What kind of mallet for cutting dovetails do you use?

[SubGuy]

I use the wood is good as well. I love it.

 

[Dave Richards]

I watched Ernie Conover hand cutting dovetails this past Friday and Saturday at Hartville Tools. He was using a Japanese hammer. Toward the end he passed it around and ended up with me. I almost got to bring it home.

He commented about the round mallets with the rubber sleeve saying they are too bouncy.

 

[danmart77]

I watched Ernie Conover hand cutting dovetails this past Friday and Saturday at Hartville Tools. He was using a Japanese hammer. Toward the end he passed it around and ended up with me. I almost got to bring it home.

He commented about the round mallets with the rubber sleeve saying they are too bouncy.

Wondering Dave if he used Japanese chisels with the metal hoops on top? The metal hammers might be too tough on the leather ringed handles I use and I would rather not chew up the tops of the handles as I use them to chop and pare. Most of my chisels are older with the leather ring on top

I do have some small Japanese handles that ding up my mallets but that's not a big worry. Making a mallet like mine is pretty easy.

I didn't buy the chisels back in 1980 for the length but after getting used to them, I like the longer chisels especially when paring. The third chisel from the left is one of the newer Veritas chisels that was given to me by Kevin(Jazzflute) and its really nice and holds an edge very well. I ground the bevel at about 20 degrees and use it only for paring and cleaning up end grain without the mallet.

I might add for others wondering?? What's up with that Narex? Truth be told I am amazed at how well these chisels hold an edge. I bought them as a set for some "beaters" and wound up using them for some detail work. If you are getting started with a chisel set I would say these are a good value.

dan

 

[Dave Richards]

Hi Dan,

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't watching that closely while he was using the hammer. I was waiting to do on after him to do a SketchUp demo so I was getting ready for that, too. He did have some Japanese chisels out, though so that might have been what he was doing.