JOAT Never go to bed angry. Stay up and plot your revenge.
I work with lots of logs and limbs. I often cut limbs for mallet heads and handles and give them to anyone that may need a wooden mallet. I dress them in various ways: Wooden pegs to secure head to handle, leather straps from deer or cow hides (for the Native American look?), whatever strikes my fancy. Non-uniform limbs for handles can still be balanced and feel right when gripped, and they are all unique. All sizes, but as entertainment, any mallet with a head over 4" in diameter, when given to women folk friends, I've present it as being an "Attitude Adjuster", for their husbands!
On a bit of a similar note, a 15" - 20" long log, 15" (or about) in diameter, supported on 3 limb legs, makes for a nice shop work/chop block. The 3 legs allows it to stand on any slight uneven surface and remain very sturdy.
How well do they last though? My end-grain mallets (hornbeam) last much better against wear than the long grain of my turned mallets made with timber from the same tree.
Mon, Feb 27, 2006, 8:04pm (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@codesmiths.com (Andy=A0Dingley) doth asketh: How well do they last though?
Depends. The smallest one (and lightest), out of pine, the dog got hold of somehow, and used it as a chew toy. Found it out in the yard - still use it, just has a smaller handle now. The rest are as good as now, including the largest (and heaviest), which has beat on engine blocks, wrenches, chisels, et al. Does have a few dings, but no splinters. That one is dogwood, the others vary between dogwood, pine, hickory - what I retrieved from hurricane downed trees on my place. I think they're at least seven years old, maybe older. I'll take a turned mallet any day, over a square one. I've got seven, varying woods, weights, sizes.
JOAT I'd like to give you a going away present. Just do your part.
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