Maul dimensions?

[DaveP]

Thanks Spyros.

You can get as shiny as you want...takes a lot of patience! More coats the better for a deep shine. A couple is kinda matt. Key is drying between coats and a light scuff with 0000 steel wool.  It's also not slippery. 

 

[Spyros]

Yeah I realise it now, sorry I said slippery before because somehow I got confused with the epoxy and thought it was used in the exterior.

But this stuff looks great, kind of like a CA glue pen finish.  I'm a little apprehensive with the steel wool and light coloured timber because in the past I've had tiny bits of steel embedded in the wood fibres and then it's impossible to remove without deep sanding.  Works great on brass though.

[dikman]

Maybe a scotchbrite scourer instead of steel wool?

Dave, that looks bloody nice, mate. You said the head is polyurethane, is it any particular type?

[DaveP]

The polyurethane has a 70a shore durometer hardness.  That's the only particular that's needed.  

[Spyros]

I made mine out of plastic milk bottles that I melted in the oven inside a tin can from Heinz beans

I use it to smack everything because i know I can make another one at any time so I don't care.   Occasionally a little chunk might come off, no problem i cut a piece from a milk bottle cap and melt it in the hole with a lighter, then straighten it a bit, again with the lighter, done.  Just like finishing a stitch LOL

[DaveP]

Here's a piece I cut off.  Roughly 3/8"...bends with some easy pressure. 

I didn't know about the milk jug application until after I ordered this. It's a great idea!

 

Edited June 13, 2020 by DaveP

[dikman]

Thanks for the info Dave.

Spyros, I used the milk jug thing too. I did a bit of experimenting with the plastic and like everything it's not quite as simple as you'd think! If you get it too hot it burns, and if you try to melt it too thick, or the temp is wrong, it might not fuse in the middle. I've used an oven, hot air gun and gas torch (requires very delicate application!!) to melt the stuff. When you get it right it's nice stuff though, and turns quite nicely on a lathe. I still have a large container of cut up bottles waiting to be used.

[Spyros]

4 hours ago, dikman said:

Thanks for the info Dave.

Spyros, I used the milk jug thing too. I did a bit of experimenting with the plastic and like everything it's not quite as simple as you'd think! If you get it too hot it burns, and if you try to melt it too thick, or the temp is wrong, it might not fuse in the middle. I've used an oven, hot air gun and gas torch (requires very delicate application!!) to melt the stuff. When you get it right it's nice stuff though, and turns quite nicely on a lathe. I still have a large container of cut up bottles waiting to be used.

You have to take it slow, like cooking Greek moussaka!

I mean you're never gonna get it exactly right at home (or maybe you will but with a lot of experimentation), you just have to accept the fact that it will always have this "marbled" look.  I actually find it quite attractive, here it is on actual marble LOL

another option is to change all your workshop surfaces to marble to match your mallet 

[dikman]

1 hour ago, Spyros said:

another option is to change all your workshop surfaces to marble to match your mallet 

You're full of bright ideas, aren't you? (Well, full of something...).

Some on youtube use the coloured caps to make a multicoloured object, looks pretty cool.

[Spyros]

Life lesson that australia taught me, never miss an opportunity to talk shit lol