On Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:36:15 -0600, Wilfred Xavier Pickles wrote:
I could jerry-rig something to drill around the embedded bits, but I'd
rather extract 'em.

Anybody know a good trick for such?

Set fire to mallet, retrieve bits from resulting ashes?

Seriously, though... If they're broken flush with the mallet face, urgh.
You could chisel some wood out around them to expose enough end to get a
grip on, I suppose. Then heat them (as someone said), then tap the
exposed ends with a hammer a few times to try to loosen things up a bit
more, then get some pliers on the ends and try to twist them out.

cheers

Jules