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Description

3 to 4 inch diameter log, appx 15 inches long, use saw and axe to create a handle to make a mallet. This is a traditional type mallet as used by green woodworkers. Larger or smaller variants can be made according to the user and usage.

Search for "Generic Risk Assessment - Using knives, axes and saws" activity for a good risk assessment for this activity

Resources

Logs, Saws (Bow/Tenon/Cross cut), Axes or Parangs, Knives, Sandpaper (optional)

Instructions

Aim: to turn the logs into cylindrical mallets. The finished mallet has one narrow cylindrical end for a handle, and the other end a full width cylinder (with bark left on if desired) to bash with.

About 5 inches from one end of the log, begin sawing across the log so that the depth of the cut becomes approximately an inch away from the log's axis; continue by rotating the log and continuing the cut until your saw cut meets the place where you started sawing. Turn the log on its end grain, so that the saw cut is high, and create the handle by either carefully allowing the axe to come down onto the waste wood, or placing the axe/parang across the grain of the wood and hitting the back of the cutting implement with an existing wooden mallet or the like (if your tool is designed for being hit). You can emphasize that you must never hit a tool with anything harder than the tool itself.

Knives may be used to whittle the handle to a better shape.
Once all the waste wood is removed and the handle feels basically comfortable, you can sand it a bit if you wish.

If your task for the mallets is not well suited to a cylindrical business end (e.g. pitching tent) then lop off a facet or two in the same way that the handle was created.

Tags

• creative
• Gadgets

Badge Links

• Outdoors - Camp Gadget