Looks great, but why rounded woking plane though? You just made it harder for yourself to hit the chisel, cuz if you're not hitting dead center, the mallet will slip
Apologies if others have suggested this already (hundreds of comments to check) - but if you created mallet faces on both sides of the head, you could swivel the mallet and use it with or without the thumb stock grip, depending on the angle of use. Love this project - definitely going to take some of your tips and techniques and have a go. Thank you for the video.
To add to this I've seen mallets with an angled face, which might be used for the down chiseling. I'm not a woodworker, so I'm not sure, but I imagine that could help on the ergonomics.
I know I am outside the lines… I watched your mallet video. Back in the day when I was in carpenter school I was grinding out thumb notches in my framing hammers. The OGs made fun of me. Then I bought two of them top of the line Vaughan hammers. I hogged out flat spots where their thumbs went. Then I glued it larger pieces of wood. Then I used my chisels and an old Craftsman drill with a heavy grit paper on a dowel that I made. I finished it off using leather stamp/punches for texture. They LOVED it. The thumb notch controlled where the strike was going to fall. It kept the hammer from rolling in a sweaty palm. You also did not need to grip your hammer as tightly.This is when a journeyman carpenter had to drive a #16 Green CC Sinker in three strikes. I was thrilled to see someone still using a trick of the trade. This was after the dinosaurs…..
I turned a mallet from a sycamore log using the same shape for the handle as you have. It was very light and could easily crack in half. So I soaked it in genuine turpentine and linseed oil untill it wouldn't absorb any more, it took over a week. Once it had dried it worked perfectly, great weight, great durability. I have hit stuff so hard with it, lost my temper, that it hurt my shoulder, and it still held up. It was forty years ago that I made it and its still serving me well. The thing is with a round mallet, every time you use it you don’t worry if you have the thing held correctly, with the face lined up, it always is, 360 deg.
Your craftsmanship is on a very high and impressive level. Ever thought of trying a curved or angled handle? Might give a more comfortable angle for vertical work 😊.
That mallet is a work of art! I would suggest a ridged mini tubing cutter would make that copper a little less prickly and might even allow for a more precise length.
Watching you sand isn't like watching paint dry. Sanding is relaxing - doing or watching. I'm a woodworker because it's fun... :) Thanks for sharing this!
Wow, now that is some mallet. I've just finish making a carving mallet. I can't afford any fancy machines, lathe, belt-sander etc, no fancy wood just some scrapes of oak I found laying around at the back of my shed/workshop, so it was just rasps and sand-paper. I think it turned out ok because I made it. Love watching your Tubes, you make some incredible items.
That's a gorgeous mallet my Brother. I have made one out of Calico Hickory and Black Walnut. The Hickory is a very solid wood for the mallet head. I love your thumbhole. Thinking of trying one like that. Your polishing technic is AWESOME!! Take care and stay healthy
Wow, I just now saw this video for some reason. I love the idea of the thumb hole, I'm going to try that on the one I'm working on now. I like to use purple heart for my mallet heads. It's beautiful and it's extremely hard it's extremely hard. I'm sure you won't read this comment on such an old video but in case you do, I just wanted to say thanks. I love your videos and I always get the best ideas from them. I'm also a self-taught nonconformist lol. Thanks again.
gorgeous work! I really loved the look of the head sanded down to that fine of a grit. I can definitely see the temptation to not add any finish! nice touch with the pipe in the handle too!
I have not made a nice mallet like you, but I have turned many on my wood lathe out of hickory wood. When it is dry, the wood is very hard and makes a nice mallet for wood working. It's just a basic mallet; nothing fancy, but gets the job done.
As others here have said, one of the pipe cutters that you spin around the pipe would be a great addition. Plus, it will squeeze the end of the pipe down a little making it easier to hammer into the handle without worrying about blowing out the wood on the other side. Just make the pipe long enough to sand down the smaller part. Awesome job on the mallet! A beautiful work of art!
@@bobclifton8021 I guess I didn't explain it right. It didn't have anything to do with precision. He mentioned in the video that he had to be careful not to blow out the other side of the wood when he hammered in the pipe. The pipe cutter reduces the size on the end of the pipe making it much less likely of blowing out a big chunk of wood like a sharp edged pipe would. Plus, after seeing all the cool, awesome tools he's got, I didn't think a $16.48 tubing cutter from Home Depot would break the bank. It's just another way of doing it that might save the aggravation of a few messed up handles. Y'all have a great day!
Awesome mallet, sir! I'm in TN and made one (not nearly as amazing as yours) out of white oak from an old 1700's barn...needless to say, it was so hard that I had to sharpen every blade I used afterwards. Oak is not the most exotic looking wood out there, but old barns are much easier to come by down here than a Goby store ;)
White oak can be beautiful depends on the grain. I made my sister a cake Turner out of some and it had a burl look to it. I sanded it to a high grit and a fee coats of beeswax turned out beautiful
Riggs probably didn't notice, but it looked like there was some blotching on the leg assembly (bottom rail). may have been the light angle though. Interesting leg assembly. Good that you listened to your wife! Good job!
I made mine, without the thumb slot, in West Australian Jarrah. I used automotive paper to 1400 then wax and it practically glows in the dark !! Thanks for the video.
Can, the best wood for a mallet head? Melted milk jugs. Promise you the satisfaction of recycling plastic and making a superior hammer for use in the shop that you will get is incredible. I’d post a picture of a few I’ve done but it will not allow me. Great video. I’d like to see you carve a head from one piece of wood next time.
Very nice work, now I will need to make at least one. I will try using Iron wood for the mallet and Walnut for the handle. Love your video's , you have shown me some new tricks.
Gosh, I have to buy my mallet but I can see great value in your 'detail' mallet. I think I will curve one end of my mallet & add your 'thumb slot'. Brilliant idea Cam & so good to see how you go about making them. If I could buy one here in South Australia I WOULD, without any hesitation. Thanks for sharing it, Don from South Aust.
So glad i found your channel last week. Different perspectives and design with intent and purpose. Using the different finishes helps build the mental library of what can be used on different species of wood. Also, finding different species. I was a flooring contractor full time for 12 years and really loved installing hardwood flooring. It too exposed me to multiple different woods that i carry in my beginning hobby as a wood worker some years later. Thanks again for sharing.
Great DIY Sir Love not having the saw on super Loud unlike too many videos of shop videos of which needs , Yeah you did great work with the audio and information and a nice build. I did build a long handle oak malded that much as yours and holding up well and I did love yours and I do some chisel work with wood and the stort handle would give more control than any other. Thanks for teaching Sir
@@BlacktailStudio - You're welcome! The (many) reasons 'why' I think it's one of the best (if not 'THE' best) is because (1) Your voice isn't annoying to listen to. Some RUclipsrs are just WAY too animated. Some struggle with basic speech. Some just have an annoying tone. (2) You not only walk us through the build process, but you explain 'WHY' you are doing things a certain way. (3) Through your narration and sometimes through your videography, you tell / show us the dimensions / angles you cut the blanks to before glue-up. (4) Speaking of videography, I'd give yours (on a scale of 1-10) a definite '10' ! - The lighting , clarity and close-ups were REALLY good. Anyway - Your video was not only exceptionally well done, but it was also 'therapeutic', not only to watch, but to listen to, as well... I subscribed to your channel after watching only this one video AND rang that bell, for notifications. Please keep up the great work, as I look forward to watching more of your builds. EDIT: Typos
Da Wabbitt man, I appreciate the feedback! It’s all done on my iPhone, but working on stepping up to the DSLR game though. And I try and keep it tolerable. I’m not a fan of the too animated hosts either.
Great work .. and I love the wedges. It is a cool accent and great way to tighten rather than fitting it perfectly in the hole it goes in (the mallet head).
I live in northeast Texas and Osage Orange is simply beautiful wood. It's incredibly dense and when sanded to 2000 grit or higher it takes on a wonderful shimmer that's got many facets within it.
I am confusedly. Are you sanding the wood to 2000 Raw or with a finish on it? I'm just trying to understand how it works. D o you wax it and then sand, finish then sand, it or is it just raw wood? I mean I definitely wet sanded a finished wood with high grits but I've never sanded raw wood over 220 without a finish on it so I don't know how it will come out.
@@brownstonecustomcabinetry5309 I start sanding with a nearly finished project.. I start sanding with about 150 grit sandpaper and gradually work my way up to 2000 grit. Slowly increasing to higher grit as I go. Often I don't even put a finish on my finished project because by the time you get go 2000 grit the wood is beautiful. If I put a finish on it I normally use wax or butchers block oil. I hope this helps.
Nice looking piece! If people encounter problems with finish not binding to such high grits, I found that metal working finishes do a great job there... I nearly always finish my wood stuff up to 10k-15k, often leave it blank (because it won't absorb any dust or dirt either), but when I need it to be water-resistant (or proof), I'll use either raw linseed oil or car clear-coating. Never had any issues :)
I’d love to see a head out of Ipe. Closest thing I’ve found to steel. Beautiful job. I really enjoy your channel. I no longer enjoy doing the work but really enjoy watching.
I’ve never built one but I have 3 mallets and I dug out a thumb hole in my small and medium ones like twenty years ago. I like to slap it on the chisel sometimes in a more sideways motion and it gives you that control. Cool to see this as I thought I was just weird. Also, I paint airplanes for a living and use that paper and after 5000 it actually starts buffing the poly lol Cool video and maybe I’ll build a nice looking mallet now.
My first mallet was pretty rough and hickory. My next couple were Osage orange and the most recent is an Osage orange hammer meant for adjusting plane irons or light tapping. I didn’t weigh it yet, but it weighs around 6-8 ounces versus a typical 2 pound mallet made of exotic hardwood
A little late to the party here on making mallets but I’m working on making a dove tail mallet out of ebony right now this video actually helped a lot because I’m trying to figure out the best way to bind these 2 pieces of ebony together the best.
Great show. Thanks for the info and the beautiful mallet. I might hang it on the wall, but it is obviously functional. The thumb slot must help stabilize your strikes.
I made my chisel mallet from some nicely figured cherry. It's made to be comfortable even when you choke up on it, but not quite like yours. I'm not sold on the convex face though, I even saw it slip off the chisel once in the video. My only humble critique.
Unique design, Cam. I can definitely see the benefit of the thumb groove giving you more control. I grew up with Osage Orange and it dulls chainsaw blades badly. It is like 2.600 on the Janka hardness scale while Katalox is 3,660, so Katalox is significantly harder. By way of comparison, hard maple is 1,450.
I imagine you’ve gotten thousands of people commenting on how amazing it looks. I don’t really have any wood processing equipment like table saws, routers and power sanders so I try to find wood already down to size. It can be a pain but my body can’t handle the manual work and my wallet can’t afford the cost so I try to make do. I’ve actually thought of a similar design to how you made the thumb recess. For carving you don’t need as much power behind the stroke, instead it’s about the accuracy of the tool strike. Using big mallets tends to be overkill and can be a waste of energy, and in my case pain. If you spend an hour trying to use pinpoint shots with a big mallet on the hand grip you will constantly find yourself choking up towards the head. I have a hard time coming up with small projects for myself but I hope I find something and some of this wood to use for it because I love that look. I wish there was a way to embed it with a gold resin but to have the gold show up like the swirls in curly maple. Or maybe some shiny brass inlay, I need to try that out. One day, maybe....
Damn brother, I've made a few mallets well, and I actually love the process. Or processes. There are so many ways to make them and it's so awesome that you threw in the thumb gouge. I've thought about doing that to mine as well. Beautiful job brother, very well done, as is all your work! God bless!!
Just be careful not to pinch any moving parts. I killed a hand-held belt sander with a vise. Turned out the only flat faces pushed right on the end of bearings.
Very cool concept, it's beautiful and practical. No doubt that it gives the user more control as long as it's used the way it is intended to be used. I would expect to see a mallet like that sold by high-end retailers.
I also use Katalox for mallets for the same reasons. It's super hard and I polish it up to a high grit too. I didn't put a finish on mine, but I'm a big Odies fan, so I'll try that. I do like the thumb indent, which is something I never thought to try. Really nice looking mallet, and I consider myself a mallet freak!
I'm right handed but I tend to use my left hand just as much. Maybe you can make one with your logo on the back side of your hammer so that you can make a comfort carve on both sides for both left and right handed people. That is if you decide to market these. Other than that I think they are great. 👏 👏 👏
Hey brother @BlacktailStudio. You do some amazing work! I learned so much from watching your videos. I'm not new to woodworking but new to fine finishing. Everything is so in depth and thorough. I haven't had the chance to apply it yet but very soon I will. Thanks for the quality videos. Keep'em coming my man. Be safe.
Absolute work of art. I've been planning to make a few more mallets in the near future. I built my first one a while back just using some scraps of oak and walnut. I laminated the handle so the walnut is running down the center of the handle, then I also used walnut for the wedges. It's not the prettiest thing ever, but man has it held up really well even if it hasn't been the greatest of designs. It will always have a spot in my shop for simple nostalgia. My local hardwood store had a few scraps of wenge last time I was in there...I wish I had picked it up. Hopefully they'll still have some next time I stop by...that would make for a great mallet with some hard maple I already have.
My grandpa had a mallet which was made around the 1930's from seasoned, true ebony - hard like iron, I (mis-)used it to shape copper and aluminium sheeting with nearly no damage to the surface. A light sanding and polishing and it was like new.
Honestly, it's nice to see loose clamps and bad tools. No everyone can have mega supreme tools. Or even a dedicated work space. As a hobbyist, my work table is also my workbench for other house projects.
On your copper ring, try a 1/2" tube, lightly countersink each side of the hole, using a ballpein ball up, clamped in a vise, and another ballpein topside struck with a soft hammer, then you have a perfect copper gommet for your lanyard.
Cam. Nice walk through on making the mallet. Think I'll make one with some old, very aged Osage Orange while I'm waiting for my epoxy river table to cure....
Very nicely done !! I'm brand new to woodworking and this was Great to watch. I have the confidence now to make a basic one. I look forward to making a more advanced one as I gain experience. Thanks for sharing your talent and videos, Rodney
Beautiful work and the thumb idea is a very good idea, I made one for the forefinger on a smaller mallet for more detailed work (many use a round mallet but this one works and feels great using it)....
Beautiful work and an absolutely gorgeous tool. My preferred woods for mallet heads are persimmon and hop hornbeam (sometimes called musclewood or ironwood). Both are wicked hard, so make sure your tools are nice and sharp. For handles, I like either hickory or ash. No particular reason, just what I grew up using. BTW, persimmon takes aniline dyes really well and can be dyed jet black to mimic African ebony. The hornbeam might, too, but I just like its natural creamy color, especially when finished with beeswax.
Really beautiful work, dude! Fantastic! 😃 Whenever you can try a Brazilian wood called Garapeira. It's a really common wood down here... Most wood for roofs (or construction, in the American way) you can find here is Garapeira - it's easier to find than pine. It's a yellowish orange wood to a reddish orange wood... And it's hard... Not the hardest wood, but hard enough even for mallets. Either way, the point is: you sand it with 50 grit, 80 grit, 120 grit... Apply some fine steel wool and that's it. It seems like a glass! 😃 Really easy to work with and looks beautiful!
I'm not sure about this wood in particular, but it's good to keep in mind that a lot of hardwoods are also classified as carcinogens when breathed in as wood dust. Make sure you use a mask to filter out the dust, and use a good dust collection system! But anyway, I loved the video, your mallets turned out absolutely beautiful!
@@TheFreeBro creators, Well good creators, like hearing tips like these from viewers. Nobody’s a know-all-being and this comment was clearly in the best interest of the maker.
@@LeprechaunGinger thank you for backing up this comment. My lovely lady’s gpa also died of lung cancer. Brilliant woodworker. The only trade he ever practiced and never smoked a day in his life. Worked for himself with his brother and not only built houses, his fine woodworking and restoration skills were the best I’ve seen. Now I’m off topic. The point was that even with a pretty good dust system in his shop at the time of his passing, you can’t undo 5+ decades of breathing in fine particles. I doubt it matters if it’s wood, dirt, coal etc
I live in Africa where we have a good selection of some really good hard woods. I am blessed to be able to work with Leadwood, Ebony, African Black, Mopane and Teak. I really enjoy turning the Leadwood and Mopane. They both make really nice mallets. The Ebony and/or the African Black doesn’t seem to do as well as the mallet head. They have made some good handles and accent pieces for the top of the mallet head, but they are a bit brittle for me and my area (as the mallet head).
Where are you headed? If you are in Zambia drop me a line. I teach locals wood working. You are welcome to stop in and see what we are doing. The guys would love to pick up some different skills. I’m the only one they ever see. Seriously though, if you are down this way drop me a line.
Hey Cam, great inspiration. I made my first yesterday, happy to report it didn’t fall apart! Love the circle brass inlays you have on your other designs and wondering how you did those... keep up the good work!
"If you're hurting your thumb, don't use it". With the added tone of voice, I laughed pretty good at that. That thing is beautiful sanded like that. Fantastic work.
You can get a pipe cutter at a hardware store instead of using that dull hacksaw on the copper pipe. It's an amazing tool -- just clamp it around the pipe, turn it once, tighten a little, turn it twice .. boom, a nice clean cut. Nice video, thanks.
This is so well done, and such a great idea. I use a Maul for my leather working, and you just gave me an awesome idea for a modified version of that. 90% of the time i just hold the barrel of the maul anyways, but why not make one thats ergonomic, and has a shortened handle.
Beautiful! I do a lot of texturing and I'm wearing a hand/thumb wrap these days because of the angles I have to use. The thumb grip looks like a keeper. And I'm going to use some orange wood for the mallet, another good tip! Always enjoy your videos.
Nicely done. I am a woodcarver and I see great value in this.
That’s awesome to hear!
Looks great, but why rounded woking plane though? You just made it harder for yourself to hit the chisel, cuz if you're not hitting dead center, the mallet will slip
@@glebprokudin2000 If you watch him use it, it is slipping a bunch. I was thinking the same thing. It is rounded a bit too much.
@@glebprokudin2000 Dovetailing mallet are often entirely round, they're not hammers to hit nails. You don't have to hit dead center, at all.
This kind of innovation is why I still go through RUclips videos . Thanks for sharing this one . excellent Idea .
Clicked because of the beautiful mallet in the thumbnail, stayed (and replayed) for the straightforward informative tips and shoptalk.
I appreciate that Justin!
Apologies if others have suggested this already (hundreds of comments to check) - but if you created mallet faces on both sides of the head, you could swivel the mallet and use it with or without the thumb stock grip, depending on the angle of use.
Love this project - definitely going to take some of your tips and techniques and have a go. Thank you for the video.
To add to this I've seen mallets with an angled face, which might be used for the down chiseling. I'm not a woodworker, so I'm not sure, but I imagine that could help on the ergonomics.
I feel like he could just hold it normally too if working vertically, no need to swivel.
I am blown away at how much knowledge you have about woodworking. Mallets are amazing!
this mallet is just awsome. the details on it, the colors, everything is just perfect! well done man
Oh thanks man!
@@BlacktailStudio you are welcome, again congratulations on this one!
Wonderful..I would never dare to beat with it some rough thing...
Really great video, I liked the voice over instead of the annoying background music so many creators are adding to videos.
Oh thanks. I hate that music too.
Strongly agree :)
Beautiful craftmanship , as a custom gunsmith I really appreciate the amount of hand work involved in this process.
I know I am outside the lines… I watched your mallet video. Back in the day when I was in carpenter school I was grinding out thumb notches in my framing hammers. The OGs made fun of me. Then I bought two of them top of the line Vaughan hammers. I hogged out flat spots where their thumbs went. Then I glued it larger pieces of wood. Then I used my chisels and an old Craftsman drill with a heavy grit paper on a dowel that I made. I finished it off using leather stamp/punches for texture. They LOVED it. The thumb notch controlled where the strike was going to fall. It kept the hammer from rolling in a sweaty palm. You also did not need to grip your hammer as tightly.This is when a journeyman carpenter had to drive a #16 Green CC Sinker in three strikes. I was thrilled to see someone still using a trick of the trade. This was after the dinosaurs…..
I’ve got my great grandfather’s mallet….round and made from Lignumvitae. Great feel and sentimental too :)
I turned a mallet from a sycamore log using the same shape for the handle as you have. It was very light and could easily crack in half. So I soaked it in genuine turpentine and linseed oil untill it wouldn't absorb any more, it took over a week. Once it had dried it worked perfectly, great weight, great durability. I have hit stuff so hard with it, lost my temper, that it hurt my shoulder, and it still held up. It was forty years ago that I made it and its still serving me well. The thing is with a round mallet, every time you use it you don’t worry if you have the thing held correctly, with the face lined up, it always is, 360 deg.
You inspire me so ✨️
I love your content and just made my first mallet with my boy's
Hope you keep this up for many years 🙏
Your craftsmanship is on a very high and impressive level. Ever thought of trying a curved or angled handle? Might give a more comfortable angle for vertical work 😊.
That mallet is a work of art! I would suggest a ridged mini tubing cutter would make that copper a little less prickly and might even allow for a more precise length.
I live in Yucatán and here tje katalox Is very common, nice work I a fan of your work
Watching you sand isn't like watching paint dry. Sanding is relaxing - doing or watching. I'm a woodworker because it's fun... :)
Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks Peter!
That doesn’t look like it’ll break your thumb. Beautiful craftsmanship and looks like it offers lovely control over that fine work.
Wow, now that is some mallet. I've just finish making a carving mallet. I can't afford any fancy machines, lathe, belt-sander etc, no fancy wood just some scrapes of oak I found laying around at the back of my shed/workshop, so it was just rasps and sand-paper. I think it turned out ok because I made it. Love watching your Tubes, you make some incredible items.
It’s a work of art, who would have thought that a piece of equipment as egalitarian as a mallet could be so beautiful!
Really appreciate that!
That's a gorgeous mallet my Brother. I have made one out of Calico Hickory and Black Walnut. The Hickory is a very solid wood for the mallet head. I love your thumbhole. Thinking of trying one like that. Your polishing technic is AWESOME!!
Take care and stay healthy
Cheers buddy! stay safe
Wow, I just now saw this video for some reason. I love the idea of the thumb hole, I'm going to try that on the one I'm working on now. I like to use purple heart for my mallet heads. It's beautiful and it's extremely hard it's extremely hard. I'm sure you won't read this comment on such an old video but in case you do, I just wanted to say thanks. I love your videos and I always get the best ideas from them. I'm also a self-taught nonconformist lol. Thanks again.
Cheers!
gorgeous work! I really loved the look of the head sanded down to that fine of a grit. I can definitely see the temptation to not add any finish! nice touch with the pipe in the handle too!
I have not made a nice mallet like you, but I have turned many on my wood lathe out of hickory wood. When it is dry, the wood is very hard and makes a nice mallet for wood working. It's just a basic mallet; nothing fancy, but gets the job done.
Whao!!! That's actually... Brilliant. Who'd thought to improve an age old tool with ingenuity that may be arguably timeless!
As others here have said, one of the pipe cutters that you spin around the pipe would be a great addition. Plus, it will squeeze the end of the pipe down a little making it easier to hammer into the handle without worrying about blowing out the wood on the other side. Just make the pipe long enough to sand down the smaller part. Awesome job on the mallet! A beautiful work of art!
Thanks!
A new hacksaw blade is cheaper plus he's only going to grind the ends of the pipe piece down flush anyway. No need for precision here.
@@bobclifton8021 I guess I didn't explain it right. It didn't have anything to do with precision. He mentioned in the video that he had to be careful not to blow out the other side of the wood when he hammered in the pipe. The pipe cutter reduces the size on the end of the pipe making it much less likely of blowing out a big chunk of wood like a sharp edged pipe would. Plus, after seeing all the cool, awesome tools he's got, I didn't think a $16.48 tubing cutter from Home Depot would break the bank. It's just another way of doing it that might save the aggravation of a few messed up handles. Y'all have a great day!
Awesome mallet, sir! I'm in TN and made one (not nearly as amazing as yours) out of white oak from an old 1700's barn...needless to say, it was so hard that I had to sharpen every blade I used afterwards. Oak is not the most exotic looking wood out there, but old barns are much easier to come by down here than a Goby store ;)
White oak can be beautiful depends on the grain. I made my sister a cake Turner out of some and it had a burl look to it. I sanded it to a high grit and a fee coats of beeswax turned out beautiful
Riggs probably didn't notice, but it looked like there was some blotching on the leg assembly (bottom rail). may have been the light angle though. Interesting leg assembly. Good that you listened to your wife! Good job!
A sander in a vice? Mindblowing
That is a great mallet. any Woodworker, mason, or fellowcraft would be proud to make one and use it. Any F&AM would be proud to own one. ; )
I made mine, without the thumb slot, in West Australian Jarrah. I used automotive paper to 1400 then wax and it practically glows in the dark !! Thanks for the video.
Nice man!
Can, the best wood for a mallet head? Melted milk jugs. Promise you the satisfaction of recycling plastic and making a superior hammer for use in the shop that you will get is incredible. I’d post a picture of a few I’ve done but it will not allow me. Great video. I’d like to see you carve a head from one piece of wood next time.
Watched the mallet video.. Very impressed, especially with the logo. I’ve got quite a few items with identical ones.
For no particular reason, I like your design. Nicely done!
Very nice work, now I will need to make at least one. I will try using Iron wood for the mallet and Walnut for the handle. Love your video's , you have shown me some new tricks.
Gosh, I have to buy my mallet but I can see great value in your 'detail' mallet. I think I will curve one end of my mallet & add your 'thumb slot'. Brilliant idea Cam & so good to see how you go about making them. If I could buy one here in South Australia I WOULD, without any hesitation. Thanks for sharing it, Don from South Aust.
So glad i found your channel last week. Different perspectives and design with intent and purpose. Using the different finishes helps build the mental library of what can be used on different species of wood. Also, finding different species.
I was a flooring contractor full time for 12 years and really loved installing hardwood flooring. It too exposed me to multiple different woods that i carry in my beginning hobby as a wood worker some years later.
Thanks again for sharing.
Awesome, thanks!
Brilliant sir. I am left handed myself and I plan on making my own custom mallet using your video as inspiration. Thank you very much. Excellent work.
Great DIY Sir
Love not having the saw on super Loud unlike too many videos of shop videos of which needs ,
Yeah you did great work with the audio and information and a nice build.
I did build a long handle oak malded that much as yours and holding up well and I did love yours and I do some chisel work with wood and the stort handle would give more control than any other.
Thanks for teaching Sir
One of the best videos I've seen on hand-crafting a woodworking tool!
Oh wow, thanks for saying so !
@@BlacktailStudio - You're welcome! The (many) reasons 'why' I think it's one of the best (if not 'THE' best) is because (1) Your voice isn't annoying to listen to. Some RUclipsrs are just WAY too animated. Some struggle with basic speech. Some just have an annoying tone. (2) You not only walk us through the build process, but you explain 'WHY' you are doing things a certain way. (3) Through your narration and sometimes through your videography, you tell / show us the dimensions / angles you cut the blanks to before glue-up. (4) Speaking of videography, I'd give yours (on a scale of 1-10) a definite '10' ! - The lighting , clarity and close-ups were REALLY good. Anyway - Your video was not only exceptionally well done, but it was also 'therapeutic', not only to watch, but to listen to, as well... I subscribed to your channel after watching only this one video AND rang that bell, for notifications. Please keep up the great work, as I look forward to watching more of your builds. EDIT: Typos
Da Wabbitt man, I appreciate the feedback! It’s all done on my iPhone, but working on stepping up to the DSLR game though. And I try and keep it tolerable. I’m not a fan of the too animated hosts either.
Thanks!
Much better and prettier option than mine. I simply use a small heavy piece of log for hammering drive centers etc. into wood. Kind regards.
Great work .. and I love the wedges. It is a cool accent and great way to tighten rather than fitting it perfectly in the hole it goes in (the mallet head).
I live in northeast Texas and Osage Orange is simply beautiful wood. It's incredibly dense and when sanded to 2000 grit or higher it takes on a wonderful shimmer that's got many facets within it.
I am confusedly. Are you sanding the wood to 2000 Raw or with a finish on it?
I'm just trying to understand how it works. D o you wax it and then sand, finish then sand, it or is it just raw wood?
I mean I definitely wet sanded a finished wood with high grits but I've never sanded raw wood over 220 without a finish on it so I don't know how it will come out.
@@brownstonecustomcabinetry5309 I start sanding with a nearly finished project.. I start sanding with about 150 grit sandpaper and gradually work my way up to 2000 grit. Slowly increasing to higher grit as I go. Often I don't even put a finish on my finished project because by the time you get go 2000 grit the wood is beautiful. If I put a finish on it I normally use wax or butchers block oil. I hope this helps.
@@scottharrison7696 Wow! I thought this guy was doing some movie magic. Learn something new every day.
I made a carving mallet for my niece out of a very dense oak. It came out nice and she likes it. Finished it with teak oil and bees wax.
Nice looking piece!
If people encounter problems with finish not binding to such high grits, I found that metal working finishes do a great job there... I nearly always finish my wood stuff up to 10k-15k, often leave it blank (because it won't absorb any dust or dirt either), but when I need it to be water-resistant (or proof), I'll use either raw linseed oil or car clear-coating. Never had any issues :)
I’d love to see a head out of Ipe. Closest thing I’ve found to steel. Beautiful job. I really enjoy your channel. I no longer enjoy doing the work but really enjoy watching.
I’ve never built one but I have 3 mallets and I dug out a thumb hole in my small and medium ones like twenty years ago. I like to slap it on the chisel sometimes in a more sideways motion and it gives you that control. Cool to see this as I thought I was just weird. Also, I paint airplanes for a living and use that paper and after 5000 it actually starts buffing the poly lol Cool video and maybe I’ll build a nice looking mallet now.
I appreciate when craftsmen make their tools their own! Great job and beautiful mallet!
Yup...This mallet is now on my "to do" list! : )
I love your artistry in this piece.
It is lovely though I feel the copper pipe could of been the next size smaller.
My first mallet was pretty rough and hickory. My next couple were Osage orange and the most recent is an Osage orange hammer meant for adjusting plane irons or light tapping. I didn’t weigh it yet, but it weighs around 6-8 ounces versus a typical 2 pound mallet made of exotic hardwood
A little late to the party here on making mallets but I’m working on making a dove tail mallet out of ebony right now this video actually helped a lot because I’m trying to figure out the best way to bind these 2 pieces of ebony together the best.
Great show. Thanks for the info and the beautiful mallet. I might hang it on the wall, but it is obviously functional. The thumb slot must help stabilize your strikes.
I made my chisel mallet from some nicely figured cherry. It's made to be comfortable even when you choke up on it, but not quite like yours. I'm not sold on the convex face though, I even saw it slip off the chisel once in the video. My only humble critique.
I bought that Japanese carving knife. Love it. Great for tracing a stencil. Every video I watch it see another tool I need.
I’ll keep em coming!
Hi I'm in UK and made my mallet from ash for the handle and a short section of yew. wedged with mahogany as that's what I had a bit of.
Unique design, Cam. I can definitely see the benefit of the thumb groove giving you more control. I grew up with Osage Orange and it dulls chainsaw blades badly. It is like 2.600 on the Janka hardness scale while Katalox is 3,660, so Katalox is significantly harder. By way of comparison, hard maple is 1,450.
It makes beautiful knife handles and can give you a great sheen if you use it correctly.
I imagine you’ve gotten thousands of people commenting on how amazing it looks. I don’t really have any wood processing equipment like table saws, routers and power sanders so I try to find wood already down to size. It can be a pain but my body can’t handle the manual work and my wallet can’t afford the cost so I try to make do. I’ve actually thought of a similar design to how you made the thumb recess. For carving you don’t need as much power behind the stroke, instead it’s about the accuracy of the tool strike. Using big mallets tends to be overkill and can be a waste of energy, and in my case pain. If you spend an hour trying to use pinpoint shots with a big mallet on the hand grip you will constantly find yourself choking up towards the head. I have a hard time coming up with small projects for myself but I hope I find something and some of this wood to use for it because I love that look. I wish there was a way to embed it with a gold resin but to have the gold show up like the swirls in curly maple. Or maybe some shiny brass inlay, I need to try that out. One day, maybe....
Damn brother, I've made a few mallets well, and I actually love the process. Or processes. There are so many ways to make them and it's so awesome that you threw in the thumb gouge. I've thought about doing that to mine as well. Beautiful job brother, very well done, as is all your work! God bless!!
I do mallets, similar to yours. I use hedge apple heads and anything cool for handles. Nicely done. Video was great.
Love the design and the details of the build! Making my first mallet out of Cedar Elm from my backyard.
+1 and a heartfelt "thank you" for showing off different grits of micromesh!
I’m totally stoked to throw my festool into a vice and use it like that..your so right on haven’t lived yet till you try it.. thanks for the tip Cam!
Cheers Johnny!
Just be careful not to pinch any moving parts. I killed a hand-held belt sander with a vise. Turned out the only flat faces pushed right on the end of bearings.
Very cool concept, it's beautiful and practical. No doubt that it gives the user more control as long as it's used the way it is intended to be used. I would expect to see a mallet like that sold by high-end retailers.
Thanks!
I also use Katalox for mallets for the same reasons. It's super hard and I polish it up to a high grit too. I didn't put a finish on mine, but I'm a big Odies fan, so I'll try that. I do like the thumb indent, which is something I never thought to try. Really nice looking mallet, and I consider myself a mallet freak!
I'm right handed but I tend to use my left hand just as much. Maybe you can make one with your logo on the back side of your hammer so that you can make a comfort carve on both sides for both left and right handed people. That is if you decide to market these. Other than that I think they are great. 👏 👏 👏
Hey brother @BlacktailStudio. You do some amazing work! I learned so much from watching your videos. I'm not new to woodworking but new to fine finishing. Everything is so in depth and thorough. I haven't had the chance to apply it yet but very soon I will. Thanks for the quality videos. Keep'em coming my man. Be safe.
Absolute work of art. I've been planning to make a few more mallets in the near future. I built my first one a while back just using some scraps of oak and walnut. I laminated the handle so the walnut is running down the center of the handle, then I also used walnut for the wedges. It's not the prettiest thing ever, but man has it held up really well even if it hasn't been the greatest of designs. It will always have a spot in my shop for simple nostalgia. My local hardwood store had a few scraps of wenge last time I was in there...I wish I had picked it up. Hopefully they'll still have some next time I stop by...that would make for a great mallet with some hard maple I already have.
My grandpa had a mallet which was made around the 1930's from seasoned, true ebony - hard like iron, I (mis-)used it to shape copper and aluminium sheeting with nearly no damage to the surface. A light sanding and polishing and it was like new.
Looks Great! I'm thinking about using Madrone for the Head, which I believe I will Stabilize in my Vacuum Chamber first. Dan.
Woooow 🥰chocolate and cookies color, aaaha perfect for every household. ( actually I wanted this, (thinking in my mind)). Thank🙏 you.
I think that wood is superb looking. Great job.
Honestly, it's nice to see loose clamps and bad tools. No everyone can have mega supreme tools. Or even a dedicated work space. As a hobbyist, my work table is also my workbench for other house projects.
On your copper ring, try a 1/2" tube, lightly countersink each side of the hole, using a ballpein ball up, clamped in a vise, and another ballpein topside struck with a soft hammer, then you have a perfect copper gommet for your lanyard.
Wow bro! What a beautiful and motivating video. I’m so inspired to make one for myself Thank you
I use Osage for Canes, I bet they would make really good Mallets. That is the prettiest mallet I believe I have seen.
That would make a great cane. And thanks!
Cam. Nice walk through on making the mallet. Think I'll make one with some old, very aged Osage Orange while I'm waiting for my epoxy river table to cure....
That’s a good wood for a mallet!
I like your mallets and as a fellow wood worker I am very envious of your toys LOL
They’re pretty good!
Very nicely done !! I'm brand new to woodworking and this was Great to watch. I have the confidence now to make a basic one. I look forward to making a more advanced one as I gain experience. Thanks for sharing your talent and videos, Rodney
Awesome!
Beautiful work and the thumb idea is a very good idea, I made one for the forefinger on a smaller mallet for more detailed work (many use a round mallet but this one works and feels great using it)....
Oh that makes sense. And thanks!
I think that wood you made the mallet with is gorgeous! I really love the design touches!
I really like vine maple with the bark on for making bonkers. I just turn down to a handle on one end.
Beautiful work and an absolutely gorgeous tool. My preferred woods for mallet heads are persimmon and hop hornbeam (sometimes called musclewood or ironwood). Both are wicked hard, so make sure your tools are nice and sharp. For handles, I like either hickory or ash. No particular reason, just what I grew up using. BTW, persimmon takes aniline dyes really well and can be dyed jet black to mimic African ebony. The hornbeam might, too, but I just like its natural creamy color, especially when finished with beeswax.
Really beautiful work, dude! Fantastic! 😃
Whenever you can try a Brazilian wood called Garapeira. It's a really common wood down here... Most wood for roofs (or construction, in the American way) you can find here is Garapeira - it's easier to find than pine.
It's a yellowish orange wood to a reddish orange wood... And it's hard... Not the hardest wood, but hard enough even for mallets.
Either way, the point is: you sand it with 50 grit, 80 grit, 120 grit... Apply some fine steel wool and that's it. It seems like a glass! 😃
Really easy to work with and looks beautiful!
Thanks buddy!!
Awesome little project. I’m definitely going to
Make one of these. I have to agree, routers definitely scare me.
That’s a beautiful mallet! I love the ergonomic design. My last mallet was made of Osage Orange with Red Oak handle.
That’s some hard wood!
That's fantastic! Exactly the kind of mallet I was looking for but didn't know it. And I love that wood I think it's beautiful
I'm not sure about this wood in particular, but it's good to keep in mind that a lot of hardwoods are also classified as carcinogens when breathed in as wood dust. Make sure you use a mask to filter out the dust, and use a good dust collection system! But anyway, I loved the video, your mallets turned out absolutely beautiful!
I’m sure you know so much better than him
@@TheFreeBro Haha bro, I wasn't meaning to be a smart***! :D I was just pointing out something he didn't mention.
@@TheFreeBro creators, Well good creators, like hearing tips like these from viewers. Nobody’s a know-all-being and this comment was clearly in the best interest of the maker.
So true, my dad and grandfather both died of lung disease caused by wood particles. Not a pretty sight!
@@LeprechaunGinger thank you for backing up this comment. My lovely lady’s gpa also died of lung cancer. Brilliant woodworker. The only trade he ever practiced and never smoked a day in his life. Worked for himself with his brother and not only built houses, his fine woodworking and restoration skills were the best I’ve seen. Now I’m off topic. The point was that even with a pretty good dust system in his shop at the time of his passing, you can’t undo 5+ decades of breathing in fine particles. I doubt it matters if it’s wood, dirt, coal etc
I live in Africa where we have a good selection of some really good hard woods. I am blessed to be able to work with Leadwood, Ebony, African Black, Mopane and Teak. I really enjoy turning the Leadwood and Mopane. They both make really nice mallets. The Ebony and/or the African Black doesn’t seem to do as well as the mallet head. They have made some good handles and accent pieces for the top of the mallet head, but they are a bit brittle for me and my area (as the mallet head).
Oh man! That wood is so expensive over here! Pretty jealous. Also, headed to Africa for the first time next year!
Where are you headed? If you are in Zambia drop me a line. I teach locals wood working. You are welcome to stop in and see what we are doing. The guys would love to pick up some different skills. I’m the only one they ever see. Seriously though, if you are down this way drop me a line.
Hey Cam, great inspiration. I made my first yesterday, happy to report it didn’t fall apart! Love the circle brass inlays you have on your other designs and wondering how you did those... keep up the good work!
I love the shape of the handle, and as I'm getting arthritics in my thumbs I'm going to have to make on of these. Thanks for the inspiration.
Excellent!
The copper insert is a good idea. There is a flare tool for copper that might lock it in and make it a little cleaner for hanging
Thanks! I’ll check it out
Incredible work Sam 👏🏽
"If you're hurting your thumb, don't use it". With the added tone of voice, I laughed pretty good at that. That thing is beautiful sanded like that. Fantastic work.
I’m here to help 🤷🏻♂️
Beautiful work. Being from Arkansas, im going to do 2 of these with Osage Orange and Black Locust.
That’s beautiful I tried something similar yours came out way better
Oh thanks!
Wow, this is a great looking product, I'd like to see an ambidextrous model but it looks great, I'll bet it feels nice.
You can get a pipe cutter at a hardware store instead of using that dull hacksaw on the copper pipe. It's an amazing tool -- just clamp it around the pipe, turn it once, tighten a little, turn it twice .. boom, a nice clean cut. Nice video, thanks.
This is so well done, and such a great idea. I use a Maul for my leather working, and you just gave me an awesome idea for a modified version of that. 90% of the time i just hold the barrel of the maul anyways, but why not make one thats ergonomic, and has a shortened handle.
Beautiful! I do a lot of texturing and I'm wearing a hand/thumb wrap these days because of the angles I have to use. The thumb grip looks like a keeper. And I'm going to use some orange wood for the mallet, another good tip! Always enjoy your videos.
That’s a seriously hard wood!
Beautiful design! I made my mallet out of wenge and maple, and I love the way it came out
That’s a good combo right there
Curious if after some use, if you found wenge to be hard enough for a mallet?