oversized joiner's mallet

Here's something I made when I was riving a bunch of oak and needed a better way to drive the froe. I patterned it after a typical English joiner's mallet, since I like using one for driving chisels, but scaled it up to suit the task. It's made from home-center construction lumber (laminated 3x for the head). The handle is a tapered friction-fit, and it has leather on one face. I like the square face because it allows you to swing hard and get a solid hit even if you are a couple inches off the mark.

Best used outdoors

If you want to make one of these, you need a 2x6, a saw, a jackplane, a hatchet, drawknife, spokeshave, glue, and clamps. Oh, and about an hour (plus glue drying time).

A square look at the trapezoidal head.