TheWoodKnight

There is no universal 'best bit' for all circumstances - different fonts, even different letters, how much text there is, what look you're going for etc will determine what bit or bits are the best solution. A really chunky font might require a lot of material to be removed, so an 1/8" downcut bit *may* speed things up by a magnitude, though if its flowing cursive, a 60degree v-bit might be all you need.

The laser carving makes it look freaking cool - much more like a battle ready mallet now!

You really only do need a tiny pinch of table salt (and you dont' have to add to taste), you don't need to add it over the entire surface, just like if using CA as an intermediate bonding agent, a few dots will do.The problem with sliding around with this project is the mortise can become misaligned (so the solution then would be to either chisel out the mortise or readjust the tenon), and because of its relatively small nature can be difficult to get sufficient clamping force on without it sliding. Gluing two layers at a time (rather than all three) also helps make that a non-issue.Also if you let the salt sit too long in the glue before clamping, it'd dissolve.

Pretty sure that'd be how I'd end up shaving my beard (and maybe some skin) off :)

If it helps, my router table is built into the wing of my table saw ;)

I didn't put "table saw" in the title, and it isn't showing up as having table saw in the title (I just titled it "Make Accurate Dowels"). If it was there, that'd be the Instructables editors. :/

Router bit does the cutting in a router table, which the block is clamped over. Table saw is just to dimension the dowel blanks.

Also in the list of tools I said the actual bit doesn't matter - size, shape, etc. I mean, don't use a bearing guided bit as that'd not cut so good. I used a straight bit, a round nosed bit might be less aggressive and leave a cleaner cut, or even a downcut bit (which you wouldn't normally use on a router table for safety) may be OK.