Full Extreme Croquet set with Posts

A full set of 6 extreme croquet mallets heading off to Canada.

To hell with cookie cutter sets and tools:

There is always some variety when making each mallet. i absolutely prefer to treat each one as its own unit and although they all have the same 2x2 stripe theme, each one is slightly different in height, girth and weight. on top of that there are three hardwoods represented here in the head: bubinga, paduak and one fish scale oak head.

each striker is as unique as the player controlling them.

 with a set of mallets it is only natural to fullfill the buyers request for a set of posts that reflect their colors.

I am particularly drawn to those century past posts that are decoratively turned.

it this case i had 2 nice oak table legs that had some interesting detail. I simply rasped and sanded into final shape. painted and clear coated a finish. and finally drilled out a hole in the top to place a flag if the game director so desires.

individually wrapped and tied firmly together with some remnants from a quilt a family member made for me. after this photo i attached the walls and the top of the crate, packed in more bubble wrap and then fit into a large box.

there is a reward in finishing any project

but

i must admit a full set is something special!

Making bullet pencil erasers

Bullet pencils are one of the best easy to carry writing tools out there: compact, pocket friendly, easy to adapt to your favorite pencil and a very smart design.

after time though a bit of maintenance will be needed and fortunately this is very easy to do.

in this particular post i am just going to describe one way to replace the eraser.

before i start though, i would like to say that bullet pencils are made to make notes on the spot and not the best design for prolonged writing sessions. with that said, i rarely use the eraser. for such "quick" note taking i usually just cross out the mistake and keep going 

but

every now and then the erasers will need to be replaced.

i use a simple extrusion method that involves a brass tube and an eraser block of your choosing.

1.  the brass tube can be purchased at any hardware store for just a few dollars. with a hand file just taper one end to a sharp edged circle.

2. just push the brass tube through the eraser block.

making a bullet pencil eraser: using the extrusion method

3. when the eraser plug is extruded it will come out as a slight hourglass shape. this shape will need to be controlled before inserting into the bullet pencils ferrule. first i cut a little bit off the end to decrease the severity of the hourglass shape, then use a rubbery tape to compress the end. electricians tape is great for this purpose because it can be pulled very tightly around the eraser plug. 

4.  at this time the eraser plug with the electrical tape compressed end will still be wider than the inner diameter of the bullet pencil's ferrule. this will allow for a very snug fit. this is important so it doesn't move around when actually using the eraser. the tape not only compresses the end but will also strengthen the eraser so it doesn't break when cramming it into the pencil. also, if you do decide to add a pin through the ferrule into the eraser the tape will help keep the integrity of the eraser. 

making a bullet pencil eraser: controlling the hourglass shape of the extruded eraser

erasers aren't just erasers anymore, there are options (and smart ones at that).

my 3 main erasers that i use it the Black Factis, the hi-polymer pentels, and the Pink Pearl. i will say though that the Black Factis is my favorite. the black color doesn't look as crappy after being used and fits better aesthetically to a bullet pencil. darker colors fit better with dirty jobs. bullet pencils are designed to be out in the field getting dirty, writing on dirty paper. 

making a bullet pencil eraser: black factis is my favorite, but the hi-polymer and pink pearls are excellent options too

5. my final step in the eraser is to slightly taper in the eraser into a truncated cone. this shape holds up to erasing the a straight cylinder. also goes in and out of the pocket easier. 

making a bullet pencil: a quick sanding so the eraser tapers into a truncated cone

while ignoring everything i have just said,

i do have a couple bullet pencils that i use pencil end erasers with. these are my shop or truck pencils. ones that i may need to use an eraser a bit more and i don't want to carry around a click eraser 

(actually a big fan of click erasers).

pencil end erasers also come in options, the two i have here are the easiest to get. the one on the left is the small variety that can be found at any general store. these tend to do an ok job erasing (just ok), but they do have a sleek profile. the one on the right can be purchased at an art store (we have a dick blick in town so that is where i got these). these are the pink pearls of pencil end erasers. they do a superior job of erasing and have thick walls (heavy duty, takes a beating).

making a bullet pencil eraser: using pencil end erasers

making the post for this only takes a few minutes. below is a well beat up one that i made some years ago. i start with a stock hardwood dowel and sand down until it very tightly fits the i.d. of the bullet pencil's ferrule. i make quick work of this by sanding with a 1" belt sander. the key to this is to frequently check the fit during sanding. when this fit is nice and tight no pins or epoxies will be needed.

one this fit is complete, cut off the dowel long enough to hold the pencil end eraser. from here it is back to the sander to decrease the diameter of the post so it can hold the eraser securely. the post can not be to thick here because it will stretch out the eraser and it will break more easily when being used.

making a bullet pencil eraser: showing off the wood plug that will accommodate the pencil end eraser 

at the end here, i would like to add that i am sure that there are many good ways to make a bullet pencil eraser.  i have found that these two ways work VERY WELL for me.

i hope they do for you too.

2013 Independence day extreme croquet

Here we go!

lochlann sets off the opening ceremony smoke bomb

i start the game with a BOOM!

lewis punches through with a KAPOW!!

Croquet from saturday

Continuing the summer extreme croquet competition: 

nobles vs mattsons

wifey admiring my croquet shot

keeping the beer out of the line of fire while i take a shot.

where to put the beer when shooting is always the question.

Croquet 2.20.13

We had a large fire burning and the ash falling was competing with dots of snow falling at times.

M vs N

only made one game and it was about 90 minutes long.

if we cant get away the we make local the court.

(home)

we keep the first from the post wickets taller and make it present with a flag.

increased visibility.

wicket 1 flying strong!

43 degrees, cigar and trews ready for action!

team noble inked a tough win.

Uncrate instructions

A shipping crate is about as utilitarian as an object gets

however 

there is something about those old style wood crates with different types of identifiers adhered to, printed on or imprinted into the skin.

i have made an attempt to give an impression of the older "cratesque" look.

Each crate i make is made for the particular tool that is to be housed in it

but

the extreme croquet mallets, axes and hatchets have the same overall design (for now anyway).

crate opening instructions

with one side of the crate being hinged, the opening tabs only needed to be located on the opposite side.

there are two types of tabs to unlatch.

one tab is wood with a screw fastener

and 

the second is a leather tab that fits over a small latch nail.

this side shows the two types of latch tabs. 

the first step is to remove the screw in this wood tab.

wood crate tab with the screw fastened

the other step is to lift the leather tab up and over the small latch nail.

there is a hole punched into the leather and it will come off easily when lifted and pulled out.

one does not want to remove the nail. the nail will allow you to re-latch the crate at any time. 

leather crate tab

Allen mallet in shipping crate

The final steps before heading off to the shippers.

mummified in the first layer of wrappings.

 by the time i am done with the packing this mallet will be able to withstand the most abusive of couriers.

mallet tomb,

no it is a 

mallet womb.

Preparing the shipping crates

Preparing 1 mallet crate for shipping to Brooklyn and 2 hatchet crates to put on ETSY.

 adhering the crate flash signifies the near completion of the tool's restoration process. 

at each step i do critique however their is an enjoyable weight to the end. one that finalizes the entire experience.

a final moment to review the new life of an established tool.

adhering the paper flash on the crates:

first is to attach the tool care instructions on the inner lid.

after a layer of adhesive i lay a small square of ply over the top for equal weight distribution, then some weight over the top of that. in this case i am using double bit axe heads.

after the photo i laid the top square and double bit over the peeking paper.

paper flash: glued, and sandwiched with weight.

weighted down until glue sets

 the next flash is the vertical name 

and 

the crate opening instructions.

for weight on the hatchet crates i multitasked the actual hatchets that will soon be housed inside.

there are plenty of axe & hatchet heads around the house to use as weights in this house.

next step is to make some thought rockets and then either ship or photograph for posting.

Extreme croquet mallet shipping packaging

Shipping is the last and final detail before passing on the product to another.

the thought that goes into this last step should be as thoughtful as the conception of the idea. even if improvements are constantly made where one is at should be best with the ability at the time.

the outer shipping crate

inside shipping crate

first level of padding

 there is enough padding that the mallet will not move at all inside the crate.

closed with shipping screw attached to wooden tab and 2 leather tabs

closed firmly, opening only involves the removal of the screw from the wooden tab and lifting the two leather tabs over the small latch nails.

Extreme Croquet Mallet Care - first draft

First Draft - still missing something, but not sure what it is yet.

Mallets descending the stairs

Into the basement. one of the last free spaces in the house.

First mallet posted on etsy: green one stripe with padauk head and American hickory helve. looks fast.

HANGING THE EXTREME CROQUET MALLET HEAD

Noble Ignitus Extreme Croquet Mallets: 

a few photos to show the process of hanging (attaching to the helve) the mallet head.

a 11 3/4" fishtail oak mallet head

I prepared the mortise by first boring out the main cavity.

A detail of the boring.

The cavity gives access to hand rasp the mortise walls. Only rasping by hand allows me to make the small adjustments needed to best mirror the tenon. A tight fit will make a perfect wood joint.

The bottom of the mortise is a bit wider than the top. This will allow the tenon to spread when I drive the wedge into it. 

The hand rasping also has the benefit of leaving little tooth marks. These very small grooves will increase the surface area of gluing contact and thereby creating a stronger bond.

Each mortise and tenon joint is a bit different. It all depends on the tenon shape and the grain of the wood being used for the mallet. 

I do not even worry about how many times I dry fit the joint before I am finished. I can say it is a lot!

A perfect fit.

I only use high quality waterproof glue. I apply the glue to the inside of the mortise, the outside of the tenon and on the wedge itself. 

The wedge is made of a softer wood and when wetted (with glue) is softened up a bit more. This will allow the wedge to really form fit into the tenon.

This mallet is ready for final sanding and then for some flash.

As the pictures demonstrate, there is NO way this head can come off the helve. The mallet is both mortised and tenon secure with the addition of waterproof glue. 

Thank you,

noble

EXTREME CROQUET MALLETS

First batch of extreme croquet mallets ready for the etsy shop that doesn't quite exist yet.