HELP please - Lignum Vitae bowl / cricket mallet

[Glynne]

My Son-in-Law is an avid cricket fan, both watching and playing.
Unfortunately the phrase "all the gear and no idea" applies to his playing abilities, but this does not detract him from buying and selling cricket gear (mainly bats) and the associated "essential" accessories. One such "essential" is a knocking in mallet which is evidentally used to "tune" cricket bats and despite having 2 such mallets, he has now read that he really needs another one made from Lignum Vitae. I have resisted the urge (i.e. been threatened by my wife) to suggest that if you can't actually hit the ball then it doesn't matter whether the bat is tuned or not but I'm now being pressured to make him a mallet from an old lignum vitae bowl.
A knocking mallet looks like: - View attachment 41
and I have found an LV bowl (Taylor Rolph - Penshurst) -

Questions
Can someone please explain how a bowl is constructed? I understand that there is normally a weight incorporated into the centre to give the bowl "bias" and I'm guessing this will be lead but how big is it likely to be and how is it sealed in?
In terms of actually turning the mallet head, my first thought would be to mount the bowl between centres so as the 2 white discs (sorry I don't know the proper name) are front and back as you look at the lathe. I would then flatten the bowl to create a cylinder shape (with rounded ends) - hence the question as to how are bowls made. I thought it would be best to leave in the centre to avoid breakout but I don't want to be hitting metal so do I need to drill this out and replace with a sacrificial plug? I'm also worried about the actual mount as the bowl will cause some damage (to me) if it comes off so is there a better way to mount it?
Having got my cylinder, I would then re-mount across where the discs were to shape the mallet faces. The final stage would then be to bore out whats left of the centre (or sacrificial plug) and fit a handle and wedge.
All of these are just my initial thoughts so I'd really appreciate some advice from more experienced turners or someone who has actually used a bowl to create something.
Thanks in advance.
Glynne

 

[KimG]

The bowls I have cut up have been nothing but solid wood, no insert or anything, I think any bias must come from the shape but I am not certain about that.

 

[ajmw89]

Being a bat maker, (and owning a LV mallet) I would say that there is no need for one. Just like thick edges, it's a fad. For professionals (majers and shops) that constnantly knock bats in, it is handy. However in the wrong hands and used inappropriately, it can kill your favourite bat.

 

[SteveF]

those white plastic discs will be ivory (probably)
remove them if u can
behind them there will be an 8mm hole (usually) at each end
you could stick a screw chuck in there

or

bandsaw off the ends
there is a considerable amount of waste in what u r making
maybe bandsaw off quite a lot if u have a use for the rest (only if u have a safe way to hold it)
i never found any metal in a real LV

Steve

 

[Glynne]

Thanks for the replies guys.
Kim - I think I'm a bit behind the times with bias weights and a different Google search shows that weights are no longer allowed, the bias being down to the shape alone. It was probably something I picked up as a kid many, many moons ago.
AJMW - I'm interested in the advice regarding the need for an LV mallet. My son-in-law has 2 mallets, an ordinary hardwood one and one that looks like a cricket ball on a stick. Are you saying that these are all he needs or that he doesn't need to knock his bats in? If he doesn't need an LV one, I'm sure I could make better use of the wood.
Steve - I've managed to find the post on a carving mallet made from a bowling ball (Berncarpenter) and Bern has bandsawed a flat to make drilling easier. I suppose I could saw 4 surfaces to give a rectangle which would give me an outline blank for a cylinder but as you say, there will be a lot of waste.
Thanks again.
Glynne

 

[ajmw89]

Hi Glynne,

I have used many different mallets before starting bat making and since. The best ones on the market are the ones that millichamp and hall or puma sell. They're heavier than the hardwood used in the standard ones. Feel free to drop me a PM. I hand knock in any bat that comes through me.
Problem with the LV mallets is they are an awful lot more harder than the willow they are being used on. I only use mine for the final stages of knocking in.

Cheers,

Adam

 

[Glynne]

Thanks Adam, I'll send a PM.