Mold Mallets

[yammerschooner]

I have found welding gloves work best for me.

[redneckdan]

I usually use whatever I can find laying around the bench: sticks, PVC pipe, stool leg, rawhide mallet. I tried the leather welding glove method and now I have no fingger print marks on my right hand.

[Pfeifer]

Dogwood tree limb section... This was used back in the old days for such. Roy Underhill talked about this occasionally in his woodworking episodes. We bought our house and there was a dead dogwood on the side of the house. The piece I've been using is now over 15 yrs old and barely scathed.
jp

[Blackwater]

Pfeifer, never thought of it, but dogwood would be really good, as would persimmon and red bud. It's my understanding, though I've never done it, that back in my parents' day, if they cut a dogwood or persimmon tree, they'd whittle it down into a wedge, and set it up to dry for a year or so. When thoroughly dry, they'd use it to split wood, just like they'd use a steel one. Persimmon is used in golf club heads, for those who still don't like the steel heads, and so is dogwood, though I think dogwood is prettier, rarer and more expensive.

Judas wood is a relative, so I'm told, and its wood is sometimes called Judaswood. Maybe Judas is aleged to have hanged himself from a redbud, as it's said that Jesus was crucified on a cross of dogwood? Maybe some of you can expand on this story? I need to find a dogwood I can "borrow" a chunk from. Used a plastic mallet for a long time, but it finally wore plum darn out. Been using whatever was handy and light enough, and need something a little more appropriate and dedicated. Thanks for the ref. I think I'll try one.

[Broomstraw]

Hello All,

This is my first post. I had received my order from Midway which consisted of three new Lee Bullet molds. I had got out the Lyman lead pot and got my alloy to temperature. Pretty much wheel weights with a little bit of scrap pewter for some tin. Started casting my 230 gr LRN TL 452 mold. I had misplaced my sprue knocker and grabbed a replacement handle for a framing hammer. WOW. This works great. I hold the smaller end and use the large end for the mallet. The hickory handle takes the hit with no damage. This should last until I misplace it. I am sure this is not a new thing, but it is to me.

[Stephen Cohen]

Is it true you can tell a dog wood tree by its bark.

[rockrat]

I use a mallet with replaceable plastic (delryn?) heads (two of them). Been using it for 30 years or so, going strong.

[VHoward]

I use a rubber mallet.

[Frozone]

I stopped using a mallet when I found I could judge the cooling closely enough to pop the sprue plate/cutter open with gloves. .....

This!

Watch the sprue, as soon as it hardens count one and open the sprue plate with gloved hand.

[Frozone]

Is it true you can tell a dog wood tree by its bark.

Well, up here we have the "Silent Dogwoods". They were all killed in the '64 quake but are still standing.

We call em "Silent Dogwoods" because they've all lost their bark.

[tomme boy]

I use a old cheap **** Chinese screwdriver. Smack the hinge on the handles with the plastic end. The 10-12" ones.

[stocker]

I had a small mallet from Tandy, I think, for leather working. I glued heavy saddle skirt leather on the faces. It's only used if I have a sticky mould that hasn't been "fixed" yet. Have used it for 30 or 40 years and think I have replaced the leather twice. It's light, does no harm and does the job when needed.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Some of the wooden dowels, hammer handles and the likes of such are made out of hardwood and can last a very long time. They can become "old friends" at the bench for many casters. It is possible to prolong their lives to "indefinitely" by doing the following; Obtain a long section of leather or rawhide thong/strip. Coat the length of the mallet section with epoxy or gorilla glue and begin winding a layer of the thong around the circumference of the striking section up to the end of the mallet. You can let it dry/set up and use as is or wind a second layer on top of the first and then let that dry. You will then have an incredibly strong and long..like in forever lasting surface, that will take an uncountable number of hits and will not harm the sprue cutter; the wood of the original mallet will be protected for a very long time and will always be serviceable. LLS

[Mal Paso]

6 oz. Rawhide Mallet. While I don't condone mold abuse you can't mollycoddle the boolits. You have to show them who's boss if they're going to make it in the real world. If you don't, you'll wind up with a bunch of losers that don't want to fly strait or be part of a group.

[Von Gruff]

I tried a piece of 1 in dowel when I forst started casting and it shreded fairly quickly and so cut a 10 in length of brass pipe and drove a wooden dowel into it and it has given sterling service ever since. I cast without gloves so gloving the sprue plate is not an option.

[fatboy]

years ago i ran into a deal on 465 hammer handles for 20bucks. so thats what i use, should last me a while. im down to about 350 now. its a good thing they dont wear out or i would have to start rationing them.