From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Mathieu_Ren=E9?= <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca>
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:00:32 -0500
Subject: [Puptcrit] Woodworking: mallets and vises?


Hi all.
I am nearly complete getting a basic tool kit for starting my marionette.

Although my philosophy is to work with what I have as much as possible, 
there is a minimal amount of tools one needs to learn a new technique. 
Simplification comes later.

I am missing a mallet, and a way to make a more silent use of it while the 
wood is on a vise.

For the mallet, so far, a large hardwood table leg (round) seems to do the 
trick. But I don't know how well it will turn out to be, over long work 
periods. It's a bit lightweight, which seems good for subtle work, but not 
as good for roughing in.  Any suggestions? What wood would you recommend for 
making a good mallet?
Is a round mallet better than flat, or does each have its advantage?
Would a rawhide mallet (sold as a leatherworking tool) work for wood 
carving?

A friend of mine has an antique pure lead round mallet. It absorbs the shock 
like nothing else. I don't think you can get one of those nowadays. I'm not 
about to melt lead at home either.


Vise:
I have one, but it's installed on my workbench, and that's the problem.
 My large workbench is all maple, and conducts the hammering sounds too 
well, into the appartment's hardwood floors, and probably disturbs the 
neighbors (never had complaints, I rarely work on it, and only daytime, for 
this reason). I'll try adding some rubber between the vise and the bench, 
and perhaps underneath the legs, if I can manage to lift that monster. It's 
all my fault, I asked my father, years ago, for a workbench that wouldn't 
budge. He got some scraps of massive maple and built me one. Thanfully, it 
can be dissasembled!

I am thinking about installing my vise on something else, although I don't 
have another piece of appropriate furniture yet. Except my sculptor's 
trestle (the Mabef trestle I wrote about a few months back, I love it for 
modeling clay work)). It's not that much more silent when impacted, and I 
don't think it was designed for that kind of repeated impact. I'll check 
into it.
In the meantime, I could find a second wooden speaker and screw it to the 
one I have, for a proper height.
If I fill it with foam (which I have plenty of) and add a rubber padding 
underneath, it might just work.

Another idea I had is to install the vise onto a board that would be 
designed to sit on my lap. I don't yet know how to stabilize that. Maybe a 
sand bag bottom?

As usual, I'd appreciate any input.

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