need a better schwacker

J

Jason Fry

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,165
For nearly 5 years now, I've been using a wood mallet for my stamping. It's not heavy enough, not good enough, and I'm getting tired of it. I need some kind of new stamp striking tool. School me on maul vs. mallet, on the various materials they can be made of, etc. What should I get?
 
I use an Al Stohlman 2lb Maul and I really like it. It feels more natural to use than a mallet to me. It is heavy enough to do the work without as much input as a lighter mallet. My experience, although I'm fairly new at this.
 
Hey Jason, The maul vs mallet debate has been going on as long as when the first leather worker discovered the woodworkers maul and found that it worked well for his needs.

I started out with a poly headed mallet, got a rawhide mallet (liked it!) And also have a weighted rawhide mallet that has disappeared temporarily ( blame that darned Puka in my shop) I also have a first generation Stohlman poly mallet, its 1 pound and the most used tapper in my shop. 1 pound is the heaviest tool I will use for stamps like basket weave and repetitive stuff like pebbling and background stamps.

I also have two 2 pound mauls, very good for strap end cutting and my makers mark, its a little tiring for use with repetitive stamps, and hard for me to get a consistent stamp impression. I have one poly maul and one rawhide maul and each one has its favored uses. The poly is hard striking, while the rawhide gives a softer hit (good for large stamps)

I have on my shopping list a 1 pound maul, preferable rawhide for doing those repetitive stamps.

If you are not getting consistent center hits do what an older woodworker taught me, use your pointer finger along the shaft of the mallet, point at the head of the mallet. Somehow this directs your hits to the center mass of the mallet. It works! Since I started using that I have not had a mis strike far enough off to glance off the tool. The maul does help a bit with this, but its still possible to do a mis strike off a maul head.

I've found lots of rawhide mallets at estate sales, but only one maul and it was a solid wood woodworkers maul. THe wood is cool but it gets eaten up by the smaller all steel tools.
 
I was using a mallet .. both an old rawhide one and a polyurethane one. Skystorm and some others made a comment to one of my threads that had an effect and I went down to the local Tandy outlet and bought myself a 2 lb'er. BUT .. and I was able to handle and try several different shapes and sizes in their work station room. The 2 lb'er was the best fit for me and even though they're pricey, I'm going to get a lifetime of use out of it.

I have no idea where my mallets are right now ..
 
I made a favorite maul from a nylon replacement wheel for a fork lift and a wood handle. I repurposed the handle from a broken shovel I had. It weighed in at about 20oz. But alas it grew legs and wondered away.:mad: However I just recently was able to find a single wheel off of EBAY for 15.00 So I will be making maul # 2 sometime this week as soon as I decide on handle material....
 
Very nifty repurposing of that fork lift wheel! I was looking at some nylon washers I got for my fridge and noticed that they looked like mini versions of my leather maul. :)
 
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