# Question on mallets



## mIps (Oct 10, 2012)

I am thinking about making a mallet but have no access to hardwoods.
Can a decent mallet be made with pine, fir and / or hemlock or should I not bother until hardwood can be had?


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

A hardwood would be best but I guess it would depend on what you were going to use it for? Most big box stores have oak.


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## Gshepherd (May 16, 2012)

If I had to make a mallet without the use of hardwoods I would laminate one with 1/4 inch strips alternating the grain pattern. If you can get some osb laminate some of that together.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

no access to hardwoods.

Seriously, you don't know anyone who will give you a piece of firewood, you can't ride the back roads and find a fallen branch beside the road?

But, I agree with above though, if you don't have any hardwood, so you'll only be working in softwood, and only using it on softwood, a softwood mallet would last quit a while.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

Get a hardwood pallet - all the oak you want there.


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## mIps (Oct 10, 2012)

donw: No one I know even has a fireplace and, where I live, the majority of the trees are pine.
dhazelton: Wood newbie here. How to I tell a oak pallet from a non-oak? Or are they all oak?


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## Gshepherd (May 16, 2012)

Trust me if you grab a pine pallet vs a oak pallet the one you grunt on to pick up is oak…... Never thought of pallets as a good source for lumber but they are, just check for nails and such….


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## AKSteve (Feb 4, 2012)

I would try to find a piece of hardwood first, you would just be wasting your time on softwoods. you can get some Oak at home Depot and make one out of that. there is a home depot over on 192 ave. I know I used to live in Washougal.


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## Thermaloy (Nov 5, 2012)

If you are considering using it for forceful strikes, do you plan to use an end-grain surface? Using it on the long grain might result in splitting very quickly. You would have to make the handle separately and join them together.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Get a chunk of big leaf maple or alder, it is abundant in your area and will make fine mallet material.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/42130

HTH


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## Danpaddles (Jan 26, 2012)

If you have no hardwood- why do you need a mallet?


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## mIps (Oct 10, 2012)

So the general consensus seems to be use hardwood if at all possible. I'll see what I can come up with.

Dan: A couple reasons. 1) For setting joints without using a hammer, 2) for use with chisel instead of hammer, 3) To say that I did.


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## mtenterprises (Jan 10, 2011)

Aw do it anyways it's good practice and you can always make another one if you wear it out or break it.
MIKE


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

The good thing about being a woodworker is you can make a mallet out of pine now and later on make another out of some hard wood. I have a student that finds broken furniture and makes what ever he wants out of it.
For setting joints you can use a rubber hammer,for chisels I prefer a carvers mallet. I say go for it no matter what material you use. There are folks on Ljs that even make some pretty wild stuff out plywood ?


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

I agree with Jim - Craigslist is full of unwanted free furniture. I got lots of maple. There was a lot of oak on CL that I did not go for, I was aiming for the top of my maple workbench which I achieved.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I've made 3 mallets out of southern yellow pine and they have been going strong for years. The large one is a little extra big so it has some weight, then I have a medium and a small mallet. The smaller ones I made for my daughters to "help" me in the shop but it's surprising how often I reach for one of them when I don't want or need the big'un. The nice thing about mallets is that they are easy and cheap (or can be). So go ahead and make one or several from pine. You can always make another later.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Have fun and make some mallets.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

*Boy do I need new glasses!*

I saw this forum and thought it said mallards and I as curious as to what woodworking had to do with ducks?
Fortunately there were some photos that cleared everything up!

I need a new one, any for sale?

*mIps* how would you like some 100 year old red oak? I only live a couple hundred miles south of you, let me knowhow much you want, you pay the shipping!


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## lunn (Jan 30, 2012)

How about mulberry, walnut, oak I've got enough scrap to build a bunch of mallets. I'd be glad to mail you. Flat rate box what size? You pay postage.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

I saw a post somewhere else where someone took a baseball bat, cut out the middle 2/3 of it, bored a hole in the fat end for the grip, and boom, hardwood mallet.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

If you want to tap a couple of pieces together, use the softwood as the head and put a thick piece of leather on the striking area. This gives you something that will not mar a nice surface. THis also works for carving and light chisel work No one says you can only have one mallet.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

A lot of pallets I see have a burned in 'brand' that says "100% HARDWOOD". You can pick those up usually at places that sell furnaces or boilers or hot tubs, anything heavy like that. Just look on Craigslist. Also look on CL for free firewood or down trees. If you are in WA you probably have lots of apple orchards around - they usually sell firewood cut from trees and branches they have to cull - an apple mallet wood be nice. Also, if for setting joints you actually want a soft surface so you don't dent your piece - stretch a piece of leather over the striking end of your mallet.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

Sorry but even with some hardwoods the mallets made from them mark very easily on striking contact.The word hardwood does not mean that the timber is hard even balsa is a hardwood.I would buy a piece of lignum vitae or oak or similar.I have been told they take cricket bats and compress them in a press to stop them from marking too easily. Maybe a turned mallet could be struck for a while of some wood then turned again. Alistair


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

@ old novice: "I need a new one, any for sale?"

Just pick one my friend & pay postage, it's yours


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## chriswright (Nov 13, 2008)

If you can turn it, then you can try this method for making a mallet.

http://www.wkfinetools.com/tMaking/art/perfectMallet/pMallet1.asp

And actually the use of a softer wood might be better here to absorb some of the shock.


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## JohnChung (Sep 20, 2012)

For practice softwood is fine. But if you want it to last hardwood is the way to go.


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## mIps (Oct 10, 2012)

I had no idea this thread would generate so many replies. Thanks to all.
To all who offered wood: Thanks for the offer, can't afford the postage.


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