Making leather working Mauls

[Colt W Knight]

Mixed up some dye, and gave them a little color.

Sprayed some lacquer as well. Ill check in on it in the morning.

[bikermutt07]

I foresee a sticky thread in your future.

[Colt W Knight]

Originally, I planned on using this brass round stock I have had since I was a teenager to make the retaining nut for the mauls. I was going to cut it thicker to make a heavy nut to have a heavier maul. Well, this isn't regular old soft brass. Its pretty tough stuff, and might actually be some kind of bronze. Anyway, I can't cut it straight with a hack saw or my portaband, I have tried. I cut the first nut from this, and it took me over an hour to cut it, flatten it on my belt sander, drill, tap and clean up. I decided that was too much work

I racked my brain trying to come up with something I could buy off the shelf that would 1. I could thread 2. would have weight 3. would look relatively nice. I couldn't think of anything, I was becoming frustrated, then I thought to myself, just buy a damn hole saw.

Hole saws are measured by OD, and aren't super accurate, The ID comes out to about 1-9/16", and I can't find a forstner bit that size without buying an entire kit. Anyone know where I can buy just the 1-9/16"

Ream it out for the tap

On material like this that is thin, you can't just hand tap it, It will come out crooked and wont lay on the maul flat. So I hand guide it with the drill press

Buff it up pretty

Fit it all together

I haven't decided if I am going to continue to use a retaining nut, or just get some Stainless steel and solder the rod and cap  together to make a bolt. Polish it up nice, and then I would have a nice maul with no visible joins or nuts or anything.

[billybopp]

Pretty ingenious use of materials!  And darned nice looking results.  

 

[Colt W Knight]

21 minutes ago, billybopp said:

Pretty ingenious use of materials!  And darned nice looking results.  

 

Thanks Billy

 

[Colt W Knight]

Had some scrap round stock left over that was too short for a full size maul

[bikermutt07]

Well the only problem you have now is which maul to use.

[Colt W Knight]

Went over to my brothers house to cast some lead slugs for weights. He makes bass fishing lures, so he has all the cool lead foundry stuff.

Now I am able to make these 2" mauls weight 12-20 ounces pretty easily

 

 

[rktaylor]

Colt,

I made one with 3 inch delrin (I don't remember the generic name) for the head and a walnut handle. I put a carriage bolt through the whole thing. It's not as nice as yours, but I have next to nothing in it and it has worked great for me. I've been using it for over a year now. I need to weigh it just for reference. Thanks for sharing all this. I'm almost inspired enough to build another one. Almost.

Randy

[Colt W Knight]

6 minutes ago, rktaylor said:

Colt,

I made one with 3 inch delrin (I don't remember the generic name) for the head and a walnut handle. I put a carriage bolt through the whole thing. It's not as nice as yours, but I have next to nothing in it and it has worked great for me. I've been using it for over a year now. I need to weigh it just for reference. Thanks for sharing all this. I'm almost inspired enough to build another one. Almost.

Randy

I've been looking at carriage bolts, but while they are convenient, they didn't solve my weight problem. I'll figure something out eventually that's easier than casting lead slugs 

Delrin is a type of acetal resin

Edited July 31, 2016 by Colt W Knight