{"id":210,"date":"2008-11-18T03:44:53","date_gmt":"2008-11-18T07:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/?p=210"},"modified":"2008-11-18T03:44:53","modified_gmt":"2008-11-18T07:44:53","slug":"chop-till-you-drop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/18\/chop-till-you-drop\/","title":{"rendered":"Chop ’till you drop?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I was long accustomed to using a classic joiner\u2019s mallet to strike my chisels when I started using this brass mallet last year. It is a “Tite-Hammer” made by Glen-Drake Tools<\/a>\u00a0with a 14 ounce brass head and an ergonomic handle<\/strong> that must be held to be appreciated.<\/p>\n

The wooden joiner\u2019s mallet requires a large commitment of forearm movement and significant shoulder muscle involvement. This delivers the necessary punch when chopping a mortise with a heavy duty mortise chisel. However, for chopping dovetail waste and similar joinery tasks, a modest wrist movement with the Glen-Drake hammer<\/strong> easily supplies enough power. It\u2019s somewhat like\u00a0deftly tossing a crumpled ball of paper into a waste basket a few feet away, keeping the elbow low. This motion is less tiring and more efficient, especially when working in a seated position, which is generally how I like to chop dovetails. The <\/strong>mostly wrist action<\/strong> is also a better way to produce controlled, delicate tapping on a chisel without tensing the shoulders. This all makes a valuable contribution to my ease and endurance in the shop.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are additional features<\/strong> of this tool. Since it occupies a only a small space on the bench, it is easily placed down and retrieved close to the work. The brass head<\/strong> is relatively kind to edge tools. I like the flat face of the head for chopping, while the rounded face comes in handy for other tasks such as tapping together joints.<\/p>\n

When I pick up this unassuming tool, it feels like it is just growing out of my hand.<\/strong> The contours of this tool must have been designed, not at a drafting table, but with trial and error, a rasp, and learned hands. It is assembled with a nifty wedged through-tenon and a brass pin through the head. It\u2019s simple<\/a> and works beautifully, so, yeah, it\u2019s my kinda tool.<\/p>\n

I find the 14 ounce, the largest of four available sizes<\/strong>, packs a good wallop but is easily maneuverable with a light touch and does not tire me at all. I do not have a personal or financial interest in the company; my recommendation is based on personal experience and presented for the benefit of my fellow woodworkers.<\/p>\n

I will continue to laud some of my favorite tools <\/strong>on this blog, particularly if I think they are not well known or are underappreciated.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was long accustomed to using a classic joiner\u2019s mallet to strike my chisels when I started using this brass mallet last year. It is a “Tite-Hammer” made by Glen-Drake Tools\u00a0with a 14 ounce brass head and an ergonomic handle that must be held to be appreciated. The wooden joiner\u2019s mallet requires a large commitment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tools-and-shop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210\/revisions\/214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}