# A new mallet



## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Continueing on with my skew practice, I decided (after someone suggested it) to make a mallet today. I pulled some junk hardwood out of the burn pile and put it between centers. I limited myselft to a roughing gouge, a parting tool and my skew. John Lucas had just posted a video on the use of a roughing gouge and it was also an opportunity to practice some of the techniques that he showed in his video. I was amazed at how some slight adjustments in the way that I normally rough things out, gave me so much more control. Either way, here's what I ended up with. I added a couple of shot of the lathe and shavings so that you disbelievers could see that my tools do get dirty sometimes. With that being said, it wasn't this dirty for long and once the project was done, all of the mess was cleaned and the tools wiped spotless. :laughing:
Thanks for looking.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Very nice! Feels good to practice a technique and then use what you learned to make a functional, good looking piece, isn't it?


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

That is awesome! Nice job, and I am taking a stab in the dark and say that you are just getting started in the fine world of turning, but as usual, you are a skilled craftsman.

So, now the real question....... Is Mrs Kenbo going to clean up that mess? :huh:

Fabian


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

thegrgyle said:


> So, now the real question....... Is Mrs Kenbo going to clean up that mess?


It's a guys area only. :laughing:





> Feels good to practice a technique and then use what you learned to make a functional, good looking piece, isn't it?


Feels awesome. I had a fantastic day.:thumbsup:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Nice mallet Kenbo! I need to build me a treadle lathe some day 

~tom. ...GEAUX TIGERS!... ...GEAUX SAINTS!......


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Looks too good to use! Great work Kenbo. The Mrs. might like a mortar and pestle some time... :smile:


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Nice mallet ken. The more I see people doing turnings on here makes me want to do some turnings as well. I know it's fun because I turned a pen before at a woodworking show. I also did a lot of metal turnings in high school, so I've got the feel. Just not in my budget right now. 
Keep up the good work.


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## Carvel Loafer (Dec 31, 2011)

I haven't touched a wood lathe since high school. That is a great mallet. Looks like it is worth the cleaning up.


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## Upstate (Nov 28, 2011)

firemedic said:


> Nice mallet Kenbo! I need to build me a treadle lathe some day
> 
> ~tom. ...GEAUX TIGERS!... ...GEAUX SAINTS!......


http://www.manytracks.com/lathe/lathe.pdf looks like a fun project... Alas, not enough hours in the day though


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Everything you make is positively excellent! Judging from the pile of shavings, you started with a 6 x 6 blank?


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

johnnie52 said:


> Everything you make is positively excellent! Judging from the pile of shavings, you started with a 6 x 6 blank?


It was about 4X5 but the shavings were flying pretty good. I was also practicing roughing gouge techniques and was having a blast. To tell you the truth, I was kind of amazed at the amount of shavings as well.


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## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

Kenbo said:


> It was about 4X5 but the shavings were flying pretty good. I was also practicing roughing gouge techniques and was having a blast. To tell you the truth, I was kind of amazed at the amount of shavings as well.


geez...I thought it was a 20" log from the pile of shavings....lol

very nice as usual bro....you are becoming one well "rounded" woodworker


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## Taylormade (Feb 3, 2011)

lawrence said:


> you are becoming one well "rounded" woodworker


Wocka wocka! :laughing:

Nicely done Kenbo!


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## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

Outstanding work as always.You could hang a sign in your shop that reads Guys Area on one side and Girls area on the other.When your done working ya just flip it over and tell the wife to get out there and clean her area up!:laughing:


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

There is something magical about you Ken. You practice your techniques on a scrap piece and comes out with a nice and useful tool. And this happens simultaneously as you design and carry out a fantastic scroll work. What's the secret - gnomes in the shop?


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

Great job Ken

Looks like maple??
Did you have to resharpen a lot?

Any thoughts on your dust collection for that?


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

Ken i cannot believe i saw shavings in your shop
really nice work and i think its great you are so particular as you are about your shop:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## scoffey (Mar 1, 2011)

My little 8x8 shop looks alot like that pic with all the shavings after i fire my planer up. My girlfriend will come and check on me sometimes and I swear to you that the shavings are so high she cant get in! I wouldnt have it any other way!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Nice mallet. I need one just like that. 

I'm a bit concerned though: What was that nice piece of wood doing in your burn pile to begin with?


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

tcleve4911 said:


> Great job Ken
> 
> Looks like maple??
> Did you have to resharpen a lot?
> ...


Thanks for the kind words guys. Tcleve, I didn't resharpen at all. All of the tools were put away sharp so they were ready to go right from the beginning. I'm not sure what kind of wood it is but it's hard as heck. As far as d/c for this, I hang my 4" d/c hose from the tool rest support while I am sanding but as far as chip removal, I haven't come up with anything yet. I'm not sure if I'm going to.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Ken, is that tulip poplar or what?


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

phinds said:


> Ken, is that tulip poplar or what?


 
I have no idea Paul. It is hard a a rock and very heavy. It was given to me from a guy at my work who said that his son's company use them to stack pallets on. He thought it was oak, but the grain doesn't seem right for that. It's way too hard to be poplar. It is also a little on the punky side which makes it difficult to determine. I will have to get a shot of it (if I have any left) and post it for some I.D purposes.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I was just thinking about a way to collect chips and came up with a funny thought. Though I realise it's pretty much an absurd way to go about it, it's humorous to ponder: You could build an enclosure that completely engulfs the workpiece and part of the lathe. Use clear panels so that you can see what you're doing. Then mount some long, heavy rubber gloves into the front and you've solved your chip mess and have a safety shield when working.

It'd be like using a lathe inside of a sandblast cabinet. With a vaccuum port in the bottom.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> I was just thinking about a way to collect chips and came up with a funny thought. Though I realise it's pretty much an absurd way to go about it, it's humorous to ponder: You could build an enclosure that completely engulfs the workpiece and part of the lathe. Use clear panels so that you can see what you're doing. Then mount some long, heavy rubber gloves into the front and you've solved your chip mess and have a safety shield when working.
> 
> It'd be like using a lathe inside of a sandblast cabinet. With a vaccuum port in the bottom.


 

Someone's been drinking a little too much egg nog. 
:drink::drink::drink::drink::drink:


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Nice job on the mallet Ken. Glad to see you do more turning projects. I use my dust collector just like you do, mostly when sanding. The big chips I sweep up by hand and dump them in a metal garbage can. If you try to collect all the big chips while turning, all you do is fill up your dust collector a lot quicker. Much easier to empty the garbage can.
Mike Hawkins


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