Leather maul on a budget.

[JoeRG]

I needed a leather maul for right now because the other one I had didn't make it... So I was wondering how much I could take in time, effectiveness in making a new one in what we call a meanwhile I get another one, and it turned out that for around 4 dollars and at least 15 minutes in the making this turned out fantastic. A 15 Oz. (425grams) mallet. A 1 dollar poly head from scratch with a dealer that used it as a mallet as well but it didn't have a handle anymore, a threaded rod, some washers, acorn nuts, a pressure washer for the bottom and a wooden handle replacement for a garden tool. Amazing what you can do when you are in a hurry. 

[Spyros]

Yep

If you have a drill press or even just a drill and steady hands, you can also drill from the top a little bit with a forstner bit, and add steel washers to finetune the weight and balance exactly to your liking.  Thats what I did with mine because the HDPE was lighter than I expected.

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by Spyros

[JoeRG]

That's nice, it'll turn out good. I tried with a steady hand and kind of got away with it, wish I had a drill press. This wasn't so hard on the poly head, but the handle was something harder to achieve perfectly. 

[Spyros]

geez, no you did well

I'd never touch this thing without a drill press AND a drill press vice, I have this bad habit of drilling sideways 

For the handle you could also just take all your leather offcuts, cut them round and stack them, but you probably already know that and couldn't be bothered.  Wood handles are easier but stack leather handles are so nice in the hand

Edited June 3, 2020 by Spyros

[chuck123wapati]

heck yea that came out all right.

[DaveP]

Great job and efficiency  

[JoeRG]

12 hours ago, Spyros said:

geez, no you did well

I'd never touch this thing without a drill press AND a drill press vice, I have this bad habit of drilling sideways 

For the handle you could also just take all your leather offcuts, cut them round and stack them, but you probably already know that and couldn't be bothered.  Wood handles are easier but stack leather handles are so nice in the hand

I just started the handle you suggest, but since I don't have a way of turning the handle I went into analog mode. It takes longer but will turn out fine... I believe and I hope. 

[Spyros]

2 hours ago, JoeRG said:

I just started the handle you suggest, but since I don't have a way of turning the handle I went into analog mode. It takes longer but will turn out fine... I believe and I hope. 

I don't think you can turn leather as such, you'll have to sand it to shape.  I did mine on a belt sander by just spinning it with my hand against it, it's easier than it sounds (and it doesn't need to be 100% perfect, noone will measure the circumference of your handle)

You could also stabilise your drill somewhere like a vice or clamp, put in the threaded rod with with the leather pieces, lock the trigger and sand it there.  But it's good that you have already shaped the leather pieces roughly to size, I started with square ones and it took a lot of sanding.

[chuck123wapati]

9 hours ago, Spyros said:

I don't think you can turn leather as such, you'll have to sand it to shape.  I did mine on a belt sander by just spinning it with my hand against it, it's easier than it sounds (and it doesn't need to be 100% perfect, noone will measure the circumference of your handle)

You could also stabilise your drill somewhere like a vice or clamp, put in the threaded rod with with the leather pieces, lock the trigger and sand it there.  But it's good that you have already shaped the leather pieces roughly to size, I started with square ones and it took a lot of sanding.

You can turn leather and this is how I do it put your leather handle blank on your piece of all thread, chuck it up in a half inch hand drill and spin it while shaping it on the belt sander and it will come out nice and round. I make a lot of things this way, I don't have a lathe either. spin it the opposite way of the belt sander rotation.

[JoeRG]

Thank you guys, let's try it and see what turns out, I'll post the final results.