Homemade Mallets

[teh_Guardian]

yeah mine are gone too. when i first started i practiced so much that my skin got rubbed REALLY raw, bad enough that it was nearly impossible to play.

That's the worst.

Be a man, it never becomes nearly impossible to play.

What a great way to completely destroy your hands by the time your 30...

[crzychzwngs]

So, im having trouble finding mallet cores.

I've read online pages multiple times about getting a rubber ball knob but using those keywords, I find nothing but plastic. And they all have some metal threading in the bottom of it. I've seen rubber door stops cut down to a cylinder shape work though...

Besides all of that, What are some good cores and where can i find them?

I have all the other materials, but I haven't made one mallet yet

[teh_Guardian]

So, im having trouble finding mallet cores.

I've read online pages multiple times about getting a rubber ball knob but using those keywords, I find nothing but plastic. And they all have some metal threading in the bottom of it. I've seen rubber door stops cut down to a cylinder shape work though...

Besides all of that, What are some good cores and where can i find them?

I have all the other materials, but I haven't made one mallet yet

Try getting one of those super bounce balls you played with in elementary school.

Grab a drill and bore a small hole halfway through.




(might not be best usage of 'bore,' but that's an awesome word.)

[Hertaz]

So, im having trouble finding mallet cores.

I've read online pages multiple times about getting a rubber ball knob but using those keywords, I find nothing but plastic. And they all have some metal threading in the bottom of it. I've seen rubber door stops cut down to a cylinder shape work though...

Besides all of that, What are some good cores and where can i find them?

I have all the other materials, but I haven't made one mallet yet

Rubber stoppers. From lowes or a hardware store. They're in the "Hard to find" part of hardware. They're more expensive than rubber balls (running about 2 dollars each) But they're in a perfect shape already. And they have a really nice weight to them.

[crzychzwngs]

Try getting one of those super bounce balls you played with in elementary school.

Grab a drill and bore a small hole halfway through.




(might not be best usage of 'bore,' but that's an awesome word.)[/quote]

I find your usage of the word bore to be acceptable. ahahaha haven't heard it in a while.
bore's new synonym is now r@pe. js

anywho,
does a wad of electrical tape work too? and i heard that those balls fall apart easily n stuff and that they were too bouncy.

is this true?

[crzychzwngs]

Try getting one of those super bounce balls you played with in elementary school.

Grab a drill and bore a small hole halfway through.




(might not be best usage of 'bore,' but that's an awesome word.)

I find your usage of the word bore to be acceptable. ahahaha haven't heard it in a while.
bore's new synonym is now r@pe. js

anywho,
does a wad of electrical tape work too? and i heard that those balls fall apart easily n stuff and that they were too bouncy.

is this true?

[crzychzwngs]

So, im having trouble finding mallet cores.

I've read online pages multiple times about getting a rubber ball knob but using those keywords, I find nothing but plastic. And they all have some metal threading in the bottom of it. I've seen rubber door stops cut down to a cylinder shape work though...

Besides all of that, What are some good cores and where can i find them?

I have all the other materials, but I haven't made one mallet yet

Rubber stoppers. From lowes or a hardware store. They're in the "Hard to find" part of hardware. They're more expensive than rubber balls (running about 2 dollars each) But they're in a perfect shape already. And they have a really nice weight to them.

i have some stoppers. is it ok that the sides are angled? or should i shape them to be straight... and what size is best? cuz they come in assorted sizes.

[Hertaz]

So, im having trouble finding mallet cores.

I've read online pages multiple times about getting a rubber ball knob but using those keywords, I find nothing but plastic. And they all have some metal threading in the bottom of it. I've seen rubber door stops cut down to a cylinder shape work though...

Besides all of that, What are some good cores and where can i find them?

I have all the other materials, but I haven't made one mallet yet

Rubber stoppers. From lowes or a hardware store. They're in the "Hard to find" part of hardware. They're more expensive than rubber balls (running about 2 dollars each) But they're in a perfect shape already. And they have a really nice weight to them.

i have some stoppers. is it ok that the sides are angled? or should i shape them to be straight... and what size is best? cuz they come in assorted sizes.

It's better that they come angled. Make the narrow end the top of the mallet. I find that 1 & 3/8 x 1 & 3/16 x 1 work great. They just cant be the really thin ones.

[crzychzwngs]

Rubber stoppers. From lowes or a hardware store. They're in the "Hard to find" part of hardware. They're more expensive than rubber balls (running about 2 dollars each) But they're in a perfect shape already. And they have a really nice weight to them.

i have some stoppers. is it ok that the sides are angled? or should i shape them to be straight... and what size is best? cuz they come in assorted sizes.

It's better that they come angled. Make the narrow end the top of the mallet. I find that 1 & 3/8 x 1 & 3/16 x 1 work great. They just cant be the really thin ones.

aight sweet. thank you good sir.

[Hertaz]

No prob man.

[mmafighterchick]

just got some wood heads, ad some dowels that are around the size of mytwo vic firth mallets. I'll prob san the edges. the only kinds ofwood heads had either a insanely small hole, a huge one, and a kinds small one. already pissed off by trying to sand it. gonna break out a drill or whatev we hav in a sec to make the whole bigger.

THERE IS NO YARN EASILY FOUND THAT IS COTTON!!!! I went wit pink acrylic yarn. lol. I'll upate ya'll soon.

[nickstix91]

Re-wrapped Giff Howarth mallets...I like the sound better now then when they were new haha

[Pgilreath1]

I am extremely glad I found this, because I have been neeeding new mallets for a while, but now because of y'all, I can save money and have something to do until band starts back!!! Thanks guys!!

[adtyson]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who wraps their own mallets. I went through college with my self sealed mallets... The more you do it the easier it because and you can get the exact sound you want from the instrument... next you guys have to try making timpani mallets.

[Hertaz]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who wraps their own mallets. I went through college with my self sealed mallets... The more you do it the easier it because and you can get the exact sound you want from the instrument... next you guys have to try making timpani mallets.

Teach me.

[vibraphoneian]

Man, that felt can get pricey... Just make sure to go in with a few friends on a sheet.

[cunninghamkid]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who wraps their own mallets. I went through college with my self sealed mallets... The more you do it the easier it because and you can get the exact sound you want from the instrument... next you guys have to try making timpani mallets.

THIS I want to learn.

Also here is the first pair that I have wrapped (well the first good pair that is)




By the time I'm done I should have two sets of four mallets, one set on 3/8 inch dowels and one set on 5/16 inch dowels.

[lij2015]

Got all the supplies, time to start working! Once I get the holes drilled... haha

[nickstix91]

Heres a Tam-Tam mallet that I recently finished:

[nickstix91]

What do you guys use for the core of your marimba mallets? I want a hard rubber type material, then to wrap it with a layer of slightly softer rubber before wraping it with yarn...

But Idk where to get those materials

[abts]

What do you guys use for the core of your marimba mallets? I want a hard rubber type material, then to wrap it with a layer of slightly softer rubber before wraping it with yarn...

But Idk where to get those materials

Total self-promotion, but I have a few different cores for sale (as well as latex tubing, shafts, etc.) for sale here. I have a couple of cores that are currently a prototype, and those should be added in the next couple weeks.

I do all of the mallets on the web site myself, so feel free to ask any questions on here or send me an email (cindy@abtsmallets.com)

[nickstix91]

Total self-promotion, but I have a few different cores for sale (as well as latex tubing, shafts, etc.) for sale here. I have a couple of cores that are currently a prototype, and those should be added in the next couple weeks.

I do all of the mallets on the web site myself, so feel free to ask any questions on here or send me an email (cindy@abtsmallets.com)

Thanks, but I'm really looking to save myself more money by making my own mallets and your prices for the core materials are just a little high for me to try and save as much money as I can. (Which I understand, you have to make a profit) I already know how to wrap mallets and what yarn I like to use, and have a place to get birch dowels for the mallet shafts. I'll keep experimenting with some different core materials, I will be interested in those prototype cores you mentioned though. Very nice website.

[littlesnareboy]

hey guys, few questions

1. How many wraps would you recommend for a medium-hard general mallet? I'd kind of like something a bit less bite than the 240?
2. Also what kind of core would you use? Would a bouncy ball be too soft?
3. I could also use a nice set of vibe mallets, what would you guys recommend for those?

[cunninghamkid]

I just used bouncy balls for my first couple of sets and it works pretty well. As for how many wraps for medium-hard, i did 250 and they are more medium soft (and closer to the soft range) so i would just experiment, the type of string you use might change this as well but my guess would be between 300-400 as a good range.

[littlesnareboy]

Wouldn't adding more yarn make it softer? Also, how did you get the multi-colored mallets, I'd like to do red and black if I could.