I made a joiners mallet. I’m trying to challenge myself by only hand tools. The wood was found in the basement; I think hickory head and I have no idea what the handle pieces are. The handle and head were each laminated and the handle was mortised in, wedged, and glued. I rounded out the handle with a spokeshave and rasp.
There are plenty of things I could have done differently, but I’m just glad I pushed myself to finish it. And now have a fairly heavy-duty mallet, so I dont need to swing on the chisels as hard. I think if I were to make another one, I would find a single block of wood for the head instead of laminating cut pieces.
Looks great, I think the laminated head might be more work, but should produce better results. You might consider putting a bevel on the edges which will reduce the chance for them to split and chip. Might also want some finish too, something like wax or linseed oil.
Thanks for the tip for the chamfer. Someone else mentioned that too, so I’ll definitely try that and see if it can reduce the tearout. Im not sure if I’ll put a finish on it, but maybe I’ll try linseed oil. That seems minimal and this whole thing is an experiment anyway haha
The finish definitely doesn't need to be fancy. Linseed oil or paste wax is fine. Or both, that's traditional for shop tools. It should be something that is quick and easy to apply that will provide some protection for the wood.
I was just about to suggest that. Good call.