While I was stalled on my current chair project waiting for a spool of Danish cord to arrive, I got it in my head to build a mallet. I had recently watched a youtube video on a mallet build, and I thought it would be a good project to fill the time. I'm not experienced with chisel work, but it's something that I'd like to learn, so I better have a mallet.
I started with a block of Orange Agate that I had on hand. I sliced it into three sections in order to pre-cut the handle mortise in the center section.
The mortise is laid out for a wedged tenon.
The bottom portion would be waste, but I left it intact for gluing.
The waste was cut off to reveal the mortise on the bottom.
The shape of my test handle looked kind of goofy to me, so after more thought I came up with a different shape. Having two narrow sections will allow for both a choked-up grip and a lower grip.
I made the handle from some Karelian Birch (Masur Birch) that I had on hand. I love the chatoyance of this wood and thought it would make a handsome handle.
I wanted the narrow sections to be narrow in width as well. I drew some rough guidelines and sanded them down on the spindle sander.
I drew some more guide lines to define the boundaries for the rounded edges, which I made with rasp and sandpaper.
Final shape
I used some Gaboon Ebony for the wedges. I grabbed a scrap of plywood and cut the wedged angle along one long edge. Double-stick tape held the small scrap of ebony in place while cutting a wedge at the bandsaw.
The head needed a little shaping - the bevel on the ends I cut on the miter saw. The side bevel I cut on the tablesaw. Layout lines shown below.
On the router table, I applied a chamfer to all the edges of the head, and it was ready for glue-up.
The wedged tenon extended above the head a little bit, so I made a bridge over it to allow for clamping the handle in place.
After the glue had dried, I flush-cut the tenon, did some final sanding, and applied Rubio Monocote 2C Pure. I'm happy with how it turned out. Now I just need to learn to use it properly!
A project that has become a "rite of passage" for all woodworkers it seems. Yours expresses quite well how you weighed and considered each step of design and meticulous construction. Hats off to what many here (me included) consider a superior joiner’s mallet.
Some of my most creative moments have been when I've had to cover up an error in my woodworking.
Thanks for all the kind words, folks. I'll definitely use the mallet, and after the first ding and scratch, I'll get over any damage. There's always the next one, right?
Dave P. - I did make another attempt with the spokeshave, but I still could not get the blade protruding enough to cut without closing the throat. The blade seems sharp enough. I'll need to spend more time with it to work out what I'm doing wrong.
Duck - Maybe one day I'll get a Shaper, but for now I'll suffer in silence while using the CNC. 😆
Nice Whammer Ross, love the woods used, and that handle shape is a winner. I am often choked up, so I think going forward I may recreate what I am using to smack stuff around with. Most of the time for tapping chisels I just use a brass cylinder.
I think Jim, and I look at them the same, one is hardly enough, make one for each circumstance.
