Wooden mallet question

[Joe A Faulkner]

Mine is white oak. You can't tell from this old picture, but the faces have since been covered in leather. Sometimes I use it to tap things together, so the leather provides a little cushion. I also use it to set and release holdfasts which has led to some irregularities in the face of the mallet. Over the years I've learned that a modest blow to the holdfast goes along way to making it work. In the early days, I tended to strike it with more force than is necessary. I think cherry will work just fine, but if you use it on holdfasts, be prepared for some dents.

[Warren West]

So this is group for traditional hand woodworking, then I say make you mallet out of traditional mallet woods. The wood workers of 100+ years ago would have made the mallet out of a suitable mallet wood as it was a matter of practicality.

If you want to make a work of beauty and art, that's fine too, but it may not be heavy enough without a lead core or may not be durable enough depending on what you will be hitting.

My only woodworking mallet is an Ash head with an Oak handle and I too have leather on one face as Joe A Faulkner did

[Frederick Skelly]

So this is group for traditional hand woodworking, then I say make you mallet out of traditional mallet woods.

Hi Warren,
Aside from Ash, what do you consider a traditional mallet wood?

Thanks,
Fred

[Mel Fulks]

Warren is probably actually doin' wood stuff. It was persimmon in the North and Dogwood in the South. Some iconoclasts probably ignored the norm and smashed with something else. Lincoln used "mallets toward none"

[Jim Koepke]

Lincoln used "mallets toward none"

That was one of my lines at the farmers market while holding a mallet.

Another would be to ask people as they were passing by if they knew anyone who was "mallet adjusted."

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

Jim, I'm sure you "gavel-nized" the crowd!

[John C Cox]

I say you just go ahead and knock one up quick and dirty with what you have and go from there..... Then evaluate how that one works and go from there...

My favorite small mallet which I use for adjusting planes is made of eastern red cedar branches I found in the yard under the tree - Juniper.... Works fantastic. And when I trimmed the tree two weeks ago - I saved the good looking branches for making a couple more because my kids fight over the first one...

I have a couple good looking pieces of firewood which are destined for mallets..

[Derek Cohen]

I just checked the wood stash that a friend gave me a couple of weeks ago. There is some oak in the stash too so, maybe I'll make two mallets one from oak and one cherry. Or maybe I'll just make one handle and swap heads s needed.

Hi Marshall

Take the time to make a handle that is comfortable, controllable and ergonomic. A shaped handle is a different world from a "stick" attached to a head. Be is a round or rectangular head, the handle needs to be shaped to avoid flying out of your hand.

This is a re-handled Veritas furnituremaker's mallet ..



The handle on this mallet may be choked up ...



Look at the handles of the Blue Spruce offerings, and you will see good design for a reason, not just looks.

Regards from Perth

Derek