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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 mahogany, the Pope’s coffin, and how 150 hours of work almost went down the drain.
Tool News Quick Bites
Blue Spruce Releases Leather Assembly Mallet: This looks like one of those best of both worlds types of tools. The laminated leather should have a good amount of heft to it, but also won’t dent your projects or mar your tools. Order before May 12th to get the special pre-order pricing.
Grizzly Has a New Dust Collector Attachment for Band Saws: A 14″ band saw has all the capacity for many woodworkers, but most of the saws are missing a key component of their larger brethren: dust collection. This handy attachment from Grizzly is designed to attach magnetically to 14″ saws in their lineup, but I would put money that it could fit others with a steel table as well.
Schwarz Report on Mahogany
One of the neat things Christopher Schwarz is doing at this point in his career is really diving into certain topics and exploring them fully. Take the recent two-part article on Mahogany published to his Substack: Scharwz and Kara Gebhart Ulh go from the earliest history of the wood all the way to its present-day conservation status and more. It’s a great read. Check out part 1 and part 2 for the whole story.
Famous Woodworking: The Pope’s Coffin
It’s not every day that a wooden object makes national news, let alone international news, but that was the case early this week when Pope Francis’s funeral took place on April 26th in Rome. Francis had eschewed tradition and chose to be buried in a simple wooden coffin that was lined with zinc. The wood appears to be cypress, and the construction is basic, though flawlessly executed. The coffin is very similar to the one used by Pope John Paul II. Popular Woodworking actually did an article on that coffin back in 2005 (written, oddly enough, by Kara Gebhart Ulh.) Have any thoughts or observations on the design? Let us know on social media.
Pallbearers carry the coffin of late Pope Francis into Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, his final resting place, during his funeral ceremony in Rome on April 26, 2025. (Photo by Stefano Costantino / AFP)
Video of the Week: Nick Pedulla Fails
A lot of woodworkers on YouTube don’t actually do any woodworking (no hate, game recognize game.) Nick Pedulla is not one of those people, though. He’s built a reputation as a meticulous woodworker with inspired designs. In his latest video, he’s looking back at his past self and comparing it to the present, seeing how he’s grown as a woodworker.
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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