{"id":598,"date":"2020-07-27T12:17:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T09:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodiswood.com\/?p=598"},"modified":"2022-09-07T12:01:18","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T09:01:18","slug":"what-is-a-carvers-mallet-used-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodiswood.com\/what-is-a-carvers-mallet-used-for\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Carver’s Mallet Used For"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In wood carving, a mallet is a very necessary tool for most relief carvings and other more complex projects. So what is a carver’s mallet used for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mallet is a tool used for transmission of force onto wood when cutting wood. This is usually done by striking the mallet on a chisel for a more controlled and cleaner cut through the wood. Using a mallet also provides a wider range of force that you can use on the wood.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When carving wood you don’t always have to use a mallet, when working with softer wood and less complex projects most times the force you can produce with your hand is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Woodcarvers also like to use a mallet even on more simple projects as it is easier to control the force you exert. If you want a stronger hit you would hold the mallet closer to the handle and produce hits from further away, and when a lighter hit is required, the mallet is held closer to the head and the hits are lighter and perhaps more frequent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few stronger hits are better than many light ones as the chisel moves around with every hit resulting in small splinters. Fewer strikes mean a cleaner and better cut if done right.<\/p>TIP<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

When working on more complex projects especially that involve hardwood, a mallet is crucial as it is the only way a woodcarver can produce enough force to cut through the wood while applying the required technique needed to shape the carving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Use a Carver’s Mallet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When relief carving, working with a hard wood, or creating other types of projects that require a mallet, you need to know how to use properly for best results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Place the chisel in the area that you want to chip off or cut through. When using a chisel in a conjunction with a mallet be sure to ignore the handle and hold the chisel closer to the edge for a more precise placement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When using a mallet, pay attention to the side that you hit with. It can be either of the two faces, however, you should never use the part in between them as it will both break your mallet overtime and split the wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As previously mentioned, you can control the force of the mallet by holding it in different ways. The closer your hand is to the top of the mallet the less strong every strike will be. For stronger strikes hold the mallet closer to the end of the handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the time you will use the mallet together with a chisel, here are a few things to keep in mind that will bring you better results:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n