One nice thing about the wooden mallet is that it is easy to make and is suitable for many hammering needs in a home or shop. Due to its simplicity in nature, one can easily create it as a hobby. When making a wooden mallet, you need to have a number of tools that will make your work easier. To successfully complete the mallet project, wood turning tools are important; You need a parting tool, a bias, a gauge, and a roughing gouge.

When making a mallet, you will need a piece of wood approximately 6 “long by 3 1/4” square for the head of the mallet, and another piece 12 “long and 1 1/4” wide for the handle. The next step you need to do now is to mark the center of both ends of these pieces of wood to locate the center. This is easily done by measuring the shape from corner to corner, where the lines intersect in the center. Mount the large square on the wood lathe using the centers located to align the piece.

Rotate the head of the mallet by hand, this is intended to test the blank for stability and alignment on the wood lathe before turning on the lathe and beginning to rotate the mallet. As the wood becomes rounded and balanced, you can gradually increase your speed, a higher speed will result in a smoother cut. With the help of gauges, make sure that the wood has a uniform diameter throughout the piece. Use the splitting tool to locate both ends of the head of the mallet, you need to leave a short tendon and then remove it with a saw

Now you can make some decorative patterns near both ends of the blank and then drop the blank from the wood lathe. Use a saw to cut the remaining tendons. Now you need to precisely drill a hole in the center of the head of the mallet where the handle will be placed. To do this, you can use a drill to drill the hole in the handle. Make a template to hold the head of the mallet to keep the head stable; Usually a large “V” notch in another piece of wood will be enough to support the round head. Drill a vertical hole for the handle in the center, both end to end and side to side.

The next step is to make the handle of the mallet. Mount the small square lumber on the wood lathe, the procedure is the same as for the mallet head. Use the roughing gouge, round the blank and shape the shank according to your personal design. Make sure the diameter of the handle meets your requirements; fits in your hand. Create a short tendon to match the diameter of the hole you drilled in the head of the mallet. The tendon should have a slight taper, from smaller than the drilled hole to larger than the drilled hole, this will ensure a perfect fit. Remove the tendons again with a saw.

Both the head of the mallet and the handle have been sanded and the tendons removed. You can glue the two pieces together. After the glue is dry, apply a coat of oil to preserve the deck. Mineral oil, linseed oil, tung oil, or whatever you want, I avoid varnish as it tends to be slippery and makes a good grip difficult.