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I just couldn't keep whacking those beautiful Osage Orange wedges in my bench vices with my steel claw hammer. It seemed immoral or at the very least inappropriate treatment of fine hardwood. So I made a dedicated bench mallet. Not a bench chisel mallet although it would and likely will serve that function, but a bench mallet, you know, to hit the bench with.

Like the planes and adjusting mallets I posted recently, this one is made from Osage Orange and Mesquite and like the planes, I couldn't resist a little marquetry. I am easily amused. It is nice and heavy and balances very nicely in my hand.

Like all the hand tools I have been making lately, it is far prettier and nicer than anything I used in my working life. Back then I would have scorned such gentrification of noble working tools. Now I get enjoyment from using nice looking tools that I have made myself.

I also turned a Mesquite handle today for the burnisher I got when I ordered the Hock plane blades. I didn't think it warranted it's own post.

Thanks for looking in.

Gallery

Comments

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Paul, I admire your sense of detail - from your workshop you have made work of art! Great.
 

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Very nice mallet Paul, the color of that osage orange is beautiful. Ive been told that osage orange grows wild around were I live but I have yet to see any.
 

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Tools can be fun and cool and show great workmanship ,just as this super mallet does. Very fine work as usual Paul.
 

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Beautiful Mallet!!! I can just see it now, you'll make the top of your bench out of Osage Orange with marquetry and inlays. lol Great job Paul, It's always fun to see what your working on!
 

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Excellent! I love the V8 detail.
 

· In Loving Memory
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Hedge and mesquite? You could probably drive spikes with that!

But it is beautiful.
 

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Paul, I know what you mean about attractive tools. I have even been making my second and third generation jigs look more attractive. It just sort of adds to the pleasure of working in the shop when you pick up a tool that you have refurbished or made to look beautiful. You seem more invested in the process.
 

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Great job. Love the inlay on the mallet.
 

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There was a boatmaker named Paul
He moved to Arizona in the fall
He built a bench on the cheap
and a mallet of mesquite (nothing rhymes with orange!)
and inlaid a V8 on all.
 

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Very nice mallet, Paul. I love the inlay, too….......Jim
 

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Keep amusing yourself Paul, this is fun to watch.

Nice wacker you made there.
Steve
 

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Much better than that steel hammer! I agree on the pleasure of using tools you make.

A first class Mallet!

ps - gbear is a pretty good poet ;)
 

· Banned
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There is just something extra special about something you can make to be used in your shop…and you have made them into a piece of art…very nice Paul…
 

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Beautiful Bench Mallet!

REALLY COOL!

Now, everything will last longer… :)

Thank you!
 

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Very nice work. Soon you will have a entire homemade V8 set ;-)
 

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Nice…. but I'm still waiting on the time I can build the table with the wedge vice.
 
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