Reply by richgreer

If I’m assembling something, I often grab the mallet to apply some light force to help the tenon slide into the mortise. It will not hurt the wood unless I swing it real hard. If I have to swing hard enough to hurt the wood, the fit is too tight and an adjustment is needed.

I find using a mallet to be more convenient than a hammer with a separate block of wood to cushion the blow and protect the wood.

-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.