The Splinter Report: July 11th

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 [...]

Bat Battalions

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 [...]

The Splinter Report: June 27th

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’ve got a bunch of tool news, I inspect a [...]

The Splinter Report: June 20th

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 [...]

Family Roots

Family-run, from one generation to another. There’s been a changing of the guard at Grizzly Industrial. Shabir Balolia — son of company founder Shiraz Balolia — has been named president. For any [...]

The 7 Myths of Polyurethane

All levels of finishing are burdened with myths, but the types of finishes used by amateurs and sold in home centers and woodworking stores suffer the most. Myths about polyurethane are a good [...]

Dust Bomb

That little hand blower I talked about recently has become a constant companion. It hasn’t replaced my air compressor, though, because there are still two important things it does that the hand [...]

Spoon Bit Spoiler

The Adventure of the Pilgrim’s Chair. Sometime in the haze of the 1970s, Armand LaMontagne, a wood sculptor from Rhode Island, sought revenge against the museum world. He had been rebuffed by [...]

Double-duty Dynamos

Lasers can be both woodworking and metalworking tools. I got my laser engraver/cutters primarily to work wood and consider them woodworking tools first and foremost. But woodwork is supported by [...]

Small Tool, Big Wind

This handy little tool is like an air compressor in your pocket. I love finding new tools, or even tools that have been around a while that I’ve just learned about. Not sure what I was actually [...]

The Splinter Report: May 23rd

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 stock photography, nail [...]

Judging Panels

It’s pointless to complain how “they don’t make ’em like they used to.” I’ve pointed out that that’s not always true: They still make ’em, but it will cost you more. And unless you’re lucky, [...]