Turning a Mallet - Need Advise

Turn between centers

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Stan,

I recently turned a couple of mallets for some friends and have found that it's easy to leave the mallet between spindles.

That is to say, I turn the mallet as you have. With the blank held by a spur center, and the other end held by a live center. I establish the "start" and "end" points on the spindle by turning a groove with a parting tool. I then shape and sand the mallet to the point where all but the ends are completed. I then "sneak" up on the ends and turn them thin enough so that I can cut through them with a coping saw (with the lathe off, of course). I use a sharp chisel to remove the bulk of the tenon(s) on each end, and remove the rest with a velcro backed sanding disc held in my drill press.

I've attached a picture of a cherry mallet I turned for my good buddy Gordon Sampson. I used the procedure above to finish it off. BTW, the design came from WOOD Magazine. Although, I opted to turn it from a cherry 4x4 rather than laminate wood together.

See ya around,

Dominic

Re: Turn between centers

Joe Herrmann

>I wrote an article on turning a purpleheart carvers mallet for Creative Woodworks & Crafts magazine within the last year. I don't have the issue number here but the advice given in the preceeding post was right on the money. Be sure to make your blank about 1 1/2" longer than necessary so you have enough stock left at either end to wnable you to trim the ends and get rid of the attachment points.

Joe

Re: Turn between centers

Tony - Memphis

>I use similar techniques to turn stuff like that. I'll sometimes leave enough stock on so I can cuck it up to finish it off, then cut the length off with a small handsaw.

Tony

Re: Turning a Mallet - Need Advise

William Duffield on the Cohansey

>I've turned several carver's mallets, for myself and for other carvers, and also a carpenter's mallet, with a barrel shaped head, and with a handle turned separately, and connected at right angles to the head. Here are a couple of pictures of some I have made.

This one is cocobolo.

The larger carver's mallet is sugar maple. The smaller is Osage orange. The carpenter's mallet is beech with an ash handle. Both the maple and beech heads were glued up from thinner stock. Turning the head from solid stock looks better, but it doesn't work any better, assuming you can construct a good glue joint.

The others have offered good advise. However, there are a couple other design issues that you should consider if you are turning a carver's mallet.

First, don't make the end of the head convex. The carver will find that it will roll off his bench and onto his foot if he lays it down on the bench, so he will try to set it down on the bench on end, handle up, if it doesn't fall over. Rolling off the bench is not a problem with a carpenter's mallet, of course.

Second, I would only use a mallet shaped like the one Dom made under duress. (I also only read WOOD magazine under duress). This may be mostly personal preference. I always make the diameter of the striking surface increase away from the handle. I also put a bit more curve in the striking surface, more like a barrel and less like a cone. It makes it easier to consistently get effective contact between the mallet and the chisel handle. Check out August Home Publishing's Shop Notes for a couple of very functional designs. That's where I started.

Re: Turn between centers

Stan Campbell

>Dominic, Thanks for the Reply. That about what I figured. Very Nice Mallet.

Stan

Columbus,OH

Re: Turning a Mallet - Thanks Everyone

Stan Campbell

>I would like to thank everyone who replied.

Stan

Columbus,OH

Re: Turning a Mallet - Need Advise

John Williams in PA

>I like to make carving mallets in two pieces. That way you get to shape both handle and head in a fashion best suited for the handle and the head.

Handle should be thinner near the head and larger in diameter near the end. The head should be larger near the end and slightly less in diameter where it joins the handle. Simple shapes, but alot more difficult to turn as one piece.

One of the best woods for the head is apple which has had the pith removed and allowed to dry. The hole to do this should be a bit smaller than the final hole through the head to fit the handle. Heads made this way will not offer any side grain which is the downfall of most mallets made from a blank cut off center (in cross-section). Ash is a good wood for the handle. The tenon end of the handle goes all the way thru the head (which is a challenge), but if long life is what you're after, then I think this is the best way to build them. It's a tool ...does not have to be finished! It will get beat-up soon enough, so just sand it smooth to remove the tool marks.