When you look around your home at all the possible DIY projects, the first thing you should do is stop and think about what tools you might need. If you plan to learn how to work with wood, there is one tool that you’re definitely going to want in your toolbox.
A mallet hammer can wind up being one of the most versatile tools that you have in your arsenal. What you might not have realized is there are more mallet types than you could have imagined, including these versatile mallets.
Wooden Mallet
Without a doubt, one of the most important mallet types is the wooden mallet. If you are going to learn how to work with wood, then you definitely need to have a wooden mallet in your toolbox. It is a must for hammering joints together, using chisels, and hammering two pieces into place without doing damage to them. Woodworkers will no doubt tout the wooden mallet as one of the most valuable tools in their arsenal.
Wooden mallets are great because they provide ample force without being potentially dangerous like a metal hammer. Granted, you don’t want to get your fingers anywhere near where you plan on striking but the results won’t be nearly as bad as they would be when using a metal hammer.
You also need to be careful to not use wooden mallets where they are not ideal. For instance, if you use your wooden mallet to hammer nails, you may find that gouges or chunks wind up missing. That will only lead to you needing to replace your mallet sooner rather than later.
Rubber Mallet
If you need to deliver a little bit of force with some finesse behind it, a rubber mallet is going to be one of the best mallets you can buy. They look similar to your average wooden mallet in shape, but the key difference is the head. As you might guess, the head of this kind of mallet is made of rubber, making it an ideal tool when working with softer materials.
Rubber mallets are particularly great when it comes to working with tile, which can be brittle. The rubber mallet delivers ample force across an even surface area. Where another type of hammer would lead to cracking, chipping, and breaking with the tiles, there are only perfectly joined tiles left in your wake.
Like the wooden mallet, be certain that you don’t use the rubber mallet for things other than the intended purposes. Because the material of the head is softer, it is far easier to find chunks missing, some of them too big to ignore. If you can, have a few different rubber mallets on hand to tackle a variety of tasks.
Bench Mallet
When it comes to woodworking, you’re probably going to use a plane and saw. But right after them, the bench mallet is one of the best tools to have. It’s great for working with mortise chisels. The angle is perfect for when you are working a good bit above the surface of the worktable.
Turn the mallet to its side and you get something resembling a flat face. When it comes to removing and installing holdfasts, the bench mallet is critical and should not be far from your reach. You might not need it quite as often as your rubber or wooden mallet, but the bench mallet will definitely come in handy from time to time.
Carver’s Mallet
When it comes to woodworking, you need force and skill to come together as one. For that reason, a carver’s mallet is the perfect addition to any woodworking toolbox. Any woodworker who works in moderate detail has had a carver’s mallet at their side.
This mallet is perfect when it comes to driving gouges but provides the finesse and precision that more ornate woodworking requires. Even better, there are different sizes available to suit your needs for material removal.
Dead Blow Mallet
Finally, there is the dead blow mallet. Dead blow mallets are more ideal for the construction aspect of certain projects. There are two pliable faces, each made of plastic, that keep the workpieces safe even when being driven together.
Dead blow mallets don’t rebound, which makes them a bit safer to use. The head is packed with metal pellets, making it heavier and capable of delivering ample force. The softer face compared to something like a wooden mallet or metal hammer keeps the surface you are working on safe from potential damage.
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