Thank you for making a series for normal people. When I see a video of someone using a $2,000 table saw, $500 planer, $700 joiner, $1,200 track saws.... its disheartening. I can't focus on the project at hand because I feel like they're showcasing their tool collections and sponsors so the project is only incidental. Seeing common tools and skill used to make a 7/10 project is ever more appealing to me than seeing a tool catalog used to make a 10/10 project. And for what it's worth, your common sense and frank atittude really make the channel worth watching.
You're speaking from my heart! Actually this channel gave me back some confidence after watching all those discouraging videos using/comparing expensive power (and hand!) tools. I'm starting to build my roman bench today and I hope it will start a journey through woodworking because I have so many ideas but almost no space for big tools and just limited budget.
Guys,(and Rex)...please DO NOT use your hands , palms especially, to pound things,( like a tool). You may end up like me with a complaint called Du Puytrons contracture.The damage to tendons grows a thickening which pulls hands / fingers over into a curve. I am 77 and have had corrective surgery 5 times for this problem, have not been able to "clap with flat hands" for 20 years. Use mallets and hammers. I always say , use the correct tool for the job. The body will last longer , folks. PS. This disease is common to North European heritage I'm told.
I am 71 years old and I have my grandfathers bit brace drill and his hatchet among other tools that were handed down to me from my dad so you can imagine how old they are. I love to work in wood and you have inspired me to make my own mallet using those old tools. Thanks from a new subscriber.
Quick tip. When splitting a hunk of wood that is heavier than your axe, once you get it started flip it over so the weight of the wood is working for you.
@@ragnkja Yes, that what I did often, when splitting fire wood at my Grandmother's house - wood fired wash copper, briquette fired water heater, wood fired stoves and fire places for cooking food and keeping the house warm. a ton and a half of wood ordered every year... and I was the lucky sob that had to split it.. and God help me if I ever damaged the axe handle near the head, or broke it.
As a very new woodworker, there are so many makers to watch for learning. Most teach at a level I dont feel I can attain. Your videos are detailed enough that I learn and simple enough that I feel I can actually do. Love it. Thanks!!
These three-tools builds are a really nice bit of back-to-basics kind of woodworking, I could easily see benches and mallets like this having been made in pretty much the same way from as far back as medieval times.
Made a new mallet today with wood from an old bed frame and old simple tools. Some of my furniture is made out of pallets and waste wood, including a massive vegetable rack that has been holding 8 crates usually loaded with discarded fruits and vegetables (I live of them, en cook for 3 big dogs every day) throughout all seasons twice now. I love your channel and your work, and if I wasn't "poor" (I chose the wealth of time and space, and the power of sovereignty), I'd gladly support. I have at one point lived a summer in an abandoned house that literally had a tree growing through one of the walls and the roof, and fixed it up partially (the part where the tree didn't grow) with discarded pallets from a nearby factory, and some found and "home" made tools (some of which I still use, including my trusted hatchet), also making basic furniture out of it, without harming the tree. Now I live in a forest, and although it saddens me, there's always dead trees somewhere nearby that I can use, for functional or recreational, artistic woodwork.
Your channel is like a PBS children's special, for parents to watch with their kids, on how to make reasonable life choices and also how to make things.
I have spoken to many wood workers and when I suggest doing a project that doesn't require workshop tools such as tables saws, routers etc as most people don't have them , they laugh and say just save up for them, or say those tools are cheap. 🤔. So I'm glad I came across your channel that goes back to basics and is possible for everyone to be able to achieve, good work, and forms a better skill base
You and Paul Sellers are my two favorite woodworking channels on UA-cam. Keep being awesome and I'll keep watching! Your videos are keeping me sane during the quarantine.
Dude, I'm from Brazil and we're having to rebuild our roof... And, well, we do it very differently than what is done in the US... So we use 2 by 4s a lot and smaller sizes to hold the ceramic tiles... Anyway, the wood got here the other day and it's ALL Garapeira... It's not the hardest Brazilian wood, but it's pretty hard... And all you need is to sand it up to 120 grit and use some steel wool and it becomes glass... It's beautiful! Anyway, lots of pieces are going to be left, so... I guess I'm going to make a new mallet! 😬
Thumbs-up right at the intro. I love working with wood and I'm lucky to have quite a few tools (extremely cheap ones, that is), but I find myself more and more interested into getting to the final piece using what I have instead of getting new tools. I appreciate when people show that everybody can get stuff done with little resources. It's even more rewarding!
I also have a lot of tools, but I often think about what I can do without all the stuff. How can I put more knowledge in my head that will let me get stuff done with just what's on hand?
I like this tutorial because there was a time in this great land where those were probably the only tools a person would have had to make any kind of furniture. It looks great and has all of the beauty of a truly hand made piece of furniture. Power tools are great but mastering hand tools is a true art. Thanks for sharing this.
Rex, I’ve been subscribed for a couple months now and I can’t explain how thankful I am for this kind of information. Building things (dare I say woodworking) is a new hobby that stemmed from DIY around the home type stuff when we bought our house. I’ve never been handy, bless my father’s heart but he never taught me how to build or fix anything growing up, and I entered adulthood with a drill and circ saw that was handed down that I didn’t know how to really use. What I’m trying to say is, I really want to build some more stuff, but seeing these channels with their $1,000 festool tools, planers, table saws etc makes it feel unachievable for a 30 year old, married father of 2. You make it achievable. Thanks.
If the log is heavier than your axe head, once the axe got stuck in the wood, split it by rotating your axe handle so the axe will hit first and the weight of the wood falling on the sharp edge of the axe will do the splitting.
Woodsmen and bushcrafters call the striking of a blade with a stick "batoning". Its very common because to start a campfire, you need dry wood, and the skin of a branch will typically have more moisture in it. Find standing deadwood, cut a section of branch, and then baton it until you have a dry section from the heart of the branch to make tinder.
Besides 20 years of residential cobbentry I am a history nut and I always thought about the tools that were used by Jesus's Dad, and the Vikings among others. Their knowledge and skill was not in just making there products. It had to start with how they made the tools they used to create their technology. I instantly subscribed after watching your plane tuning video. I learned so much. Keeping in mind that on most crews I worked with I was the only guy who kept a sharp set of chisels and a hand plane in his tool box. I grew up in a town with 300 year old houses Which in America meant they were built by common ordinary farmers who's other responsibilities included growing enough food to keep everyone from starving to death, and not being killed by the former residents who had major objections to your arrival, And yet people are sill living in the houses they built. Your videos connect me with that
The vast majority of American continent was uninhabited. There was only several million for the whole continent of the Americas. The vast majority of the lands were settled with absolutely no conflict because there was nobody living on them. We get this idea from movies and modern political activism that the place was swarming with people and it was a mass butchering.
I really like your videos. They have provided me with lots of information. Here's a tip I recently learned for when you are splitting a log with a small axe. Firmly set the axe with your "mallet". With the axe still set, invert the whole affair and swing/ drop the log and hatchet onto your block together as if you were driving a nail on the block with the flat face of the axe. The axe strikes first, stops against the block, then the weight and momentum of the log drives itself onto the axe working the split.
"Woodworking For Humans" is perfect. Thank you for not getting sponsored, it would ruin the feel of your work imo. Your videos are the best in every way please just keep going in this same grove. I am a top Patreon member now and your site is the only one. I have a very large shop. I live in a 100+ year old church building out in the country. The former sanctuary is my shop with tons of free natural lighting, we converted the lower level into our living space, it is an earth contact building facing East. I am a retired fine furniture maker as well. it's a dream come true and very humbling. You the best Rex, the others should take note.
Rex, you are awesome! Great job on the project, and I really like the "accumulative" affect of building tools; start w/3, build the sandpaper stick, build the mallet, add a chisel or two, and you've got the capacity for even more detailed work. Well done!
I'm a BIG fan of WWMM and I watch many of Steve's videos. I love his no-nonsense approach and quick results, but he's very power-tool focused and I think there's room for someone making approachable videos for beginners with the focus on cheaper and safer hand-tools.
In the nicest possible way, you're gonna attract archeologists to this series. You are highlighting a very basic, how and why of sticking bits of wood together. You could have called it 'wittling for big boys/girls'. Anyway, I'm fascinated, Rex, keep it coming!
Thank you so much Rex! I've tried and failed at woodworking a few times in the past (granted I didn't do any research. just kind of winged it). Your beginner information is fantastic and the motivation I needed to give woodworking another shot!
Until I found your channel, I'd been meaning to get into woodworking for a long time but I always felt that I needed too many tools, space and skills... well, no more excuses! As an arborist it just makes so much sense to me to get to know wood intimately and create some beautiful items out of trees that might end up in a wood chipper or a firewood pile. So I finally made a small mallet following these instructions, using some black cherry from a firewood pile for the head, and for the handle I used a decent length of hophornbeam that was broken accidentally when felling borer-infested white ash in a nature park... it turned out GREAT, I love the solid, heavy feeling it has in my hand, and that tenon joint feels like it'll last a hundred years. I've got a piece of elm drying up to make a bigger one next :) Thank you so much for all the work you put into these videos, it means a lot to me and no doubt to a lot of people who were afraid of actually trying their hand at woodworking.
This is awesome, I just went out today sharpened up some old chisels and made this first project myself. Didnt think I had what was necessary to do any wood working but you've proved that to be false and encouraged me to complete my first project! Thanks!
This is a great idea for a series. The two most-used handmade tools I have are my sanding block (oversized to take roll sandpaper & with an ergonomic handle) and my awl (old screwdriver in another large wooden handle). I could not find these in the shops in any durable quality unless they were also extremely uncomfortable to use, & the homemade versions are just great.
@@RexKrueger I mainly use mine for marking centres for accurate drilling in hardwood, rather than reaming, but they're such simple tools that they're easy to adapt to different tasks with just a bit of filing. I dislike throwing things away, & it's the perfect use for a worn out screwdriver, even if it's not made of the hardest metal.
Awesome video! I live in an old town with older trees falling down all the time in my neighbors yards. They cut up the fallen trees and leave the remnants by the curb for any takers. I agree with one of the previous comments...to split the wood that's larger that the wood piece start the split and turn wood and ax upside down together and let the weigh do the rest.
This series is awesome! Came across this video whilst looking for something to do during a rainy day and me and my son (4yo) made something similar out of some old off cuts in the shed with a chisel and saw, it looks like a bag of chips but hes stoked and has shown the entire family! Thanks again
I find your videos very easy to understand. Your delivery is excellent. I tried for years to teach my instructors delivering courses of instruction to keep the level of information where the students could understand the objective. You do a great job!!!! Tell me I hear you, show me I see you, I do then I know!!! WTG RX!
I do a fair amount of wood work and have a fully equipped workshop, but I have absolutely loved this series of videos so far and am making a mallet based off this design tomorrow. I haven't ever really used a hatchet but trying the simple round mortice and tenon was so much fun! Thanks for the great videos!
I love your videos. I am a beginner and it let's me know that I don't need hundreds of dollars of tools to make functional things. Thank you for your content
Awesome direction for this series. Back to basics I think gets us back in touch with the actual properties of the materials we are using.... Great for me and great for kids to get them into making without sweating the details. 👍
Just a little hint, when splitting wood with an axe. Jam the axe in the wood, then flip it over so the axe is underneath. Then let the weight of the wood block do the work as you drop it onto a hard surface, axe head first.
I made one of these mallets this weekend and it came out great. I used a common 4x4 for the head and a maple branch for the handle just because it's what I had handy but I'm not too worried about the longevity because I only have a few drops of glue invested in it 😂
Doing a lot with very little - something I've had to do most of my life and it's always a joy to see someone teach skills that help with this. Thank you. You've won over another subscriber. Now, could you help explain to my landlord that the offcuts of timber and metal I use aren't "useless junk that clutters up the yard" and really ARE parts for projects? Apparently seeing the finished products and seeing the pile grow and shrink with use isn't evidence that it's not a useless pile of rubbish (no, the rubbish actually goes in the bin)
I just watched a video about that just a few days ago don't remember who's video but he did a cutaway so u could be how the wedge works. May have been paul sellers. U haven't watched his videos u should he is very good (sorry Rex). You have to admit he is excellent wood worker.
This is perfect for me. I'm really keen to get into woodworking and turning, but right now I don't have the room to set up a workshop. Also equipping a workshop and obtaining tools is expensive (I love the videos on how to start finding tools cheap too!). This is a great video that will let me pick up a few pieces of wood and a few specific tools, and start creating.
The wedge holding the handle in is a very good idea! I wouldn't have thought of that. I'm gonna make a mallet similar to yours, but I have a hickory, store-bought handle. I'm gonna use this technique, thank you!
a good source for hard wood are tool handles. you can buy them for reasonable prises at any old hardware store, but you can also use broken handles from larger tools to make handles for smaller ones.
Rex, I really enjoy your attitude towards wood working. I purchased your book and bought a copy for my brother as well. This channel is one of my favorites. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your next video offering.
This is series is such a great idea! I'm just starting out woodworking and don't have many tools & not a lot of space for tools anyway so this is perfect- Thank you!
Elm is usually considered a fairly difficult wood to split, but that's good for a mallet. That's also why it was traditionally used for chair seats in England. Sadly it's getting rarer all the time.
I’ve only used red elm but it also smelled pretty awful - I’d be curious if all elms smell bad and if it might indicate this Siberian stuff is a true elm. I like the simple tool idea and great video as always, thanks!
@@nicholaswright6892 I've worked with American elm, and I didn't think it smelled bad. Siberian elm is a genuine elm (Ulmus pumilio--"dwarf elm" in Latin) that was introduced in North America around the turn of the last century.
@@RexKrueger it's funny, because there's a tree that's found in South America called lenga, which is a species of beech, Latin name Nothofagus pumilio. They get as big as any elm or oak tree I've ever seen, but it's apparently the dwarf.
Nice! I’ve made similar mallets using green wood for the head, and seasoned dry wood for the handle. As the head dries out it lock the handle in. Some shellac on the end grain of the mallet face prevents checking, but I would build the mallet, then let it dry out over several months before use.
You were very clear, concise, and your idea of the wedge was great, causing me to understand better wood. I will make one of these tomorrow! and now I am a subscriber. thanx... also, a bare min. of tools is good because a lot of people can't afford big machines, etc. Hell, if I went out and bought those machines my wife would send me to the doghouse. So less is more and a lot of help to folks like me.
Love this idea and love the series. I wish more people did more videos like this. I have lots of nice planes and big machines but there is nothin like grabbing a hatchet and carving a spoon or just making tools!! Love it man keep it up!!
I watched these when they came out, but accidentally just started the series again. I'm halfway through reading Aldren Watson's Country Furniture, and these fit really nicely with that!
This and your rolling pin hammers inspired me to glue some oak pallet slats together to make a mallet. I’ll probably do a through and through tenon though since I don’t have wet and dry wood to combine I’ll use an oak 2x4 pallet runner to make the handle out of, wish me luck. Love your channel, keep up the great work.
I like the twist on the traditional joiners mallet, it ain't as portable but it also ain't half as fussy to make and looks super tough. I also like the idea of continuing this basic woodworking series. I feel like most people will have more tools to start out but its great to demonstrate this sort of functional, traditional woodworking that gets lost in the attention that fine woodworking receives. Sort of like what Chop with Chris does but a little more grounded in tradition, which is a good thing to have out there.
Awesome! I love Chris. His work is great. You're right in that this mallet isn't fancy (and I've made some fancy ones) but it is solid like a rock and honestly works just fine even for tapping a chisel.
@@RexKrueger yeah, it looks great. I know I've whacked a chisel with way worse in my life. I can think of so much you can cover with this sort of video. There are so many traditional forms you can make that no one pays any attention to these days that would make fun projects.
@@scottm9605 Well, you have my attention. What else should I cover? I'm thinking about green woodworking and chair-making, but I'm open to suggestions.
@@RexKrueger all the many forms of stick chairs alone could make a cool series. I'm thinking of the antecedents to that famous shaker ladderback design with the rush seat in particular but there are so many others too like those 5 legged things with short backs you see in antique store some times and too many to mention. There are lots of tables you could do in a similar vein candle stands, side tables, heck even some of the old knock down or tilt top tables would be doable with these tools and would definitely be cool. I mean that's way cooler than some plastic card table and takes up about as much space. You'd need to add a chisel and perhaps a plane to your arsenal but the old style cabinets and so called ubiquitous 6 board chests come in a dizzying variety and would be fun. This would also open up rabbeted and nailed box's of various sorts (tool totes, strong boxes, ETC). Give me time and I'm sure I could come up with more too.
@@scottm9605 No, that's a great list. I'm reviewing a cheap plane next week so, that will get us started on expanding the tool kit. I like that 6 board chest idea, but all your ideas are very good. Thanks!
Just a little note here, when I was a kid in England and we had fireplaces in our homes, my neighbours would chop wood and when they had to split a heavy log like the one you had, they would start the axe into the top of the the log, turn the whole thing upside down and bring it down on the chopping block. The weight of the log would drive down onto the axe head and split easily. You might want to try this. I do this myself.
Made my own using this video as a reference. It was fun, but carving the head out with a hatchet alot of work. I ended up carving the handle with a carving knife and it turned out great. That being said it was pretty fun and I know have a heavy functioning mallet I made out of scraps. So I am pretty excited.
A trick from my dad: once your hatchet is stuck in for the initial split, you can turn the piece over and strike the hatchet on the block so that it goes *up* into the wood; this uses the weight of the block of wood to split itself.
Hey Rex, I love your videos. I know this is old news now, but using the same techniques, but a different orientation, I'd love to see you make a "Carver's Mallet" in pretty much the same manner. Now making it I'm sure will be a doddle, but shape choice and wood choice could be an interesting discussion. Cheers.
@@RexKrueger hey i saw you trying to split that wood, if you flip it so that the blade is up and the wood is stuck to it, the actual weight of the wood will split itself.
"Last week, you'll remember we melted down sand to make our own silicon wafers, and hand-etched a 6502 microprocessor using the marking knife we made in episode 12. Today, we're going to use our hand-made soldering iron to build a CNC machine!"
Just found your channel. I'm in Painesville Ohio and limited on tools so your channels perfect for what I'm looking at. I want a bench for bowl carving.
thank you verymuch sir! Im just getting started with woodworking and I dont have alot of money to spend on tools, this video gave me alot of confidence that i can build something with only a few tools! hope to see more of your vids with limited tools! =)
It's probably obvious, and maybe you mentioned it and I missed it: The faces of the mallet should be slightly angled compared to the axis of the handle. When you hit e.g. a chisel with the mallet, the head travels in an arc, the goal is to have the face of the mallet's head hit the chisel flat. The correct angle depends on the point you grip the handle at. For a heavy-duty chisel with a longer handle, the angle will be very shallow, while a light duty chisel you might hold close to the head, the angle will be more pronounced.
You can make a huge number of wood projects using only a drill, a hatchet, and a handsaw. In fact, you could do without the saw or the hatchet, and make do with only one plus the drill, if you didn’t have both. You could also make a crude drill, if you had to, but that’s probably outside the scope of these videos.
Beautiful mallet, wonderfully built! If I may add a note about handles though (for those who may not be familiar) - always make sure the end grain of the handle is perpendicular to the striking face. If it's parallel with the striking face, that handle won't be long for this world.
Thank you for making a series for normal people. When I see a video of someone using a $2,000 table saw, $500 planer, $700 joiner, $1,200 track saws.... its disheartening. I can't focus on the project at hand because I feel like they're showcasing their tool collections and sponsors so the project is only incidental. Seeing common tools and skill used to make a 7/10 project is ever more appealing to me than seeing a tool catalog used to make a 10/10 project.
And for what it's worth, your common sense and frank atittude really make the channel worth watching.
Man, that's EXACTLY what I'm going for. Thanks!
Exactly.
I'm really tired of watching "makers" who are effectively shills and they either don't care or don't even realize it.
Check out Paul Sellers
I know exactly what you mean. I love videos that show "How to make a $40 poor man's vise" and they use $4,000 in power tools.
You're speaking from my heart! Actually this channel gave me back some confidence after watching all those discouraging videos using/comparing expensive power (and hand!) tools. I'm starting to build my roman bench today and I hope it will start a journey through woodworking because I have so many ideas but almost no space for big tools and just limited budget.
Guys,(and Rex)...please DO NOT use your hands , palms especially, to pound things,( like a tool). You may end up like me with a complaint called Du Puytrons contracture.The damage to tendons grows a thickening which pulls hands / fingers over into a curve. I am 77 and have had corrective surgery 5 times for this problem, have not been able to "clap with flat hands" for 20 years. Use mallets and hammers. I always say , use the correct tool for the job. The body will last longer , folks. PS. This disease is common to North European heritage I'm told.
I always thought it was based on genetics (I have no idea why)
I am 71 years old and I have my grandfathers bit brace drill and his hatchet among other tools that were handed down to me from my dad so you can imagine how old they are. I love to work in wood and you have inspired me to make my own mallet using those old tools. Thanks from a new subscriber.
Quick tip. When splitting a hunk of wood that is heavier than your axe, once you get it started flip it over so the weight of the wood is working for you.
That’s very common when splitting firewood, and easy enough that any child big enough and old enough to handle a hatchet can manage it.
@@ragnkja Yes, that what I did often, when splitting fire wood at my Grandmother's house - wood fired wash copper, briquette fired water heater, wood fired stoves and fire places for cooking food and keeping the house warm. a ton and a half of wood ordered every year... and I was the lucky sob that had to split it.. and God help me if I ever damaged the axe handle near the head, or broke it.
As a very new woodworker, there are so many makers to watch for learning. Most teach at a level I dont feel I can attain. Your videos are detailed enough that I learn and simple enough that I feel I can actually do. Love it. Thanks!!
These three-tools builds are a really nice bit of back-to-basics kind of woodworking, I could easily see benches and mallets like this having been made in pretty much the same way from as far back as medieval times.
It's true! People make their own furniture for a long time. We can do that, too!
Made a new mallet today with wood from an old bed frame and old simple tools. Some of my furniture is made out of pallets and waste wood, including a massive vegetable rack that has been holding 8 crates usually loaded with discarded fruits and vegetables (I live of them, en cook for 3 big dogs every day) throughout all seasons twice now. I love your channel and your work, and if I wasn't "poor" (I chose the wealth of time and space, and the power of sovereignty), I'd gladly support.
I have at one point lived a summer in an abandoned house that literally had a tree growing through one of the walls and the roof, and fixed it up partially (the part where the tree didn't grow) with discarded pallets from a nearby factory, and some found and "home" made tools (some of which I still use, including my trusted hatchet), also making basic furniture out of it, without harming the tree. Now I live in a forest, and although it saddens me, there's always dead trees somewhere nearby that I can use, for functional or recreational, artistic woodwork.
Your channel is like a PBS children's special, for parents to watch with their kids, on how to make reasonable life choices and also how to make things.
I have spoken to many wood workers and when I suggest doing a project that doesn't require workshop tools such as tables saws, routers etc as most people don't have them , they laugh and say just save up for them, or say those tools are cheap. 🤔. So I'm glad I came across your channel that goes back to basics and is possible for everyone to be able to achieve, good work, and forms a better skill base
You and Paul Sellers are my two favorite woodworking channels on UA-cam. Keep being awesome and I'll keep watching! Your videos are keeping me sane during the quarantine.
Dude, I'm from Brazil and we're having to rebuild our roof... And, well, we do it very differently than what is done in the US... So we use 2 by 4s a lot and smaller sizes to hold the ceramic tiles...
Anyway, the wood got here the other day and it's ALL Garapeira... It's not the hardest Brazilian wood, but it's pretty hard... And all you need is to sand it up to 120 grit and use some steel wool and it becomes glass... It's beautiful!
Anyway, lots of pieces are going to be left, so... I guess I'm going to make a new mallet! 😬
Thumbs-up right at the intro. I love working with wood and I'm lucky to have quite a few tools (extremely cheap ones, that is), but I find myself more and more interested into getting to the final piece using what I have instead of getting new tools. I appreciate when people show that everybody can get stuff done with little resources. It's even more rewarding!
I also have a lot of tools, but I often think about what I can do without all the stuff. How can I put more knowledge in my head that will let me get stuff done with just what's on hand?
Using tie-down straps to hold work in place is a good idea. I have the straps, but I never thought of using them for that.
Thought to be pedantic, the strap is a tool. And if you used a rope for the job, the rope would be a tool.
I like this tutorial because there was a time in this great land where those were probably the only tools a person would have had to make any kind of furniture. It looks great and has all of the beauty of a truly hand made piece of furniture. Power tools are great but mastering hand tools is a true art. Thanks for sharing this.
Rex, I’ve been subscribed for a couple months now and I can’t explain how thankful I am for this kind of information. Building things (dare I say woodworking) is a new hobby that stemmed from DIY around the home type stuff when we bought our house. I’ve never been handy, bless my father’s heart but he never taught me how to build or fix anything growing up, and I entered adulthood with a drill and circ saw that was handed down that I didn’t know how to really use. What I’m trying to say is, I really want to build some more stuff, but seeing these channels with their $1,000 festool tools, planers, table saws etc makes it feel unachievable for a 30 year old, married father of 2. You make it achievable. Thanks.
If the log is heavier than your axe head, once the axe got stuck in the wood, split it by rotating your axe handle so the axe will hit first and the weight of the wood falling on the sharp edge of the axe will do the splitting.
That hidden wedge is brilliant. I've been looking for an entry-level mallet. I think this is it.
Woodsmen and bushcrafters call the striking of a blade with a stick "batoning". Its very common because to start a campfire, you need dry wood, and the skin of a branch will typically have more moisture in it. Find standing deadwood, cut a section of branch, and then baton it until you have a dry section from the heart of the branch to make tinder.
Love the hidden wedge.
Besides 20 years of residential cobbentry I am a history nut and I always thought about the tools that were used by Jesus's Dad, and the Vikings among others. Their knowledge and skill was not in just making there products. It had to start with how they made the tools they used to create their technology. I instantly subscribed after watching your plane tuning video. I learned so much. Keeping in mind that on most crews I worked with I was the only guy who kept a sharp set of chisels and a hand plane in his tool box. I grew up in a town with 300 year old houses Which in America meant they were built by common ordinary farmers who's other responsibilities included growing enough food to keep everyone from starving to death, and not being killed by the former residents who had major objections to your arrival, And yet people are sill living in the houses they built. Your videos connect me with that
The vast majority of American continent was uninhabited. There was only several million for the whole continent of the Americas.
The vast majority of the lands were settled with absolutely no conflict because there was nobody living on them.
We get this idea from movies and modern political activism that the place was swarming with people and it was a mass butchering.
Thanks for taking an approach that isn't pretentious. I love that.
I really like your videos. They have provided me with lots of information. Here's a tip I recently learned for when you are splitting a log with a small axe. Firmly set the axe with your "mallet". With the axe still set, invert the whole affair and swing/ drop the log and hatchet onto your block together as if you were driving a nail on the block with the flat face of the axe. The axe strikes first, stops against the block, then the weight and momentum of the log drives itself onto the axe working the split.
I love the bit brace, mine is from my grandfather, and it still works great after like 60 years of hard use.
Will probably work for 60 more!
"Woodworking For Humans" is perfect. Thank you for not getting sponsored, it would ruin the feel of your work imo. Your videos are the best in every way please just keep going in this same grove. I am a top Patreon member now and your site is the only one. I have a very large shop. I live in a 100+ year old church building out in the country. The former sanctuary is my shop with tons of free natural lighting, we converted the lower level into our living space, it is an earth contact building facing East. I am a retired fine furniture maker as well. it's a dream come true and very humbling. You the best Rex, the others should take note.
Wow, you just made my day. Really.
Rex, you are awesome! Great job on the project, and I really like the "accumulative" affect of building tools; start w/3, build the sandpaper stick, build the mallet, add a chisel or two, and you've got the capacity for even more detailed work. Well done!
Thanks very much. I future videos, I'll add some chisels and planes. We can do a lot with a little.
Woodwork For Humans!! Awesome!
I started with Woodworking for Mere Mortals.
I sense a theme in my video choice...
I'm a BIG fan of WWMM and I watch many of Steve's videos. I love his no-nonsense approach and quick results, but he's very power-tool focused and I think there's room for someone making approachable videos for beginners with the focus on cheaper and safer hand-tools.
In the nicest possible way, you're gonna attract archeologists to this series. You are highlighting a very basic, how and why of sticking bits of wood together. You could have called it 'wittling for big boys/girls'. Anyway, I'm fascinated, Rex, keep it coming!
Will do!
Genuinely love watching Rex's videos. He has such a fantastic outlook and attitude. You can tell he is very passionate about woodworking! Love it.
Thank you so much Rex! I've tried and failed at woodworking a few times in the past (granted I didn't do any research. just kind of winged it). Your beginner information is fantastic and the motivation I needed to give woodworking another shot!
Until I found your channel, I'd been meaning to get into woodworking for a long time but I always felt that I needed too many tools, space and skills... well, no more excuses!
As an arborist it just makes so much sense to me to get to know wood intimately and create some beautiful items out of trees that might end up in a wood chipper or a firewood pile.
So I finally made a small mallet following these instructions, using some black cherry from a firewood pile for the head, and for the handle I used a decent length of hophornbeam that was broken accidentally when felling borer-infested white ash in a nature park... it turned out GREAT, I love the solid, heavy feeling it has in my hand, and that tenon joint feels like it'll last a hundred years. I've got a piece of elm drying up to make a bigger one next :)
Thank you so much for all the work you put into these videos, it means a lot to me and no doubt to a lot of people who were afraid of actually trying their hand at woodworking.
That internal wedge is brilliant. Mind. Blown. Nicely done, sir.
That's very nice of you to say!
This is awesome, I just went out today sharpened up some old chisels and made this first project myself. Didnt think I had what was necessary to do any wood working but you've proved that to be false and encouraged me to complete my first project! Thanks!
I am teenager and I've always wanted to get into wood working, this video is gonna help me make my 1st real build by myself
Thanks
You can do it!
Just finished a mallet from old oak wheel chock and made the handle from mulberry branch I’ve had for years. Love it!
This is a great idea for a series. The two most-used handmade tools I have are my sanding block (oversized to take roll sandpaper & with an ergonomic handle) and my awl (old screwdriver in another large wooden handle). I could not find these in the shops in any durable quality unless they were also extremely uncomfortable to use, & the homemade versions are just great.
That's really interesting. I do some blacksmithing, so I've been thinking about making a series of awls to sell.
@@RexKrueger I mainly use mine for marking centres for accurate drilling in hardwood, rather than reaming, but they're such simple tools that they're easy to adapt to different tasks with just a bit of filing. I dislike throwing things away, & it's the perfect use for a worn out screwdriver, even if it's not made of the hardest metal.
I want to make one . Awesome.
Awesome video! I live in an old town with older trees falling down all the time in my neighbors yards. They cut up the fallen trees and leave the remnants by the curb for any takers. I agree with one of the previous comments...to split the wood that's larger that the wood piece start the split and turn wood and ax upside down together and let the weigh do the rest.
This series is awesome! Came across this video whilst looking for something to do during a rainy day and me and my son (4yo) made something similar out of some old off cuts in the shed with a chisel and saw, it looks like a bag of chips but hes stoked and has shown the entire family! Thanks again
I find your videos very easy to understand. Your delivery is excellent. I tried for years to teach my instructors delivering courses of instruction to keep the level of information where the students could understand the objective. You do a great job!!!! Tell me I hear you, show me I see you, I do then I know!!! WTG RX!
I do a fair amount of wood work and have a fully equipped workshop, but I have absolutely loved this series of videos so far and am making a mallet based off this design tomorrow. I haven't ever really used a hatchet but trying the simple round mortice and tenon was so much fun! Thanks for the great videos!
It's totally my pleasure!
I love your videos. I am a beginner and it let's me know that I don't need hundreds of dollars of tools to make functional things. Thank you for your content
Awesome direction for this series. Back to basics I think gets us back in touch with the actual properties of the materials we are using.... Great for me and great for kids to get them into making without sweating the details. 👍
If you're watching, a hatchet is totally okay for older kids. My daughter is 5, so I'm gonna wait a few more years.
@@RexKrueger yep. Boy 10 and girl 13. Imagining them as 5 year olds overconfident with an axe... I'd run. 😁
It's motivating for newbie and under budget woodworking lovers
Just a little hint, when splitting wood with an axe. Jam the axe in the wood, then flip it over so the axe is underneath. Then let the weight of the wood block do the work as you drop it onto a hard surface, axe head first.
I made one of these mallets this weekend and it came out great. I used a common 4x4 for the head and a maple branch for the handle just because it's what I had handy but I'm not too worried about the longevity because I only have a few drops of glue invested in it 😂
That wedge technique is genius.
Doing a lot with very little - something I've had to do most of my life and it's always a joy to see someone teach skills that help with this. Thank you. You've won over another subscriber. Now, could you help explain to my landlord that the offcuts of timber and metal I use aren't "useless junk that clutters up the yard" and really ARE parts for projects? Apparently seeing the finished products and seeing the pile grow and shrink with use isn't evidence that it's not a useless pile of rubbish (no, the rubbish actually goes in the bin)
You'll need a new landlord. I've been there.
Genius. ....i love the way u lock the handle to the head ....i finally learn something new today ....ty
Glad to be of service!
I just watched a video about that just a few days ago don't remember who's video but he did a cutaway so u could be how the wedge works. May have been paul sellers. U haven't watched his videos u should he is very good (sorry Rex). You have to admit he is excellent wood worker.
This is perfect for me. I'm really keen to get into woodworking and turning, but right now I don't have the room to set up a workshop. Also equipping a workshop and obtaining tools is expensive (I love the videos on how to start finding tools cheap too!).
This is a great video that will let me pick up a few pieces of wood and a few specific tools, and start creating.
Fantastic! I think you should get right to it!
I think I'll just get myself a chisel and use my rubber mallet though instead of testing my fate with a hatchet 😂
@@mentok9396 Don’t fear the hatchet; it’s a great and useful tool. Start slow and build your confidence. 🙂
The wedge holding the handle in is a very good idea! I wouldn't have thought of that. I'm gonna make a mallet similar to yours, but I have a hickory, store-bought handle. I'm gonna use this technique, thank you!
Good presentation. Old mechanic taught me that a wooden mallet transfers energy better against metal that metal against metal.
a good source for hard wood are tool handles.
you can buy them for reasonable prises at any old hardware store, but you can also use broken handles from larger tools to make handles for smaller ones.
Great advice! Also I am in love with your low tech, sustainable, approach. Knowledge is everything, tools is just a shortcut!
Rex, I really enjoy your attitude towards wood working. I purchased your book and bought a copy for my brother as well. This channel is one of my favorites. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your next video offering.
Hey Tom! Thanks a lot! I really appreciate you getting the book. It's a huge help!
This is series is such a great idea! I'm just starting out woodworking and don't have many tools & not a lot of space for tools anyway so this is perfect- Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Sweetness man. love the simple builds.
Thanks, James! I know I'm on the right track if you approve!
You guys should do another collab one day, would love to see that.
what do you think about bamboo?
@@LassetUnsSpielen Always happy to work with James. What do I think of bamboo? Um, I think my grandmother was good at growing it.
Ya he makes 2 people I watch now and the other is you lol
Elm is usually considered a fairly difficult wood to split, but that's good for a mallet. That's also why it was traditionally used for chair seats in England. Sadly it's getting rarer all the time.
They call this "Elm" but it's not like any other Elm I ever worked with. I don't think it's really Elm.
I’ve only used red elm but it also smelled pretty awful - I’d be curious if all elms smell bad and if it might indicate this Siberian stuff is a true elm. I like the simple tool idea and great video as always, thanks!
@@nicholaswright6892 I've worked with American elm, and I didn't think it smelled bad. Siberian elm is a genuine elm (Ulmus pumilio--"dwarf elm" in Latin) that was introduced in North America around the turn of the last century.
@@Cadwaladr "Dwarf elm? Really? The one this log came from was HUGE. Are they generally small?
@@RexKrueger it's funny, because there's a tree that's found in South America called lenga, which is a species of beech, Latin name Nothofagus pumilio. They get as big as any elm or oak tree I've ever seen, but it's apparently the dwarf.
I love this idea with only simle tools
Then I'll keep it going. Thanks for watching!
Nice! I’ve made similar mallets using green wood for the head, and seasoned dry wood for the handle. As the head dries out it lock the handle in. Some shellac on the end grain of the mallet face prevents checking, but I would build the mallet, then let it dry out over several months before use.
so this was the start!
what a great idea that you have executed correctly over the years
This series is exactly what I am looking for thanks for the info and video series Rex.
You were very clear, concise, and your idea of the wedge was great, causing me to understand better wood. I will make one of these tomorrow! and now I am a subscriber. thanx... also, a bare min. of tools is good because a lot of people can't afford big machines, etc. Hell, if I went out and bought those machines my wife would send me to the doghouse. So less is more and a lot of help to folks like me.
That's what I'm going for! Good luck with your mallet!
9:23 I've picked up good oak from the sidewalk myself. Used a table leg to make a sledgehammer handle.
Love this idea and love the series. I wish more people did more videos like this. I have lots of nice planes and big machines but there is nothin like grabbing a hatchet and carving a spoon or just making tools!! Love it man keep it up!!
Thanks so much!
Rex Krueger + Steve Ramsey = profit
I'm a big fan of Steve's, but I think we come at this from different directions.
@@RexKrueger Right. I like seeing it from both sides. Lots of videos to watch at work ;)
I watched these when they came out, but accidentally just started the series again. I'm halfway through reading Aldren Watson's Country Furniture, and these fit really nicely with that!
This and your rolling pin hammers inspired me to glue some oak pallet slats together to make a mallet. I’ll probably do a through and through tenon though since I don’t have wet and dry wood to combine I’ll use an oak 2x4 pallet runner to make the handle out of, wish me luck. Love your channel, keep up the great work.
Good luck! I hope I get to see it!
Rex Krueger I sent you a photo on messenger
Thank you for taking the time to make this series its right up my alley. I actually just bought your book i should have it tomorrow
Got myself a bit brace thanks to you. It's wonderful.
I'm really glad you like it!
I like the twist on the traditional joiners mallet, it ain't as portable but it also ain't half as fussy to make and looks super tough. I also like the idea of continuing this basic woodworking series. I feel like most people will have more tools to start out but its great to demonstrate this sort of functional, traditional woodworking that gets lost in the attention that fine woodworking receives. Sort of like what Chop with Chris does but a little more grounded in tradition, which is a good thing to have out there.
Awesome! I love Chris. His work is great. You're right in that this mallet isn't fancy (and I've made some fancy ones) but it is solid like a rock and honestly works just fine even for tapping a chisel.
@@RexKrueger yeah, it looks great. I know I've whacked a chisel with way worse in my life.
I can think of so much you can cover with this sort of video. There are so many traditional forms you can make that no one pays any attention to these days that would make fun projects.
@@scottm9605 Well, you have my attention. What else should I cover? I'm thinking about green woodworking and chair-making, but I'm open to suggestions.
@@RexKrueger all the many forms of stick chairs alone could make a cool series. I'm thinking of the antecedents to that famous shaker ladderback design with the rush seat in particular but there are so many others too like those 5 legged things with short backs you see in antique store some times and too many to mention. There are lots of tables you could do in a similar vein candle stands, side tables, heck even some of the old knock down or tilt top tables would be doable with these tools and would definitely be cool. I mean that's way cooler than some plastic card table and takes up about as much space.
You'd need to add a chisel and perhaps a plane to your arsenal but the old style cabinets and so called ubiquitous 6 board chests come in a dizzying variety and would be fun. This would also open up rabbeted and nailed box's of various sorts (tool totes, strong boxes, ETC). Give me time and I'm sure I could come up with more too.
@@scottm9605 No, that's a great list. I'm reviewing a cheap plane next week so, that will get us started on expanding the tool kit. I like that 6 board chest idea, but all your ideas are very good. Thanks!
My mallet was made from beech with apple tree handle from my garden
And it is doing its job
The Ax for woodwork is a very Eastern European approach, super cool!
Simply BRILLIANT.
Just a little note here, when I was a kid in England and we had fireplaces in our homes, my neighbours would chop wood and when they had to split a heavy log like the one you had, they would start the axe into the top of the the log, turn the whole thing upside down and bring it down on the chopping block. The weight of the log would drive down onto the axe head and split easily. You might want to try this. I do this myself.
Love the 'strap' vice hack.
Wow what a great video. Genius idea with the wedge!
So excellent, really nice work man! And your attitude about what you are doing is exactly what we need!
I'm really glad to hear that. If you have a specific thing you want me to make with limited tools, be sure and let me know!
Really cool mallet build.
Made my own using this video as a reference. It was fun, but carving the head out with a hatchet alot of work. I ended up carving the handle with a carving knife and it turned out great. That being said it was pretty fun and I know have a heavy functioning mallet I made out of scraps. So I am pretty excited.
Bricks also make very good files/rasps for woodworking.
Good stuff
I enjoyed this as much today as I did the first time I watched it a couple of years ago.
A trick from my dad: once your hatchet is stuck in for the initial split, you can turn the piece over and strike the hatchet on the block so that it goes *up* into the wood; this uses the weight of the block of wood to split itself.
That handle fixing method was very clever, great work!
Thanks!
If you ever get a chance to get to Boyas Excavating, you'd be amazed at the huge trees that get thrown out around this city.
Awesome video, as I was just beginning to make a mallet out of tree wood on my ranch. I really love the hidden wedge tip...👍
Hey neighbor, Lake County Ohio here! Great video!
It never clicked with me until now where the term "green" came from, when describing someone who's new to something.
I see you're green at knowing what green means
I totally like this "Back to the Basics" style of your videos.
Please more :)
Hey Rex, I love your videos. I know this is old news now, but using the same techniques, but a different orientation, I'd love to see you make a "Carver's Mallet" in pretty much the same manner. Now making it I'm sure will be a doddle, but shape choice and wood choice could be an interesting discussion. Cheers.
You're going up the tech tree. Eventually, you'll end up making a bandsaw Matthias Wandel style.
I've thought about it, but I really like my Grizzly. I DID make a lathe. There's a whole video series about it...
@@RexKrueger Make a treadle bandsaw!
@@RexKrueger hey i saw you trying to split that wood, if you flip it so that the blade is up and the wood is stuck to it, the actual weight of the wood will split itself.
"Last week, you'll remember we melted down sand to make our own silicon wafers, and hand-etched a 6502 microprocessor using the marking knife we made in episode 12. Today, we're going to use our hand-made soldering iron to build a CNC machine!"
Just found your channel. I'm in Painesville Ohio and limited on tools so your channels perfect for what I'm looking at. I want a bench for bowl carving.
This video was great, thank you! I really like the idea you're going with for this series.
Thank you for reminding me to the basics. Greets from germany.
thank you verymuch sir! Im just getting started with woodworking and I dont have alot of money to spend on tools, this video gave me alot of confidence that i can build something with only a few tools! hope to see more of your vids with limited tools! =)
I have plenty. Just click the Woodwork for Humans playlist!
Nice job/ nice orientation for future projects = extremely satisfying to watch
Wow i do like the way you had shown us how easy way to make tools thanks
Thanks very much!
It's probably obvious, and maybe you mentioned it and I missed it: The faces of the mallet should be slightly angled compared to the axis of the handle. When you hit e.g. a chisel with the mallet, the head travels in an arc, the goal is to have the face of the mallet's head hit the chisel flat. The correct angle depends on the point you grip the handle at. For a heavy-duty chisel with a longer handle, the angle will be very shallow, while a light duty chisel you might hold close to the head, the angle will be more pronounced.
Love the series - wish it had been available when I first got started, but I have a guy interested in getting started. Will send him over.
That's fantastic! Thanks a lot!
You can make a huge number of wood projects using only a drill, a hatchet, and a handsaw. In fact, you could do without the saw or the hatchet, and make do with only one plus the drill, if you didn’t have both. You could also make a crude drill, if you had to, but that’s probably outside the scope of these videos.
Agreed, but that might be fun anyway.
Beautiful mallet, wonderfully built!
If I may add a note about handles though (for those who may not be familiar) - always make sure the end grain of the handle is perpendicular to the striking face. If it's parallel with the striking face, that handle won't be long for this world.
A very good point. I'm so used to doing it that way that I didn't even mention it.