Thanks for all the tips!!! Fourty rod, is sending me a Rawhide mallet, I might have ti trim the ends, I will get one of those big dog bone chews and use the rawhide, and i also have a guy sending me a mallet that looks like chrome, but on the bottom 1/2"of each end has a hard rubber or plastic! It was free, so i will see when I get it! I also like my wacking stick I made, since i new it was just temp, I took a ppiece of scrap oil or chrome tanned leather, fill the back sink with super hot water and let it set for about 20 mins., and streched it and streched it, then I did staple one side, and streched it nall i could to finish stampled.
It will work till I get some rawhide on>
Thanks ACE