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. 

[JoeRG]

This is the last result with the stacked leather, I think I need a more stable tool for sanding the leather, but I'm not looking to sell it, so as long as it comes functional it's OK, the next one will turn out better with this previous experience. Thanks for the support. 

[dikman]

Looks pretty good to me, Joe, considering you only wanted to knock something up in a hurry. Stacked leather handles are a lot of work, even when you have lathes and stuff!

[JoeRG]

Thanks a lot @dikmanI saw your work and it is awesome, I'll buy a lathe some day, seems like brass fittings could be awesome to make and I wonder what else, some awls and things. Kind regards. 

[Spyros]

Very nice!  I've never seen a handle shaped like this, now i want one lol

By the way you don't need to buy a lathe... I mean it would be nice, don't get me wrong.  But If you only want to turn small things like handles, rings, pens, gear knobs and things like that a proper lathe is total overkill IMO. 

I used an old bench grinder and screwed a piece of wood on one end with some bits of jigsaw blade epoxied in.  And then a coach bolt through a couple of bearings on the other end, and some T-track on a piece of plywood.  Whole thing didn't cost more than $30, and then I think I paid $60-$70 for a set of 3 small Sorby HSS penturner's chisels and another $10 for a basic face shield.  That has been my total woodturning investment LOL

That was sometime last year.   Here's some things I made on it since then

 

  

I mean I'm not gonna win any woodturning awards, but that's pretty much all I wanted to make anyway.

 

 

Edited June 5, 2020 by Spyros

[chuck123wapati]

25 minutes ago, Spyros said:

Very nice!  I've never seen a handle shaped like this, now i want one lol

By the way you don't need to buy a lathe... I mean it would be nice, don't get me wrong.  But If you only want to turn small things like handles, rings, pens, gear knobs and things like that a proper lathe is total overkill IMO. 

I used an old bench grinder and screwed a piece of wood on one end with some bits of jigsaw blade epoxied in.  And then a coach bolt through a couple of bearings on the other end, and some T-track on a piece of plywood.  Whole thing didn't cost more than $30, and then I think I paid $60-$70 for a set of 3 small Sorby HSS penturner's chisels and another $10 for a basic face shield.  That has been my total woodturning investment LOL

That was sometime last year.   Here's some things I made on it since then

 

  

I mean I'm not gonna win any woodturning awards, but that's pretty much all I wanted to make anyway.

 

 

I m gonna build this! Thanks for posting!!!!! 

5 hours ago, JoeRG said:

This is the last result with the stacked leather, I think I need a more stable tool for sanding the leather, but I'm not looking to sell it, so as long as it comes functional it's OK, the next one will turn out better with this previous experience. Thanks for the support. 

Came out pretty darn good. 

[JoeRG]

@Spyrosthat's a magnific idea, and your work is outstanding, I really like it! I also saw the clamp you made and it's completely awesome. Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it. I'll try making the small improvised lathe, I really liked the idea! Kind regards. 

Edited June 5, 2020 by JoeRG
Typo

[JoeRG]

@chuck123wapatithanks a lot for the support. Kind regards. 

[Bert51]

Thanks for the idea Spyros, I like it and I just happen to have one or two old sewing machine motors laying around not being used.

Bert.

[dikman]

Spyros, I'm impressed! That's a great bit of fettling there, both the lathe and the stuff you made with it!

[DaveP]

Very nice maul!  Handle came out great 

[Retswerb]

On 6/5/2020 at 8:03 PM, dikman said:

Spyros, I'm impressed! That's a great bit of fettling there, both the lathe and the stuff you made with it!

Well I had to look up ‘fettling’ but now that I understand it I agree!