Re: [flasah] How to use a maul in leather work.
----- Original Message -----From: windyySent: Saturday, September 05, 2009 1:15 PMSubject: [flasah] How to use a maul in leather work.Okay,
I am lost on this one. You are telling me that
a leather mallet is not to be used like a hammer?
I figure from what you say it should be used like
a maul.How is one suppose to use a maul.Not the
way you use a maul when sculpting rock or wood
carving I presume.Do they come with instructions
when you buy one?
WINDY
> GB
>
> The use of a maul over a mallet or stamping stick is one of preference
> but is also based on the facts you supplied.
> But.....
> The sweet spot exist not only on round surfaces but also flat. A
> hammer and nail is a perfect example.
> Don't hit the sweet spot and you'll bend the nail or as I found out
> one summer as a kid hammering skids together
> in a paper mill, send the nail flying across the room. Leather stamps
> have known to fly from both surfaces - thumbs and work are in danger
> as well..
> If you have played cricket you would know that if you are off the
> sweet spot by just a fraction that the torque on the handle and
> therefore your wrists is
> incredible, many times worse than a round bat. That's why you see so
> many blocks and deflections played instead of them knocking the ball
> for sixes (home run in cricket}.
> I would like to finally add that most people whom I have observed and
> corrected starting leatherwork in fact use the mallet incorrectly as
> they would a hammer
> and therefore cause potential damage physical damage to their hands
> and wrists long term..
> I was one of those when I started and switched to a maul to correct
> the problem. I find with the maul I hold it in my hand closer to the
> striking surface and use my wrist only.
> I usually agree with you analytical comments but I don't think you
> quite hit the nail on the head with this one!
>
> Paul
> On 5-Sep-09, at 7:07 AM, GB wrote:
>
> >
> > Mauls are a bad design in terms of having control over hitting your
> > stamping tools. They have an incredibly narrow sweet spot. A design
> > aspect for which there is no corresponding offset in advantage
> > EXCEPT that it can be made on a lathe.
> >
> > A sweet spot is the area on a striking instrument where a slight
> > misapplication of the hit does not affect the outcome enough to
> > matter.
> >
> > The last two persons who took beautiful wood and their wood lathe
> > changed the design ( made the striking surface on a tangent from the
> > longitudinal axis ) of the mauls to make them even worse than the
> > ones in the Tandy catalog for use on leather stamping tools.
> >
> > They have made mauls which require the entire arm from the shoulder
> > down to move in order to produce a strike 90 degrees from the long
> > axis of the stamping tool...( and that is in addition to the long
> > and NARROW sweet spot.
> >
> > This is the type of head design used by wood workers ( except many
> > are smart enough to use a square head ) and stone masons... where
> > harder blows and the use of the entire arm is appropriate AND needed.
> >
> > This is not what you want in a stamping stick...
> >
> > I have been gathering examples and composing a larger answer to this
> > situation for a while now... since that first maul a couple of
> > months ago... it was beautiful wood and craftsmanship... but just
> > not what a leatherworker needs for stamping leather.
> >
> > This same discussion has a larger sports example... the difference
> > between Baseball and Cricket.... the first is EXCITING because you
> > are using a round ball and a round bat...
> > the second uses a round ball and a flat bat...
> >
> > But you DO NOT WANT exciting when you are striking your stamping
> > tools... you want control and ease of use with regards to the
> > ergonomics .... this means that you should only have to use your
> > wrist ....not your entire arm as with this maul design to get a
> > square hit... and not even your entire forearm as with the
> > traditional mallet...
> >
> > Most of you know I do not complain about things which I can not
> > offer a better answer for... and this is another example of
> > that..but I am sorry I did not speak up when this first came
> > up...and I have sent emails to some who I know got these designs
> > apologizing for not addressing it as soon as I should have.
> >
> > My father used the same stamping stick for about 50 years.... until
> > it just fell apart and I made him a new one.. also out of Oak... he
> > had made the first one from some tool handle... with lead weight in
> > the end....
> >
> > I wrote about it about 1991 in the Leather Craftsman Journal with
> > the two Cardinals on the front.... I don't know which issue....
> >
> > It is ALL about sweet spot and being kind to your body. You may
> > make millions of taps on your stamping tools over a lifetime and
> > anything you can to do ease the strain of the repetitive motion
> > should be considered before the damage is done...
> >
> > Or the other side is having regular 'exciting' stamping
> > experiences but with mishits showing up on your work....
> >
> > Golf club designers spend millions of dollars trying to widen the
> > sweet spot on their clubs..
> > How do they do that ? By placing weights as close to the backside
> > of the striking head AND spread out as far as possible on the club.
> >
> > This is the same principle incorporated in my father's stamping
> > stick design... and I will gather up the pictures of these various
> > things and post them.
> >
> > One interesting fact that some of you may have picked up on... is
> > the answer Polar Bear gave to someone in sorta discussing his
> > mauls... he said something like ' an acquired taste'..... so I know
> > he also knows there was a basic problem extant.
> > Everyone who has a chance to try a maul of any design free should
> > do that.. just as with the Rubyat blades... which I will address as
> > soon as I get the time and the irrational bashing has slowed down.
> >
> > But this weekend I am pruning pine trees.
> >
> > Gregory B. Moody
> > Daddysrulesleathercraft at Yahoo Groups
> > DRules999 on youtube soon...
> >
> >
> > --- On Fri, 9/4/09, jacksons002 <jacksons002@...> wrote:
> >
> > From: jacksons002 <jacksons002@...>
> > Subject: [flasah] Al Stohlman Mauls as carried by Tandy
> > To: flasah@yahoogroups.com
> > Date: Friday, September 4, 2009, 9:02 PM
> >
> >
> > Hi All . . .
> >
> > There has been much written about MAULS. I don't remember reading
> > whether or not the Al Stohlman mauls were recommended by any of our
> > members. What say you?
> >
> > Stan
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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