Mallet

Adrian,

I just delivered this maul to an acquaintance who needs one for a Masonic ceremony…

It is such a neat concept that I intend to make one for myself.

What kind of wood is it? Some are going to be better than others… oak wouldn’t be bad; maple might be better. As far as domestic woods go, osage orange or iron wood are going to be the woods of choice.

Here’s mine:

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/345

Look at the transition between the mallet head and the handle; see how it makes a smoother transition? I think I get more control (and it feels more comfortable) when I put my thumb up on that lip using my mallet. I’ve tried other mallets that have a much harder transition line (a 90 degree edge, even) and don’t like them nearly as much.

A friend of mine, who passed away this year, helped me make it. We based that transition design on a lignum vitae mallet he had in his shop and had used for years. (I have that mallet in my shop, now, too.)

A high-gloss poly might look good, but you don’t want that on a mallet you’re going to use. For one thing, it is a surface finish and it won’t last if you’re pounding chisels with it. You also want a finish that won’t slide off the end of the chisel when you strike it.

For my finish, I took an old metal coffee can, filled it a third of the way with BLO, and set the mallet into it, head down. I let it soak for a day or so, then pulled it out and wiped it down (head and handle) and let it dry and then applied another coat. I did that for two weeks straight, if I remember right. Every now and again I’ll give it another coat, to keep it well-seasoned.

-- Ethan, http://www.merganserwoodworks.com, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/