Jarrah mallet

[homesy135]

While waiting for the varnish to dry on the bookcase doors and wanting to avoid pmcgee's wrath over my lack of participation in the forum:

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f187/w...0/#post1712568

And in-between making the mouse plane.................


I made a couple of mallets from a jarrah pergola post (rescued from a dumper bin!) based on Paul Seller's drawings. I thought the head was too large but it is really quite nice having mallets with a large heavy head. The larger mallet has leather glued to the striking faces for protection. This mallet is for my holdfasts. The smaller mallet is for encouraging chisels through wood. They are finished with boiled linseed oil. These mallets have the sloped mortise cut into the head to accept the handle. Before that I'd made mallet heads in two halves so the void for the handle could be cut on the table saw. I'd glue the head together and reinforce the joint with dowels.

After making the smaller mallet I noticed a hairline crack running along one surface. Rather than scrapping it I have inlaid some contrasting wood to reinforce the head. I'll see how it goes.

Mallet1a.jpgMallet1b.jpgMallet1c.jpgLarger Mallet.jpg


Regards,

Paul

[Christos]

I think I need to make one for myself.

[homesy135]

Here's the link to Paul Seller's drawings.

Here's my mallet | Paul Sellers


I'd like to make my next mallet as big as Seller's example. The jarrah post I used was not large enough to make an exact copy.

[orraloon]

Nice. I like the inlay.

[artme]

Bit of heft in that!!

[GraemeCook]

Lovely work, Paul.

Right on that dividing line - encourage respect for tools - too pretty to use !!!

Particularly liked the way that you recovered from the micro-cracks and inlaid some dutchmen to create a design feature.

One question; the handles seem a little thinner than expected. Do you have small hands? Am I just clumsy, or what?

Thanks



Fair Winds

Graeme

[homesy135]

Lovely work, Paul.

Right on that dividing line - encourage respect for tools - too pretty to use !!!

Particularly liked the way that you recovered from the micro-cracks and inlaid some dutchmen to create a design feature.

One question; the handles seem a little thinner than expected. Do you have small hands? Am I just clumsy, or what?

Thanks



Fair Winds

Graeme

Thanks Graeme. I'm always recovering from a mistake or a defect in the wood so inlays feature highly in my pieces. Another woodworker called these "design opportunities".

As to my hands, yes, they are smallish for a bloke. The mallet with the inlay could have had a slightly thicker handle. The mallet with the leather faces has a handle that is just right for me.


Paul

[enelef]

really nice thumper.

[jimbur]

Nice one. Also think what you saved. Chris Schwarz was writing his praises of the Blue Spruce one - $115 I think was the price!

[homesy135]

A forum member asked how jarrah stacks up as stock for mallets. Since I made these mallets nearly 7 years ago I can say the jarrah I used has held up pretty well.

I still use the mallets in the shed. The mallet with the leather faces more so than the plain jarrah mallet. I use the leather faced mallet to set holdfasts and to tap joints together and apart. I've had to glue new leathers on the faces over the years.

IMG_4098.jpgIMG_4097.jpg

[derekcohen]

Yiu may want to try epoxying and nailing on UHMW faces. This provides a great balance between hardness and cushioning. There is no lack of feedback, an insignificant reduction of energy, and no jarring.



Regards from Perth

Derek

[banjopicks]

Dang, I wish I could find jarrah in a dumpster, I'm not even sure where I could buy it. You guys are lucky to have such beautiful wood grown locally.