I was recently working on an antique pool table and came across this problem. I needed to hammer some wood pieces together however I did not want to damage the antique finish on the table. I didn't own a rubber mallet so I had to come up with my own.

Step 1: Items You Will Need

1. Tennis balls
2. Utility knife
3. Hammer

Step 2: Cut the Tennis Ball

Cut an X in the tennis ball approximately 2 inches long.

Step 3: Simple Mallet

Squeeze a the tennis ball and affix the hammer within the cross shaped hole.

Step 4: Hammer Away

The benefits of using this type of hammer is having the felt lining between the rubber and the mallet. Some rubber mallets leave scuff marks on your wood projects, potentially damaging antique wood finishes.