I found it interesting. Thanks.I turned a carvers mallet out of some rather wet oak a view years ago. There is a pith on both ends and so far it hasn't split. I put on a bit of raw linseed oil now and then and that really seems to help. It doesn't see much use.
I have a 4lb round 'bell' shape lignum mallet on an ash handle. It is about 4 3/4 diameter x 4 5/8 and was given to me in the '70s by a retired stonemason who had owned it for some 50 years. It is absolutely sound in use despite a few checks that he said 'were always there' he had it made from a 'dolly' that was threaded onto a rope with a lead ball behind it, and was used in the 19th century to round out and pull through buried lead pipes to 're-form' them after trenches were backfilled or ground had settled. The lead [attached to the rope] was used back and forth, in much the same way as a slide hammer, to drive the lignum form through. The lignum is plenty hard enough to use on 'mallet' or 'cup' headed chisels for carving work in relatively soft stone.
Excellent video. Both Argentine and Genuine LV are under CITES appendix II since some years ago, so trade is limited, they are very similar in properties and density and actually you will only be able to differentiate them looking at the end grain under a microscope. Argentine (Bulnesia xxx) is slightly softer than genuine (Guaiacum xxx) both are in the janka hardness scale at 16.520 and 19.510N. Excellent woods to build up anything you want to last forever
@@MrHarvard88 Agreed, lovely woods...I was lucky enough to buy a significant qtty. which was imported in my country 40 years ago...now finding these sizes is impossible...
