Whether you’re a DIYer or a home improvement specialist, it’s all about having the right tools to get the job done. Some are pretty obvious but there are a few that you may be surprised to find out how often you need it.
Make sure that you have your toolbox stocked with rubber mallets of all kinds. There are actually a ton of different uses for mallets that you might not have even realized were possible.
Tensioning Mechanical Components or Woodworking
Even if you enjoy woodworking or manipulating mechanical components as a hobby, a rubber mallet is a must. Ask any professional handyman and they will probably have at least one rubber mallet, if not a few. It’s a pretty versatile tool (as you’ll find out in this article).
When it comes to working with metal components for machinery or reassembling furniture, a rubber mallet is king. The softer head won’t leave dents and dings when tapping the pieces into place. But don’t let the softer head fool you because you can keep those components in position easily so that the rest of the reassembly goes smoothly.
Straightening Bent Metal
Given that one of the uses of rubber mallets is working with metal components, it should come as little surprise that they are also great when it comes to straightening out bent metal. If you have some structured steel or maybe a piece of rebar, use the mallet to gently tap it back into the proper shape.
Using a regular metal hammer will do damage to the surface of the metal piece and you don’t want that. Using a rubber mallet prevents further damage that the excessive force of a metal hammer would have otherwise caused. Think of it as power with a gentle touch.
Installing Tile or Carpet
Maybe the most common use for rubber mallets is in the installation of tile or carpet. For carpet, there is a little more room for error because you probably aren’t going to mark up carpet. That said, you don’t want to do damage to any woodwork in the area as you attach the carpet.
Tile is much trickier and more fragile. A rubber mallet can let you tape tile pieces into place without fear of cracking or breaking them. There is nothing worse than installing tile only to find a cracked or chipped tile (or two) after you have gotten through the process.
Carpentry
Rubber mallets are great for woodworking in general but ask any carpenter and they are going to have at least one of these bad boys in their arsenal. That’s because it is the preferred tool when it comes to joining two pieces of wood to one another.
The rubber mallet, compared to other hammer types, won’t leave any nasty dents or other damage to the surface of the wood. In some situations, the mallet can even be used to drive nails into the wood without doing damage along the way.
Tapping Joints
You can work with joints without being completely into woodworking or carpentry. If you are trying things out in your shop or garage, a rubber mallet is great for working with any two pieces of wood that need to come together.
As is the case with carpentry, tile installation, and other applications, the best thing about rubber mallets is that they can apply considerable force without leaving marks or dents in the process. You don’t have to be overly gentle or worry about doing serious damage along the way. Think of it as peace of mind during the joining process.
