[TOEKNEE]

can anyone offer an opinion on carving mallets? what brands you like, weights you prefer, etc., etc? i am going to get into mallet carving, mainly woodspirts on limbs, driftwood, and some old barn beams i have collected. i have been "ebaying" and gathering me up a good basic collection of mallet tools, now i need a mallet.

[susieq]

really old mallets made of lignum vitae wood are the best, but hard to come by anymore... That wood is very dense and very heavy. It is probably best to have a heavy one and a lighter one. You will use both. You might check on ebay for these mallets but buy from a reputable seller... check their ratings before buying from them. I was always leary of any seller that had recently changed their ID on the website. It should tell you that in their profile.

[squbrigg]

I've been using a Japanese Wooden Barrel shaped mallet, 8 oz, and i glued leather to the faces of the mallet. I don't like sharp loud noises. Works great. Available form www.japanwoodworker.com .

Nice tool. It works.

Bob

[arapsang]

Every couple of years or so I take a trip to Kenya. I love photographing big game. Usually I stop off in Naivasha to greet the woodcarvers there. They are an inspiring bunch of craftsmen who make the most amazing pieces using chisels made out of truck springs and scrapers made from three cornered files. Mallets are a luxury too expensive to be considered. Instead they use hammers, logs, or conveniently shaped pebbles. More sophisticated woodworkers such as ourselves have a lot to learn from them. Taking a leaf from their book I now try to turn or carve my own mallets using whatever wood offcuts are available. Currently I have mallets made from beech, yew and iroko. Mallets can be made heavier by drilling a hole in the mallet head and glueing in a brass or steel rod. Alternatively molten lead can be poured into the hole. My advice to you is to go ahead and make your own. It's not rocket science and you learn a lot from the endeavour.

Best wishes

Peter Connor

[markken5889]

Chris Pye has a design for a great-looking mallet on his website. I use a large beech one, and also a smaller brass head one.

[lorax]

I have an OLD Lignum Vitae mallet, sort of. The handle had broken off, so I put a sawed off wheelbarrow handle in it; and it is pretty misshapen but I have had it for 20 years and my theory is that if it doesnt damage my tools, it doesnt matter how "cool" it is. That said, I have been looking at the Wood Is Good mallets so I can have a heavier one.

[santacarver]

I make all my carving mallets from old bowling pins. It's easy if you have a lathe. Most are solid maple and very cheap if not free. You can make two or three in a very short time, each with a diferent weight.