Nice...I may have to try this, but with a solid piece of PE to get dat flat head.
This is the mallet I use, now post yours (Just the facts)
Thought it'd be helpful if people post their mallets and makeup and dimensions. Might give people some new ideas and help out rookies like me figure out how to improve our game. I hunted around for a general thread about what mallets people use but usually only found threads dedicated to specifics dimensions or materials.
May I suggest including these items?
Materials (what type of metal and plastic goes into your favorite mallet): head, bolts, nuts, pole, and grip composition
Dimensions (the more detail the better, please post in English and Metric): length of pole, width of head, diameter of head, etc.
Pictures
How/why do you make them? - give as little or as much deatil about specifics of how you get your mallets just right.If you have a mallet that is "weird" or out of the ordinary explain why you like it that way.
i think many people have tried that. here's my unfinished rendition: fiber glass head (ultra light) with PE inserts. the inserts are just dry fit for now. i never got around to finishing this one because it was shaping up to be too light. i think using spokes to fasten the inserts is very clever... i may finish it after all.
also, in reserching croquet mallets, (the other mallet/ball game we play in MKE) when the weight is placed at the ends of the head it makes the mallet head less likely to pivot when you're swinging theoretically giving you a more accurate shot. (at least it does in croquet as the heads are much heavier and longer)
-hero squad * milwaukee, wi-
this is the mallet i've been playing with recently. i built it up in anticipation for the upcoming new years tournament in madison after i heard philly was gonna be there.
i call the "anti-philly mallet"
36" aluminum skipole bolted to a 5.5"x2.25" cat (legs and tail removed)
-hero squad * milwaukee, wi-
That's amazing!!!
Hey Uncle Clobber Jimmy has been reincarnated as Joe's new mallet.
Robbie's cat got ran over the other night:( and looked exactly like that, but with legs and a tail.
Should I be honored??????
I'm having trouble getting the cat bolted to the mallet shaft.
I see your problem, you're trying to install the shaft in a location that requires drilling and from my experience the little buggers won't sit still long enough to make a nice stright clean hole.
If you look closely I think you'll find that they come with two holes already installed but one is a tighter fit than the other.
But the final orientation might cause shooting problems. I gave up on using cats, moving onto daschunds now, the shape is just right.
ride or die
Mark,
I've done similar but have come up with some newer ideas.
A machinist friend of mine made me some plugs that I set screwed into the end. I've got flat plugs and convex plugs both seem to work great.
Also been sourcing different plastic pipe as my work gives me access to the suppliers.
The bestest cheapest poly pipe I've found is called "Polytube" in Canada. Municipal pipe suppliers sell it for about $2.50/foot on the left coast. It's a black hdpe that is readily available.
I've got some photos on flicker of the mallets, since I haven't been able to figure out how to insert photos in the comments box.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31527011@N06/?saved=1
ride or die
pakkalolo, I was thinking of doing exactly what is in your pictures.
I work at a small manufacturing plant, so I'm going to draw something and have my toolmaker mill it up for me. I like the idea of drilled out ABS for the main tube, and then just rocking some PE plugs. I'll try it eventually and then report back.
A hole saw will work, kind of crude but effective, been there done that too.
I think I used a 1.75" dia for the smaller tubing and a 2.25" for the larger.
but the machined product is soooo much nicer.
Up to now I've only been using 3 set screws for the plugs but eventually they work loose so now I'm going to 4 and slightly longer.
maybe this thread should be renamed "mallet geeks r us"
ride or die
maybe this thread should be renamed "mallet geeks r us"
No offense but there are already 3 or 4 different threads about prototypes and mallet design.
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Minneapolis Bike Polo information list
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so why create another?
I was responding to Mark's comment about flat PE plugs.
ride or die
Cause this isn't about prototypes. This about "What I use".
Not really a big deal just letting you know if you want to talk coulda/shoulda there are other places for that.
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My mallets. Scott poles, 1 ABS, 1 PE gas pipe, one Nylon 6/6. All heads are attached using a custom aluminum pin I make from 8mm aluminum rod stock.
The pin, once driven through the head material, creates an interference fit, resulting a very solid interface. I usually do not subtract much for weight reduction. The nylon has no additional drilling mainly because it is light enough on its own. The ABS has 4 3/4" holes.
So the pin is threaded into the material on one side and wedged on the other?
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nevermind i'm drunk
-hero squad * milwaukee, wi-
let's see some pictures of the hollowed out pe mallet
let's see some pictures of the hollowed out pe mallet
The holes were drilled without measuring/marking anything, so the mallet looks a bit sloppy. The head was hammered on and feels more solid than anything I have with bolts or screws.
I should be receiving a few feet of solid 2" Delrin and MDS filled Nylon 6/6 next week and plan to compare the materials.
I like all three, really. The nylon is nice for handling, the ABS has a good feel, and the MDPE has a killer shot. The nylon is the first one to break, then ABS. I've never worn an MDPE head out.
To some extent yes. The pin is not tapered, but the unthreaded section is a little bit larger in diameter, so as the pin threads through the ski pole, the flat section pushes into the head. I forgot to mention that during construction, the hole for the pin is drilled for 1/4", then tapped with an M8 x 1.25 tap on one side of the head and through the pole.
Hi.
My fist Baby, a chinese mango can and a pva stick:
My fist mistake was, that I use(d) the pvc cane.
But I haven't canes at home at this time.
The pvc stick was broken (yes, clear ;-), and the can was damaged.
Next try is a painting roll:
Also damaged. Brick by brick was damaged. Useless.
Third, the chinese mango can, boosted with pu-foam inside the can:
You see, also damaged...
to be continues...
hold schnikes
MKE -> PDX | wednesday sundown @ ne14th & killingsworth | sunday 3pm alberta park @ ne22nd & killingsworth
Four, it called Polo-Kal, a water pipe (I think plastic)
http://char.esmartstudent.com/polo-mallet04-polo_kal.htm
Good. Light, good handling, strong.
But at the end of the side(s), there is a little bit damaging.
After a long periode of playing, he died=broken in the middle.
to be continued...
Five:
The New York Plastic pipe.
It's now alive .
Filled with pu-foam.
http://char.esmartstudent.com/polo-mallet05-new_york-white.htm
But a frind of mines is broken.
Good handling, light. Strong? We will see.
to be continued...
The Sixt Sense: The green mallet!
http://char.esmartstudent.com/polo-mallet06-t_stueck_red.htm
It's, hm, how can I say, a try.
I saw this piece in the advertising and thought, that’s it.
But when I saw the real proportiones :eek: .
I don’t know how material it is, but it’s very robust and for his diameter very thik.
But it’s very smal. Not easy to hit the ball. And if you hit the
ball, the direction is (sometimes) going to nowhere…
But2, if you handle the ball (e.g. dribbling) it is very goog.
Passing: good enough
A little abrasion at the underside (through hit the asphalt).
It's a good trainingsmallet!
If you're playing against apprentice, absolute beginners etc. it's a challenge for me.
Scored 58" of the yellow stuff today. 10 more mallets to come...
Dumptuck- save me five of those, please. I'm sick and tired of waiting for ABS to show up from Canada. I want to make mallets. I'll be in Chicago next weekend.
Some on-line and IRL question-asking has lead me to believe that I can fusion weld HDPE easily enough if I machine a custom iron to heat the surfaces of my tapered caps. I just need to get the specs from the manufactures regarding the exact temperature and pressure req's for fusion.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
I just need to get the specs from the manufactures regarding the exact temperature and pressure req's for fusion.
Looks like our energy problems are about to be solved! Thanks, man.
Here are 9 mallets I made last Tuesday. 3 pairs of used ski poles & some ladies golf clubs I found make for good handles. I like the lightness of the golf clubs & the pre-existing grips, but they tend to snap in half unlike the ski poles, which just become gnarly in their bent-ness. Also I like a longer mallet (40-42") & ladies golf clubs are lucky to be 36".
Heads of varying length, 4-6". I prefer the 4 inch heads for increased agility & movement over the clumsier 6 inch heads. I also have a tube/rod of PE. Yes I am a follower not an innovator. I will make a few inserts & see what I think after some games.
Looks like there are metal inserts at the junction between pole & head on some of these. What's that all about?
Jesse
Collar City Bike Polo
Troy, NY
That metal ring on top of some mallets is from the ski pole itself. After I pried off the ski pole's plastic ring, I decided to leave the metal doo-hickey in place. It is tapered underneath & helps keep the head in place. Plus, it gives it a nice finished look.
Clever. To avoid leaving exposed hardware on the mallet surface, I use a similar method to Truck's. I drill and tap the mallet head and shaft 1/4-20 and run a length of threaded rod straight through. With a decent press-fit on the shaft, red Loctite is more than enough to keep the rod in place, and I can file it flush on both sides. However, this method won't be as durable with the ABS you're using because it's more prone to deformation around the fastener, which will allow it to develop play after extended use. This might not be a problem, depending on how frequently you expect to replace the head.
This looks like cellular core ABS...
if so, get ready to replace those heads after each game.
{}------- lexington -------{}
Sorry, Mark. But this is hot fusion. Radioactive steam and all that.
Each formulation of Polyethylene pipe and sheet has a specific temperature that you need to heat it to to discombobulate the molecules and then a specific pressure that you need to mash two heated pieces together at so that the molecules knit together as the parts cool.
What I'm saying is that I can put caps on gas pipe in the same way I am/was putting them on ABS. But I can not put in the extra material at the center to better hold the shaft and pin, or at the cap/pipe joint so the mallet lasts longer like I mean to with ABS.
Sorry for going so off topic, Sveden. Here's a thread about the mallet I play with/occasionally make for sale. http://bikepolo.ca/forum/stuff-that-breaks/2008/08/09/prototype-mallet-head
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
hmmm...doesn't sound like a Mr. Fusion to me.
Yeah, really. I'm pretty sure there's a food processor somewhere in there. Plus what about the flux capacitor?
Sorry for going off topic again but regardin Lucky's fusion welding side note,
I fusion welded some gas caps together that the photos are shown on the previous comment.
While the plugs may not work in the end, the fusion welding process is legit.
peace
ride or die
You kinda are off topic, cause we are talking about nuclear power in this thread (mostly fictional nuclear power).
you mean Back to the Future wasn't a documentary?
Here's mine, it's a cross country ski-pole, nice and strong, but still light, the head is made from some old water imperial water pipe my dad had lying around and can't use anymore due to EU specifications on water pipe being metric, I cut the hell out of it, use a brake caliper bolt through one side only, and brooks bar tape aquired at the Shoreditch Invitational! It's very light, and makes for great stick-handling. The head untouched was 170grams, like this it's 80 grams, and has lasted well.
I made a template in illustrator to print and wrap around the piping for drilling. I drilled a hole in each corner of the cutouts, then used a junior hacksaw to cut between. The rough edges are because I used a really rough rasp to remove the excess material. I should burn it off, but can't be bothered.
Template: Download PDF
hmmmmmmm..... is there a point where putting too many holes weakens the rigidity of the material and you are actually losing power from your shots? I'm all for light mallets, but I feel awkward just swinging a stick at a ball and prefer to weight my mallets to my swing/play style instead of making them as light as possible. I feel like I would break/scratch through some of these mallets in under week.
not to thread jack here- but what kind of longevity are you guys getting out of these mallets. My current mallet is up to 2+ months with 1 head replacement.
MKE -> PDX | wednesday sundown @ ne14th & killingsworth | sunday 3pm alberta park @ ne22nd & killingsworth
are you coming to madison for NYC
My mallet is still dead straight, and the head is fine, after a month of 5+ times a week polo.
Thanks for the inspiration, I put this together this week.
Initially I didnt have the hole in the cap, I did both ends and the mallet was sooooo heavy I could barely play with it. I added a few holes to the body of the head and drilled out both caps. I still have never weighed anything for polo so I have no idea/concept of what I'd consider to be too heavy/too light or just right.
There's 4 screws holding it in but I figure 3 would be enough.
The outside diameter of this pipe is 60mm, the length of the head is 20cm. The handle is 1 metre long (haven't measure the angle though) I also have a handle with a bit of a curve in it, which I really _really_ love. I'm thinking about to put this bend into another ski pole when I've gotta make more. (Looking into industrial/hand tube benders)
My other mallet of choice is a 50mm outside diameter, 90cm shaft and 130mm head (drilled /mounted off centre at 90 degrees)
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urbanbicyclist.org
Nice mallet.
I am curious as to how many folks use the hockey style polo mallet. What do you think are it's advantages and/or disadvantages?
I like an angle in my shaft/mallet connection, but it is still mostly centered on the head. Can you easily shoot with both ends of this mallet? Does it change how you dribble?
Thanks. Maybe I will make one to answer my own questions.
The mallet above served me well, I love it, but after trying to make lighter ones with thinner walls, I've realised how heavy it is.
Below is my next design... a slightly smaller diameter, much thinner wall, same side hole in the cap. It cracked 2 weeks ago, I've since made another with smaller hole in the cap and 4 screws in the shooting end.
The lighter mallet is SO much better, especially for playing on my off side. This mallet setup is harder to shoot with but easier to shuffle and defend with. I think everyone shoots too much and could always do with improved defending and shuffling, so I'm happy.
You are limited in the kind of shots you can make, but you can still get very good at them.
I either shoot:
Forward (12 oclock) from my side with the short end.
Behind (4 oclock) with the short end
to the left in front of my wheel (10 oclock) with the short end.
Or
to the right (3 oclock) with the odd/long end, a move that Piet from Vancouver was pioneering in Vancouver in late 07, to great effect. This can be a very impressive shot if you get it at a really wide angle, behind defenders or goalies as you charge up the left and pop the ball a few meters over as you reach the goals. With a bit of spin/momentum of deflection off a goalies back wheel, you can even score as you pass the goals, quite a spectacular tournament/match winning shot.
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urbanbicyclist.org
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urbanbicyclist.org
Ok...this is the TPL mallet that I use. I forgot to post it up in this thread. Hopefully the picture actually shows up.
Contact totalpololabs(at)gmail(dot)com if you are interested in one. We are starting production next week.
That's foamcore ABS? Do the inserts make it durable enough to use regularly, or are you changing heads every two weeks?
I haven't changed an insert yet. They are very durable, and actually I haven't even rotated them yet. I've played 2 tournaments, and I played the entire weekend in NYC this weekend. I may rotate my shooting side inserts soon.
I did crack the ABS in Madison. It was cold as shit which apparently the ABS did not agree with.
Yo Capriotti,
Word on the street is that you are drilling out the face of your caps. Have you noticed if it affects shot accuracy? I have been thinking of doing that but I don’t want to waist a cap.
Joey
polycarbonate head. same shit han solo was frozen in.
did you just ruin svene suprise?
Carbonite not carbonate. One is a fictional movie prop material, and one what you made that mallet out of.
Seth Higbee
Hastings/Ionia
believe it or not, i think he was joking. just a hunch, though.
Yes, Mr Solo was frozen in Carbonite. That bastard Jabba.
Polycarbonate is what the mallet head is actually made from. High impact strength.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#8574kac/=as9ao
with a solid PE insert. Speed holes to come.
& no i didn't ruin Sveden's surprise
That looks even stupider than I imagined, Mr. Do.
And if you people think I'm mailing out mallet heads to 20+ different cities, you must believe my McCain wheel covers make me a republican and therefor rich.
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then your imagination is undeveloped.
btw, do u ever have anything nice to say, about ANYTHING? You make the Grinch look like Hello Kitty.
Hugs and kisses. Just bustin' yr balls. See you tonight.
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Minneapolis Bike Polo information list
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hey you never said you paid for what you found at the hardware store.
so how did this hold up? that's pretty much the exact design i was thinking of trying. or the carbonate with a TPL cap.
what material are folks using for the inserts? just solid PE rod?
I doubt he was, actually. This isn't "where people take bike polo way too jokingly".
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
so i see all these heads and thats great now im wondering how people rap there mallets i know ben from chicago has a certain way i change mine every time from tube to hockey tape to track grips now that im playing with a hockey glove i have to stick with the tape the rubber wore a hole in the leather in 2 nights of polo so show me your fancy rap skills! (how many mics do you rip on the daily?)
For wrapping, I use a penny and hockey tape.
Tape the penny down.
Twist the tape to make a rope.
Wrap the rope to make your grip.
Cut it off and wrap it twice with flat tape.
Lean it up against something, take a picture of it, post it on the internet, and pretend you play bike polo.
This mallet was for a friend, so I used yellow tape over the top. Normally I use black because I think yellow is fucking ugly.
slapdick bike polo - washington dc
Nice color of tape. I like. I do the exact same thing, learned it from Gus @ Legit, except on the bottom I wrap an old cut of inner tube. Makes it a little more padded and definitely adds some width to the handle.
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I've used beverage tubing from Home Depot in the past to protect the lower portion of the shaft from hackers and the edges of my ring god from errant bottom bracket shots. Cut a 6-8" long piece and then cut that piece on one side longitudinally, then you can just slip it over the shaft and close it with one or two pieces of black tape. Seems to work well on golf shafts as well, when it's all you can find.
ride or die
"beverage tubing" will be what you ask the sales perosn at home depot for, it should be located in the plumbing aisle, right near the ABS tubing.
It is literally the tubing that they use for carbonated beverage dispensers hence the name.
My use of the product was more to protect myself from my own chainring guard not so much to protect from others. I make use of both ski poles and golf shafts, the golf shafts are less resilient to sharp edge collisions and the beverage tubing was really meant for the golf shafts.
On a similar but different note, I've made contact with the nearest ski hill rental shop asking for skis poles no longer worthy of renting, they said they would put them aside for me instead of throwing out. Unfortunately I am on the absolute opposite side of the continent and of no use to your supply issue whatsoever but maybe you might know someone who knows someone who has a contact on a ski hill somewhere around there.
ride or die
"beverage tubing" will be what you ask the sales perosn at home depot for, it should be located in the plumbing aisle, right near the ABS tubing.
If that fails, It's known as "vinyl tubing" (if your talking about what I think your talking about)
It's commonly found in big spools. Theyre gonna think your making a beer bong btw.
"Bike polo is the sport of gentlemen...
Gentlemen with mustaches"
it does nothing
I've seen people push the basket from the original ski pole up towards their grip as a sort of pommel guard to protect their hand from sword fighting accidents. I think that's pretty clever.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
So here are the mallets I've made. The only changes I reccomend is the headless bolt, putting the nuts inside the head, and drilling out the head for weight. I used a ski pole, hockey tape, paracord, nuts, bolts, and HDPE tubing. I really love the paracord grip because it makes me feel like a samurai when I use it. The wrapping techinque is the same as I've seen a lot of knife makers wrap their blade handles with.
We play polo in the ATL
OoOoO! I gotta try that paracord grip.
Also, if I recognize the graphics on the middle two (black and white) ski poles, they are fiberglass. If everyone on the court were playing with composite poles, it would be fine. If even one person out there is playing with Aluminum, the glass will crack and fail in a day.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
i actually grabbed the hockey tape one off him mostly for the orange stuff and its been working fine.
You recognize wrong. They're all aluminum. I do appreciate the 1990's huffy gradient on those two though.
If you're interested in cord wrapping check this video out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDk3Y3jzalg
We play polo in the ATL
Thanks for the tip on the paracord grip. I tried this on a few mallets yesterday. Excited to try them out this weekend.
keith.
my question is on making a mallet lighter, lots of small holes? or just a few large ones, in my experience it seems to go towards tons of small holes like just under a half inch whats your take?
MKE!
we actually did the weigh in the other day with mallet drilling and the bigger holes make for a lighter mallet. cant give you the full details but its true.
The volume of a cylinder, in this case a drill bit and/or the material removed with that bit, is measured with the following formula: Volume = pi X r squared X height. Because you square the radius, you will get proportionally more from a larger hole. For instance: the volume of material removed from a HDPE head by a 1/2" bit is .042. The volume from a 1" hole is .169. Four times the material removed for only twice the drill bit size.
Or, If you're not math-y: Take seven pennies and arrange six of them around the seventh to make a hexagon-like shape. If you drill one hole the size of the hexagon instead of the seven, penny-sized holes, the big hole would take out all the material between the penny-sized ones.
Just don't drill holes so big that it affects how the ball comes off your mallet.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
Can I borrow your hexagon drill bit? All kidding aside, I think I learned something. Now to further your logic and Kremin's: a combination of the larger holes with smaller holes in the leftover spaces may remove more material. I think if you have the right pattern you might find the lightest mallet possible. (Lucky should reply shortly with the algorithm.) I'm getting out my sketchbook...
keith-chicago
thats good logic but where i come in to the trouble is ok so u put some huge holes in your mallet now theres not much room left for other holes to be drilled if i had a camera and the internet at home i would show you what i mean i like the pennies lucky can you teach me more math?
MKE!
i wish i had a photo of your beautiful carved holes in the mallets we picked you up with in new orleans. seemed like something out of a nightmare. speakin of was me being a serial killer a nightmare or a wet dream? gross.
The good thing about MD and HDPE is that it will take LOTS of drilling. Anyone who has seen my "swiss cheese" mallets heads can attest to how well they hold up. I try to get all of my mallets to around 255g.
{}------- lexington -------{}
seemed relevant...
i tried drilling my mallets out with four big holes, four mediums, and a bunch of small ones here and there, but we used a rock hard mylec one night and a head cracked in a spot.. and more spots, and eventually broke in two.
i now take use the same amount of big and medium size holes, but use a forstner bit to shave off a little more weight. i got a set of these bits for like $30 at home depot (pretty good considering a single bit will usually run $25) and they come in handy when making heads, machining caps, etc.
I put a few lead weights (the kind that fall off car's wheels and get into the watershed) in the pommel of my mallet, wrapped bontrager handlebar tape over it and down the shaft about 8 inches and then wrapped over the bar tape with hockey tape. The weighted pommel does make the mallet overall a little heavier, but I feel like it makes my shooting more precise. It's kinda like how swords have big heavy pommels. You'd think you'd want a sword, made out of steel, to be as light as possible while still being strong, but the big counterweight helps "balance" it a lot.
i've built some mallets too light before a tourney... could't connect with the ball and the shot was weak. i solved this by weighting it with some inner tube i wrapped above the head and that worked pretty good.
-hero squad * milwaukee, wi-
i've built some mallets too light before a tourney... could't connect with the ball and the shot was weak. i solved this by weighting it with some inner tube i wrapped above the head and that worked pretty good.
-hero squad * milwaukee, wi-
yes, I agree that you can get a mallet too light. I edited what I originally typed in my last post after giving it more thought. I don't think I would want to get any less than the weight of my mallets now. I have built a few with the red MDPE that felt incredibly light, but the shot was horrible. The head recoiled too much off the ball, and I also found that I was inadvertently high-sticking because I was used to swinging a heavier mallet.
{}------- lexington -------{}
The one on the bottom ive been using for a while and has held up beautifully.
The top one ive just built up out of a steel xc pole and have high hopes for it (I hope it lasts a whole game)
The methods are mostly the same, rubber table leg caps and held with a steel wood screw. 1 1/2 id abs pipe
The bottom is wrapped with cat eye bar tape (which I love) and the top is wrapped with hockey tape. I cant angelo with the small pipe but its light as hell and doesnt leave my wonky wrists sore after a few games. The green one is alu and is actually lighter than the bendy steel one :(
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.
Not my mallet but pretty funny:
wow nice poles guys but who owns that tool box where does he live and is at home at night does he own a big dog to and he keep his polo bikes unlocked?
Not nearly as fancy as the boys doing the proper capped mallets, yet effective.
OGT-COMOPOLO
Capped mallet prototype. We also stuck some 2" UHMW rod slices into 2"ID ABS and screwed from the side. Will be testing them this week.
ok here's mine, the double-shafted cheesegrater:
I'm not really sure of the dimensions, made from:
2 golf clubs (1 aluminum shaft to protect the 1 graphite shaft)
Yellow HDPE head
White Panacord grip
I'm loving that grip you have there.
Here's what i've built this morning
it has hardwooden insert, which i hope will sound great too...
I checked out the hardwood shit yesterday, but it cracked at the first encounter with the ball yesterday...
looking for somethign else
will....why did you post my fuck life mallet like its yours you jerk???
man everyones got very crazy ideas for mallets on here....i like all these pictures though!
it seems like people are capping them with screws....we been doing that for a while, thats a lot easier than the plastic fusion. but the lucky head mallets that were plastic fused were pretty awesome....
36 inch aluminum ski pole for the shaft 4.5" orange HWPE head. I'm liking the short mallet a bunch, I think crandal is starting to rub off on me, or atleast his elbows are.
_______
Marco!
bamboo, 93-95cm, 120mm length gas tubing...electrical tape, brookes bar tape and 2 countersunk screws
strengthening the base:
then sawing it off:
full process:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtcc/sets/72157621811424408/
wondering what weight people shoot for what would be the lightest what would be the heaviest 200 grams? 400 grams?
www.mkebikepolo.com
as light as possible for me. whippy light.
I would like to weigh my mallets to see. I know mine are relatively heavy compared to what most like, but not overly so. I like the shot power of a mallet with a bit of a heavy feel. Even my wrist shots get a good amount of heat on 'em.
is that on a satin pillow?
www.mkebikepolo.com
Thats the padded lining in the mahogany box, actually it's silk. organic imported spun from the silk of the rare oriental silkworm.
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urbanbicyclist.org
This is Ray's new mallet. (He's not online much) He's a fitter and turner. The caps screw on with a lockring tool.
I'd like to see more pics of this. Very interesting design. Perhaps the smartest I've seen yet. Do the caps get locked in place with an allen bolt? Is there a picture of this complete? Please tell me more!
That was actually the first hardcourt mallet head design I tried to make. But I'm not a machinist and had no access to precision tools. I can tell you this: It's a great idea for polo, and the cap will not be very square to the head if you try to chase those threads by hand.
Anyone wanna buy a huge tap and die? I think I've still got 'em.
Ray has made a few of these, the earlier one didnt have enough material around the shaft. The caps screw on with a lockring tool. (Photos linked to larger versions on flickr) We'll try and weigh it soon. The other part he machines is an insert into the tip of the ski pole to reinforce the end.
This one got a fair bit of use and took a long time to break.
Drive Side Bike (& Mallet) Only
Camera phone photos by Ray.
Lefty
Newer mallet head with more material around previous point of failure.
Sweet.Good idea on the insert for the end of shaft. Iv'e got my og bamboo still...very strong.
i noticed no one uses bar tape for their grips? i guess i just have a surplus of it around, but anyone have a reason why you don't?
I always keep my scraps. Tape my mallet the same as my bars and then tape over that with hockey tape.
A big ass roll of hockey tape is like 4 bucks. One roll can tape up several mallets. That's the main reason I can think of.
the canadian perspective is that it's hockey on bicycles, so hockey tape just feels right. like beer.
Plus hockey tape is like the polo player's duct tape...you can use it for everything. I tape up my torn saddle with it, make ghetto bandages with it. It's great stuff.
Bar tape is stupidly expensive here at full retail, but we sometimes find discounted stock. I started using bar tape on all the mallets I make. I make sure I wrap from the bottom up so it doesnt peel down. Sometimes I go straight over with hockey tape if I want to hold it all together (reusing old bar tape, or just looking for another colour)
I use old Velox rim tape cause it lasts a long time and has a good grip. Also I own a bike shop so its readily at my disposal.
tennis grip tape is a lot cheaper than bar tape- $1/roll as opposed to $10+
I prefer a layer of inner tube on the bottom covered by hockey tape. Sproingy.
I tried that with the very first mallet I made. It was no where near as durable as hockey tape. And Hockey tape comes in a roll that has a 4 or 5" diameter, like I said, for 4 or 5 bucks.
Anyone ever tried gaff tape as grip?
Who runs around with gaffer's tape? Do theater kids play bike polo? I could probably find some at work if you want to try it.
I had gaffers tape on my first couple of mallets and it was pretty nice. The feel was similar to hockey tape, but not quite as grippy.
i did some gaff on my grips, but im a cheap bastard, and felt like it was a waste of expensive tape that i use to make money. How ever it is cheaper than bar tape.
No, but it makes FANTASTIC rim tape. I have 38mm rims so a regular Velox strip wouldn't work.
Started doing this: 
(ignore this edited double post)
That works well with out the pole showing. It will get loose that way. Cut the tube in half. (one layer wrap)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45504291@N08/4387843509/
Like this. More effective.
most of mine are wrapped that way. I just switched to the above style because it grips better with the gloves I've been playing with.
new idea. hmu whatever caps. 1 1/4 red somethin pipe.
total weight 233 grams.
caps feel solid. ball handling and shuffling down court feels solid the lips really help control the ball. next caps wont have conical shape and will go deeper into head.
I have a "dogbone" style mallet that is similar, but this looks way better.
I really like those conical end caps- any chance you'd make me a pair? (for trade or $)
On Sunday we made up a mallet for Lucy. It's probably the most amazing colour scheme I've seen. On Monday I realised I had seen it somewhere before... In Seattle at the Piano place on 4th Avenue.
i cant seem to find out where those white plastic cap come from trying to get some for my self any one know????
looks like it's from the bottom of a cane
http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*&tbs=isch%3...
search for: rubber chair leg tip
i wanted to know if anyone has used a lacrosse shaft with its octagonal shape?
it seems that they might work very well and was thinking about getting one.
Alluminium Watterbottle, filled with pu-foam
Not really a good idea, to chunky, not damage proof/adapted, but different....
Alluminium Watterbottle, filled with pu-foam
Not really a good idea, to chunky, not damage proof/adapted, but different....
is that a space ship attacked and covered in bubble gum by those white aliens???
And the next level of development.
But only the two oft the rights are really good for playing.
The others are to heavy or not damage proof (enough).
The aluminum is marvelous and goog locking.
A fine arts.
But with these weight (333 gramms), you can people/animals strike dead :-(
this thread gets more ridiculous every time i revisit it.
Where do you ppls usualy buy your HDPE, ABS ect.. plastics companies locally? Any advice helps.
Why am I telling a Canadian this? Anyways, the way I hear it you in the Great White North have it easy. You have solid core ABS for sale at your hardware stores. Most every state in the USA sells "foam core" or "celluar core" ABS.
HDPE you have to beg off of gas companies or order from MKE Bike Co or St. Cago.
One of ouir Pittsburgh players was able to purchase 200ft of HDPE pipe in 10ft straight sections from a local pipe supply store for like 50cents per foot or something. Just made a phone call, the pipe was delivered to my house a few days later by a fairly confused trucker who was thoroughly amused when I showed him a polo mallet.
I just pull mine through the fence straight from the yard! thanks NWN.
One of our players whos an engineer for SAIC hit up some companies not to long ago and we got like six feet of the yellow hdpe, and some black, yellow striped hdpe.. He just said they wanted to see if there shit was good enough for what they were trying to do and gave him some free samples...forget what company though..
Used L bracket to secure Mallet Head to Shaft.
this is clever, does the hardware add much weight? kind of surprising no one has commented on this, maybe cuz the side cut angers the haters. I want to build a euro cheater mallet so people will hate me, not really cuz im interested in side-jointing. really tho, it seems like it would help with the weight of quarter inch hdpe, which i have miles of (thats why i asked about the weight of the hardware)
This is my new mallet head. It's a polipropilene threaded pipe with caps.
It measures 12 cm with the two caps threaded all the way. The caps are 63mm in diameter and can be drilled as shown in the second photo.
cuanto pesa?
This is my new mallet head. It's a polipropilene threaded pipe with caps.
It measures 12 cm with the two caps threaded all the way. The caps are 63mm in diameter and can be drilled as shown in the second photo.
Well, the nylamid one i had before was around the 110 grams and this feels lighter, so I'm guessing between 90 or 100 gr. Tomorrow I'll try to get the exact cypher.
El de Nylamid que tenía antes pesaba alrededor de 110 gramos y este se siente más ligero, asi que pienso que pesa entre 90 o 100 gr. Mañana trataré de obtener la cifra exacta.
New mallet! 37", Fixcraft shaft, cheap hockey tape, one of those cane ends ($2 for a 4 pack), and 5" of good old yellow HDPE. The biggest holes are 2" and works extremely well for controlling when turning. I'm not sure how much it weighs, but it's pretty light.
New mallet! 37", Fixcraft shaft, cheap hockey tape, one of those cane ends ($2 for a 4 pack), and 5" of good old yellow HDPE. The biggest holes are 2" and works extremely well for controlling when turning. I'm not sure how much it weighs, but it's pretty light.
Cheater european side-holes! The best export to America since small pox.
not a surprise.
Here's a cap I am testing out.
Secrets of a janky mallet.
Made 2 kinds of mallets at Joel's garage last Sunday. I'd just blown up my last trusted standby - the last of a couple of extremely well built and long lasting mallets I bought from Jeff of NOD - Phoenix.
Here's the first kind. It's quite similar to what I've been playing with for a while. The head attachment style is new to me, though.
Materials
MKE shaft chopped off the skinny end
Aluminum rod 3/8" drilled and tapped as shown by Ben Chicago in the attaching heads thread.
Two 6mm countersunk stainless bolts.
Red HDPE measure ~60mm OD and ~52mm ID
Handle is hockeytape over a wood key, duct tape, and a quarter. May change.
Dimensions
105cm ~41" (I'm tall but this feels a little too long)
5 1/2" head - as symmetrical a T as I could get it.
aeration holes are 1/4" and 1" put there with a freehand drill.
This mallet is one part practice - proof of concept to make sure I can do it and it lasts before butchering my nice St. Cago double caps ...
######
second kind of new mallet:
Materials
Bamboo cross country ski poles
Packing Tape - the kind with the strips of nylon(?) running its length
Machine screws 3/16 I think and those spurred things I always forget what they're called for the other side.
ABS 1-1/2 (~48mmOD) craptastic US cellular core
Handles are what came on the 3 norse poles. For now.
Dimensions
102-103cm (~40")
15cm (~6") head - with a little jank - maybe 3 degrees off square. Pole enters top ~5cm from one end.
I made one of these almost by accident the other day - and I have Ben Ruckus to thank for that. The small amount of jank was an accident for sure due to my lack of skill. But I took that mallet out to warm up and I LOVED it. Threw it in for my next pickup game. Loved it. And broke it.
To make things a bit stronger I got some of this packing tape which I've seen on an old guys bamboo walking stick and seemed to make sense. I cut the bamboo just below one of it's elbows. This makes for a taper that can snug into the ABS head. I put some of the packing tape on the upper part of the bamboo elbow to keep the splintering down when I drilled it for the machine screw. Used Joel's heat gun to make the the ABS and the bamboo match up nicely. To better fill the upper hole where the pole is skinnier than the elbow I built it up with the packing tape. Again, heat gun. Drilled. Machine screw. Done.
They feel really good. Agile. Nice whip sound. You can feel them load up and release ...
Not sure how long they'll last but I've got through 2 fun and fast pickup nights without blowing one up ... heads should be pretty easy to replace.
Devin
all i could find for the longest time were bamboo ski poles... and so i used them and used some ideas from here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rtcc/sets/72157621811424408/
they look sort of cool, and hold up ok for light players but i feel they break pretty easy. right at the mallet head, if struck too hard on the ground. and anywhere along the shaft if hit on anything (bike, other mallet..)
something to be aware of anyways.
The grass bike polo mallets available on the internets are bamboo shaft with some type of cord/tape along the last 6" of shaft at the head end. It seems to be req't to keep bamboo from splitting.
I was musing today that my one bamboo, purchased grass polo mallet has been with me for years, while I have played through dozens of aluminum, hand-made hard court mallets.
Perhaps organic commercialism is the new cheater mallet.
That flicker series from this thread was one part of what inspired me to try this. I think that working with the elbows of the bamboo (they tell you where you have to cut - a disadvantage) makes a stronger mallet. And the packing tape. Everything I've done to the mallet was with whacking the ball (and hey ground too) hard and not blowing it up in mind. I know that this isn't too impressive but I exploded a red hot weather ball the other (cool) night using one of these. Everything is still tight and resonates.
As for other ways to break them - I'm pretty happy with the way they're making me play with a little more care. I've been looking to get away from those asshole swipes at your mallet cause they can't get to the ball things anyway ... maybe I give up some turnovers but I'm having more fun.
I'll post here when they blow up. Especially if the bamboo doesn't outlast the cellular core abs.
Devin
1) Hockey tape is obvious.
2) Where the fuck is Menace to bitch about all these Euro Cheater mallets etc?
My hammer is indestructible (and light, no caps).
eyecandy for the polo people.
yeah the head is too long, but we drilled it out already.
eyesore for the polo people - take that thing indoors I can see it glowing from across "The Tassie".
OMG....Hurt them with love player!
Thought I'd share COMO's most recent mallet adventures.
So, as everyone knows, the restriction on outside diameter is 2.5". The 2.5" UHMWPE has a crazy fat wall thickness. So we ordered some with plans to bore it out using a drill press.
Enter the forstner bit:
Using this, and a jig we made up, we lined the pipe up in the center of the drill press and began boring through. The 2-1/8 forstner bit gives you a wall thickness of ~3/16".
Other problem with this UHMWPE stuff is that if you bore it out, the ID is too big and every time you take a slap shot the ball lifts. So we knew that we'd want one side capped.
So we also ordered a 12"x12"x.5" sheet of UHMWPE and made caps. The caps were made by first cutting out the outside with a 2-1/4" hole saw that created a 2-1/8" disk that would insert perfectly into the bored mallet. Then, we used a smaller forstner bit to take material out of the middle of the caps to make them lighter.
Since the caps are .5" thick, we bored one side of the mallet out to a depth of .5", and then flipped it over and went ALMOST all of the way through from the other side. This makes it so the caps we made can rest on the lip on the inside of the mallet head for strength. After that, it was 2 set screws to make sure the cap won't move.
2.5" outside diameter, 2-1/8" inside diameter, big opening for flip tricks and cheater moves and a cap for the big shots.
Here is my absurdly archaic drawing to show how we set the caps into the mallet.
All in all, this was not worth the time we had to put into it I don't really think. The mallets are still coming in at like 7 dollars a head plus a ton of labor. I just wish someone would sell some thin walled HDPE for less than 5 bucks a head.
Good shit brah!
2in diameter ABS with 2.5in open caps mounted on a 95cm steel golf club.
Nice and whippy, the head gives a solid feel without being too heavy. Replacable caps are super easy to change without damaging the head, 99¢ each. Cupping is awesome, both sides, I don't need a flat surface, my shots are plenty accurate. The woodscrew is really big and a bit hard to drill through the club, but once it's in there, it stays on forever.
what do you use for these end caps?
I found those caps in a Canadian hardware store chain called RONA. Haven't found anything with the same taper anywhere else. I drill some holes to take weight off and then screw them on with ¼ inch countersunk screws.
The taper is key. It wouldn't be worth it if there wasn't any, because it holds on the ball so well.
UHMWPE mallet head that I designed and built
-4.5" long x 2.5 diameter
-integrated end cap
-milled from a solid rod extrusion
-through bolt attachment
-drilled out to 219g/shaft included
-shaft: Scott Dumont ski poles that i
got with my REI dividend (great poles!)
nice, tucky. make me one.
The machining of the head took about an hour and a half, and then drilling out all of the holes took another hour. The grip is designed to give me a registration point for my thumb that is parallel with the mallet head, that way i know where the mallet is pointing just from the feel of the grip. There is a small ridge on the handle between my index and middle finger which helps me hold on to the mallet when it gets hooked by another players mallet. The bulge towards the end of the grip rests in the concave part of my palm when the capped end is facing forward, and when the open end is forward it gives me a little extra twisting leverage for scoop passes. It is made from twisted and or folded pieces of hockey tape that are then wrapped over with a couple more layers of hockey or athletic tape to create the final product.
tired of hearin about your damn dividend
This mallet is obviously brand new. This is about the 5th generation of mallets I've made. I like how Erma turned out. More pictures here.
Materials - Aluminum ski pole, ABS head, UHMWPE inserts, steel bolt, hockey tape, rubber inner tube, and steel nut with plastic locking insert.
Dimensions - Pole, 36" (91.4cm) Head width, 6" (15.24cm) Head outer dimension, 2 3/8" (6.66cm), Head inner dimension 1.5" (3.81cm)
How/Why - I started out by watching Gus's videos at Legitbikepolo.com and modified to my liking. I like the lightness of ABS but love the toughness of PE. I saw Ebbin one day with an ABS mallet head with PE inserts. Genius! I promptly made some. I cut about 1.5" of PE and slide it into the ABS. Drill 4 tiny holes through the ABS and PE, thread in some old spokes, and hacksaw/file off the excess spoke. And you have a light mallet head with a nice contact surface of PE.
The grip is hockey tape twirled up on itself into a sticky rope to make a grip and a bulge at the top of the pole. Then I wrap an inner tube that I have cut open once around and tape it off at the bottom. Over the top of it I wrap two layers of hockey tape. It makes for a nice thicker grip.
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