My interpretation of old woodworking mallet

I really like how you did the head on the mallets. Very useful tools. Great job and welcome LJ’s.

-- John @ Myrtle Beach

Nicely done, a different way of m&t joinery technique.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

Ya gotta love the dovetails in the heads, nice job.

-- If you need craft books - please visit our small business at http://www.wittywife.com

A very nice looking set of whackers! Good job!

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

Nice work! Good looking tools!

-- Chesapeake Bob, Southern Maryland

Nice work

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Thanks for the comments guys, after looking at all of your projects I am flattered that you all gave me a positive critique for my efforts.

I am a relatively new woodworker and am trying to master the hand tools, chisels, planes, scrapers, dovetail saw, crosscut saw and bit & brace before I invest too much into the power tools.

I have accumulated a collection of old Stanley planes from a #8 down to a #3 , low angle block planes and scrub, all with Hock blades and frogs. What a nice experience not to swallow sawdust every time you want to make a few shavings…and, you can actually hear the radio when working!

-- Jerry, "Some people are like Slinkies, They aren't good for much of anything, but they put a grin on your face when you push them down a flight of stairs"

Nice looking tools. Keep up the good work

And welcome to lumberjocks.

-- Kent Shepherd * The goal is-----More Tools!

Very nice!

-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - http://www.woodworkersguide.com

Hi,

I thought I would add a picture of how I assembled the mallet. It certainly simplifies the construction process and you dont have to worry about chiseling out a tapered mortise. This method also lends itself to adding some brass round stock or lead to the interior of the mallet head if you feel that it needs a little more weight. Another idea I had was putting a handful of loose BB’s in a piece of copper pipe and making it a “Dead Blow” variety.

Here are some construction details on assembling the mallet

To finish these two off I sanded the tops of the mallet heads flush with the handle and inlaid a butterfly to “Detail” the head. It simply looks much better than the top of the handle showing through and has the added benefit of “Locking” the pieces together even more firmly. I dont like to use “Butterflys” for mere decoration, I have found that they are a great “Locking” mechanism for joints, especially if you taper the recess and butterfly at an angle that “Pulls” the pieces together as the inlay is pounded in. I typically make the inlays at least 1/4” deep for the best effect and on thick stuff have made them up to and over one inch in size. Just a note here, be careful with the grain orientation of the inlay so it does not split on you. I have literally pulled end grain inlays apart when “Pulling” large pieces together using this method. You experienced guys know this but if I had read this before…well, lets just say I learned this one on my own :)

I used “West Epoxy” to glue mine up, the “G-Flex” epoxy line they sell is one of the few adhesives that will reliably glue white oak, ipe, and other “Greasy” species of wood. The “G-Flex” epoxy will even repair the cross linked polyethylene and other plastics that heretofore have been almost impossible to join using “Traditional” methods of epoxy application. I am very impressed with this adhesive. They sell little $20.00 sets of it at most marine stores. If it saves your skin once its paid for itself.

-- Jerry, "Some people are like Slinkies, They aren't good for much of anything, but they put a grin on your face when you push them down a flight of stairs"

Great looking mallets , I like the way you put them together . Where do you get the West Expoxy’s at ?

Hi JerryS,

We have a couple of “West Marine” stores along the shoreline in Connecticut. I try to catch it on sale, its so versatile for the hobbyist I cant imagine being without it. The “G-Flex” has revolutionized the adhesive world nearly as much as CA did when “Superglue” hit the market. With various “Filler” materials, colorants , Kevlar, carbon fibers, numerous fiberglass cloth weaves there is basically nothing beyond the home workshop user given mastery of a few basic techniques, vacuum bagging, mold making, etc. the possibilities are virtually endless. For example, there were no synthetic or fiberglass stocks available for my Marlin 1895 Guide Gun so I used the original wood stock to create a “Mold” in which I laid up a “One-Off” stock shown here;

As much as I love “Traditional” woodworking tools and techniques, the use of “Modern” materials and synthetic materials makes so many things possible. I am in the planning stages now of a fastener free, solid Ipe cabinetmakers benchtop using a combination of West System epoxy and Japanese joinery.

-- Jerry, "Some people are like Slinkies, They aren't good for much of anything, but they put a grin on your face when you push them down a flight of stairs"

Just to update I was checking today in the new Lee Valley tool catalog and they carry the West Epoxy line .