# Wooden mallet



## htank

I see in all the woodworking videos/shows, they use a wooden mallet when using chisels. What is the advantage over a hammer or rubber mallet? 

Also, if I was going to make my own, what wood should be used? Size, weight? I have some thick stock sapele and ash, would that work? 

Thanks in advance.


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## firemedic

Search "shop made" and check out the "shop made hand tools" thread.

As for advantages, wood is tough and hard while still being forgiving. I use a couple different weights of mallets all which I made. Best wood wood probably be hickory or beech, but any hard hard-wood will do. Mine are made of oak and I'm considering adding adding a Cocobolo pad to the striking surfaces because it's so damn hard.

Wood mallets just feel better. Rubber is out, they suck for chisel work. Dead blows lack control, and metal will beat the crap out of your other tools and work pieces.

Hope that helps!

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## dbhost

What he said... Except mine is oak / walnut. It's a great way to put scraps to use!


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## mics_54

I would prefer a softer wood myself so it doesnt leave marks on your project. I have to fab a mallet often as the need arises. The size and shape is dictated by the application. I usually round the striking surface somewhat so as to avoid marks or dents. Mallets aren't only used to strike chisels or other tools.


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## Tony B

*Mics_54*
*I would prefer a softer wood myself so it doesnt leave marks on your project. I have to fab a mallet often as the need arises. The size and shape is dictated by the application. I usually round the striking surface somewhat so as to avoid marks or dents. Mallets aren't only used to strike chisels or other tools.*

+1 I use a mallet to ease furniture together once in a while or to tap a board in place in addition to just on chisels. I just turn mine out of 4 X 4 scraps. I use mine every day and they last for many many years.


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## Pirate

I have 2 turned mallets I found at yard sales. 1 is Lignum vitae, and is hard and heavier than the other, which, I'm not sure of the wood. I got the Lignum vitae one from a fiddle maker.
I like the heavier one. I Don't have to swing it as hard. I also like the round shape.
I use a dead blow for knockin stuff together.


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## Chaincarver Steve

dbhost said:


> What he said... Except mine is oak / walnut. It's a great way to put scraps to use!



Nice. The name Thor comes to mind.


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## dbhost

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Nice. The name Thor comes to mind.


Funny you should mention that... When I was in college, I managed a lumber yard / hardware store... I was in pretty good shape from unloading all those trucks and checking stock in. I had long wavy blonde hair before it started falling out and going gray, and my coworkers and friends used to call me Thor, after seeing me stocking the 5 and 10 lb hammers... 

The pay stank, but I must admit, I sure do miss being that sort of shape physically...


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## Manuka Jock

Keep in mind that even with wood striking wood something has to give , and it is better that it be the easily made mallet rather than the crafted and fitted chisel handles .

For driving mortise and tenon and dowel joints together , rawhide hammers are a better option .


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## bmaddox

I have turned mauls from oak(white), tulip poplar, sassafras(?), and white dogwood. I've also made square mallets from oak as well as maple and locust.
But all for different uses. The softer woods worked great for their intended uses, but lived a short life span before becoming kindling. The hard wood mallets are still in use though. The two oak mallets could (if I tried) drive a chisel through an oak log....... The maple mallet as well as the Dogwood mauls and mallets are still in use and holding up well. From use with a froe,chisel(timber and mortise),too driving pieces of wood through a doweling plates.
The locust mallet or beetle,commander,what ever you would like to refer to it as, I've used for driving dogwood gluts(?) Into oak logs 17in+ diameters with out a problem,to even driving wooden fence posts into the ground.
But the other posts are right, wood is far better for use with chisel use and are quite easy to use without damaging the handles of the items or tools being struck.
The smaller square dogwood and the smaller oak mallets work great on fitting mortise and tennon joints together,drawboring them as well. Even driving oak splits as well as the other types of woods through the doweling plates.
I would suggest that you make a few different types and try them till they fail or you replace them with better models to fit your needs.


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## Chaincarver Steve

10 or 15 years or so ago I made a mallet out of a piece of an oak limb. I carved a face on it and lacquered it. I used it for its intended function for only a few days before I decided it was too cool to keep beating on things. It's been in with my collection of woodcarvings ever since and I set it up as part of my display each year at our carving club's show each year. I'll have to post a picture for you guys to check out.


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## Warnock

Chaincarver Steve said:


> 10 or 15 years or so ago I made a mallet out of a piece of an oak limb. I carved a face on it and lacquered it. I used it for its intended function for only a few days before I decided it was too cool to keep beating on things. It's been in with my collection of woodcarvings ever since and I set it up as part of my display each year at our carving club's show each year. I'll have to post a picture for you guys to check out.


Been two days man, where is the pic? :laughing: 

Looking forward to the photo, thinking of trying to make my own mallet and can use the ideas.

Anyone else want to post a photo of a mallet?


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## JohnK007

.....For driving mortise and tenon and dowel joints together said:


> I use my rawhide mallets for chisel work as well. I don't do intricate carving so the rawhide mallet works just fine for me. It's one of the handier things I have in the shop. Still, it might be fun to turn a mallet like TonyB made out of some maple I have sitting around. Hmmm


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## Chaincarver Steve

Warnock said:


> Been two days man, where is the pic? :laughing:
> 
> Looking forward to the photo, thinking of trying to make my own mallet and can use the ideas.
> 
> Anyone else want to post a photo of a mallet?


Because of the glossy finish, the carved oak mallet proved to be more difficult than I expected to get a decent photograph that does it justice. I guess I could have tried it outside in natural light. Be that as it may, I took a bunch of pictures of it. Tomorrow (when I'm at my computer) I'll look through and pick out the best 1 or 2 and post them.


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## CNYCarl

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Because of the glossy finish, the carved oak mallet proved to be more difficult than I expected to get a decent photograph that does it justice. I guess I could have tried it outside in natural light. Be that as it may, I took a bunch of pictures of it. Tomorrow (when I'm at my computer) I'll look through and pick out the best 1 or 2 and post them.


Got a flatbed scanner? Put the mallet on it and cover with a towel. Scan it- the scanner will pick up a surprising amount of detail.


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## Chaincarver Steve

Alright, here's the mallet I was talking about. In the mirror you can see the flat part that is/was the mallet surface. It actually worked quite well for hitting chisels but I just felt bad using it as a mallet after making the face (technically, this type of carved face is referred to as a "wood spirit"). The relief depth of the carving isn't very deep. As you can imagine, whittling into a piece of oak like this gets rather difficult once you past the bark layer.

Not the best photos but, whatever. It was a real bear getting any decent, glare-free imagines that actually show the detail well enough.


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## Alex Botkin

*Wood choice for mallet*

We have found that beech is an ideal wood for mallets that we make at dilegno woodshop supply. They are touch enough to deliver a punch but don't damage quality chisel handles.

Alex, The Back Office Guy


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## teesytegs

Good mallet you have carved. I would also recommend beech for mallets for the reason mentioned above.


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## firemedic

Nice work on the mallet... But I am digging that wall paper! :laughing: TRIPPY!

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Chaincarver Steve

firemedic said:


> Nice work on the mallet... But I am digging that wall paper! :laughing: TRIPPY!
> 
> ~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


The cloud wallpaper? That's our "cloud bathroom" (or the yellow bathroom, depends on the person). We also have the Mickey Mouse bathroom, the moose bathroom, our master bathroom, Dillon's bathroom, and the half (literally) bathroom under the main staircase. It's crazy but we have 6 freakin' bathrooms in our house.

That was the only bathroom (I wanted a mirror shot to show the front and back at once) that I could get a decent picture of the mallet in because of the lighting and glossy finish. And it was night so I couldn't take an outdoor photo under natural sunlight.


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## Joe Lyddon

That is one DIFFERENT mallet! Kinda GRABS you!

Cool carving!

I don't know what I would do with it... I sure wouldn't feel like HITTING anything with it... TOO NICE! :thumbsup:


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