Shop Mallet Selection
If you’ve ever whacked a carving tool or pounded a joint using your palm or the side of your fist-I know you have because we’ve all done it-you know the result: a sore hand and unfinished business.
This is why we need mallets. And while a mallet is not supposed to compensate for dull tools or force an ill-fitted joint closed, it is a much-needed woodworking tool. In reality, any device will do in a pinch-I once used an old baluster for drawer dovetailing. But what mallets do we need, and why? Where do you begin?
HEAD CASE
Mallets generally fit into one of three categories. To determine what fits where, we need only examine the head. Traditional joiner’s mallets have large rectangular-shaped heads, the key word being “large.” These mallets are typically wooden and have a variety of
