Mallet's Mallet - what finish?

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SteL

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Hi,

I've never used a wooden mallet before and after reading a thread here I decided I wasn't a real man until I had a wooden mallet, so I made one. I liked the look of one made by Rex Krueger on YouTube but I didn't follow it religiously and ended up making the job more complicated by putting a shoulder on the joint between the head and the handle. That made measuring the tapered angle to fit the mortise a much harder and more precise job.

I also had a big hole to drill with the new drill press that the people of this forum kindly got working for me! That nearly turned sour, though. I was using a drill bit similar to an auger type with that snail shape bit at the end. I had the wood in the heavy metal vice with a light grip on the handle and started to drill. After about 1" the bit pulled the whole lot up into the air and started to spin it! I managed to turn it off and then bolt the vice to the table before slowly carrying on. Lesson learned!

IMG_1893.jpg


The one thing I liked about the design of the Rex Krueger mallet was the bit to pinch for light-controlled wallops...

IMG_2029.jpg


Anyway, it turned out good in the end and it's very comfortable to use, but it feels too light compared to my hammer. I might get used to it or I might make a heavier one.

IMG_2063.jpg


IMG_2062.jpg


Any suggestions on the finish? I was just going to throw BLO on but I know it'll make it a nasty yellow colour.

cheers.
 
tung oil is a little be less yellowing than linseed, maybe try danish oil for it or make your own.
 
Can’t help with your finish as I’m not that good with them , wax probably make it too slippery and linseed oil can get sticky so I’d probably leave the handle untreated. What I can say is I’ve used a mallet recently on some doors I was hanging-what a difference-no more hinges set to deeply due to the weight of a 20oz hammer. They are really good for more sensitive projects.
 
Hi,

I've never used a wooden mallet before and after reading a thread here I decided I wasn't a real man until I had a wooden mallet, so I made one. I liked the look of one made by Rex Krueger on YouTube but I didn't follow it religiously and ended up making the job more complicated by putting a shoulder on the joint between the head and the handle. That made measuring the tapered angle to fit the mortise a much harder and more precise job.

I also had a big hole to drill with the new drill press that the people of this forum kindly got working for me! That nearly turned sour, though. I was using a drill bit similar to an auger type with that snail shape bit at the end. I had the wood in the heavy metal vice with a light grip on the handle and started to drill. After about 1" the bit pulled the whole lot up into the air and started to spin it! I managed to turn it off and then bolt the vice to the table before slowly carrying on. Lesson learned!

View attachment 140358

The one thing I liked about the design of the Rex Krueger mallet was the bit to pinch for light-controlled wallops...

View attachment 140359

Anyway, it turned out good in the end and it's very comfortable to use, but it feels too light compared to my hammer. I might get used to it or I might make a heavier one.

View attachment 140360

View attachment 140361

Any suggestions on the finish? I was just going to throw BLO on but I know it'll make it a nasty yellow colour.

cheers.
Ideal for doing blind dovetails and such like.

Sure a heavier one is useful for doing mortices etc but my lightweight ones are just ace!!
 

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