What type of finish should I put on my handmade mallet to increase its resilience?
 

Howdy all,

I just finished my first attempt at a wooden mallet (round head) to
occasionally use around my shop. Its nothing fancy, mainly for utility - I'm
thinking I'll use it mostly for assembly and some light work with my wooden
handled bench chisels when needed.

I suppose I could just leave it unfinished, but I remember reading somewhere
about a mallet maker who dipped their mallets for upwards of a month in
Linseed oil to penetrate the wood and ad some heft. I'm contemplating doing
this, but I'm looking for a few other opinions.

I'm not overly interested in how it ultimately looks, rather I'd like
something that might increase the mallets resistance to drying out over time
and help it hold up to use.

I could just rub the linseed oil in as that's what I'm use to on the handles
of my other tools, but I'm wondering if soaking it for an extended period of
time would penetrate a bit deeper.

Also, can anyone suggest other options to Linseed oil that would give a
"harder" finish to the wood? Would tung oil or polyurethane better increase
its resilience to impacts (can you recommend a brand name I can ask for) or
are they pretty much all the same?

-thanks in advance

What type of finish should I put on my handmade mallet toincrease its resilience?
 

On Mar 30, 3:00*pm, "NOSPAM" wrote:
Howdy all,

I just finished my first attempt at a wooden mallet (round head) to
occasionally use around my shop. Its nothing fancy, mainly for utility - I'm
thinking I'll use it mostly for assembly and some light work with my wooden
handled bench chisels when needed.

I suppose I could just leave it unfinished, but I remember reading somewhere
about a mallet maker who dipped their mallets for upwards of a month in
Linseed oil to penetrate the wood and ad some heft. I'm contemplating doing
this, but I'm looking for a few other opinions.

I'm not overly interested in how it ultimately looks, rather I'd like
something that might increase the mallets resistance to drying out over time
and help it hold up to use.

I could just rub the linseed oil in as that's what I'm use to on the handles
of my other tools, but I'm wondering if soaking it for an extended period of
time would penetrate a bit deeper.

Also, can anyone suggest other options to Linseed oil that would give a
"harder" finish to the wood? Would tung oil or polyurethane better increase
its resilience to impacts (can you recommend a brand name I can ask for) or
are they pretty much all the same?

-thanks in advance

I would use tung oil
Randy
http://nokeswoodworks.com

What type of finish should I put on my handmade mallet toincre...
 

Sun, Mar 30, 2008, 4:00pm (NOSPAM) doth posteth:
snip I suppose I could just leave it unfinished, but I remember
reading somewhere about a mallet maker who dipped their mallets for
upwards of a month in Linseed oil to penetrate the wood and ad some
heft. I'm contemplating doing this, but I'm looking for a few other
opinions. snip

Just wandered by and saw this. Don't believe everything you read.
I've got about seven turned mallets, probably about 10 years old. One
or two had an oil finish applied, but no difference in any of them,
except for the pine one the dog used for a chew toy, and I still use
that one two. I beat on anything that neads beating on with 'em,
carving chisels, wrenches, pry bars, etc., You want more heft, you make
different sizes, and different woods. Mine are pine, dogwood, and I
believe hickory, holly, maybe oak. They range from about a 3 inch head
to about 10 inches, and from maybe half a pound, to several pounds.
Just make 'em, and use 'em. If they split or get torn up, make another.
It's that simple..



JOAT
10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker

I do not have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.

What type of finish should I put on my handmade mallet to increase its resilience?
 

"NOSPAM" wrote in message
...
Howdy all,

I just finished my first attempt at a wooden mallet (round head) to
occasionally use around my shop. Its nothing fancy, mainly for utility -
I'm thinking I'll use it mostly for assembly and some light work with my
wooden handled bench chisels when needed.

I suppose I could just leave it unfinished, but I remember reading
somewhere about a mallet maker who dipped their mallets for upwards of a
month in Linseed oil to penetrate the wood and ad some heft. I'm
contemplating doing this, but I'm looking for a few other opinions.
SNIP
Also, can anyone suggest other options to Linseed oil that would give a
"harder" finish to the wood? Would tung oil or polyurethane better
increase its resilience to impacts (can you recommend a brand name I can
ask for) or are they pretty much all the same?


Heft comes with size, of course, though leverage from a long handle might be
plenty for crude work. If you're going to soak, give it a couple months in
warm 50% PEG. Not only will it gain water weight, it'll give some crush and
cushion when striking. I appreciate the benefits when I'm carving for long
periods of time.