Replies

1. 
   BobSmalser | Dec 03, 2007 04:06am | #1

   Bore a hole in the head and turn a plug for it.  Buy a bag of birdshot from a sporting goods store and between the lead shot and cork or other fillers,  establish how much weight you prefer and where.  Then you can melt and pour the lead to make it all permanent.

   Between the size of the hole that lightens the head and fillers and lead which make it heavier at the place of your choosing, there are an almost infinite number of combinations you can adjust in your next mallet.

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1. 
   Spalted | Dec 03, 2007 04:36am | #2

   I suppose your right. I was looking more for a ballpark weight to start out with, the blank i have is just some 10/4 birch scrap that i glued up it's only seventeen inches long and needs to be two mallets so one of them will be short for DW the other about 9 1/2" ? about 3" diam head. i could hotglue the shot in pretty easy in any case, thanks for the idea. But about what should it weigh? We have a 12 X 60 sign to letter in walnut, a set of chisels and gouges and all winter to screw it up. 12 oz? (that sounds familiar) 16 oz my hammer is a 20 oz but i think it might be too heavy for me for carving, let alone for my DW....

1. 
   BobSmalser | Dec 03, 2007 05:04am | #3

     Dimensions you can get from catalogs.  Weight and balance I believe you have to answer for yourself. 

   My large mallet is for chopping mortises and weighs over 3 lbs, my smaller mallet for lighter chisels and gouges slightly less than half that.  But I have large arms, large hands, and generally prefer soft blows with a heavy mallet than harder blows with a lighter mallet.

    

2. 
   KeithNewton | Dec 03, 2007 05:33am | #4

   I tend to lean toward the lighter end. My dog Burl ate my favorite rawhide mallet that I have had for over 40 years, just a few weeks ago. I think it was in the 12 oz range. It is easier for me to give little quick taps with just the flick of the wrist than to do the same work with a heavier tool. Another advantage is that the recoil of the impact from the smaller tool is less than the slower blow from the heavy tool. How big is this project? Is this a paid gig, or a work for yourself? If you subscribe to time is money, you may think about some powered carving tools.

1. 
   saschafer | Dec 03, 2007 05:58am | #5

   Oh, sure. "My dog ate my mallet." Right. That's what they all say....

   -Steve

    

2. 
   Spalted | Dec 06, 2007 08:15pm | #6

   It is a 12" X 60" lettered sign in walnut. The letters are quite large and the two words on it are between some squiggly design elements. It is sort of a gift, although i am getting paid for it. I will not be paid by the hour to do it, AND it is for family, but i'm in this one more for the building of a new skill. I don't know if i would trust myself to use a power tool to rough out the letters- they are only about 5/8" wide at the widest...kinda scripty too...

2. 
   peteryu65 | Jan 14, 2008 01:21am | #7

   Hey Bob,
   I recently decided I needed a new mallet for the shop. After browsing through numerous catalogs, I was dissapointed at the ugliness of their make and the color of the wood. But when I saw the picture of the mallets in your post, I was stuck by the beauty and the texture of the mallet in the middle of the picture(the one with the head of the mallet pointing the camera.) what wood and finish did you use? I would like to make a silmilar mallet out of a similar wood. Could you please help me find our? Thanks!!!
   Peter

1. 
   BobSmalser | Jan 14, 2008 03:24am | #8

   In the center there are two turned carving mallets of Bigleaf Maple crotch wood finished with hot linseed-pine tar to stain followed by wiping varnish. They both are several years old and have acquired some patina.The blanks were taken from firewood too curved to make boards from.