Next project, Need help & advice

[Woods Dweller]

This is what I come up with. I got a piece of Hard Oak with a twisted grain.

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I placed a iron ring over the end and drove it down till it would not go any further . Then used a Tomahawk to chop away wood, then placed the iron ring on and started all over till I got the ring where I wanted it, then drilled a hole for the handle.

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[Linc]

That looks like it will do the job just fine. it should be very durable to boot.

 

[capt_turk]

Just ran across this old topic.
My father was a blacksmith. He was born in 1888 and learned the trade from his father.

I watched him make mallets when I was knee high to a grass hopper. He would carve the mallet head out of very dry wood. Then fashion a metal ring that would just NOT fit over the head. He would heat the ring to a bight red and quickly drive it down over the head of the mallet. After setting in place for a few seconds he would quench it in a pail of water.
When heated, the ring expands. Letting the red hot ring set in place for a few seconds burns a groove in the wood under the ring. Dropping the mallet head in the pail of water quenches the ring and makes it shrink tight in the groove. He would let the head set for several hours in the water to bring the moisture content of the wood up and cause it to swell.
He would make the mallets out of just about any junk wood he had around and I never saw one split.

That is the same technique that was used to put the tires and bands on wagon, and buggy wheels.

 

[Woods Dweller]

Thanks I think I will try this to finish off my mallet. :hatsoff:

 

[Woodwright]

To view a video showing the technique capt_turk was talking about, click on this link to a You Tube video. You would install the metal rings on a mallet the same as the metal tire on the wheel in the video, just on a smaller scale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBM0RzElvRE

Woodwright

 

[Woods Dweller]

Thanks everyone & Woodwright. I did heat the metal ring and tap it down further on the maul, then dipped it in water and it tighten right up.

 

[sleepingbear]

There is a series on PBS titled "The Woodwright shop" with Roy Underhill. In one of the shows (I can't remember which one) he made a Maul from a log to use with a Froe. It is also in one of his books. When I can find mine I will let you know.