Mallet

As I mentioned in my last post, I intend to try my hand at froissartage, the pioneering method used by Scouts in France.  Another tool I'm going to need is a mallet.  The Scotch eye auger from the previous post will come in handy for the project.

First I'll need a few pieces of wood.  One is about 4" and diameter and 8" long for the head.  The other is about 1.5" in diameter and 24" long for the handle.  Also not shown is a 2" section of the 1.5" diameter piece that I will use to make a wedge to secure the handle.


The next step is to drill a hole in the head piece with a 1" Scotch eye auger (see previous post on how to make this tool).


Now it's time to fit the handle.  A 1" round tenon needs to be formed.  First whittle down the last 6" of the handle until the tip is just barely fits the hole in the head.  Now you need to make that cone shape into a cylinder.  Use your knife to score the circumfrence of the handle 5" from the end.  Then whittle in the other direction.  The scoring while stop the shavings at the desired location for the shoulder of the tenon.


Periodically rescore the shoulder of the tenon to remove the shavings.  Rinse, lather, repeat until the tenon into the hammer about half way.  You can pound it the rest of the way in when the time comes.


Now use a saw to cut a slit 2" down into the end of the tenon.  Use a 1" chisel to make a wedge out of the 2"  piece of the 1.5" diameter log.  Use the chisel like a splitting wedge to cut a 1/4" thick by 1" wide x 2" long.  Since you don't have a mallet yet, you will have to use whatever stick is handy as a baton to whack the end of the chisel.  Then use the chisel or a knife to pare the piece into a wedge shape.


Put the handle into the head, and tap the wedge into place.




Then cut off the protruding portion of the handle.


Completed mallet.  Looks like my hole is not entirely straight, but the mallet is still functional.


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