Making a Joiner’s Mallet: Part 1

Posted 2 September 2014

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In this episode, Paul discusses the features that make a good mallet, including choice of wood. The stock is then cut to shape using a few different methods, including splitting with an axe, cutting the tapers with the bow saw and handsaw, and creating reference faces with the smoothing plane.

Previous: Making a Joiner’s Mallet

60 Comments

  2. I’ve made two mallets. The first was a laminated ash head that exploded mid mortise hole after six months, the second was a solid block of hickory that came from a friends wood pile. Still good after two years.

  4. You are so right about laminated mallets. mine only lasted about 8 years. I like your design a lot better and I just happen to have some white oak in the right dimensions to make one of these. Enjoyed you video and learning a little about what you have gleaned over the last 50 years. Thank you!

  5. Wow great timing.I have a block of osage orange and was just going to male a new mallet. I can’t wait for the conclusion.

    These side projects are worth as much as as the larger projects if not more.

  7. I just started my subscription here and can’t thank everyone enough for all the hard work you put into these videos. My only complaint is that there is not enough time in the day to watch them all 🙂

    I made my first mallet from watch Roy Underhill at the WoodWright show. I’m going to have to make another one using these methods as you can never have too many mallets.

    I can’t wait for the bow saw video!!!

    Thanks again.
    Kaetwo

    1. For a good blade for a bow saw go to TGIAG they sell very nice scrapers and saw plates.
      Don’t let the though of making a saw put you off. It was much easer than I could belive. Be sides if this one eyed shaking oldman can do it you wont have any problems with it
      The plates come with the teeth punched out . You can order the plate in almost any size and configuration you want.
      The pricing is Very cheep. I could not belive for $30 I couuld get a dovetail saw worth having.

  10. What a surprise hearing that Tx cedar elm is 20x harder than oak! I’m surrounded by it fortunately. I was curious if it was workable and held back a few logs to dry. Also held back some large limbs that were infected with mistletoe, wondering if it make a nice pattern in the cedar elm grain.

    I’ve always wanted to build myself a nice mallet, so I appreciate this project!

  12. Awaiting delivery of the three grits of diamond plates. Ahead ‘sharp’ tools and into the various projects I have started. Bench first, then a mallet and who knows what from there. Thank you very much Paul and all.

    Russ

      1. Hi Michael,
        I just received my set about two weeks ago, and I’m really enjoying them. I purchased mine from Amazon.com. They’re the EZE-LAP plates such as Paul uses; medium, fine, and super-fine. Amazon’s prices on them are about as low as I’ve found.
        Regards,
        Gary Blair

  14. Do you find that the cheaper chisels with metal caps actually damage traditional wooden male lets more than a wooden handled chisel might? I have just gotten into working with wood and I find that already I don’t like the feel of the cheaper chisel handles.

  15. I made a mallet a week ago that is very similar to the one you are making. I made mine after watching an episode Roy Underhill did on making a proper joiner mallet.
    So far there is little difference than I can see on how Roy and Paul go about making a mallet, I wouldn’t expect there would be. Of course there are always different little lessons between the two educators that I enjoy very much.

    The mallet I made has a hard maple head and an ash handle. As soon as I come across a big apple tree or mulberry tree I am going to make a couple more, they are just fun to make. I think mulberry would make a great mallet, it is really hard and dense. I acquired some large mulberry logs a few years back, and I turned several bowls. When I finish turned the bowls after letting them dry I found out how hard this wood is, it was extremely important to get a really smooth final pass with the gouge or scrapper because it was near impossible to sand smooth. Oh yeah mulberry is in the osage orange family, duh, found that out later.

    1. I turn malberry also I gave up on regular sanding. Us scrapers at 100 to 150 rpm.s then wet sand with 250/400
      Using beeswax mixed with mineraloil. A 3 to 1 mix wax to oil. Gives a great, food safe finish.
      Frankj

      1. Frank I agree no way to regular sanding. The slowest my lathe goes is 450rpm unfortunately. I have heard of the beeswax and oil method but have never tried it, perhaps I will, I currently use a commercial brand that is essentially the same, but probably cost more in the long run.

        The last mulberry I turned was in 2008 so the bowls have had a few years to age, they just keep getting darker and darker. Most people around my parts, northern Illinois, think of mulberry as a garbage wood, I could not disagree more. I even cut slabs off the irregular trunk with multiple piths, and made a couple live edge tables.

      2. Mr. Sellers,

        You mentioned you weren’t sure why the wood from Texas was called Cedar Elm.

        These elm trees tend to grow in valley bottoms along with a local Juniper which the locals refer to as “Cedars”. So, Cedar Elms are the Elms that like to grow with the “Cedars”.

        –A relocated, born and bred Texas boy.

  16. I made a laminated oak mallet with some copper shot inside the head for a deadblow effect. But before too long, the face was caving in. I’ll probably make a solid one like this at some point, if I can find a big chunk of oak.

  18. Very strange, I went to see the very same bandsaw you have there Paul, it was for sale and I liked it very much, until I realised it was a 3 phase machine but the seller mistakingly advertised it as a 1 phase one, do you have a 3 phase supply in your shop or is a 1 phase bandsaw you’re using, thank you.

  20. As always, I am greatly enjoying the project. The bow saw really got my attention as the one shown incorporates much of what I (in my ignorance) have decided I absolutely have to have. One question for Paul: what type of oil/lubricant are you using to apply to the bottom of the plane?

  22. Thanks Paul, I really enjoy your videos. Very relaxing and I look forward to them.

    Something that has puzzled me over the ages, I bet you would know the answer. Came to mind when you whipped out your trusty Disston. What is that little nib on the saw back near the end for?

  23. Can’t wait to see the next videos on finishing up the mallet.

    More than that, though, super excited for the buck/bow saw video series. I don’t have one but I have wanted one, but could never find the right one for the right price on ebay or whatever. Can’t wait to make my own!

  25. This is a great project, very useful. I thought about making a mallet by laminating it but questioned how it would hold up, I think this is the way to go. Thanks Paul.

    PS Anxious to see the bowsaw project!

  26. Anybody have advice on source for thick block to make a mallet – I’ve wanted to for awhile, but have been unable to source anything thick enough to avoid laminating here in AK.

    Shipping on some sort of block/blank wouldn’t be too bad for a couple if someone knows of a reasonable online source? Thoughts?

      1. Maybe I should’ve been more specific – but the species matters greatly (after all its a mallet). Black spruce, Alaskan Paper Birch, and Cottonwood are the readily available species here (from the firewood pile) – none of these are good mallet woods; all being relatively soft….

        I’m looking for lignae vitae, osage, or something else, which means ordering online or getting someone to send it up to me…

        1. You can find Osage orange turning blanks on Ebay. Some are already cut round, but a 9×3 inch one will work. The wood itself is usually inexpensive ($8-$15), but shipping about doubles the cost because the wood is heavy. Still not a bad price.

    2. My source is a log pile destined for the fire. Go to the bottom of the pile and look for a nice straight chunk.
      Try and find and oldish piece so it is dry……I’m told wood dries at the rate of 1″ thickness per year??

      Of course one has to ask the owner first???

      Regards John

  31. Paul, I recently took down a ‘green ash’ off my property and I saved some good chunks. My question is: would it be ok to use green wood for the mallet?
    Thanks Dave Crane.

    I love your videos and can’t wait for them each week.

  32. 2 quick questions: if you use the outer face of the tree as the striking face and fire harden the surface, will that defeat the mushrooming Paul talks about in middle density woods like Oak, Elm, etc.?

  34. Gonna try and make this out of an old red gum fence post.

    A quick google to check that the density is reasonable:

    Cedar Elm: Up to 750kg/m3
    Red Gum (Seasoned): 910kg/m3
    Red Gum (Unseasoned): 1140kg/m3

    Hmm. Should work.

  36. It looks like a number 8, judging from the nib, no wheat carving, and the apple handle. Number 8 saws were made from 1840 to about 1923, when production ended in favor of a complete revamping of the product line.

    The old number 7 is similar but with a beech handle.

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