Mjolnir Mallet

Wood mallets are a common tool in a wood shop. Often used and super useful, they are an essential tool to have in your belt. Well, maybe not in your belt specifically, but essential to have. So if you need a mallet, why not make one that let's you harness the power of Thor?!? Assuming you're worthy, of course

The materials I used: (with affiliate links)

Maple hardwood - https://amzn.to/2EN0TI2
Black walnut hardwood - https://amzn.to/2UjmhKj
BBs - https://amzn.to/2XzgMJv
A strip of leather - https://amzn.to/2SI4hYq

The tools I used:

Table saw - https://amzn.to/2SOgXge
Wood glue - https://amzn.to/2ExYS0Y|
Clamps - https://amzn.to/2XDyJq4
Chisels - https://amzn.to/2tNRs4F
Dremel - https://amzn.to/2tNS769
Blowtorch - https://amzn.to/2TePlG5

I started by cutting the maple to 2 pieces at 6" x 4 3/4", then cut out 2 pieces of the black walnut at that same size. I cut the piece of the walnut in half, then bored a 1" hole in the middle of each piece of the walnut.

Taking one of the pieces of maple, I marked the center point and then figured a good width for the handle, and set and glued the walnut pieces at a slight angle so that the top was a little wider than the base.

I then filled the holes in the walnut with BBs. At this point you can decide if you want a dead blow effect in your mallet or not (dead blow minimizes the strike impact and bounce of a hammer). If you do, simply glue the other side of the maple on top at this point. If you don't want your mallet to have a dead blow effect (like I did), add glue to the BBs, then glue the top maple piece on. This will hold the BBs in place and not create a dead blow effect.

For the handle, I cut out 2 - 3" strips of the maple that were 11" long, and also cut a strip of the walnut at the same length. I then ripped the walnut strip down to 3/4" thick. I took the pieces then glued and clamped them together.

To begin shaping the head of Mjolnir, I set my saw to 15 degrees and cut off the end edges. Next, I set my saw to 45 degrees and cut off the surface edges. These angled cuts gave the head piece the recognizable shape of Mjolnir.

I measured the depth and opening of the inset in the head piece, then matched those measurements to the handle piece. I then cut out one side of the handle to be the insert for the head piece. I bored 2 - 1/2" holes into the insert section, then cut lines from the edge to the holes for the wedge pieces later.

To shape the handle, it's best to use a lathe. But since I didn't have a lathe, I used a finger planer and chisels to create the round shape of the handle. I would suggest the former method as it would save you A LOT of time.

Using a simple Celtic knot as a reference, I drew the design on the 15 degree angled sections of the head, then used a chisel to etch out the designs on each of the angled faces.

I drew wavy lines on the handle, then used a Dremel to etch out the designs on the handle

I took a piece maple scrap and drew out a simple pommel for the base of the handle. After shaping it out on a belt sander, I drew a simple knot design on the pommel and then etched it out with a Dremel.

Cutting a slit through the base of the pommel for the leather strip to feed through, I cut a strip of leather wide enough for the slit, then fed it through the pommel and sewed the ends together.

At this point you can use a wood burning knife (or something similar) and burn the etched inlays of the designs you made on the head, handle, and pommel. I wanted to go for a weathered/scorched look, so I took a blowtorch and singed the designs into the hammer.

Using 2 small angled pieces of scrap maple, I hammered them into the slots I cut in the handle piece, and wedged the handle into the angled insert of the head piece. I cut a small circular piece, and glued it to the top of the hammer, completing the final look of the hammer.

Now you are ready to wield the hammer of the God of Thunder! Again, assuming you're worthy of course.

Now you know how to do it, watch it being made!

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