A Hard Lesson in Tool Care

My students learn two things about me very quickly: I care deeply about their education, and I care just as deeply about the tools we use while learning together. In our woodworking program—which [...]

The Splinter Report: November 28th

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at fiddles, tool-buying [...]

End of an Era

1953. That’s when woodworkers were first able to buy an entire shop in a box with the commercial introduction of the Shopsmith Mark V. Hans Goldschmidt invented the concept in the late 1940s, [...]

95 and Counting

More than a century ago, Stanley introduced a new plane, and I’ve wanted one ever since. Well, no — I’m not that old — but it was still in production when I was born and would continue to be [...]

The Splinter Report November 14th

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at AI, insane drawers, and AI. [...]

Blown Away

Last spring, I talked about a new tool I’d never seen before, a handheld blower, about the size of a small travel-size hairdryer. I was intrigued so I bought one. Light, pocketable and [...]

Easy Inlays

I’ve mentioned before how bad I am at hand-cutting dovetails, but there’s something else I’m terrible at: almost any kind of inlay. I say “almost” because I’ve done a lot of basic inlays that are [...]