Scrapwood Mallet.

[dbhost]

I've been wanting to make one of these for a long time, I finally got up off my lazy butt and did it. This was a fun, quick project...

The woods are red oak and black walnut scraps. Some of the walnut is transition from heartwood to sapwood so there is a lot of color variation.

The handle is shop made of the same material as well.

Dimensions are...

Head 3.75" wide, 6" deep, 2.5" tall.
Handle 1" dia tapering to 1.25, 12" long.

Assembled length 14" from tip of brass hook.

Finish is Danish Oil & Paste Wax.

Hanging proudly from my peg board...


From this angle it looks like I need to buff out the wax a tad more...


I love how this angle captures the head, but it washes the handle out. I LOVE the grain and color variation on this face.


This one captures the real color a little bit better....

[cork58]

Very nicely done, good job. I was wondering if you used a lathe for the handle or the very nice bandsaw. I've made some dowels on the bandsaw but never a handle. Good choice of wood as well. Any idea what it weighs.

[dbhost]

The handle was turned on the lathe. That was my favorite part of the project. But it went too fast... I bet I am going to dig through the scrap bins for more small pieces to glue up something for a segmented turning...

I haven't the slightest idea what it weighs, I will weigh it and post back on that...

*UPDATE* 26.975 oz... Might as well call it 27 oz... (According to the postal scale).

[pelligrini]

Looks great, almost too pretty to be beating chisels with.
You going to buff the wax out after every use, or just until it's beat up a little?

[dbhost]

Not sure. It's almost too pretty to use... But I am sure I will get over that... I think I want it to gain character... I figure a quarterly waxing will do...

[jking]

Looks good. That's a big mallet.

[Pappy]

nice, DB. Another one of those 'need to' projects on my list.

I'm using a Mahogany gavel that I made about 25 years ago. Pretty beat up now and way too light.

[dbhost]

I am thinking the weight of this thing, most of it being in the head, will likely be a huge advantage. And the size of the face, well... I have bad eyesight so that should help!

[Richard in Smithville]

Forget the shop. That needs to be mounted over the fire place!

[4estgump]

Any Judge would be proud to have this on his or her bench. If it was mine i don't think i could bring myself to use it. Great Job.
4est

[Bruce Cohen]

That is one work of art, way to pretty to use, kind of.

So send it to me, I'll give it a good home.

One comment, with all due respect, I'd drill a hole in the handle (about 2" from the end) and thread some black or dark brown rawhide 0r maybe paracord thru it to use as both a wrist strap and something to hang it with. Somehow the "C" hook just doesn't seem to belong.

Bruce

[Black wallnut]

Tagging onto what Bruce said..... that hook looks like it'll grab a bunch of skin when your grip slips.

Love the figure in that side.

[LCHIEN]

i agree for proper effect you need to lose that metal hook.
How did you fasten the handle to the head? Friction fit and glue?

[dbhost]

Very tight friction fit and glue.

The same thing occurred to me about the open loop. Perhaps a closed ring would be better. But I will need to get to Ace Hardware to get a box of those. I am out... But for now, I have closed off the open hook through gentle persuasion with a pair of pliers... So no hooking skin, and I can still hang the mallet from the peg board.

I am not terribly worried about the friction fit / glue rig, when I dry fit it I had to pull like the devil to get the handle back out of the head, if anything I may have a glue starved joint due to the tightness of it all...