Mallet

[bob nelson]

I don't want to sound stupid but before I posted this message I did a search for wooden mallet with no replies. So why do you use a wooden mallet during carving ? I am using a hard neopreme mallet. When I look at club pics theres the wooden mallet. Please explain this one to me

Thankyou

Bob Nelson

[pallin]

The mallet is to apply more cutting force to full-sized gouges - usually to speed up the removal of larger areas of waste wood. Also, it relieves the muscles that would otherwise be used for such work.

[Ed Redwine]

Bob: It's a matter of choice. Some carvers prefer the hard wooden mallet while others use a more modern neoprene model. I've seen many hand turned mallets with varying weights. The commerical mallet presents a more standard weight. Again, it's a matter of choice.

[CarverFromNoWhere]

You can get mallets in all sorts of materials wood, brass, lead, and modern plastics. The main differences between the wood and neoprene are that the wood is generally less expensive to produce, the neoprene on the other hand does not mark up your tool handles when the wood or brass will dent and mushroom over the handles end. So if your using Pfeil or any wood handled tools in larger sizes and they don't have the metal band at the back end to strengthen I highly recommend the neoprene headed mallet.
Carl

[Donsexton]

I have wood mallets and raw hide mallets but now I mostly use the ploy "wood is good" mallets I agree with Carl they save the tool handles.

[santacarver]

I use only wooden mallets that I make myself from old bowling pins. They're solid maple and work great. Just mount the bowling pin on your lathe and you can make them any size/weight/length you want with a handle made to fit your hand. Of course, if you don't have a lathe or know someone who does, then you have a problem. Bowling alleys are glad to get rid of their old pins, usually free or about 50 cents per pin. Just an idea you might try, if possible.

[gtech]

I use mostly a smaller mallet with a brass head.

Neoprene has too much rebound to my taste but I have a couple of wood mallet... that I don't really use...