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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 the antithesis of a normal YouTube Video, a garden cart from 1988, and trying to figure out what exactly constitutes a tool chest.
Tool News Quick Bites
Blue Spruce Toolworks Launches Woodworker’s Straight Edge: A lot of woodworking and tool setup is about making sure something is dead-flat. But how do you do that without something flat as a baseline? Enter the straight edge. This one from Blue Spruce is held to ±0.0007″ tolerance, and will ship in July.
Shaper Tools Announces the Benchpilot: The Shaper Origin (which I very much like) has always existed in a not-quite-CNC space (my words, not theirs). Generally, that’s what made it so great, as you had an effectively unlimited bed size, and the Shaper tape meant you could reposition projects at will. Still, it was ultimately the user who moved the router along the XY axes to make a cut. The Benchpilot is a new accessory, effectively a gantry that you can mount the Shaper Origin on, to make cuts independently. The product is expected to ship in September.
SawStop Is Raising Prices: Most tool manufacturers raise prices from time to time, but SawStop is generally nice enough to warn consumers in advance, which is appreciated.
Settle A Debate: Tool Chest Edition
We were digging through some old articles on tool chests the other day when we ran into “Cabinetmaker’s Tool Chest” from the December 2013 issue of Popular Woodworking. Now, the name tool chest is right there in the title, but that certainly looks like a wall cabinet to me. Far be it from me to question then-editor Megan Fitzpatrick, who is both a better editor and woodworker than I’ll ever be, but I’ve always assumed a tool chest would be both mobile and oriented to the floor instead of a wall. But maybe the intent matters more than the form. Let us know what you think on social!
From the Archives: April/May 1988
Peering back through the Pop Wood archives reveals all sorts of interesting tidbits about the world of woodworking. Trends come and go, and yet, some of the stuff is still quite good. Take this garden cart from 37 years ago: we certainly wouldn’t build it like this today, but there’s a sense of whimsy that I particularly enjoy. You can download the PDF of the article if you’re interested in making one for yourself.
Video of the Week: The Anti-YouTube Woodworking Channel
Ishanti is a Japanese YouTube channel featuring a custom furniture shop. The videos are the opposite of what you tend to see on YouTube; there’s no talking, graphics, or a dramatic thumbnail. Just the sound of tools on wood, and beautiful results. You’ll need to visit the channel (and become a member) to see all of the videos, but I’ve embedded one of their most popular ones below.
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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