Wanted: Turned mallet commision

[Robert Miller]

OK you turners, I'm building Das Bench ( the Bench) which is on another thread. I would like to commision a custom turned mallet for my new bench and I do not have a lathe.:eek:
I'd like some suggestions on materials suitable for a mallet for handwork., chopping dovetails etc.
I have a English oak mallet, but you guys have some really exotic stuff ,and I'd like something really different.

Anyone interested?

[TYLER WOOD]

Maybe some Texas Ebony! It is hard as nails and looks great! Lignum vitae would be great too if you could get your hands on some. Both these woods are very dense, hard and heavy. Would take a pounding relatively well.

But unfortunately I am out of pocket for about the next 2 months soooo I can not turn for you. Also turning into a NAVY idealist. (never again volunteer yourself) Too many irons in the fire so I have to pull some out.

[Mike Henderson]

A good mallet is very personal - meaning that the shape, weight and the size of the handle are very much a personal preference. It's hard to get the right one the first time. What you might do is get someone to make you one from cheap wood - maybe some glued up maple - then use it for a while and see how you like it. Then, you can have one made from expensive wood.

Eventually, you'll probalby wind up with several mallets of different weights that you use for different things. For example, for carving I use a fairly light mallet but prefer a bit heaver one for dovetails.

The problem with mallets is that the wood delaminates from the pounding. Some wood will last longer but almost all of it will eventually break down. What I do is leave the center marks on the head and handle so I can put it back into the lathe and sand the face down when it gets really bad.

Mike

[Robert Miller]

Thanks Mike, that's good advice. I wish now that I had bought a lathe years ago, as it's a whole different area in woodworking that I have zero expierence with but I have it on my list of things to learn.

[Chris Barton]

Hi Rob,

If you will send me the details about what you want, I'll turn it and mail it to you.

[Curt Fuller]

Well Robert, I double dog dare you to post your address and just see how many mallets end up on your front porch. This group goes about half crazy over the chance to make a "bonker".

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Well Robert, I double dog dare you to post your address and just see how many mallets end up on your front porch. This group goes about half crazy over the chance to make a "bonker".

Especially when the bonker requires two turnings attached at 90 degrees to each other!:D

[Harvey M. Taylor]

I agree with all the above advice, but-- Why miss out on a chance to practice turning? I have about 5 mallets, mostly because I got tired of searching for one when I needed it. That is an excellent practice project, imho.

[Blake McCully]

Ok, don't laugh please. I've made a couple mallets from bowling pins. They are hard maple and stand up pretty well. The only problem is, they aren't the older solid wood style, but the newer glued up variety. I use mine all the time, but I don't use them for like carving and such, just as shop bonkers.

You can get old pins from your local bowling alley, they just throw them away. If you do get some, make double sure that you use your face shield especially when you get down around the middle where the ball always stikes. It's usually all splintered up.

Have fun.

[Dario Octaviano]

I have a few mallets myself...several carver type (turned single piece) and the carpenter type (rectangular/trapezoidal head w/ separate handle).

All of them are made of lignum vitae and though admittedly I seldomly use them...I know they will last me more than a lifetime even at average normal use.

[Robert Miller]

Well Robert, I double dog dare you to post your address and just see how many mallets end up on your front porch. This group goes about half crazy over the chance to make a "bonker".

Since you had to put it that way..:D
I will be happy to pay for any mallet that I recieve. I am really curious to see just what you turners can do and what you make it out of. I'm getting very close to finishing my new bench and I'd like a nice mallet that I can use for carving and dovetails. Mike is making one for me in maple and I appreciate that very much.
If you would like to make one for me for Das Bench ( I'd like to pay for them) you can send it to me at:

Robert Miller
1338 Mayfair Ter.
Ft. Myers, FL 33919

Come to think of it, how about a little contest where I post the entries and you guys vote on the winner?
The winner will recieve a Lie-Neilson leather chisel case.:D
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/chiselroll.jpg

[Dario Octaviano]

Try giving some info like preferred:
max diameter,
Length,
weight,
etc.

If you can, try giving also an idea about your grip size for the handle diameter.

This will help anyone who wants to make one for you a better chance of producing a better fit mallet.

[Robert Miller]

Try giving some info like preferred:
max diameter,
Length,
weight,
etc.

If you can, try giving also an idea about your grip size for the handle diameter.

This will help anyone who wants to make one for you a better chance of producing a better fit mallet.


Thanks, I will do so as soon as I get home from the office.

[Dario Octaviano]

Another thing is if you have (or can find) a picture of what shape you like (or appeals to you)...post that too.

[Robert Miller]

Another thing is if you have (or can find) a picture of what shape you like (or appeals to you)...post that too.


I'm open to thehttp://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/Carvers-mallet-lg.jpg design.


This is nice........


http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/w174showcase_02.jpg

[Jude Kingery]

Good pictures, Robert! I'd be happy to turn you one out of Mesquite if you like; pretty hard wood with beautiful grain, from Texas w/ best wishes, (you may have a whole bunch of mallets, gavels, assorted collection and have to build another bench/shelf to hold them all, ha!) Jude

[Jim Becker]

Suggest Osage Orange as another consideration. My bench mallet was turned from it...one of my very first turning projects a long time ago! And find a friend locally that you can turn your own on his/her machine. (But beware...it's, well...a vortex...)

[Robert Miller]

Thanks everyone,I'd welcome anything you'd care to turn.
I took some measurements from some of my plain jane mallets.
I'm a big guy at 6' 6" tall and 300 lbs:eek: so my hands are pretty big.
My closed hand is about 5 " wide . So I would think somewhere around 11" or so overall in lenght would be about right?

I tend to like a somewhat heavier mallet so dense hardwood like some of the suggestions like mesquite etc would be great.
I want to be clear that I was not looking for a free mallet ,and so I'd like to pay for them or if you would like a little fun, my contest offer stands for the Lie-Nielson leather chisel case ( new).
Up to you of course.

By the way, any interest in turning some beautiful bench vise handles for my bench project?

I just know that if I get a lathe, I'm going to get hooked !:rolleyes: ( not that I have a clue how to turn.)

Thanks everyone.

[Robert Miller]

Good pictures, Robert! I'd be happy to turn you one out of Mesquite if you like; pretty hard wood with beautiful grain, from Texas w/ best wishes, (you may have a whole bunch of mallets, gavels, assorted collection and have to build another bench/shelf to hold them all, ha!) Jude


Hi, that's really sounds great, Thanks! http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon14.gif

I'm so close to finishing this bench which I now have a couple of hundred hours building ,and I wanted a nicely crafted mallet to show off on the bench.

[Mike Henderson]

I'll bump this thread for Robert. Before his posting was moved from the classified to the turner's forum, I volunteered to turn a mallet for Robert.

Now, I'm not a very good turner, I live in the flat work world and only do turnings for furniture. My offer was to make a mallet out of scrap that I had in my shop. Originally, I was going to make one mallet from maple scrap but I also had some oak scrap and decided to make two, one heavy (the oak) and one light (the maple). I made the handles a bit large because I figured that Robert could get them turned down if they were too big - but he'd be stuck if they were too small.

I also left the centers on the head and handle so that the mallet could be put back into the lathe for sanding after it got beat up from use (or to turn the handle down).

Anyway, I wanted to post a picture and encourage anyone else who turns a mallet for Robert to also post a picture so we can all see the variety of designs that are made.

Mike

[Jude Kingery]

Mike, those are very nice. I'm still working on a Mesquite one. If I can resize this pic, I'll post it, also post one of the VB with the Cherry log on it, ha! Anyway, Mike, I bet he loves the ones you made, very nicely done! Jude

[TYLER WOOD]

Come to think of it, how about a little contest where I post the entries and you guys vote on the winner?
The winner will recieve a Lie-Neilson leather chisel case.:D
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g148/robmill54/chiselroll.jpg[/quote]


Using that would constitue diong the f-word. You realize what forum you are posting don't you.:D

Actually that is a nice prize. Do the chisels come too?:cool: I need a present for a friend of mine who does f-work. This would be something for him. I may have to rethink pulling irons out of the fire for this!!!

[Robert Miller]

No, the chisels don't come with it!:D :rolleyes:

My offer still stands,if you folks are interested.
I just received two beautiful mallets from Mike Henderson one in maple and one in oak. Thanks Mike.

I'm almost finished with the end vise for the bench. I will post pictures of the mallets and you guys/gals can tell me who won.

And no, you can't vote for yourself!:p

I will send the winner a brand new LN case as shown.