Wood carvers mallet

[micktoon]

Hi Lads ,
I have been making a wood carvers mallet for a lad at the carving club, he liked the feel of the mallet I had made for myself a while back so I siad I would try to make its twin for him. I did not take many photos but will be making another one so will take more photos next time if anyone is interested. The shaft it ash and the head an old bowling ball made of Lignum Vitae a really hard heavy close grained wood.


This is the mallet almost finished but still attached to the lathe by either end of the shaft before it is parted off.


The mallets shaft blends into the shaft in a smmoth curve so it sort of rocks in your hand when doing light taps.


This it along side the one I wanted to copy from , they are not identical but close enough.


Cheers Mick

[Stanley]

Lignum Vitae is wonderful to work isn't it. You'd think it would be hard to cut being so hard but it cuts like hard cheese. It's the only wood that is perfectly lubricated by water and was used extensively for tail shaft bearings and for the bottom step in vertical water turbines. Lovely stuff and look at those colours!