How To Make The Impossible Mallet

The impossible mallet is not impossible. It is just improbable. The myth says that Abraham Lincoln first designed the impossible mallet.

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[dannyhale]

The legend of who created this mallet design is interesting, but Abraham Lincoln himself said not to believe everything you read on the Internet.

[supremegreaser]

Watched you make the whole thing, saw the finished product and thought out-loud.
“How in tarnation did you make that thing?”

[c.a.g.]

I know I saw this before, but was still thinking: But.... but... HOW???

Awesome project, James, well done!

[tomcatfoolery]

If memory serves, I think Third Coast Craftsman also did a version of this. I think your voice-over is better.

[myrawright]

Watching in Korea Hotel. You Tube is our only entertainment in this hotel! So...Wood by Wright to the rescue!
You taught your DAD something today!! He did not know the difference between a hammer and mallet!! ❤😮❤❤

[BigFatTonys]

This Puzzle Mallet was in a WW magazine about 17 years ago, author Stephan Shepard. He got an x-ray of ancient example. I asked about a center tenon, none. Dovetails show about 1/2 inch at the bottom. Bend with boiling water. Handle pine, head maple. Roy's is from Shapard''s article. I made mine the month of that magazine, still beating the stuffing out of things.

[scottswineford]

My shave horse and spoon pony which has a reversible seat, and a small carving bench all live outside under the oak tree year round. They are heavily oiled and the end grain is rubbed with paraffin every October. As I don't have or conditioning they get a lot of use during the Oklahoma summer.

[nanettil]

There is that. That specific joy that one feels by looking a master performing his trade (art). Pure admiration. Many thanks for this video!

[vincethomrm]

It is indeed beautiful. Worthy of a God like Thor.

[MichaelBrown-tc]

Process to plane Purple Heart (and bloodwood, Ipe, Ironwood, Bubinga) always seems like:
Step 1: sharpen plane iron to keenness of scalpel
Step 2: take 1 pass along the wood
Step 3: goto step 1.

[karolczapko]

Oh man. I just love how people see something confusing and tend to call it " impossible" . Like, if it was already made, then it clearly is possible. Even if it means thinking thru it.

[theidlehandsworkshop]

I was going to ask if this was the one reportedly made by Lincoln, now for the obligatory snide comment... PPE Much ??? Just because you work with hand tools doesn't mean you're exempt... and it was amazing how fast you bored that mortise out, almost as if it was motor driven... ok, guess that was like 3 in 1, but it's the season for giving

[paco_vazquez]

Gorgeous not-so great-weak-not very functional-showpiece mallet.

[siiiiiiiiiimo]

1:18 my mouth does that when I'm sawin too hahahaha

[chrismoore]

Thumbs up for the video; especially the rad shirt (I'm here for all the math jokes).

[rangerhsschoolofbushcrafta]

Great vid and a really cool project well made!

I wonder if you could improve the balance by cutting a slot into the bottom of the head, such that the blocky portion of the handle does not protrude below the head, but rather is flush with it. This would, of course, change the geometric aesthetic of the piece, but it may be a fun experiment.

[patrickhoxie]

I’m be tried this mallet 3x in the last 4 years. It’s very time consuming and one wrong grain direction and those corners will explode. My first time actually went better than my third time! So, I dunno. One of these days I’ll give it another shot.

[davidlynn]

Below comment, 1 each. But really that is amazing beautiful work.

[glencrandall]

A lot of work, yes. Really practical, no. Fun to make, maybe. But it sure is pretty.🙂🙂

[DudeMan-vr]

I found a couple pieces of oak laying around this gives an excuse to break out the table saw .. i could make it by hand but i just bought new carving chisels and i cant wait to use them.. they dont have strike plates so im thinking a wooden mallet is must have