Matthew Williams

Over at Rockler, they came out with a new super-sized version of their silicone project mat. The “project mat XL” is 23-1/2″ wide x 30-1/4″ long, which they say is ideal for standard-sized workbenches.>/p>

The mat is easy to clean, since wet glue rinses off and dried glue peels off. It’s also soft, and textured on the top so that it can trap debris that could otherwise scratch or dent your project.

Skilsaw sent me a rather cryptic email in mid-August, directing me to a teaser video and newsletter sign-up page for a new tool they were coming out with.

10 days later, they announced the new tool, their new Skilsaw Buzzkill reciprocating saw, which they claim provides “up to 35%” more vibration suppression over competing models.

A corded recip saw that promises lower vibration? Sounds good to me, although I haven’t been won over just yet.

The new Skilsaw Buzzkill, SPT44A-00, is Skilsaw’s debut into the linear cutting market, although it should be noted that there are plenty of Skil-branded entry-level and consumer models available.

Dewalt recently announced a new cordless electrical cable stapler, model DCN701, which they say is 2X as fast as manual hammer stapling (using a DCB203 2.0Ah battery stapling 12-2 Romex in 2×4 wood).

The new Dewalt cordless cable stapler is designed for fastening NM-B (Romex) type wires and cables, and can also be used for low voltage applications. There’s a proprietary guide that helps users drive staples safely and accurately over cables. Translation: there’s a staple guide that helps prevent users from stapling through cables.

You know what I like about October? Halloween. And you know what I like about Halloween? It gives me an excuse to repost this gif starring my hockey mask and chainsaw earrings. (The gif was created by the fine folks at Spring, the Instagram-like shopping app.) The combination of a hockey mask and a chainsaw has come to be a recognizable reference to movie serial killers, even though it muddles together two different horror flicks. As I wrote in 2014 when I introduced the earrings, the character of Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th movies wore a hockey mask but wielded a machete. The chainsaw belongs to Leatherface of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. Leatherface does wear masks, but his are made of human skin. But the Jason/Leatherface blend of killer accessories dates back at least to 1993, when The Simpsons used it in its “Cape Feare” episode. You can see how the earrings look on here. If you’re not into slasher movies, I’ve got skull jewelry (for every budget) that’s appropria

Summer is here and fresh blackberries are in season. Today we share with you a recipe from the Bottle Pros cocktail kitchen. It is a wine based drink that employs the flavors of blackberry and black pepper.

You want to give a makeover to your living room because as you spend more time at home you want your surroundings to look good, organized and arranged as per good taste.

Ancho Reyes is a Mexican liqueur made from Ancho and Poblano peppers. It is a sweet and subtly spiced with a hint of smokiness. Ancho Reyes liqueur adds a great lift to many traditional cocktails and works particularly well in Margarita’s.

These societies, shrouded in myth and secrecy, conjure feelings of distrust and envy along with endless speculation from outsiders. Many of these shadowy groups hinge on grand schemes of world domination and government subversion. 

“What about you? Do you hate big bags, love them, somewhere in the middle? For clarification, I’m not talking about a big bag for work or travel. I mean to carry to a lunch date or a day shopping, etc. To carry it for the style of it, not necessarily b/c you need to carry a ton of stuff.”