Thread: Small carvers mallet

Finished.

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That's quite nice I like it
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Cheers Matt


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That's elegant. What did you wind up with for weight?

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

That's elegant. What did you wind up with for weight?

i have absolutely no idea. I'll have to take it shopping with me and see as I don't have any scales small enough to register. I'll just move the grapes to the side when I do it.

I've got a 375g carver's mallet for gouges smaller than, say, 8/12 and a lead-core (940g) to bash the bigger ones like a 5/35.
A cast lead core in yours would be an absolute pleasure to use.

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

I've got a 375g carver's mallet for gouges smaller than, say, 8/12 and a lead-core (940g) to bash the bigger ones like a 5/35.
A cast lead core in yours would be an absolute pleasure to use.

I will be making another one with a Queensland red gum head, for a bit more clout. so I will take it and get it and the next one weighed.

Nice looking mallet fumbler.

As a carver who has destroyed many mallets over the years, I decided to turn the heads cross grain instead of long grain as I get 10 to 20 times more life out of the mallet especially if doing a lot of heavy mallet work.

Mu best and longest lasting one has an Osage Orange handle with a Lignum Vitae salvaged from the bowling balls made for Sovereign Hill bowling alley. This one has been my best ever and has lasted a bit over 30 years with little damage to the head where most of my others have splintered along the grain even after a few months use and the timber choice didn't make any difference.

Cheers - Neil

Gee Fumbler, that's almost too nice to use
Well done,
Cheers, Ian

Originally Posted by Nanigai

Gee Fumbler, that's almost too nice to use
Well done,
Cheers, Ian

I know, isn't it!! I have come to the realisation that its all well and good having made some nice handled tools, but there's no point having nice tools if i don't use them. so on this basis i haven't done them with my usual high gloss finish. just some EEE, and UBeaut shellawax Glow.

i had epoxy'd it all together, but hadn't turned the final shape or put the finish on and the kids were giving me grief the other day so i whacked the dining table seriously hard (table needs sanding and refinishing anyway), to get them to stop, neither of which got damaged, nor did it stop he kids!! it worked for about 30secs when they then laughed and said do it again daddy!! Even though it didn't mark the timber, i'm not so sure it will be as resilient with a chisel handle.

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

That's elegant. What did you wind up with for weight?

i it the fruit and veg shop and it weighs exactly 275g.

Great way to use bits and pieces, Fumbler, and a mighty useful tool resulting. When you come to turning up the head for your big heavy mallet, can I offer a tip? My woodcarving teacher in London (William Wheeler, who wrote a handbook on Woodcarving and Gilding back in the 1960s, and has written others since) advocated turning a groove around the striking part of the mallet head. This is the width and depth of a belt-leather, and you insert a belt leather into the groove, holding it in place just at the ends with tiny tacks, or a couple of dobs of araldite. I saved my shillings and had a mighty solid mallet made for me out of lignum vitae way back then, and followed his advice. I have replaced the belt a couple of times over the years, as it got pulped, but the head remains as good as new fifty years later, none of the denting and splintering that often occur on the striking surfaces of mallet heads.