V2.0 Marimba Mallets

thingiverse

My original design is located here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3482429. Don't even think about using the original version - go for V2.0 instead, trust me it's a game-changer! These are DIY Marimba Mallet Cores, perfect for crafting your own marimba mallets from scratch. To get started, you'll need: * 5/16" x >34" hardwood dowel (birch or rattan if available, but oak worked great for me) * Sandpaper * 1 x DIY Marimba Mallet Cores print (each print yields two cores) - I used PLA, but a stronger material would be better; flexible filament might also work if it's stiff enough * Yarn (any type will do... thinner yarn is harder to wrap, so softer yarn for softer mallets and harder yarn for harder mallets) Optional extras: * Rubber bands or rubber coating can enhance the sound by applying them to the outside of the core * Stick tape (I recommend tennis racket tape) * Washi (or similar) decorative tape Now, here are the instructions: Cut the dowel into two pieces, each around 15-18 inches long (I prefer ~17"). Next, sand the top of the dowel until the printed cores fit snugly - you might need to tap it gently with a hammer. Then, glue the cores onto the stick using gorilla glue or similar and let them dry. Time to wrap! I highly recommend watching one of these videos for wrapping instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzZbApyCIPE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HsE8WfKAkY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_owCyBPS7I Once you've wrapped the core, you can add stick tape (optional) and personalize it with decorative tape. That's it! Enjoy your brand-new mallets.