Mallet

Today we finished the lecture series on Wood Technology. The main topic of discussion was rot. Rot is caused by fungus which derives it food from a host plant (in this case wood which contains sugars). The three stages of rot are: mold, stain and decay. The first two are on the surface and can be treated with a simple solution of vinegar and water. Decay is a little more complicated to fix and hence why many of us would like to go into the repair and restoration business. Like many other trades, the lack of maintenance by owners leads to steady work in the boatyard for shipwrights! One interesting fact that I did not know is that "waterlogged" wood is rot resistance. I'm sure you are asking how can that be? Well, one of the elements that fungi needs to thrive is oxygen. Go figure.

In the shop I started working on the mallet project. I first drew out the shape of the handle (half sections of both the profile and thickness) on a piece of door skin. Then cut the door skin on the bandsaw to create a template to transfer the shape to my piece of ash stock. I then cut the ash stock on the bandsaw and made a rough looking handle. Tomorrow will be spent shaping the handle with the flat spokeshave. For the mallet head, after finding the center and laying out the mortise, I used a forstner bit on the drill press to drill a hole in the maple stock from the top and bottom. Believe it or not but the holes line up almost exactly in line. I have lot's of chiseling to look forward tomorrow to complete the mortise.