Maple stabilising

[AndyT]

For an equivalent, UK made, round headed mallet, at a similar price, you could buy one of these, if you don't want to make your own.

https://www.classichandtools.com/acatal ... ml#SID=196

 

[Sawdust=manglitter]

I am after Ebony for handle. That’s what makes it challenging. They don’t sell it outside the US.
It seems treated maple has been tried and tested. That’s the only reason.

Stabilised maple mallet with exotic wood handle... sounds like the blue spruce mallet [WINKING FACE]

I think I’ve found the exact one your after for sale in the UK. I nearly bought a Veritas jointer plane from this guy, he seems a tidy enough, even if the asking price is a bit nuts...

 

[Trevanion]

£160 secondhand!?

Sure, it's pretty to look at but I'd never want to hit anything with it! I've got a £25 set of old Stanley 5002 chisels (NOT from phil.p, Thank God! :lol: :roll: ) and a £15 Stanley 16oz anti-vibe hammer which does practically all of my joinery work including some very fine work when needed.

 

[Sawdust=manglitter]

I agree, £160 for a mallet is pretty flipping nuts, but people with deep pockets keep these as collectors items and they’re probably kept as “pretty to look at”. If you ask me, whether I’d do it or not, you can spend your money however you like

 

[profchris]

I looked up the Blue Spruce mallet and it's handle is African Blackwood, not ebony. But even more endangered and seriously expensive even if you could find some. Rosewood is the alternative, and there is FSC rosewood around from plantations - dye it black or go with the look.

And they will sell you one with a beech handle.

I'd guess that impregnating maple with resin is an industrial vacuum process, not doable at home.

 

[SMALMALEKI]

I have seen a plane maker who impregnates all his wood with Cactus juice. Just don’t want to add another challenge at this time.

I offered the guy $75 for the mallet but he was not happy to negotiate the price. (hammer)

 

[Droogs]

With regard to blackwood and other exotics being used here in the UK, several bagpipe makers I know now have stocks that they are afraid to use even though they may have been sat around for 50 years waiting to be used to make pipes because they can not produce paperwork to prove the stuff is pre CITES and as a result if they make pipes and they are then sent to or taken by pipers overseas there is a very large probability that they will be seized by customs at ports of entry. So most are now using pvc or Delrin instead and foregoing wood all together.

 

[Hornbeam]

With regard to blackwood and other exotics being used here in the UK, several bagpipe makers I know now have stocks that they are afraid to use even though they may have been sat around for 50 years waiting to be used to make pipes because they can not produce paperwork to prove the stuff is pre CITES and as a result if they make pipes and they are then sent to or taken by pipers overseas there is a very large probability that they will be seized by customs at ports of entry. So most are now using pvc or Delrin instead and foregoing wood all together.

Fantastic. Does this mean that the dreadful rachet of bagpipes may soon die out in the UK