+- Woodnet Forums (https://forums.woodnet.net)
+-- Thread: Osage Orange and Birds Eye Maple Carving Mallet (/showthread.php?tid=7377840)
Osage Orange and Birds Eye Maple Carving Mallet - Blacky's Boy - 02-04-2025
Here's an osage orange and bird's eye maple carving mallet I made for my brother
It's about 3 1/4" in dia at the head, 1 1/4" dia at the handle, 10" long and weighs about 24 oz.
The shape is based on a mallet shown in Wood magazine from about 10 or 15 years ago. When I made my first one, I made a paper template and bonded it to some hardboard. I must have turned 8 of these so far out of various woods.
For this one I had a nice chunk of Osage that wasn't quite long enough. So I searched through my turning stock and found a suitable piece of birds eye maple. After I roughed them to a cylinder, I turned a 1" dia x about 3" long tenon on the handle and drilled a corresponding hole in the head. Then I epoxied them together. After the glue dried I turned it to the final shape and then added my name and date to the handle with my woodburning pen.
The finish is several coats of TruOil gun stock finish. When the finish cured, I buffed the entire mallet to give it a nice glow.
RE: Osage Orange and Birds Eye Maple Carving Mallet - iclark - 02-04-2025
Great work and it turned out very well. I am sure that you brother will love using it.
Thanks for sharing and the detailed description of the process.
RE: Osage Orange and Birds Eye Maple Carving Mallet - Barry Johnson - 02-04-2025
Looks great. Last couple of mallets I turned I just burned in caning wax and polished with paper bag. Yours looks much nicer.
RE: Osage Orange and Birds Eye Maple Carving Mallet - Timberwolf - 02-04-2025
(02-04-2025, 08:58 PM)Blacky's Boy Wrote: Here's an osage orange and bird's eye maple carving mallet I made for my brother
It's about 3 1/4" in dia at the head, 1 1/4" dia at the handle, 10" long and weighs about 24 oz.
The shape is based on a mallet shown in Wood magazine from about 10 or 15 years ago. When I made my first one, I made a paper template and bonded it to some hardboard. I must have turned 8 of these so far out of various woods.
For this one I had a nice chunk of Osage that wasn't quite long enough. So I searched through my turning stock and found a suitable piece of birds eye maple. After I roughed them to a cylinder, I turned a 1" dia x about 3" long tenon on the handle and drilled a corresponding hole in the head. Then I epoxied them together. After the glue dried I turned it to the final shape and then added my name and date to the handle with my woodburning pen.
The finish is several coats of TruOil gun stock finish. When the finish cured, I buffed the entire mallet to give it a nice glow.
.
Nice work, Dom...
RE: Osage Orange and Birds Eye Maple Carving Mallet - AHill - 02-05-2025
Nice looking mallet, Dom. Osage Orange is a great choice. It's dense, hard and very stable. Should last a long time. I like the grooves in the handle. They should provide a bit more grip in use.
The last mallet I made was from lignum vitae. I soaked it in BLO overnight and let it cure (several days). For whatever reason, the BLO turned the LV bluish green. Doesn't matter. It is still quite functional.
RE: Osage Orange and Birds Eye Maple Carving Mallet - Blacky's Boy - 02-05-2025
thanks everyone