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Paper mallets

#1

Dear orchidians and Brian,

Can you explain how to make a paper mallet for me. Not living in the
US and ordering into Malaysia being difficult most times I would like
to try and make one. I am sure I can get the paper tape here but
can’t work out how to start the roll and how to attach it to a
handle.

The idea that it won’t mark metal like a hard leather mallet will is
an exciting idea.

Another question: does anyone know how to soften up the surface of
a hard leather mallet. The one I have has a sort of varnish finish
and is hard and in a video I saw someone hammering with a leather
mallet that looked sort of worn/soft. Any suggestions??

Sharron in hot Kuala Lumpur packing to fly to cooler Slovakia this
weekend.

#2 
    does anyone know how to soften up the surface of a hard
leather mallet. The one I have has a sort of varnish finish and is
hard and in a video I saw someone hammering with a leather mallet
that looked sort of worn/soft.

sharon, go outside, and find either a nice large rock (granite and
other hard rocks work especially well), or just the concrete curb by
the street. Hammer the rock or concrete for a while to break up the
varnish surface. You can also use something like a belt sander or
grinding wheel to rough up the surface a bit first, speeding the
process, but it’s the impacts from hammering something like that
rock or concrete curb, that will break up the smooth hard surface to
a worn rawhide one.

You can also, if you’re in a hurry for a soft mallet, use a rubber
band, wire, packing tape, or whatever you like to hold a piece of
ordinary leather stretched over the head of the mallet. Not quite as
controllable in some situations, but it works.

Peter

#3 
    does anyone know how to soften up the surface of a hard leather
mallet. The one I have has a sort of varnish finish and is hard and
in a video I saw someone hammering with a leather mallet that
looked sort of worn/soft.

Hi, I like to accelerate the “breaking-in” of my leather mallets by
taking off that outer surface. It can be done with a coarse belt
sander, or by putting the mallet in a vise, and using a coarse file.
(Either way, good ventilation and a respirator are advised, since
you don’t want to inhale glue!)

I try to keep one face nice and neat so that it won’t mar metal, and
use the other side for rougher “bashing”. I do, however, really like
the paper mallet that I bought from Tevel at Allcraft, and much
appreciate Charles’ efforts to get those mallets available to us!

All best,
Cindy
Cynthia Eid
http://www.cynthiaeid.com

#4 
does anyone know how to soften up the surface of a hard leather
mallet.  The one I have has a sort of varnish finish and is hard
and in a video I saw someone hammering with a leather mallet that
looked sort of worn/soft.

Sharron, this was a question I asked here a couple of years ago.
The only suggestion that worked was to take a coarse file/grinding
wheel and file off the surface and the face edges of the rawhide
mallet, to get rid of the excessive amount of varnish which rawhide
mallets seem to have on them, nowadays. I bought one 25 years ago,
and it was great (and still is) and does not mark my metal. But a
newer rawhide mallet was heavily varnished and did indeed mark
metal. Even after grinding, I prefer the older one. I hope the
mallet-makers will take a hint and back off on the amount of
varnish they use. (I tried soaking the mallet head in water, to
soften it up, but that didn’t work.)

Good luck,
Judy Bjorkman

#5

Mine is an old rawhide mallet which I have had for many many years.
I got it when I was taking a metals class in college, and our
instructor had us take them outside and beat them on the concrete
pavement to loosen them up. I don’t know if this is recommended
procedure or not but it sure worked.

Another assignment he gave us was to get an old clawfoot hammer, and
beat the flat face on the concrete pavement. This made a lot of dents
and grooves in it, and he had us use it for texturing. I still use
it, even though I have many other means of texturing metals. This old
hammer gives me a texture I cannot get by any other means.

Alma

#6

I would like to know how to make a mallet out of a horn.

Thanks in advance.

#7

i guess i am impatient. i didn’t think that hitting the mallet
straight down on concrete softened it up fast enough. i went out one
sunday morning on my concrete front steps and hit the mallet on the
corner of the steps for about an hour. this added a different stress
on the leather and the softening seemed to go faster.

oh, after you have finished with the concrete, look for any grit in
the soft “fibers” of the leather.

also, do this really early in the morning before your neighbors are
up…

jean adkins