Turning a Mallet on a Wood Lathe

[1mrbikerman1]

@daikuone You're generally not supposed to sand on the top side of the work because the direction of rotation could cause issues if the sand paper gets caught up. If your hand is on top and the paper catches, it can jamb your fingers toward your arm which can break bones. If you're holding the sand paper correctly on the bottom of the work and it catches, it will generally just get ripped out of your grip, and your fingers just run along the surface instead. A slight burn is much better than a

[lenthesniper]

wow he must be on peace rate, look how quick he is!!!!

[pugwashsecond]

Any particular reason for using a scraper rather than a gouge for turning?

[atomak]

It is much more easier to drill the hole on the mallet head before you star turning it while it is still square. Drilling a sylinder is NOT a good idea and should be avoided where possible.

[DougFnDrake]

@atomak where is you sence of adventure? drilling holes in square blocks is old news! think outside the box (pun not intended) and drill in a cylinder!!

[retiredat60]

@atomak Drilling the hole first may mean it is not centered. There is no sure way of determining the location of the head in the rough stock. Students do all kinds of changes at that point as it is their first project - and the head is done first.

[GremlinWood]

@atomak Have you ever tried turning a squared piece of wood with a large hole drilled in it ? Try it and see what happens.

[TeenWoodworker]

Did you buy or make the wood burning, if you made it how. Thanks.

[retiredat60]

@TeenWoodworker You could just use an uncoated brazing rod but the safety is a bit risky as you would be holding it in your bare hands and it gets hot. The one in the video is a piece of wood cut like a Y shape. Drill holes in the extended fingers and push the welding rod through. Bend the rods so it does not slip out. Lasts forever.

[TeenWoodworker]

@retiredat60

Thanks really helpful

[bengrvr2]

what are some good types of wood to be used on a lathe

[BattyCuss]

Think you should warn viewers NEVER to hold sandpaper on the top of the work. I know you didn't do that, but neophytes might find out the hard way, why you should ALWAYS SAND FROM UNDERNEATH.

Bartholomew Cussler

[daikuone]

What is the safety issue here with sanding on top? I am assuming it is accidental release of the stock flying toward you?

[oreos40]

@BattyCuss There is not a problem specific to sanding top or bottom unless you are using your hand to back up the abrasive. This has its own danger. the friction will cause heat quickly and can cause burns. it is better to use strips of abrasive cloth and hold the ends with the center area against the work it is much easier to do the detail sanding in this way as well.

[retiredat60]

@BattyCuss You missed all the other info when you passed the part where it says the full video is available elsewhere.

[Verithiell]

@retiredat60 but why you shouldn't keep the sandpaper on the top? Well, holding it underneath seems lot more comfortable way, but there certainly are other more important reasons. And I'd gladly learn about them.

[retiredat60]

@Verithiell Generally we hold the sandpaper with one hand. So if you put the paper on the top you would be holding the edge closest to you. Therefore the paper would tend to fold and tear as nothing is holding its leading edge. The same thing goes for your fingers. You could catch an edge and rip a fingernail off. So the real answer is safety. Always sand so the paper is pulled away from you. Notice I was holding my hand under the work when burnishing too.

[Oneandoneself]

what does the wood rubing do

[thirteenfingers]

Presumably it works as some kind of abrasive.

I'm guessing it works in a soft way to smooth out some of the bumps on the piece left by sanding.

I've never seen that done before though so it's a fairly uneducated guess.

[retiredat60]

Try this. Rub your hands together very fast for 15 seconds. Besides being hot they will feel very smooth when you quit. Same for rubbing two pieces of wood together. Wood polishes wood. So after your last sanding you can make it one step smoother with the burnishing process. On the lathe you can feel the before and after difference very easily.

[BattyCuss]

It burnishes the surface of the turned work. Makes it very smooth. At least that's why I do it.

[dundermiflinpaper]

very good video, but im not sure i understand how he makes it oval?

[kamikim1]

BEUTY

VERY PROFESSIONAL

[tomasmrazek]

jezkovi oci, a co na tom jako je?? Ale zkuste si to udelat z oceli :-D guma americká :-D Bůh ví co to měl za dřevo, bych mu dal nějaký buk ať machří.

[epicdeuce]

The way he says about is funny

[BradPittlike]

did he just say "lathe it down"?

isn't the proper term "turn it down"?

[crsereda]

you are correct. but thats just semantics.

[baileysauto1]

NICE i just made one of these mallets i like the trick of the OVAL.. looks great!

[MCGLADECONNOR]

how do u burn the wood?

great video aswell

[WillSmithCleanRap]

with a burning tool, you can buy them or make them with guitar string

[wiifit132]

Thanks

[piceaspruce]

Why do you hold the wood shavings on the handle? Oh great video by the way.

[retiredat60]

The wood shavings on the handle technique is called burnishing. It is actually one step beyond the last sanding grit. Kind of like rubbing your hands together til they "burn"ish. It just makes everything polished and much smoother than sandpaper. Thanks for watching.

[UnguidedProductions]

cool deal mate

[abdual3000]

nice but what wood is that?

[retiredat60]

I think I was using oak in that video. I have used many other woods, some are much better than others because of strength or splintering problems. Poplar(aspen) and ash tend to be poorer as finsihed products. Oak and mahogany are nice because of the tighter grain. Exotic grains like fruit trees might be nice too but the knots in small pieces like the handle might break.

[abdual3000]

ty =]

[miller4262]

good work

[BenB2244]

Hi, I teach wood turning in a junior high school and I was wondering if you would let me use your video with my students. I can`t use you tube at school so could you send me your document.

[PackageSeverance]

it should be called lathedust, not sawdust

[retiredat60]

Sorry, folks. The comments were blocked for some reason. Just saw it today. Sorry.

[StephenKuma]

i thought it was gonna be oval?? never even mentioned it but at the start of the video

[retiredat60]

Yes, you are quite right although an oval is not what makes a mallet. This being a sample of about 40 minutes some things do get covered more quickly. However at 2:50 and on you will see detailed instructions on making the oval shape of the handle. Thanks for watching.

[stupidvidiot]

It is dangerous wearing your sleeves that close to your turning work.

[Bonehimer]

Thanks for the upload. I missed the demonstration day at chop class and was a bit lost....thanks.