Mallets cocobolo and boxwood

great mallets. I’ve given up on Cocobolo, I might try one out of Osage Orange. The sawmill owner gave me a 4X4 out of Osage Orange.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Very nice.. one of the 1st things I want to do when I get my old lathe fixed is to try turning a mallet. How hard is Osage Karson?

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Karson – Have you had problems with Cocobolo?

I have never seen Osage Orange before. What are it’s properties?

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Finally got my shop mostly back in shape so’s I can get started with some projects. I picked up a “model mallet” at a garage sale to copy as my first turning on my refurbished lathe. I hope it turns out half as good as these.

Nice job on both of these mallets Gary.

-- Carpe Lignum - Seize The Wood,

These are wonderful Mallets. I will have to try one of these. I purchased an Osage Orange block from Rockler a few weeks back. I’m planning to make a hand plane with it. It is a very dense and hard wood.

From wikipedia…

The heavy, closely grained yellow-orange wood is very dense and is prized for tool handles, tree nails, fence posts, electrical insulators, and other applications requiring a strong dimensionally-stable wood that withstands rot. Straight-grained osage timber (most is knotty and twisted) makes very good bows. In Arkansas, in the early 19th century, a good osage bow was worth a horse and a blanket.[3] Additionally, a yellow-orange dye can be extracted from the wood, which can be used as a substitute for fustic and aniline dyes. When dried, the wood also makes excellent fire wood that burns long and hot. [6]

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Gary -

Beautiful mallets. I like the detail of having the extra close grip on the hammer style. Excellent work!

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Gary, you’ve inspired me. I could use a couple of mallets – hope mine turn out as nice as these.

-- CanuckDon "I just love small wooden boxes!" http://www.canterburybaptist.org/

Just out of curosity, how available is boxwood? I do not belive I have seen any at WoodCraft, Rockler or the local hardwood suppliers.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

WayneC – Actually there is only one true boxwood, (buxus sempervirens) which you rarely see any more. It comes from Europe. There are other kinds of woods that have the same properties as buxus and some that make it even better. This boxwood is South American (gossypiopermum praecox) which is actually better that the other in that you can get it in dimensional lumber and not by the pound in log form. It is also not nearly as brittle as Buxus. Is has a VERY fine straight grain and is used a lot by ship modelers for that reason.

I got lucky that I found one board a number of years ago. So don’t bother trying to find any at Rockler or Woodcraft. If you do find some please let me know!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Thanks Gary. I will look around.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov