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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 compact circular saws, cartoon carving, and plinko.
Tool News Quick Bites
Starrett and Gerstner Team Up Again: Starrett, known for their measurement tools, is teaming up with Gerstner, a wooden toolbox manufacturer, on a special edition tool chest. It’s a homage to a previous collaboration from the 1950s when they released the Starrett Model 200W. In honor of Gerstner’s 120th anniversary, they’re releasing a limited run of just 120 units of this chest inspired by the original 200W. Act fast, the order book closes December 19th!
Compact Circular Saw Deluge: I received notification this week of a new compact circular saw coming soon from Hercules (Harbor Freight). Which made me realize I had forgotten to mention the compact circular saw that Ryobi released in November. And that reminded me that Kreg had a compact circular saw in their new cordless tool lineup. All of this is to say, if you’re in the market for a compact circular saw, now is a great time to buy.
Random Reddit: Let’s Get Weird
Avert your eyes from this section if you cannot stand the sight of carved cartoon buttocks.
Ok, for everyone else still with me, this gave me a nice hump day chuckle when browsing Reddit this week. Self-taught carver u/Yvan000 decided to make a sculpture of Patrick and SpongeBob (sans his normal square pants). They seem to be very good friends.
Self-Taught Woodcarving — SpongeBob and Patrick
byu/Yvan000 inwoodworking
For a hobby that can take itself a bit too seriously from time to time, I like to think projects like this restore some balance. That being said, don’t expect any cheek-carving instructions in the pages of the magazine anytime soon.
Unique Material: Metalized Wood
I’ve known of resin-infused wood for quite a while now, but I was recently made aware of a different type of wood infusion — metal. I can only find one seller of this particular type of material, which does seem a bit odd. I also have no idea how it is supposed to work from a technical standpoint, and since they don’t ship to where I live, I can’t get my hands on it to experiment.
It does seem to be a true infusion, as you can see in this video. If anyone can either explain the science to me, or buy some and try it out, I’d love to know more. It can be purchased here, and you can find more info on their Twitter/X account.
Out of Context Christopher Schwarz Quote
Video of the Week: Plinko
Sometimes I have a video all lined up by the time Friday rolls around. Other times, I open up YouTube and hope that the algorithm gods bless me. This week was the latter, but it worked out well, because I discovered the channel L’gosseux d’bois – The Woodpecker. Alain Vaillancourt started making woodworking videos in French due to the lack of quality videos in the language. As time went on, he decided to expand his audience by remaking the videos in English as well. I appreciate that fact, because who doesn’t want to watch a charming Frenchman build a Plinko board for his Grandson?
Anything interesting I missed this week, or that you want me to highlight in a future Splinter Report? Let me know on social media or drop me an email at cknoff@aimmedia.com.
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