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How best to turn a mallet?

R

Rodney Randal

Joined
Jan 27, 2005
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Location
Liberty Hill, TX
I have the beginnings of a mallet glued up (maple handle, purpleheart head) that I want to turn to resemble this: http://www.woodturner.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=863&password=0&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

I am new to turning and I have a Jet 1236 (new for Christmas). I also have a Oneway Stronghold chuck and was wondering what the sequence of events would be to turn this, and how best to chuck it so not to have holes in the ends.

All suggestions accepted.
 
I can't give you a specific answer, but I can tell you I have seen this covered a couple of times in back issues of wood turning magazine....and I only get WoodTurner and the AWW journal. You may want to do an index check.....or simply do a web search.

Ruth
 
I would treat this as a spindle turning and turn it between centers. I don't see the need to use a chuck to make a mallet. You will need to leave a 1/4" or so waste at each end so as not to turn into your center.
 
The parting off process...

Hi Rodney,

The mallet that you referenced in your posting was turned between centers with a bit of sacrificial stock on each end, as noted by David. Once you have done your final sanding and finishing, gradually turn down each end with a thin parting tool until you are left with just enough stock to support the piece. Don't use any higher speed on the lathe than you really need to get the job done. I chose to remove the piece from the lathe and chisel off the small nubs. I sanded away the remaining iimperfections and applied finish to the affected areas.

One additional point that you might file away: The walnut handle extends several inches into the center of the pear head. This was done to add strength to the mallet. I used common 2-part epoxy to bond the two pieces together.

I'm sure that there are many other ways to do this. I did what I was comfortable with. Since this project is going to be a working tool, I didn't spend a whole lot of time trying to get every last tool mark out of it. This project was actually quite enjoyable, helped me tune up my spindle turning skills a bit and yielded a useful tool in the end.

Best Regards & Good Turning!
-Allen
 
Last edited:
Rodney,
There are several ways to make the mallet in the url you posted. Probably
the easiest way is to turn the handle between centers. Leave a little on each end for wasting away. Rought turn one end to the handle shape you like leaving extra wood in the diameter for finishing. Then turn the other end to a tennon(a round cylinder) that matches a drill bit you have. I would pick a largesh forstner bit, something in the 3/4" to 1 1/2" range. cut the waste off on the tennon end.
Mount the mallet head between centers to be able to turn a tennon on one end for the Stronghold chuck you have. Rough turn it to shape and then drill a hole the size of the tennon you made.
Glue the pieces together. Then, using the original center marks on the handle and the head re-mount the assembly between centers. True up everything and turn to finished shape. The waste bit on the handle end should be turned down to a minimum diameter. The head end with the center mark should be the tennon end that you used to hold it in the Stronghold chuck. Turn it down to a minimum diameter.
Sand and finish to your liking. I favor a wax finish at most. Shellac or varnish has a tendancy to create blister's when used for a long bout of carving.

Kindest regards,
William M. Zerby
Rodney Randal said:
I have the beginnings of a mallet glued up (maple handle, purpleheart head) that I want to turn to resemble this: http://www.woodturner.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=863&password=0&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

I am new to turning and I have a Jet 1236 (new for Christmas). I also have a Oneway Stronghold chuck and was wondering what the sequence of events would be to turn this, and how best to chuck it so not to have holes in the ends.

All suggestions accepted.
Click to expand...
 
PS. This assumes that the glue up you have is not put together. If it is put together already then just mount it between centers and leave a little bit on each end for wasting away by hand with a pocket knife after you have taken it off the lathe. If you want to see this procedure take a look at Richard Raffen's projects video. Many AAW clubs have a tape/book library that you can borrow from. Or you can get one through several woodworking stores.

Kindest regards,
William M. Zerby


William M. Zerby said:
Rodney,
There are several ways to make the mallet in the url you posted. Probably
the easiest way is to turn the handle between centers. Leave a little on each end for wasting away. Rought turn one end to the handle shape you like leaving extra wood in the diameter for finishing. Then turn the other end to a tennon(a round cylinder) that matches a drill bit you have. I would pick a largesh forstner bit, something in the 3/4" to 1 1/2" range. cut the waste off on the tennon end.
Mount the mallet head between centers to be able to turn a tennon on one end for the Stronghold chuck you have. Rough turn it to shape and then drill a hole the size of the tennon you made.
Glue the pieces together. Then, using the original center marks on the handle and the head re-mount the assembly between centers. True up everything and turn to finished shape. The waste bit on the handle end should be turned down to a minimum diameter. The head end with the center mark should be the tennon end that you used to hold it in the Stronghold chuck. Turn it down to a minimum diameter.
Sand and finish to your liking. I favor a wax finish at most. Shellac or varnish has a tendancy to create blister's when used for a long bout of carving.

Kindest regards,
William M. Zerby
Click to expand...
 
Need more help

Alex/William/Tom,

Thanks for the suggestions. The mallet that I have is already glued up, and I did mount it between centers.

I have started roughing it out - got the basic shape, but am having trouble with the transition from the head to the handle. The tools that I have are a 1" roughing gouge, a 3/4" bowl gouge, a 1/4" spindle gouge, a 1/2" skew, 1" skew, 1/8" parting tool and a 1/2 round nose scraper. I think that my gouges are too big and too small - not just right. I tried using the 1/2 skew with near disastrous results 😱 ! I got a catch that took a pretty big chunk out of the head, threw the tool (and me) back, scared the snot outta me, raised the heart beat a bit, and nearly made me soil myself 😱 ! I think that I need some instruction, and maybe some new tools 😉 !

Any suggestions?
 
Good learning experience

A good catch makes me take stock in a hurry! And I've had so many good ones.

I suspect the problem was turning an inside corner with too narrow a radius. Every time I get a radius that is smaller than about twice the radius of my tool (scraper or gouge) I usually catch the tool. While I am concentrating on the shaving coming off one edge of the tool, the other edge gets close to the wood and WHAM!

The good turners can do it, and I am getting better, but I still am a bit white nuckled when I get in a tight space. As a suggestion, rough out the shape you want, and then do that pesky corner with a scraper. You'll have to sand more, but you won't have to turn out that divot a catch leaves.

Hope you didn't break anything. I broke the banjo on my lathe two years ago with a catch.

Walt C
 
waltc said:
A good catch makes me take stock in a hurry! And I've had so many good ones.

I suspect the problem was turning an inside corner with too narrow a radius. Every time I get a radius that is smaller than about twice the radius of my tool (scraper or gouge) I usually catch the tool. While I am concentrating on the shaving coming off one edge of the tool, the other edge gets close to the wood and WHAM!

The good turners can do it, and I am getting better, but I still am a bit white nuckled when I get in a tight space. As a suggestion, rough out the shape you want, and then do that pesky corner with a scraper. You'll have to sand more, but you won't have to turn out that divot a catch leaves.

Hope you didn't break anything. I broke the banjo on my lathe two years ago with a catch.

Walt C
Click to expand...
Walt,
Actually, my catch was on the outside corner where the "face" of the head is transitioning down to the handle. All I have is the stock Jet tool rest (I think about 12") and there is no way (that I know of) to get it into that area where the head is meeting the handle. I was trying to use a skew to round this outside corner and actually got 2 catches - one pretty bad, the other just kind of a nuisance.

I went to the local Woodcraft and took the mallet with me to see if they could suggest something (new tools 😀 , new techniques). One of the guys there suggested that I try the skew in a scraping technique. I was still kind of leery of that skew, but it worked!
 
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