Mortising chisel mallets

What are the best mallets for driving a mortising chisel?
The wooden ones that I make don't last.

Thane

I made my own hardwood head mallet some 8 or 9 years ago. And it's still going strong, though I don't use it every day. But I have used it every job since I made it....

I have just a 4"x4"x5" piece of red oak and a 1" dowel for a handle..because nine years ago, I didn't want to spend $46 for a carvers mallet at the tool store....you know the one with the round plastic head.....

What are you using that isn't lasting long?

Jim Rogers

The absolute best mallet is a #3 Garland split head hammer with rawhide faces. Indestructable. and if your dog chews the faces, they are replaceable.

http://www.garlandmfg.com/mallets/split.html

I'll second Gabel's rawhide mallet. They are a lot easier on chisel handles as well.

kfhines

We sure love these Urethane Mallets

Clark, have you tried a garland?

Garland is a fine old Maine company, still in the same family as the founders. They make all sorts of bizarre striking instruments from a variety of space age and Flintstone-era materials.

Get a shop tour if you can - in the room where they soak the bundles of water-buffalo hides to make those mallet faces timbeframers favor there is a giant waterbuffalo head on the wall, overseeing the operation, and wearing a New England Patriots cap.

Yes, we have one around here, in the box of miscellaneous mallets we bring out for classes. It's probably the best choice amongst the "hammer-shaped" mallets. One minor concern with those is that you have one more piece of metal laying around on top of the timber to accidentally nick your chisel on. I suppose a lot of it comes down to what you've gotten used to. I tell my students that it's really not that important - as long as it feels comfortable in their hands. CB.

[img][IMG]http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r177/Edgeworks/Mallets.jpg[/img][/img]
I make my wood mallets from Dogwood. It's sometimes hard to find a large enough piece to be free of heart so use a root or crotch if you can,Dogwood has interlocking grain so even with the checks it holds up well. It also turns very nice on the lathe. The large mallet held up better for peg driving than my Garland (thats why it has new faces on it). I use the Urethane mallet the most because my wrist feels better at the end of the day. If I really have to move a lot of wood, nothing beats the Garland.

I use a blocky Japanese mallet. I have a Garland around here somewhere, but haven't tried it yet. The Japanese mallet is lighter than the Garland. Heavier might be a little better.

I've got a small collection of garlands. A three pound solid head raw hide faced one for morticing and 2 split heads, one a 3lb with rawhide and neoprene faces the other a 6lb with neoprene (for a little gentle persuasion).

I've tried the 'wood is good' mallet and found it a little light for mortice work but real nice for carving.

Wood definitely works, and for mallets it should be free by the roadside.
In my area ironwood, or hop hornbeam makes the best mallet head, followed by elm, apple, or anything else that is difficult to split. knotty spruce actually works ok, but is too light.
I bring in pieces that are 4 to 8 eight feet long, 3-4 inch diameter, and get out the 1 1/4 ship auger.
I leave them in long lengths and just start drilling holes until I can see that some of the holes are well centered, then I drive in a 1 1/4 octagonal peg and back wedge it. Once the handle is in place, I cut the stiking faces of the mallet head... these should be angled toward the bottom of the handle, as in a turned mallet.
Taking time to round the striking face will help the mallet last longer, I've had mallets last for 5 or more years

Great responses and pictures guys. Sorry for being so long getting back to this. I like the Garland type hammer or ar least in concept. Do you think the nylon inserts would as well as the
raw hide?
I still would like to use my wooden mallet as well. I think I will find a piece crotch to make it from.
I have been using beech and hickory but fairly straight grained.
What weight of mallet are you guys using for 1 1/2 and 2" mortises. My wooden one is appx. 24 oz. but i think it should be at least 2 lbs.

3 lbs!!!

I just made a new mallet head this afternoon from a crotch of maple. I'd have to say it weighs about 3 lbs! This one won't be doin any love tappin.
While we're on the subject of mortising, am I the only one using a t-auger or is it still common? I picked up a nice 1 1/2" one last weekend at a flea market for $10. Also picked up a saw vise and tooth setter.

I really like the mallets I purchased from foxmaple.com They are southamerican hardwood and have a fatter handle to help prevent hand fatigue. I'm probably biased though as they are the only mallets I've ever used.

I have a 2" T auger which I was using at the start of my current project, but I have since gotten my boring machine working. The machine is faster and easier to get a straight bore with.

I do most of my work on a 10 ft open top timber framed work bench where at one end is a drill press which is normally what I use for drilling the mortises. If the work is too heavy or too long for the bench then I will grab the old T-auger and do them on horses outside. I think that I will eventualy buy a chain mortiser however.

Mark recommended I try a 3 lb dead blow, and I think it works GREAT for heavy pounding of moritices. I'd like to make a few mallets of wood for fun,, but I'm happy as heck with my westward hd3 mallet for sure!

A man can't have too many mallets. The bent one is cool.
Is that your toe I see also?

That would be my toe..
I did not really think the bent mallet head would work but it has a decent bounce to it.. some of the wood heads just don't have the right balance and they really need to be just tossed in the fire and try again.

The head I made the other day seems to be working realy good.
The extra weight realy makes it easier on my wrist... not having to hit so hard. Thats probably what killed the other heads was that they were too light. My mallet handle is different such that it is rectangular and tapered fit. It's a bit harder to make the heads but it has a good stable feel when using it.
Anyways thanks for the help and the conversation guys.

Thane

Those are nice Mark,, but I think in a controlled test the deadblow would win. Sounds like a friday 5:00 pm test to me!

bring it on Mr Vasey!