What kind of mallet for cutting dovetails do you use?

[Sam Knight]

I'm looking to make a mallet to use when cutting dovetails or mortises but am unsure which type works better. Maybe it is more of a personal preference but I thought I'd ask. I do have a lathe so turning a maple one was my initial thought. The square head dead-blow type was another one I was thinking about. What kind do you prefer and if you can post a pic that would be great as well. Thanks for the help.

 

[KenOfCary]

My goto mallet for Dovetails and most everything else is a Round Mallet that I turned out of Lignum Vitae. It is very hard and very heavy for its size. I like to turn my own mallets so I can fit them better to my hand.

I have another Hard Maple mallet that is dented from use but the lignum is just a little burnished, not dented even after hard use.

Not the easiest wood to find in the right size for a mallet. I found a piece at Klingspor in their turning bin and picked it up. There is enough left for a second mallet that I will get around to turning one of these days.

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This is the LV mallet when newly turned.

 

[Frank Berry]

That is one nice looking mallet Ken. Very nice.

 

[Phil S]

I use an 18 oz brass mallet. I hold it with the brass in the palm of my hand

 

[Bill Clemmons]

I turned this one from Elm more than 20 years ago. Very tough.

 

[tarheelz]

I use a Wood is Good "quiet" mallet. 12 oz.



I can't imagine I could control a heavier mallet with fine work but I've never tried.

 

[Chris C]

These were given to me by Mike Davis and they are awesome..persimmon

 

[bluedawg76]

I use a Wood is Good "quiet" mallet. 12 oz.

View attachment 21373

ditto. I also use it for mortises

 

[danmart77]

I'm looking to make a mallet to use when cutting dovetails or mortises but am unsure which type works better. Maybe it is more of a personal preference but I thought I'd ask. I do have a lathe so turning a maple one was my initial thought. The square head dead-blow type was another one I was thinking about. What kind do you prefer and if you can post a pic that would be great as well. Thanks for the help.

Sam
I use a mallet turned on the lathe. I found the maple works best for me. You can see a walnut mallet and I use this less than the maple. Most of the mallet work I'm doing is for dovetail joinery and carving. I don't use heavy mallets for either one of these tasks.

I guess the only advice I would suggest is try some mallets when visiting others shops. Everybody is a little different .. kind of like shoes really. I have several smaller mallets and I would give you one if it fit your hands. It only takes me 10-15 minutes to turn one out.

Design: Make the top of the mallet flat so you can stand it up and it won't roll around on the bench when working.


If you need a mallet for knocking a case together the carver's mallet is not what you need. You need a big square type mallet/hammer


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[Gofor]

Guess I am different. I use the same one as I use for mortises:

. This is just my favorite mallet as far as balance weight, etc. This picture is chopping some blind dovetails for my work bench. The mallet now has a leather face glued on.

Go

 

[Tim Sherwood]

What's wrong with a dead blow hammer?

 

[Sam Knight]

Well I turned a mallet today. I didn't have any maple large enough so I used what I had on hand, a piece of sweet gum. It may not hold up but at least I made one I can try out. It is about 8 1/2" long and 2" in diameter. Thanks for all the input.

 

[Danagawa]

I use a rosewood mallet that looks like Ken's mallet. I went to west penn two weeks ago and there was a discount bin of lignum vitae near the checkout by the live edge slabs. There was several piece that were big enough to make a mallet out of

 

[Phil S]

Well I turned a mallet today. I didn't have any maple large enough so I used what I had on hand, a piece of sweet gum. It may not hold up but at least I made one I can try out. It is about 8 1/2" long and 2" in diameter. Thanks for all the input.View attachment 21376

Please be sure to bring that good looking mallet to the workshop on Jan 21

 

[Michael Mathews]

Looks great Sam!

 

[Sam Knight]

Please be sure to bring that good looking mallet to the workshop on Jan 21

Thanks Phil! Will definitely bring it.

 

[danmart77]

What's wrong with a dead blow hammer?

Nothing.
It has its place for certain tasks that's why they are around.

dan

 

[Gofor]

What's wrong with a dead blow hammer?

I have tried a dead blow, but personally, I like the feedback of the mallet rebound or lack of. It gives me a sense of how hard/soft the wood is, or if it is riving with or across grain as I go deeper into the wood. Also lets me know when the chisel is in need of honing. I seem to lose that with the dead blow.

Just a personal choice.

Go

 

[KenOfCary]

I use dead blows for assembly / disassembly and a solid mallet for chisels and carving tools. Just my preference and what I'm comfortable with. Tools have specific strengths and weaknesses for different jobs.

 

[Tim Sherwood]

Thanks for the comments Mark, and Ken. I hadn't considered the loss of feedback with a dead blow.