Mallet
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A mallet is a type of hammer, and is manufactured in different designs according to their intended use. These uses include manufacturing and construction, sports such as croquet and polo, and as a type of drumstick. Despite their similarities, a mallet and a sledgehammer are different tools.
When used as tools, mallets are hammers with heads made of softer materials than the steel normally used in hammerheads, so as to avoid damaging a delicate surface. Some common mallet materials include:
- Rubber, generally used on sheet metal, plasterboard, upholstery, and a variety of other general purposes. It is the most commonly used mallet.
- Wood, usually used in carpentry to knock wooden pieces together, or to drive dowels or chisels.
- Copper, usually used on machinery to apply force to parts with a reduced risk of damaging them and to avoid sparks.
Less common mallets include:
- Rawhide mallets, which employ rawhide covering a steel head, and are used for leatherwork, jewellery, electric motors and delicate machinery.
- Plastic mallets, usually made of nylon, and are used especially in leatherwork and jewellery.
- Split head mallets, which have removeable faces which can be changed to an appropriate material for the job.
- Dead blow mallets, which have an internal cavity filled with steel shot. This addition evens out the time-impulse curve of the impact, enabling a more powerful blow to be delivered without risk of marring the target.
Mallets used as drumsticks are often used to strike a marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, or vibraphone. They usually have shafts made of rattan, birch, or fiberglass. Rattan shafts are more flexible than the other materials. Heads vary in size, shape, and material. They may be made of metal, plastic, rubber, or wood, and some are wrapped with cord or yarn. Heavier heads produce louder sounds. Harder heads produce sharper and louder sounds and generate more overtones.