Build A Small Mallet for Fine-Detail Woodworking

A woodworker needs mallets of several sizes and styles, each for different tasks. A big mallet (with a large head, 12”-ish-long handle, and weighing 4 pounds or more) works perfectly for heavy-duty work, such as chopping mortises. A medium-size dead-blow mallet (typically made of non-marring rubber and filled with lead shot) is the perfect tool for bringing together mating workpieces with a snug fit. And for fine-detail work, such as creating dovetails or inlay mortises with chisels, you need a small mallet better proportioned for these finesse tasks. This small mallet is what we’re building here. You can make it from whichever wood species you like, but a heavy, dense hardwood works best for the head because it won’t deform as much as softer woods will. You can also mix species if you like: for example, a maple head with a walnut handle. It’s really up to you. Now let’s get started.

Start by Making the Head

We make the head from two 4”-long pieces of ¾”-thick hardwood, with a centered dado on each. When glued together, the dadoes on these pieces form a mortise for the handle. And all you need is one 18”-long board: You’ll cut the two head pieces from each end, with the handle cut from the remaining middle segment.

1. Mill a piece of white oak, hard maple, or similar dense hardwood to ¾” thick, 1-1/2” wide, and 18” long. Create a similar blank of any wood species for making test cuts. Cut the ends square.

2. Lay out a 1-1/4”-wide dado starting 1-3/8” from the end of the test blank. The dado should be ¼” deep.

3. Set up a ¾”-wide dado stack on the table saw and set the height at ¼”. Using a miter gauge with an auxiliary fence, hold the test piece against the fence and align the right edge of the dado with the right edge of the dado stack. Holding the board tightly in place, position the flip stop against the left end and secure in place. Cut a dado in the test piece. Repeat for the project blank. Rotate the project blank a half-turn—with the dado end against the flip stop and the dado facing down—and cut a second dado.

4. Align the test piece’s left dado layout line with the left edge of the dado stack. Reposition the flip stop at the end of the board and cut another dado. Repeat for the project blank at both ends.

Note: If you have a mitersaw, make all crosscuts with that tool so you can leave the dado set installed on the table saw steps in the next section.

5. Make a mark 4” from each end of the project blank and crosscut at these marks.

6. Create the mallet head by gluing the two pieces together, making sure the dado walls align perfectly. Clamp and allow to dry thoroughly. Wipe away any glue squeeze-out.

Now Create the Handle

7. Crosscut the handle blank to 9” long. Cut away the dado from the test piece.

8. Lay out the tenon centered at the end of the test piece: 1-5/8” long (from the end), 1-1/4 wide, and ½” thick. With the wide face lying flat on the table saw, set the dado stack height to the layout line. Resting the blank against the miter gauge, cut along the end, then flip and do the same on the other face. Test this tenon in the mortise. It should fit very snugly. If it doesn’t fit, adjust the blade height as needed and continue making test cuts on each face until you achieve the desired fit. Once you have the fit dialed in, align the shoulder mark to the dado stack and position the flip stop at the end of the blank. Make cuts on each face, then do the same for the handle blank, cutting away extra material between the shoulder and end. Leave the flip stop in place.

9. Repeat this process to cut the tenon to final width (handle blank standing on edge), adjusting the blade height as needed.

10. Lay out a two lines on the tenon cheek 1/16” each side of centered. At the bandsaw, cut a kerf on each side of the centerline, using a stop block to ensure you don’t cut into the handle’s shoulders. This effectively creates two tenons.

11. Create a “wedge” for the tenon gap from contrasting stock that is precisely the same width and length of the tenon and should fit very snugly in the relief cut. Shape a slight taper at one end. When installed during glue-up, this wedge will slightly spread the tenons, ensuring contact with the mortise walls. Do not glue to the mallet head yet.

12. Lay out relief cuts on the handle as shown; the size and depth is up to you, whatever feels good in your hand. Bandsaw close to the lines, then sand them smooth on a spindle sander.

13. Install a ¼” round-over bit in the router table and align the fence flush with the bearing. Set the height for a perfect round-over. Round all the edges and ends of the handle (except the tenon shoulders) and head. Sand all surfaces smooth.

Assemble the Mallet

14. Glue the handle to the head. Apply glue to all the tenon surfaces, including inside the relief cut. Insert into the mortise on the head until fully seated against the shoulders. Apply glue to the wedge and insert point-first into the relief cut, tapping until only about ¼” remains proud or until it feels like it won’t go anymore—you don’t want to split the wedge. Allow the glue to dry fully.

15. You have two options for trimming the tenon, choose whichever you like best:

a. Trim the entire tenon flush to the head.

b. Trim only the wedge flush to the proud tenon. With this option you might want to chisel chamfers on the tenon.

c. Sand smooth when finished.

16. Apply a penetrating oil finish to the mallet, if you like.

17. Now put the mallet to use!