since I started woodworking.

[Tom M King]

I have one of those leather mallets used to hit grommet tools for doing canvas work. It works really well for that, and works great for the grommet dies and cutters. It must weigh over two pounds though, and has a pretty dead landing. I'll stick with the Wood is Good urethane head ones for woodworking. You get used to the bounce back of the urethane, and it really helps with the rhythm, and ease of use once you get used to it. Maybe if I was doing fine carving I'd use something different, like maybe the little short handled brass headed one, but I can't think of anything else I'd rather use on wood than the Wood is Good one.

[Jim Koepke]

I have two wood is good rubber coated mallets that I got thinking they'd be good for my nerve damaged hands. Twice recently I've seen things that talked about the Loss of energy with these mallets. I'm wondering if I'd be better off with making a joiners mallet, getting a blue spruce, or something similar.

im trying to balance sensitive hands with weaker arms.

If the mallets are working for you, then pay no mind to what others say about the science of mallet swinging.

If the mallets are not working for you, then we have a place to start a discussion.

jtk

[Joe Bailey]

I've been using them for several years now. Sometimes I use a mallet and chisel all day long. I've not damaged a chisel handle, or my arm, using one all day long. I'll never go back to wood. I use the 12 oz. for normal woodworking and carpentry stuff, and a 30 oz. one for timber framing chisels. Don't let the theorists of minutia convince you they are no good. I wish I had back all the chisel handles that have been worn out, and all the time back I spent making wooden mallets that wear out over the years. I don't have an issue with my arms, but got tired of beating tools down.

Hobbyists seem to be most interested in theory, and how a tool looks in their hand. I'm more concerned with doing the work, but then, I'm not a hobbyist. I'd stick with the Wood is Good mallets a bit longer, especially if you have issues with your hands, arm, wrist, or elbow. Hopefully, you have the 12 oz. one. I doubt I'll ever use anything else.

+1 -- both as to the recommendations, as well as the nature of observations made by Hobbyists.

[Tony Wilkins]

If the mallets are working for you, then pay no mind to what others say about the science of mallet swinging.

If the mallets are not working for you, then we have a place to start a discussion.

jtk

They work ok but if I could use something a bit longer before wearing out it would be good. It may not be a question of replacing but maybe adding to my mallet Arsenal.

[Jim Koepke]

They work ok but if I could use something a bit longer before wearing out it would be good. It may not be a question of replacing but maybe adding to my mallet Arsenal.

There are a few things that help me to go a little longer at the bench. One is my grip. I do not hold my mallet with a tight grip. My grip is firm enough for the mallet to stay in my hand but light enough that it has a bit of free swing. This seems to help with keeping the shock from being transferred back to my hand, arm and shoulder. Another is I will sometimes change hands. This can be tricky for those who are not used to swinging from both sides.

You may also consider if it is your light mallet that wears you out quicker or is it the heavy mallet. For chopping mortises I like to use the biggest bonker in the shop.

jtk

[Bruce Haugen]

If you're having problems with your grip, try using those gloves with a zillion rubber or urethane dots on them. I have a similar problem, caused by one of my meds, and those gloves have been a game changer. I also have the wood is good 20 oz mallet and think it's great.

[Mateo Panzica]

I started using Japanese, steel hammers during my timber framing days. I will never go back to mallets. I found them to be much easier on my body. They might mush up your chisel handles a bit... but, I'd rather replace a handle than an elbow.

[Stanley Covington]

I've been using them for several years now. Sometimes I use a mallet and chisel all day long. I've not damaged a chisel handle, or my arm, using one all day long. I'll never go back to wood. I use the 12 oz. for normal woodworking and carpentry stuff, and a 30 oz. one for timber framing chisels..

Tom,

Please clarify. Do you prefer rubber-coated hammers like the OP mentioned, or something else?

Thanks,

Stan

[Tony Wilkins]

Tom,

Please clarify. Do you prefer rubber-coated hammers like the OP mentioned, or something else?

Thanks,

Stan

Stan, he mentioned using one exactly like I do earlier <--- the OP

[Derek Cohen]

I have two wood is good rubber coated mallets that I got thinking they'd be good for my nerve damaged hands. Twice recently I've seen things that talked about the Loss of energy with these mallets. I'm wondering if I'd be better off with making a joiners mallet, getting a blue spruce, or something similar.

im trying to balance sensitive hands with weaker arms.

Tony, I imagine (since I have not used) the rubber mallets would absorb much of the energy. For several years I have used a Thor hammer. This has a harder nylon construction. It is quiet, has decent feedback, and I use it for morticing as well as knocking furniture together. It weight about 19oz.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Mallets%20and%20hammers/BwMEglQWkKGrHqEOKjEEwWHmqyFmBMH1o-LfB_3.jpg

Here is the Thor along with a few other mallets. The small one is used for adjusting planes as well as dovetailing un-hooped chisels. The nylon head is quiet, and just the right balance of firm and absorbing. The other mallets are used for morticing.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Mallets%20and%20hammers/Hammers1_zpspmltek43.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[paul cottingham]

I have two wood is good rubber coated mallets that I got thinking they'd be good for my nerve damaged hands. Twice recently I've seen things that talked about the Loss of energy with these mallets. I'm wondering if I'd be better off with making a joiners mallet, getting a blue spruce, or something similar.

im trying to balance sensitive hands with weaker arms.

FWIW, I have really bad neuralgia in my right hand, and never had particularly strong hands despite my rather large size, and I have used one of those mallets without any difficulty, or seeming loss of power. Really really like it.

[Allen Jordan]

I have a wood is good mallet and love it. I reach for it more than several other solid wood mallets.

[Tom M King]

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Tom,

Please clarify. Do you prefer rubber-coated hammers like the OP mentioned, or something else?

Thanks,

Stan

They aren't rubber coated. The head is a fairly dense Urethane. They are round headed mallets. I've worn out a fair number of wooden mallets, both square headed and round headed. I prefer round headed for anything. The Wood is Good mallets are what started this discussion, and they are what I prefer the most. When the wooden one in this picture finally split, I ordered my first Wood is Good mallet, and will never go back to wood.

Here's a link that shows what they look like: http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/mallets.htm The Maple handles are really comfortable too. I concur with their comment that the mallet gives a chisel more of a push than a jolt.

The picture of me working on the beam mortise is with the 30 oz. Wood is Good mallet. I can't say how many new handles I've made for that chisel, but won't have to spend time doing that again. That was a beam we hewed to replace the termite eaten one that you see pieces of laying on the ground. I don't know how much of anything you can see in the downsized picture.

[Stanley Covington]

Thanks for the explanation, Tom, and the pics. I did not know Wood is Good was the name of a mallet before now, and apologize for my confusion.

You do some fun work!

Cheers,

Stan

[Tom M King]

No need for an apology. It's a dumb name, but a good design.

[george wilson]

I'd rather use a flat faced mallet.

[glenn bradley]

I think Jim hit on an important part of hammer versus mallet use. Like Jim, I loosely/comfortably control the mass, direct it where I want it and let the inertia of impact do the work. Like hand sawing, golfing, fishing, etc. there is a negative effect in trying to force things as opposed to guiding them. A death-grip on a mallet over an extended time results in fatigue and can lead to injury.

It also took me awhile to find the right weight for a given task. The mallet needs to be heavy enough to do some work in response to your efforts but, not so heavy that you cannot comfortably guide it. I made a crude wooden mallet and added and removed bullet weights and used it for several days in each configuration until I found something comfortable for me. As it turned out a cheap Shop Fox version of the Wood is Good format has become my favorite. I sanded the handle with 120 grit, shellacked it and I'm a happy guy ;-)

[Tom M King]

I'd rather use a flat faced mallet. I started out with square faced mallets. I'm pretty sure the first one I ever had was an ECE that I bought from either Woodcraft or Garrett Wade. Of course, that was when I was young and foolish, so I'm sure I hit things with it too hard, but I was disappointed in how long it lasted considering what I paid for it. I made a few more, but those didn't last that long either. When I needed one in a hurry, it was faster to turn one on the lathe than make a square one.

The big advantage I found with the round head was you had a lot more surface to take the wear by just turning the mallet, so they would last a lot longer. I never went back to the square headed ones, and guess I just got used to the round ones. With either, the target area to do the striking is probably about the same size, so I doubt one is more forgiving than the other for aim.

[Randy Karst]

I have the 12, 18 & 30oz Wood is Good mallets as well as a Blue Spruce; I tend to use the Wood is Good the most mainly due to the silence. The 30oz I use for morticing anything larger than 1/4"; I only had the 12oz & 18oz for several years but wanted to cut 5/16 & 3/8" mortices and that's when the 30oz was purchased, what a difference. For smaller joinery (drawer dovetails for example), either the 12 or 18oz, or the Blue Spruce work nicely (though again, Wood is Good is quieter). The esthetic of the Blue Spruce is something else though, it inspires me!

[Jim Belair]

Perhaps a wood mallet, but with a soft rubber-like handle?

This seems like a good option- maximum energy transfer with minimum aggravation to the OPs sensitive hands.

[Tony Wilkins]

Thanks for all the input. I'll keep,on with the wood is good for a bit. I also want to make a traditional joiners mallet so sometime I'll do that.

[Tom M King]

Tony, How big are your hands? The WIG mallets have fairly large diameter handles. I was just wondering if getting someone to turn down the handle a bit would be any help to you.

[Tony Wilkins]

Tony, How big are your hands? The WIG mallets have fairly large diameter handles. I was just wondering if getting someone to turn down the handle a bit would be any help to you.

They are very average. I can't remember exactly but I use regular handles in my BAT saws. I think they're in the neighborhood of 3.75".

[Warren Mickley]

My mortising mallet has a few features that may help you, Tony.

Handle material: I have an ash handle on my mallet. There is a reason baseball bats are made from ash. In contrast to hickory, which is harder, more durable and was used a century ago, ash absorbs the shock and does not transmit it. Lately some players use maple bats. They can get away with this because they now have expensive gloves that help with shock. For a bare hand, ash is much better.

Handle length: my handle is 8 inches long, an 18th century standard. In the 20th century handles became more like 11 inches long as people used them more like hammers with more wrist motion. A short handle encourages arm motion, not wrist.

Heavy head: My mortising mallet is 30 ounces overall with a dogwood head, close to 40 years in use. You might think a heavy mallet is harder on your hands, but in fact what is hard is if the mallet is a little light. What happens with a light mallet is that you grip the handle all the way to impact, hoping to get a little more out of each swing. This jars the hand. With a heavier mallet, the hand can be relaxed at impact, letting the momentum do the work. Note short handle in Roubo.
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[Steve Voigt]

My mortising mallet has a few features that may help you, Tony.

Handle material: I have an ash handle on my mallet. There is a reason baseball bats are made from ash. In contrast to hickory, which is harder, more durable and was used a century ago, ash absorbs the shock and does not transmit it. Lately some players use maple bats. They can get away with this because they now have expensive gloves that help with shock. For a bare hand, ash is much better.

Handle length: my handle is 8 inches long, an 18th century standard. In the 20th century handles became more like 11 inches long as people used them more like hammers with more wrist motion. A short handle encourages arm motion, not wrist.

Heavy head: My mortising mallet is 30 ounces overall with a dogwood head, close to 40 years in use. You might think a heavy mallet is harder on your hands, but in fact what is hard is if the mallet is a little light. What happens with a light mallet is that you grip the handle all the way to impact, hoping to get a little more out of each swing. This jars the hand. With a heavier mallet, the hand can be relaxed at impact, letting the momentum do the work. Note short handle in Roubo.


Warren,
Thanks for the info on your mallet. Would you happen to know the dimensions of the head?

There's an old video of the Japanese Dai maker, Hisao, mortising a plane. He uses a massive steel hammer--the video claims 5 lbs.,--and it looks a lot like the Roubo mallet, a short handle and a head that is large diameter but relatively short compared to say a 5 lb. sledge.

For a while I tried to emulate this with a vintage brass 5 lb hammer that looks very similar to his, but it was just too much weight and too much arm strain. Currently I mortise planes with either a 24 oz dead blow mallet, or a 20 oz Japanese steel hammer. The steel hammer is a little better, but too loud. Neither is really heavy enough; I'm thinking something around 30 oz would be ideal (but not the Wood Is Good--I don't like round mallets).

[Derek Cohen]

Steve, coincidentally, the handle length on my heavy morticing mallet (36 oz) is also 8". The mallet head (I've posted pictures somewhere here) is made heavier by infilling brass at the sides.

I agree with Warren about letting momentum do the work.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Patrick Chase]

I have two wood is good rubber coated mallets that I got thinking they'd be good for my nerve damaged hands. Twice recently I've seen things that talked about the Loss of energy with these mallets. I'm wondering if I'd be better off with making a joiners mallet, getting a blue spruce, or something similar.

im trying to balance sensitive hands with weaker arms.

This may seem like hair-splitting, but... Rubber mallets absolutely do not have a problem with "loss of energy". On the contrary, rubber of the sort used on mallets has a near-unity coefficient of restitution, which is a fancy way of saying that almost all of the energy you put into it comes back out one way or another. Leather is actually worse in that respect (some of the energy gets dissipated into the leather as heat), but it doesn't really matter because "loss of energy" wasn't/isn't the problem. Peak force is the real issue here.

Energy is merely force times distance. When you hit something with a hammer and transfer a given amount of energy, you can do it all at once (high force, low distance) or you can do it gradually (low force, high distance). The fact that rubber "gives" spreads the impact out. In other words, it applies low[er] force over a relatively high distance.

Whether that's good or not depends on whether you were trying to apply force or energy to begin with. If you're trying to unstick something in a controlled manner (as is the case when "tapping" to adjust a plane) then you probably want high force and limited energy, which makes rubber a poor choice. Some chisel cuts are the opposite - you want to deliver enough energy to drive the blade a certain distance through the wood (remember, energy is just force times distance) , but you want to do it without applying so much force that you damage the chisel. In that case rubber might be a good choice.

[Roderick Gentry]

Without being a collector of hammers I have acquired a ton of them over the years. The one I like best are the carver style urethane mallets, quiet, work great. I'm not a fan of the shape, I once got one of the round brass ones, and it tore the handles on some prized Japanes chisels to pieces. But the urethane is too soft to do that. I don't know what kind of nerve damage you suffer from, but often a wider range of motion is better, so a softer mallet, with a longer swing could be better. What kills me are mouse buttons.

[steven c newman]

My sole chisel mallet, turned from a piece of spalted maple

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Chisels do not bother it, it doesn't bother the chisels, and the Uncle Arthur in my fingers doesn't complain, either. When I was turning the mallet, I kept checking for fit to my hands. Mallet might be almost...16oz....or so. have no way to weigh it, feels the same as my 16oz claw hammer. yes, those are un-hooped mortise chisels laying there. They don't mind the mallet, either.
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Was taught to swing a hammer using the shoulder, not the wrist nor the elbow.

[Robert Engel]

When doing dovetails and other small joinery jobs, I use a brass carvers mallet.