Reviews & Features

The Best Consumer 3D Printer

My odyssey into the realm of 3D printing commenced some five years back with the acquisition of a Prusa Mk3. That machine was a veritable fortress, impervious to the whims of fate. Yet, truth be told, my enthusiasm waned swiftly. The allure of the medium eluded me, lost amidst the clutter of the workshop. Once the novelty of printing sundry baubles wore thin, I cast it aside, consigning it to the depths of a closet, forgotten. Then, about a year ago, a new contender emerged on the scene. Enter the Bambu Lab X1, heralded as a paragon of speed, reliability, …
Reviews & Features

The Rivi Journal

My first word wasn’t “mommy” or “daddy.” It was “car.” It only got worse from there… My old man, bless his misguided soul, attempted to quench this insatiable thirst by thrusting me into the world of go-cart racing at the tender age of six. But that only served to stoke the flames of my vehicular passion. By the time I hit fifteen, we were already bending the truth about my age and campaigning a Super Gas car on the NHRA circuit. As I matured, so did my appetite for speed, transitioning seamlessly into the realm of open-wheel racing across the …
Reviews & Features

Brunt Workwear

Here’s something I don’t do very often – review workwear. But, a few weeks back I got contacted by Brunt and asked if I would be interested in trying out a pair of their pants as well some boots. Free crap? Sign me up… Anyway, a few days go by and a package arrives. Within was a pair of Marin United boots as well as some Costello Workpants. I’ve been wearing each almost every day since and here are my impressions: The Marin Boot I’m a born and raised Texan, but I don’t wear boots all that often – opting …
Reviews & Features

OLFA Hobby Blades

Years ago, my sister passed away and left me a box of her art supplies. I’m no artist, but as I was packing the stuff away I did note that the haul included some kind of an off-brand X-Acto knife. I grabbed it and threw it in my blade drawer without giving it much thought. A few months back, I was helping a friend wrap a car and we ran out of sharp X-Acto blades in the middle of the night. I remembered my sister’s old hobby knife and went for it… The blade was at least ten years old, …
Reviews & Features

Upgraded Craftsman Bandsaw Guides

I’d be willing to be that a good percentage of us started our bandsaw journey with a Craftsman 137.224320. It’s sort of the Toyota Corolla of bandsaws – cheap, durable, and reasonably effective at getting you from point A to point B with no thrills and zero embellishments. It’s the bare minimum. The only real downfall with these machines has been the lack of an upgrade path. Once you’ve outgrown its capabilities, you’ve really had no options other than to sell it and re-enter the market for something more capable. And this predicament often came sooner rather than later due …