Making a maul - question?

[dikman]

I've decided to make a maul (mainly because I don't have one ). I was going to use Delrin for the head because I have some, but after reading about it I had second thoughts (it's tough but apparently can be on the brittle side) so HDPE seemed like the obvious choice. After melting down some (lots!) of milk containers I ended up with this. It measures 90 x 60 mm (3 1/2" x 2 1/4"). My question is what is the optimum size of the head for using on stamps? For those who have , for example, Barry King mauls what are the head sizes?

And is there any real advantage in having a tapered head?

 

[billybopp]

Awesome project!  I started tooling with a rawhide mallet which worked OK for me, but eventually I wondered what all the hubbub about mauls was, so picked up one of the $15 Chinesium mauls from eBay and found that I liked it.  Next I tried a couple of Shopfox mauls that I found on sale really cheap, but the rubber coating was a little too bouncy for tooling leather sadly.  I eventually found a heavier used maul for a really good price on eBay and bought it .. I think it's a Weaver with a foam handle but don't see a name on it anywhere.  Love it but it's too heavy for tooling but works great for punches and such.

My leather working mauls are about 3 to 4 inch diameter for the head.  The heavier they are, the bigger the head seems to be.  

As I understand it, a straight maul is used when you tool with your elbow up high so that the head hits the tool squarely.  A tapered maul allows you to rest your elbow on the table and still hit the tool squarely.

- Bill

[dikman]

Thanks Bill. This is obviously too big to use as-is but I'm unsure how much to remove. The explanation for having a taper makes sense, I just have to work out whether it will suit me. I'm guessing the head at about 2" diameter and the length about 2 1/2"?  I'll use threaded rod through the head and turn a metal end piece to give some weight (and bling ) and use stacked leather to make the handle.

[heydox]

You should really like it, HDPE holds up really well. I made one a few years back and have been really happy with mine. I can’t recall which maul I patterned my piece of HDPE from, but it is 2 1/2” tall by 3” diameter. 

[GRod]

13 minutes ago, heydox said:

You should really like it, HDPE holds up really well. I made one a few years back and have been really happy with mine. I can’t recall which maul I patterned my piece of HDPE from, but it is 2 1/2” tall by 3” diameter. 

That's really nice work, heydox.  I also have an idea to make my own maul and have been making notes about melting HDPE down to form the head.  Did you mold your head into the taper shape?  or did you turn it down on a lathe?  I'm also keenly interested in the finish pieces atop and under the head.  Are they brass?  Did you make them also?

[dikman]

Thanks heydox, looks great! I've turned mine down to just over 2 3/4" long x 2 1/4" diameter. I might keep this one parallel sided but I can see me making another one (or two?) after this is finished, probably like yours. I'm turning a piece of steel plate down for the end piece which should give a bit of weight forward.

GRod, you can make it from a mold but it's just a little trickier to get the final smooth finish, I've found  a lathe makes it much easier and shaping this stuff is fun, it turns beautifully!  There's a youtube video of someone using a wood lathe to make theirs. The good thing about this is that all the turnings/shavings can be re-used for the next project.

[heydox]

Thanks @GRod I did mold mine in a metal tumbler glass that was just the right taper. I did end up having to do a decent amount of sanding to get a smooth finish. A lathe would have been nice. I put in on the threaded rod and chucked it up in my drill press. Used that same trick on a chunk of leftover walnut that became the handle.

The finish pieces are plated steel, not even sure what they were originally made for but I found them at Home Depot. The HDPE is light enough that the plates were definitely needed to get the weight up. 

[GRod]

I do a fair bit of woodworking @dikman, and I wish I had a lathe.  I've even gone to look at a couple, but I'm at a critical juncture in my garage.  Just one more stationary tool means a vehicle will have to move outdoors into the elements.  And my rule is, first and foremost, my garage must always be a garage first, workshop second.  it sounds like @heydox and I are similarly tooled.  I have a drill press that I've been staring at and wondering if I could use it like a lathe for a few things (like sharpening round punches).  I am also considering weight.  I imagine a chunk of HDPE doesn't weigh that much and assume I'll need to add something to get the mass up.  If I go to all the effort to make my own maul I want it to look nice.  I was thinking of maybe hollowing out a cavity in the head into which I could put some BBs or lead shot or even fishing weights, but haven't been able to devise a solution to cap it off.  I guess I need to just plan on a solid day of wandering each & every aisle of our home centers in town until I find something like heydox.

[dikman]

The story so far....the front piece of steel is loctited to the rod and the maul head, which is threaded, will screw up tight to it. The rear piece is a steel washer that just happened to fit. Both pieces have been polished, but I haven't worried about a perfect finish as it's not as if I'll be selling it (and it will probably get knocked around with use). Next job is to cut/stamp lots of bits of leather for the handle.

 

[Sanch]

49 minutes ago, dikman said:

The story so far....the front piece of steel is loctited to the rod and the maul head, which is threaded, will screw up tight to it. The rear piece is a steel washer that just happened to fit. Both pieces have been polished, but I haven't worried about a perfect finish as it's not as if I'll be selling it (and it will probably get knocked around with use). Next job is to cut/stamp lots of bits of leather for the handle.

 

Looking good so far! And as far as delrin is concerned it's not brittle at all, all of my mauls are delrin...to put it in terms if you chip a chunk of Delrin on a stamping tool you're whaling on it!! I use my 2 pounder for punching holes, setting snaps/rivets and blasting my makers mark on goods. No chipping.