Carvers Mallet

by tody in Workshop > Woodworking

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Carvers Mallet

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DIY How to make a Carver's Mallet

I've just started filming my projects, don't hesitate to watch the video and give me a feedback!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgORxZPa7yzk8JdW...

This is a great tool if you like carving wood and you need a light mallet.

It is not a time consuming project and anyone with a basic skill set can do it(provided you have a wood lathe)

Last year was a great one for peach production and as a result our peach tree gave up under the weight of all the fruit.
Having this wood on hand I decided it must be used for a cool project and not for fire wood.

The wood piece in the video is walnut ,also saved from the burn pile.

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I took a piece of paper and folded it in two.

I drew the outline of the mallet size I wanted to do and cut away the excess.

This way I got a symmetric pattern.

Rounding the Logs

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Take a small axe and remove the extra wood on the side of the log.This extra wood can cause serious wobble in the wood lathe. .Try to come as close as possible to a cylinder shape.

Making the Rough Shape

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I took the log and found the center on each side.I attached it in the wood lathe and using the slowest speed I removed material until i got to an nice looking cylinder shape.

Marking the High and Low

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Using the parting tool i marked the high and low spots.

You can hold the pattern next to the lathe and just copy these points.

Removing Material

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Using a wooden measuring gauge i made sure i did not take to much material on the low points.

Shape the Handle

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I then shaped the handle and sanded the whole mallet as it was spinning on the lathe.

Groove Time

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To have a better control of the mallet I added groves to the handle using a parting tool.This way the sweat from my palm has a place to go and also my palm can make better contact with the handle.

Finishing the Ends

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I took a sharp knife and i cut the little bit of wood remaining on the ends and used a little bit of sanding paper to level the surface.

The wood was sealed using natural wax paste.

Wax seals the end grain and protects the wood from cracking.

The Finished Product

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The first picture shows the peach wood mallet and the second shows another one i made from a piece of walnut i had in the yard.

This project was fun and quick to make.

I hope you like it.