Mallet project
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26 February 2015 at 1:37 pm #125074
I have been a member for a little while now and have just completed my first Masterclass project, the woodworkers mallet.
I used Laburnum for the head and oak for the handle. It’s not perfect but it works as a mallet. I found Laburnum quite hard to plane and I left a lot of tool marks in the surface of the wood. I have left the handle protruding from the head of the mallet as Paul suggests, I will shorten it in a few weeks time and maybe refine the head a little.26 February 2015 at 9:34 pm #125096Very nice work, I’m sure it will serve you well.
Some rather sharp looking corners on the head, I assume you’ll take them off when you say you’ll refine it?
Did you find the mortise was a lot more work than Mr Sellers made it look? I have made a couple and found the end-grain paring in particular very tricky.
Matt
26 February 2015 at 10:34 pm #125098Thanks Matt, I really enjoyed making it.
I had my computer out in the shed with me playing the video as I was working along, I couldn’t believe the speed in which Paul chopped his mortice, needless to say the video was on pause quite a lot of times.
I had a bit of trouble planing the Laburnum and I made a couple of silly mistakes as well, I took a big lump out of the top edge of the mallet which is why I put that big chamfer across. I think you’re right about the corners, they definitely need a bit more work.26 February 2015 at 11:00 pm #125099That is a good looking mallet. Well done. Its hard to get a sense of scale from the photo. What do you think it weighs?
27 February 2015 at 6:54 am #125131Thanks Greg, I followed Pauls dimensions so the head of the mallet is six inches along the top, three inches wide and four inches deep, the handle at fourteen inches.
It weighs in at two pounds two ounces, I must admit I really love the way it feels, it is a joy to use.28 February 2015 at 8:11 pm #125156I’ve rounded the corners a bit more on the mallet, it’s definitely an improvement.
2 March 2015 at 2:04 pm #125180It looks great, much more “finished” now, a good job well done.
It still surprises me how much impact taking off sharp corners can have on the look of a piece. When I first started woodworking I deliberately left my corners sharp because it’s not something you see generally in furniture; I thought it made my projects look less mass-manufactured, but looking back now they just look predictably amateurish.
That’s actually a nice photo all around, the mallet and woodblock router and part-finished housing, what are you building?
Matt
2 March 2015 at 2:06 pm #125181Oh, and another thing I meant to ask, how does one end up with a mallet-sized lump of laburnum?
Matt
2 March 2015 at 5:32 pm #125187Thanks Matt, the most expensive tool in that photo is the knife. The chisel is from Aldi, the ‘Granny’s tooth’ router and plane were 99p specials off Ebay ( plus postage of course).
I am building a tool cabinet come cupboard with a saw rack and various shelves which I intend to make dovetail boxes and caddies to sit on them. It’s been slow progress with a lot of mistakes but I’ll keep it with the mistakes in so every time I reach for a tool it will act as a reminder not to make them again. I’ve been making it since I joined this website and have learned loads. I’ve smoothed all the boards from rough and edge jointed to width. I’ve nearly finished the main frame and I intend to make paneled doors from the method used in the tool chest video.
They grow big Laburnums in Derbyshire 🙂 One of my favourite trees.
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