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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 Italian art circa 1300, a Gibson guitar factory circa 1967, and a Makita compact blower circa 2025.
Tool News Quick Bites
Makita Releases New Compact Blower: This one slipped by me a few weeks back, but is worth mentioning. My leaf blower is probably my #1 shop cleanup tool, and compact ones like this are even more handy for getting into small spaces.
Splinter Report: The Call is Coming from Inside the House
Usually, when I’m digging for stuff for the Splinter report, I’m looking outside of the Pop Wood universe. There’s a big, beautiful world of woodworking out there, and I like to shine a bit of light in the lesser-appreciated corners. This week, though, I stumbled upon something Christopher Schwarz wrote about in 2015 that I thought was too interesting not to share. It’s a short article, so I won’t spoil anything for you, but I’ll leave you with this fascinating image below, dating to Italy in the 1300s. In spite of 700 years of progress, the tools and techniques in the image are still very recognizable today, and are in use in modern shops. Really makes one appreciate the lineage of the craft.
Random Reddit: Rock Solid Advice
This is one of those tips I’m sure I’ve seen a dozen times, but it’s so valuable that I’m going to share it again here:
Some of the best safety advice I ever got.
byu/lotus2471 inwoodworking
Video of the Week: Time Travel
Ever wondered what it was like to work in a Gibson Guitar factory back in 1967? Well, thanks to this footage unearthed a few years back, you’re in luck! And even if being a time-traveling luthier isn’t your dream, this video is an incredibly interesting look into the process of building a guitar.
Anything interesting I missed this week, or that you want me to highlight in a future Splinter Report? Let us know on social media or drop me an email at cknoff@aimmedia.com.
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