AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: Stickburner on April 20, 2017, 05:58:32 PM
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I have always used a nylon faced hammer to drive my chisels when inletting parts in stocks. I have seen carving mallets in a lot of the workbench photos on this site so I assume there is an advantage to mallets over hammers but I haven't found any discussions about using mallets in gun carving.
I will be attending Jim Parker's carving class next month and I know he uses a mallet but I didn't think to talk to him about it while I was there. I have seen mallets of solid wood and with synthetic material or brass on the striking surface. Which type and weight mallets do y'all prefer and why.
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Years ago I turned my own out of ironwood (one piece,handle and all) and it was great for several years but then one day the thing broke off right where the handle meet the mallet proper. Now I can still use the mallet end with out the handle and it works OK just like that.
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I have a number of small jewelers hammers in different sizes for the light stuff. Those plastic, nylon hammers work great for just about everything. Also have a few lignum vitae mallets that are great. They seem to weigh about as much as a solid metal mallet would. Nearly impossible to find them anymore. I keep away from metal hammers unless they are pretty small. Seems like they could damage chisels. Don't know if they actually would. Just seems like it.
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I made one....Found a hard maple that was down in the woods. Found a limb about the diameter I wanted the head to be and then carved out the handle. A little crude...But it works....
I have nearly no experience so I have nothing to compare it to lol.
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What I like about the larger round mallet is the fact that you don't have to line up a hammer head to strike your object. You can pic up the mallet in any orientation and strike the end of your object were as with the hammer you have to line up the head.
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I have used rawhide mallets for so long I can't remember when I started to use them. I have them in 5 different weights & sizes.
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I use the traditional joiners mallet for the big stuff. I have a couple small versions of that in progress being made of cocobolo for the head with a maple handle. Planning brass faces for one of them to make it just a bit heavier than the plain one. I'm actually planning to use those small ones to drive my engraving tools.
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Hi,
I prefer a heavy round brass headed mallet. For detail work, I hold it by the head and tap the chisels. For heavier work, I swing it by the handle.
dave
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I have used rawhide mallets for so long I can't remember when I started to use them. I have them in 5 different weights & sizes.
Rawhide mallets for me too.
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I sort of shaped a piece of firewood.
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On wooden handled carving tools, I mainly use a wooden mallet I turned from persimmon many years ago. I have a rawhide hammer I use when fitting metal parts, to save the abuse on my mallet. I have other mallets, but this medium weight one is my favorite for gun work. Bob
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I like this one: Narex Round Turned 250 gram 9 oz Beech Wood Carving Mallet
https://www.amazon.com/Narex-Turned-Carving-Mallet-825701/dp/B018JOQ7GY
User reviews:
"Looks good. Haven't used it yet."
"I use this for crushing garlic, works perfect, def recommend, prompt ship"
"Love it. Perfect compact size. Great garlic and "tostones" smasher!!"
"its ok, but i was surprised to see that it is two pieces of wood glued together rather than one solid piece"
With recommendations like that, you couldn't possibly pass this one by.
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I sort of shaped a piece of firewood.
I pared down one end of a bit of bodock from the firewood pile. Grab the small end, swing the fat end.
If I ever make a nice one, it will be just like the one Paul Sellers teaches in video form-all wood.
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I'm afraid my 'carving mallet' may appear to the untrained eye, as pretty crude and primitive. But it sure works well for me. It is simply a piece of local birch firewood, well cured, with an old axe handle set into it. For fine light work, I choke up on the handle: come to think of it, that's primarily how it gets used.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2Fj8rVT5%2F100_7207.jpg&hash=c8abb12fa04e369b9524f3834a53aa2912003f5b) (http://ibb.co/eb461Q)
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FhSnhak%2F100_7208.jpg&hash=8901f6c3f7fce18a058963d88d71494a6d630f0f) (http://ibb.co/iMnR1Q)
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At my last job, there was a lot of 8/4 bubinga, and I grabbed up some offcuts and glued up a few 16/4 square blanks about 10" long. I turn mallets from these--I've got a lifetime supply. I've used hard maple and beech too. You can laminate 4 layers of 4/4 to do the same thing. There are just some shop tasks that want a turned mallet.
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My mallets are turned from old hedge fence posts.
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I use 2 Al Stohlman designed leathercrafter's mauls. One has a nylon head, the other has a leather head. Basically a round piece of nylon and a wood handle, and all held together with a bolt through the middle. On the leather one, I drilled a 2x2x3 blank, slipped on to the bolt, then turned the handle to shape. The leather, I cut them and punched a hole in the middle and stacked them on the bolt until it was full and added a washer on both ends. This will explain it better. http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/30302-rawhide-maul-construction-of-rawhide-blank-question/
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I've always used one of these
https://woodcraft-production-weblinc.netdna-ssl.com/product_images/wood-is-good-mallet-20-oz-3-1-2-head/584511e569702d19cc0002dc/detail.jpg?c=1480921573
this thing is great, very well balanced. I've had it for more than 20 years
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I had always turned my own from scrap wood, worked fine until they either broke or splintered. Then my stepson bought me one of those Woodcraft mallets like Gaeckle uses. It is great. My great-grandchildren will probably be able to use it.
Dale H
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A variety for a variety of uses. Turned from scrap wood or found materials. The smallest is a modified railroad spike for tapping gravers the next is a 1/2" black pipe union screwed on to a piece of dowel. The turned mallets are for carving chisels and persuaders.
Kevin
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimage.ibb.co%2FeexyWQ%2Fmallets.jpg&hash=47fd744b72ce5d534746967511dcf8b57d52450e) (http://ibb.co/eHXnQk)
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Burnt, that RR spike graver masher looks like it is just the right size for the job intended. :)
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I like using this 2 3/4" chisel as a chasing hammer.
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpreview.ibb.co%2FjTNJy5%2Fimage.jpg&hash=b4db310022cd3441fc8a13b8014b7eb5002fceaa) (http://ibb.co/m9gp5k)
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Richard,
The one I brought to our rifle building class was the one made by Narex that Jose linked to. It was a nice, fairly light beech mallet and was pretty cheap. I couldn't see a good reason to pay $80 for a Swiss made one. If I had a wood lathe I would have done what Mike did and turned one from a nice hard piece of scrap wood.
I think I saw this question once before and the general consensus ended up being that you should just try a few and use what works best for you. Hope you enjoy that carving class, I wish I was going to it.
K.C.
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Like some others, I use a piece of firewood and taper one end to fit my hand. Oak and hickory, Lead tree works down here.
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I use a mallet and chisel for setting some of my inlets. For stamping in carving i generally just push the gouge in by hand .
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Dogwood makes a Great mallet. TC
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I really like my lignum vitae mallets. They are just basic mallets turned from a single piece of wood. I bought them about 25 years ago. They are dirty, but still in excellent condition. I like them because they are very heavy for the size. Only problem is that I don't have any small ones. This discussion got me to thinking I need to get a few little ones. When I bought these, they were pretty much the only mallets out there. Last time I looked was about 5 years ago and they were tough to find. Tonight I cannot find a single one for sale anywhere on the internet. What happened? How can they just vanish like that. Seems like it is the best wood there is for mallets. Why would everyone stop making them?
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I have a selection similar to Burnt, two 20 oz. Or so clubs for general whacking. And a couple of forklift roller faced clubs that weigh about 12 oz. These are a close approximation of the pipe coupling headed club he has. Plus a assortment of hammers for other uses. BJH
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I really like my lignum vitae mallets. They are just basic mallets turned from a single piece of wood. I bought them about 25 years ago. They are dirty, but still in excellent condition. I like them because they are very heavy for the size. Only problem is that I don't have any small ones. This discussion got me to thinking I need to get a few little ones. When I bought these, they were pretty much the only mallets out there. Last time I looked was about 5 years ago and they were tough to find. Tonight I cannot find a single one for sale anywhere on the internet. What happened? How can they just vanish like that. Seems like it is the best wood there is for mallets. Why would everyone stop making them?
There aren't that many Lignam Vitae trees left. I think that they are considered endangered and are no longer cut, and I know that the wood is very scarce. People are cutting up old pieces to make new stuff, reminiscent of ivory.
I've tried a rubber mallet, a clawhammer with a rag held on with a rubberband to pad the metal head, a homemade mallet made from a 3x3x6" red oak scrap on a piece of hickory for a handle, and a 22oz mallet turned from some very dense tropical hardwood (not lignam vitae). The latter is by far the best choice, and the one I use today.
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Go down to the goodwill store and buy an old rolling pin. The type with the stationary handle and try to find a maple or hardwood one. I have never had any trouble finding one. Saw it about 23the way in half. Then you will have a heavy one and a light one. Mine has worked for about 20 years. It's nice to have a small one at times.
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I appreciare all the comments. I'm going to hit my wife's favorite junk stores and try to find an old rolling pin I can cut down and make two mallets. In the mean time I'll continue using my old soft faced hammer until get to Jim's class in a few weeks and try out his urethane mallet.
Stay tuned, I've got a lot more questions than answers.
Richard
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A mallet made by recycling milk cartons.
https://youtu.be/hyP7YJ9O3TY
Another way to make a fancy HDPE block out of #2 recyclable HDPE.
https://youtu.be/kUR6_bQLU-E