Big Darn Mallet

I needed a wooden mallet for chiseling. Ok, I can make this. I had a 30 some year old sludge hammer handle in the outside wood pile ready to be cut for firewood, (It had been outside for plus 30 years. I procrastinate a lot.) Since it was hickory and was not split it would work so then what to use for the head? I had a piece of 5/4 red oak about 5” x 30” long so that would work. I cut the hickory to get the better part of the handle then used the band saw to make one end a rectangle shape about 1” x ¾” x 5” long. I then cut three pieces of the oak about 8” long then resawed one of them in half. The two full pieces of oak I dado cut in the center so they would fit the hickory handle. With TiteBond III glue I glued the two dado pieces of oak onto the hickory then glued each resawn half of the oak to each flat side of the dado pieces. After drying I used the table saw to square all the sides of the new hammer head then used the band saw to cut the approximate 12 degree face angles. The hammer head edges were then rounded using the belt sander and then touch up hand sanding. A heavy wipe on coat of varathane was applied. This hammer can now pack a good blow and at the same time be gentle. (I have no idea what this thing weighs but I will make a much smaller one the next time.)

-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings