Splinters and slivers are an occupational hazard in the shop—particularly if you’re working with roughsawn lumber. If not removed, or if only partially removed, those tiny pieces of wood can be a huge pain (and lead to infections). Recently, I purchased a splinter removal kit from Gramercy (Toolsforworkingwood.com). The kit contains professional medical-grade tools for this very job: a beautiful set of tweezers—or, forceps, as the professionals call them—and a sturdy, sharp, steel probe that stores in its own handle. These two small additions have been a major upgrade to my tool kit. The forceps have small, pointy tips and are grooved for extra grip. Unlike a needle, which can bend, the probe is rigid as well as sharp, making those particularly hard to remove splinters more accessible. These tools definitely make extraction easier. But you should still follow my mom’s advice: soak your hand in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes before going in with the tools. I’m not sure why it works, but trust me, sometimes mother knows best.  

—Adam Godet is a woodworker in Washington, D.C.

Photo: Barry NM Dima 

From Fine Woodworking #292