How To Make A Froe Mallet

Softlight 110899 by susan gardener from the.

How to make a froe mallet. Its a rustic mallet that im not afraid to abuse hitting a lump of steel. The basket maker positioned the froe against the cut oak tree and then tapped it with the mallet to carefully remove the trees precious heartwood. Its likely a little big and i could cut some off the handle and the head to make it easier to wield but i also like the weight and heft when i knock the back of the froe with it. To make a froe use a leaf spring you can weld on an eye by heating the stock and using e 7018 rods.

Smooth over all sharp edges of the handle using a belt andor random orbital sander. The blade is struck with a wooden mallet or club and the handle is used to apply leverage to the blade and split the wood. Use a wooden mallet as opposed to a hammer on the froe. If you want to rive split your own lumber from green logs and you want to use wooden splitting gluts wedges i use metal and wood together then you should make a larger version of the froe mallet which i simply call a large wooden log riving mallet.

This mallet has a tung oil finish. The mallet and froe were used together. Make a curved cut on each of the handles four sides to make it a comfortable fit in your hand. Simple quick and easy to make.

Ill just have to make another uglier mallet. I couldnt find one for a reasonable price so i made this mallet. This is how i make a wooden mallet for use with a froe or just generally in the workshop. Fortunately we have been able to get sam bat the famous ottawa firm that makes bats for over 130 baseball pros to make mallets for us from pro grade overweight blanks too heavy to meet the weight limitations of.

After the wood had been removed it was ready to be flat split or pulled through a basket makers die. Froe users often make their own mallets from green hardwood partly because it is inexpensive and partly because a good commercial froe mallet has not been available before. Traditionally froes were forged in a blacksmith shop but i decided to build a modern froe out of flat bar steel a steel pipe and a wooden handle. After your forge or grind the rdge heat treat like any tooling.

Make a froe mallet and large log riving mallet if you want to use a froe to split green wood then you should make a froe mallet. The materials are oak old futon frame and walnut scraps. Problem is i havent used it because i dont want to beat it up. Ive made a mallet specifically for use with my froe.

When using a froe its nice to have a good heavy mallet.