wood tap and die

I have threaded a 1” dowel and tapped the hole for it. I have a kit that supplies the tools and instructions to make it work. The dowel needs to be soaked in mineral spirits for a while (overnight) in order to get a clean cut making the threads.

-- "You may have your PHD but I have my GED and my DD 214"

You can watch a video here and in You-tube.

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=packard&Category_Code=lathes-acc-spintap

Have a couple two piece mallets simply drilled the head and glued the handle in with yellow glue. Both look like they been to hell and back but those glue joints have not failed me!

-- Bill

Most folks would drill through the head of the mallet and wedge the handle in place and glue it. The only reason not to go the route you are talking about is the expense of the tap and die. Anything larger then 1/2” starts to get expensive, not sure off hand what a 1” tap and die will cost, but I am sure you are in for more then any other mallet would cost you.

http://www.grizzly.com/search?q=wood+threading <<<<<<This is where I got my wood threading kit.

-- "You may have your PHD but I have my GED and my DD 214"

ARE YOU GOING TO BE CUTTING STANARD OR ACME THREADS? THIS WILL DETERMINE WHERE YOU NEED TO START. IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON USING A TAP AND DIE TYPICALLY RESERVED FOR CUTTING METAL, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, BUT I WOULD STILL CONSULT A TAP DRILL SIZE CHART TO MAKE SURE YOU’LL HAVE THE THREAD ENGAGEMENT YOU’RE SHOOTING FOR.

I would do what Minorhero suggests. I make gavels and glue the handles in the head. I slot the dowel and put a wedge in slot before applying the glue and driving the handle in place.

Should work well with a mallet.

-- Bill - Mesquite, TX --- "Everything with a power cord eventually winds up in the trash.” John Sarge , timber framer and blacksmith instructor at Tillers International school