Build this amazing traditional mallet

Build your own copy of a handy and ergonomic historical joiner's mallet.

My previous mallet videos:

Tools in this build (affiliate):
(I use a vintage one, but the new ones are excellent, and expensive.)
(I use a vintage one, but this one is recommended.)



Follow me on Instagram: @rexkrueger

[drunkenknight]

never in my life did i think the history and re-building of a joiner's mallet would be recommended to me and be this enjoyable, you win this time algorithm.

[fiercephoenix]

"Will you take three bucks?" That is indeed the proper response.

[gumtreeterry]

My wife watched this build with me, well casually glanced over my shoulder as she browsed her phone. Usually, she is not interested in woodwork. I thought it a nice sharing moment. I listened intently to the discussion of ergonomics and the importance of the angled face, mass of the head and so on. She looked at me and in all seriousness said, “You guys need help”. I had the last laugh however: I bought the plans.

[vasilikozhushner]

it almost looks like the original craftsman just used a section of old wagon wheel to make that mallet head. maybe even used the original hole that the spoke would have gone into for the mortise and just squared it off.

[samlau]

Fam: “What have you been up to today?”

Me: Nothing much, just watched a guy fanboy over a hammer for 16 minutes 😂

[ejd]

My grandfather was born and grew up in Old Kilpatrick, Scotland. He did his apprenticeship as a yacht joiner in the Napier and Miller shipyard there starting in 1912. I have a number of his tools including a mallet that looks very similar to the one you have, including curved head and "reverse wedge". It still works like it did a hundred years ago and the head is rock solid.

[theskip]

cut the curve with a bow saw...by the way you didn't mention soaking the head in linseed oil for about a month before assembly this not only increases the weight of the head but gives the fibers a certain amount of spring which protects the face of the mallet. believe me it makes your mallet last a lot longer.
ps. i was a carpenter / joiner all my working life ( now retired )

[zrebbesh]

My g'grandfather had several of these in his shop, in different sizes. He made them himself. The reverse mortise, curved head, and curved section at the top of the handle are a natural consequence of their being made from wooden wagon wheels. Your handle used to be a spoke. The heads absolutely never came loose from these because the mortise had been driven into it every time the wheel turned around, for many many years.

[anthonychristie]

"The design of the tool itself, tells you how to use it." (18:15) This was exactly my sense the first time i picked up a Baroque cello bow and put it to a gut string. There's a ton of academic literature and general chit-chat amongst musicians about historical period practise, and it's useful and fun. But tbh, about 90% of it comes down to just doing what the gear says works. Bravo, Rex! Fantastic insight!

[firelasto]

i love it when people are genuinly excited and passionate about what they do, you can hear it in their voice. the way they admire the smallest of details, its just so nice to see someone so passionate about something

[JDark]

I'd lay money on that being a cartwheel, hence the opposing wedge handle and the extreme curve on the head. See a lot of old shops with similar tools here in England, its just good sense to re-use and recycle old scrap into useful tools. Nice video none-the-less as always

[weezerOU]

I see your plans are $5.00. Will you take 3 bucks?

[danielchervin]

The original designer had a solid understanding of how momentum is transferred via the impact, every time we swing a mallet we make a circular move with our hand, by curving the mallet he aligned the impacting surface to be perpendicular with the object we are hitting therefore optimizing the momentum transferred to the object without wasting energy on a lateral direction, also getting less tired in the process.

[sno]

The two different face angles were for a high grip and low grip on the handle.
The bloke who made that was incredible.

[DCxRecon]

“I am not coming back covered in dust and wearing a respirator.” Loved it!!!!

[jaredtandle]

Wow, that mallet is the arc of the circle with the end of the handle as its center point. Or at least very close. Great engineering.

[philspaces]

When i made mine, i used a different angle on the two faces Purposely, one was flatter than the other you can get a harder blow with the flater face, the angled face is like you said easier on The body, but sacrifices transfered energy

[paavobergmann]

Idea why the two faces might come in at slightly different angles: When you grip the handle at the end for a power stroke and swing it from the elbow, you have a different radius compared to when you slide up on the handle for the delicate carving grip and move it from the wrist. So if you use the right face for the job, the face wil always hit the tool at right angles, which is safer, more efficient and precise. Whoever designed that mappet really knew geometry and ergonomics.

[joeobrien]

The dark patina on old mallets was often not just with time. When the mallet dried out the head would be placed in a bath of linseed oil and left until the two faces(end grain) would not absorb any more. The handle would be removed and one side of the hole blocked with putty and the hole filled until no more linseed oil was absorbed. A coat applied to the rest of the head. Protection and a slight weight gain.

[LuisFlores-dnjt]

These videos are getting more entertaining and more insightful. Thank you Rex.