On 2017-12-09 2:53 PM, yorkshireman@y... wrote:
> Yes, after years and years, We’ve just been up in the Borders  (Reiver
country, Paddy)   and came across an antique place which had some forlorn wooden
bowls - 3 of them. and I gave up the search.
>
> SWMBO was buying a bit of cut glass, and I managed to tack one bowl onto the
deal.
>
> So now I have a lignum vitae bowl  -  For our American members, bowls does not
have lanes, ten pins, any pins in fact.  It is played on a grassy square, one
with a camber, using wooden bowls which are weighted to not run true.  You are
given 2 or 4 bowls, and have to judge the camber of the green and the bias of
your bowl and the degree of friction of the grass be it wet or dry.
>   A game of skill, relaxation, sunshine, good ale, and fine talk.   Too
important to be interrupted for approaching Armadas bent on invasion and all
that sort of thing.
>
> Anyway, the point is that a redundant, wooden bowl, is almost a mallet head.
Not many of them about these days, as they are made of a composition material
these days.   Way back when I lived in Suffolk, and set up shop in the one room
of our cottage (Can’t think why she married me)  I worked at a place which had
been a pub.  It still had its bowling green, and a greenkeeprs shed, and the
locals kept and used the green.  In the shed were a number (lots) of ancient
redundant wooden bowls.  We used them at lunchtimes in summer.  I didn’t know
then that they were of value, a dying breed, and I could have been given them
for nothing.
>
> Fast forward a half century - no, less - my Mother in Law was a county bowls
player, and asked her, as she went around so many bowling greens to keep an eye
out for old wooden bowls “Yes, they often have some.” she said - but bowls never
came to visit with her.
>
> but now I have a one of my own.  And I have a question for the porch.
>
> Does anyone have any knowledge or advice about making a dead bowl into a fine
and living again mallet?
>
>
> Richard Wilson
> Northumbrian Galoot

Richard:

I too have some bowls - eight of them ! The first set, a ladies set I 
believe, of small diameter, came from an antique shop at a tolerable 
price after several rounds of bargaining.  I have used part of one to 
repair some old tools. The second set came about because I felt the 
first ones were too small for mallet-making, though in retrospect, a 
heavy, smaller mallet might be nice! This set came bus freight from a 
friend of a friend, a former bowler who had given up the game and was 
moving cross-country. I got them for the price of a small donation to 
his bowls club! I have yet to do anything with them. I like to think 
they're acclimating. Eventually one or two will become mallets.

The thing I have noticed is that these bowls of mine invariably have the 
pith running right through them. And although some show minor splits, 
they are all intact bowls. So when I find the round to-it over in the 
turnings department, I will honour grain orientation. Also, the one I 
cut for restoration was positively greasy stuff, so I would incline to a 
handle joint which gives some mechanical strength. I'd be interested to 
know what wood you choose for the handle, as well as how the lignum 
turns - i.e. gouge & skew or scraper?

You might find the Peter Maddex Ball-o-matic 2000 handy for holding the 
bowl at some point.

Don

-- 
"You can tell a man that boozes by the company he chooses"
The Famous Pig Song, Clarke Van Ness