Mallet Wt. for Dovetails, Mortises?

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

I am thinking about either buying or making a couple of wooden mallets, because my dovetail chisels and mortise chisels have wooden handles. One for dovetailing and one for chopping mortises.

What weight or dimensions do you use and find a good size. Please include whether the weight is total weight or weight of the head. If you don't know the weight, what about the dimensions of the head (LXWXT), and the handle lenght.

I want to buy or build a traditional mallet, with a head that is a rectangular block with the faces sloping slightly toward the handle.

I do have some osage orange lumber that I bought a little over 3 years ago for this exact purpose, that has been drying in the garage ever since.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Derek Cohen]

Stew, my absolute favourite mallet is a modified Veritas Cabinetmaker's Mallet

I have replaced the original handle, which was too slim and straight for my liking. And I faced the ends with UHMW. This provides a terrific combination of feedback (as it is quite hard) with protection for the wooden chisel handle (as it has some give together with the wooden core). The UHMW lasts and lasts.

The head is 18 oz cast brass, and this is solid but not overly heavy. I like the balance. It can be used with bench chisels as well as mortice chisels.



I have a heavier mallet 37oz), brass infilled to keep the size down, which I made for morticing in very hard wood, but most of the time I prefer the one above. The heavy duty mallet can be choked up ...



For Japanese chisels, which are hooped, I will also use a steel gennou, typically the 225gm (8oz) for softer wood and, at the rear, 375gm (13oz) for harder wood ...



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Andrew Hughes]

I use a smallish hammer for Dovetails.
It keeps me hitting the chisels straight plus my work is smallish.
Thanks for asking this question I’ve always wanted to show off my hammer now I have a reason.

[steven c newman]

Per the OP's request....Roy Underhill, The Woodwright's Shop....the Big Ash Mallet....

[Jim Matthews]

If you have many to cut, the weight of the mallet isn't trivial. When I have no alternative to chopping, I like the 20 ounce Stanley "soft face" hammer.

More than two pounds would make a hefty (and tiring) mallet. You can always add weight, drilling a hole and dropping in fishing sinkers.

[Warren Mickley]

I have used a 30 ounce dogwood mallet for mortises since 1979. For something this heavy you don't want a long handle like a hammer because it would wear out your wrist. My mallet has an 8 inch handle. Roubo specifies an 8 inch handle also. The mallet he describes might be a bit heavier considering the dimensions he mentions for the head.

For dovetails, I recommend a mallet in the 14-15 ounce range.

[bill epstein]

Mortises, 20 oz. Carpenter's Mallet, Lignum
Other Joinery with Western Chisels, 14 oz. Walnut Carver's (the Lignum one ran away)
Other Joinery with my one and only Mentori Oirenomi Chisel, 12 oz. flat face steel Warrington style hammer (because that's what I have)

[Bill Carey]

For dovetails I use the smaller, oak mallet that weighs in at 14 oz, and has steeper faces so it lands correctly when I'm sitting on the stool. The walnut one is 28 oz, and is used for just about everything else.

20200411_145810.jpg

[Rob Luter]

My favorite is a 24 oz stainless version I made from a shower door handle. Call it a “poor man’s Glen Drake”. It’s very compact and easy to control. The mass really drives the chisels without having to whack anything too hard. I mostly in White Oak (groan) and it powers the chisels through quite effectively.

436AAB52-AE4D-419A-AC8D-AD0F1CD195E1.jpg

[Jim Koepke]

My two shop made mallets are about 24oz total weight of bog or bitter cherry.

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?161952

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?280200

This is one made a few months ago:

Almost Finished.jpg

This one was made nine years ago:

Finished Mallet.jpg

It is still in use and has a nicely polished handle from years of use.

Why buy when it is so easy to make your own?

jtk

[steven c newman]

Maybe their "sponsors" gave it to them?

Mine little collection...
Mallets 3.JPG
Left to right: Wall E World, inherited John Doak ( too lightweight) and the spalted Maple mallet i turned to match my hands....

Liking the Wall E World one....one face to drive a chisel, one face to assemble a glue joint. haven't the foggiest how much any of these weigh...

[Derek Cohen]

I use a smallish hammer for Dovetails.
It keeps me hitting the chisels straight plus my work is smallish.
Thanks for asking this question I’ve always wanted to show off my hammer now I have a reason.

Andrew, what is the weight ov your gennou?

Also, did you remove the hoops and reshape the rear of the what-looks-like nomi at the rear?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Derek Cohen]

Question for all:

For bench chisels, do you prefer the flat face of a cabinetmaker’s/joiner’s mallet, or the rounded face of a carver’s mallet? And why?

For myself, I prefer a flat face, as I find the energy is more directed, and there is less chance of a glancing, off target blow.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rob Luter]

My home brew chisel striker has domed faces. It works great.

[Curt Putnam]

Question for all:

For bench chisels, do you prefer the flat face of a cabinetmaker’s/joiner’s mallet, or the rounded face of a carver’s mallet? And why?

For myself, I prefer a flat face, as I find the energy is more directed, and there is less chance of a glancing, off target blow.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I have too many mallets, but then I have too many chisels. Anyway, for light tapping, I prefer the Blue Spruce (16 oz) which is round. For serious whacking, I prefer a heavier, flat faced mallet. Ron Bontz made one I like a lot. I have an antique that was so full of cracks & splits that I filled it with epoxy and faced it with epoxy. Also have the Veritas Cabinetmaker's mallet which has not yet been faced with anything. Which one I use depnds on the chisel and degree of precision needed as well as the mood of the moment. I have a nice, conventional cabinetmaker's mallet which I seem to never use - just do not like the way it feels or the noise it makes.