Shop Blog

I love working with burl and highly-figured wood when I can get it. And if the wood has some voids and interesting cracks that can be filled with epoxy for some interesting accents, that’s [...]

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 a wooden lightsaber handle, a [...]

What to do when a project fails? Turn it into something else. Some time ago I talked about a project my daughter requested, repairing a cherry dining chair that had split and fallen apart. I [...]

On this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John and Phil have to do all of the heavy lifting with Logan out on assignment. The guys talk complaining about the heat and humidity in their shops and [...]

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 old cover projects, a burled [...]

A lot of tools we’ve used for years haven’t changed much, mechanically.  Some nice improvements have come along, as well as enhanced safety features, but these are sometimes just nice bells and [...]

On this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Phil, Logan, and John discuss some listener comments, project updates, and Logan’s workbench progress. Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here. [...]

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 an antique mistake, the [...]

When matching stains, nothing is more pleasing than getting it right the first time. Matching stain is one of the hardest things to do in the woodshop, especially when trying to match the color [...]

The older I get, the more and more I’ve noticed a difference in myself. Among those differences have been my preferences for the time of year. It used to be that Winter was my favorite. Hunting, [...]

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 bad batteries, good [...]

There’s a new fighter in the battle against the Spotted Lanternfly. The biggest reason invasive species — animal or plant — have such a devastating impact is simple: When they invaded, they [...]