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  1. #76
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Brisbane (western suburbs)
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    77
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    12,095

    Default A Bull oak handle..

    Hi Matt, you've been quiet for a while - making lots of handles, perhaps?

    You piqued my curiosity about the suitability or otherwise of Bull oak for handles, so I just had to try it. Buloak hdle.jpg

    If I used it for bashing a froe through hard wood, or something that really stressed the handle, it would be a better test of the Bull oak, but this mallet is designed for hitting mortise chisels or similar jobs (it weighs in at 635g about 250g of which is handle). In fact the Bluegum head is likely to be the weak link in this tool. I used a bit of firewood from the bottom of a crotch because it had some nice figure. It's matching half refused to split after umpteen blows with a splitting maul, so I saved this bit for mallet heads. Unfortunately, when I sawed the block down to mallet head size, I ran into a split & a bark inclusion, so a chunk could break out of one side of the head if I really wallop something with it. No worries if it does, plenty more raw material on the woodheap....

    Cheers,
    IW

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  3. #77
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    North of the coathanger, Sydney
    Age
    68
    Posts
    9,417

    Default

    Ian

    nice looking little mallet

    Quote Originally Posted by mattm82 View Post
    ... I had planned to use gidgee as another option and now know that would not be ideal.
    ...
    Did I miss something?
    I've just read this whole thread and wondered about this comment as I couldn't find gidgee mentioned. Or only fleetingly

    In any event would gidgee make a good mallet head?
    regards
    Nick
    veni, vidi,
    tornavi
    Without wood it's just ...

  4. #78
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    3,277

    Default

    Stunning mallet Ian
    …..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands

  5. #79
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    135

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post
    Hi Matt, you've been quiet for a while - making lots of handles, perhaps?

    You piqued my curiosity about the suitability or otherwise of Bull oak for handles, so I just had to try it. Buloak hdle.jpg

    Cheers,
    Ian, that is a beautiful mallet and a brilliant handle.

    I wish I was turning handles! I am still waiting on an order of centers so I can try

    I have some nice blocks of spotted gum from MM and waiting on my timber order to get the bull oak.

    I have filled my time with useful pursuits however. Here is a knife I finished the handle of tonight. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1421062317.623999.jpg


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #80
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Brisbane (western suburbs)
    Age
    77
    Posts
    12,095

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker View Post
    I....In any event would gidgee make a good mallet head?..
    Haven't tried it, SM, but I should think it would be excellent, if you have a big enough, sound piece.

    Beech and other European woods commonly used for mallets are pretty wimpy stuff compared with a lot of our woods. I've used a lot of different woods over the years, and they've all been ok. Most have been rescued firewood, so I'm not sure what species they were, but Ironbark, Red gum and Blue gum have all figured in the mix. I have a very scientific method for choosing mallet head material. If the splitting maul bounces back off a billet leaving nothing but a small bruise, I reckon it's likely to make good mallet head material....

    Matt, I should do a tutorial on my method for turning handles, in case anyone is interested. I've honed it to a pretty simple procedure these days. I started out turning off-centre to make the held end oval, but that's a lot of faffing about. Now I start with a blank about 25 x 35 turn the shape I like on-centre, then blend the held end into an oval with a rasp. A quick sand starting with 80 grit (the only time I will ever be seen using the stuff! ) to even it up and it looks like a bought one! Nah, much better, actually, I've seen some pretty crude things passing for handles these last few years..

    Chers,
    IW

  7. #81
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    135

    Default

    IanW, I for one would be very keen to see the way you do your handles. I had planned to turn to shape and then use the mill with a face cutter to cut the sides to the width I want and then blend in the edges.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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