Mallet, How to make this?

[Chris DiCiaccio]

OK folks, you know I am new at turning and this is a practice project: I want to try to turn a mallet. I want to use a piece of 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 9" hard maple as the core which will be the handle and the center portion of the head. I want the head portion of the maple to be wrapped in 3/4 " x 3 1/2" walnut. I also want to cut the maple blank, the handle portion, three times and put a 1/4" section of walnut in each and glue it back together for turning. Hope this makes sense. In other words, when finished, the handle section will have three walnut rings spaced an inch or so apart for decoration.
MY QUESTIONS: When I glue the walnut wrap around the head portion of the maple blank, I assume I should glue it with the grain running horizontal with the maple, but should I mitre it around the blank or butt joint it around the blank? Will this work, is it safe to turn this as one glued-up piece as described rather than turning a separate handle and separate head?
Thanks.

[Gilbert Vega]

OK folks, you know I am new at turning and this is a practice project: I want to try to turn a mallet. I want to use a piece of 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 9" hard maple as the core which will be the handle and the center portion of the head. I want the head portion of the maple to be wrapped in 3/4 " x 3 1/2" walnut. I also want to cut the maple blank, the handle portion, three times and put a 1/4" section of walnut in each and glue it back together for turning. Hope this makes sense. In other words, when finished, the handle section will have three walnut rings spaced an inch or so apart for decoration.
MY QUESTIONS: When I glue the walnut wrap around the head portion of the maple blank, I assume I should glue it with the grain running horizontal with the maple, but should I mitre it around the blank or butt joint it around the blank? Will this work, is it safe to turn this as one glued-up piece as described rather than turning a separate handle and separate head?
Thanks.

If this is what you're talking about, then yoou should not have any problems with a butt joint. This mallet was made with Maple and Mesquite.

[Jim Dunn]

OOOh OOOh I know this one look at my posts from about 10 days ago. I don't know how to post a link. So dumb

[Jim Dunn]

Simple hole drilled in the head and a tennon turned on the handle. Posted one I built on 1-06-06

[John Hart]

You talkin' about this one Jim? http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=28932

[Cody Colston]

Here's one I made last week out of Walnut and Osage Orange (Bodark in E.T.) I used Titebond and butted the pieces.

[Mike Henderson]

Here's one I made. I do carving and prefer a bit lighter mallet - this one is about 10 oz. I prefer this shape to the "potato masher" style.

If you're going to use the mallet hard, select your wood carefully. Most woods will delaminate after they're hit enough. On mine, the striking surface is ebony and maple. I wish I had made the whole striking surface of ebony because it's harder, doesn't deform as much as maple, and doesn't delaminate. I've never tried walnut for the striking surface but I would imagine that it's no better than maple.

But a mallet is easy to make. Try different sizes, shapes, and materials and see what you like.

Added note: Try different handle sizes, also. You want a mallet that just feels good in your hand - something that you want to pick up.

Mike

[Jim Dunn]

Thanks John, that's it. I really like the others too , very nice.