Mallet for hanging axe heads

I needed to cobble together another dedicated mallet solely for hanging axe and hatchet heads after cracking my great grandfather's.

i hit the parts bins to put this new mallet together.

first a 2"x2"5.5" block of bubinga left over from an extreme croquet mallet build

and

an old hickory hammer handle kept from a hammer restoration.

i cleaned and sanded the handle.

i will put enough grit into it with time, plus i wanted open up the pores a bit for a good soaking with long oil. the handle was in excellent shape and i wanted to keep it that way.

i "ovalized" the handle's wood that will enter the eye and cut a slit for the wedge.

for the head, i drilled in a blind mortise joint. 

the grain of the wood is very nice and i wanted to keep wood visually uninterrupted with a joint.

the bottom of the mortise is a bit wider so when the handle is pounded in, the wedge will spread out creating a very reliable joint.

joined, painted and oiled this tool is ready for action!