Podcasts about vanderlist

It’s easy to be inspired in the kitchen to make something, and I’m not just referring to food either (okay, maybe I am just a little.) Items for use in the kitchen are popular projects, not only with our spouses but often with family and friends. My wife Samantha has a long list of things she’d like built to help her keep things organized in the kitchen, and at the top of her list is to get rid of the hideous plastic utensil organizer we’ve had since we first moved in together 18 years ago. So on today’s episode we’re building a custom utensil organizer for our kitchen cabinet drawer. One that not only holds the crazy number of forks, spoons and knives we own (I have no idea how we’ve accumulated so many) but also all of the extra things that I couldn’t tell you exactly what they do. This is a custom-sized project, so I won’t share a plan for it, but after watching I’m certain you’ll be able to build something very similar for your kitchen drawers if you were interested. It all comes together using two of the most basic joints in the woodshop, the Rabbet and Dado, and given the number we use, you should become quite proficient in setting them up and getting great results on your next project. A huge thanks to the folks at Bell Forest Lumber for providing the beautiful tiger-maple for the project from a donation to the show several years ago. If you haven’t checked them out previously for lumber, you should definitely take a look, I have yet to not like anything I’ve received from them.

You have questions and comments about the simple thickness planer sled? I have answers; although I can’t guarantee they’re the ones you want to hear. Thanks to everyone who wrote in!

For the past several months while I've been on the road for work my wife Samantha has been tackling a kitchen project. I've been helping out where, and when I could, but for the most part it was all her sweat and effort going into it (and before anyone asks, no, I didn't build any cabinets or new doors for the kitchen.) In fact, aside from removing a small partition wall, along with tearing out the countertops and backsplash, the project was really more of a "facelift" than remodel. But now that it's completed, the one project Samantha requested all along was a set of live-edge shelves for where a cabinet once sat. I doubt I'll do much to document their installation; it's pretty straight-forward. Probably the most difficult part of the build will be carefully drilling through ceramic tile to install them. Of course with that said now, finding a way to mill the 12" wide boards I'm planning to use could've been an even bigger struggle if it weren't for my thickness planer sled. On today's episode, we're breaking out the thickness planer sled first featured in the Tall Dresser build and putting it to use again.

I can't believe this is happening to me, but I'm getting bit by the turning bug and it's obvious it's contagious! Now that my time in the shop is currently less than it use to be, I really want to be able to knock out a project or two from start to finish, and the lathe is probably one of the one tools where this is entirely possible. In today's episode I'm literally turning some scrap maple into a small bowl. What'll I use it for? Probably to hold keys, or spare change, or more likely M&M's! In this episode I made quite a few references to the Easy Wood Tools' gouges and detailers I was using (pretty much the entire time.) If you're interested in purchasing them or just checking them out or yourself, you can find them at Woodcraft.com Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Over the years there have been a lot of questions from new woodworkers. One of the most frequent is "should I buy a full set of chisels or just one or two?" The easy answer is "YES get a full set" but that's not always the correct one. In fact, if I had to rebuild my entire shop from the ground up and retool it, I'd probably avoid an entire set of chisels and instead concentrate on adding one or two high quality versions as needed. In today's episode I share with you the advice I like to offer new woodworkers (and some experienced ones) when it comes to purchasing chisels. With so many different tool manufacturers, sizes and even specialty chisels to choose from, it's hard to decide where to get started when buying your first (or next) chisel(s). My advice is pretty simple, and it can easily transfer to other tools and accessories in your shop later down the road. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

In the previous episode of this two part series "550 Simple Cabinet Construction Pt 1" we started the construction on a pair of overhead cabinets for a laundry room. The cabinets are about as simple in design and construction as possible. A box with a face frame and a pair of full-overlay doors to enclose them. The only detail that could be remotely described as "ornate" is the ogee profile routed on the rail and stiles of the door frames. As far as I'm concerned the simpler the better when it comes to cabinet design. Why? For two reasons; 1) it makes construction a whole lot easier and more predictable, and 2) an entire wall filled with highly ornate cabinets would actually be it's own kind of special craziness. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Don't tell my wife, but after all these years of her asking if I'd ever consider building new cabinets for our kitchen I'm finally getting around to doing it. Except they're not for the kitchen, and they're not even for our house. Instead, it's a small build for a client. The good news is Samantha shouldn't be too upset by it for two reasons; 1) I'm getting paid to build them, and 2) Once I've built these, I'll know how to build ours even better if we still want to replace the existing ones! In today's episode we're getting started on the construction of a pair of overhead cabinets for my client's laundry room. The case construction is pretty straight forward, and made all that much easier because I'm using a blind rabbet joint which makes assembling them so much easier. As a matter of fact, that's what we'll be discussing and demonstrating in today's episode - milling the blind rabbet joint and then assembling the case from start to finish. Then in the next episode we'll move on to milling and constructing the face frame and the two sets of overlay doors to wrap up the project. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

As table saws go, I've had an opportunity over the years to use one from each of the three body types; benchtop, contractor and cabinet. While they're all tablesaws and do the same job, the specifications of each are very different. Where benchtop and contractor saws are portable in their own ways, the cabinet saw is one you probably won't be throwing in the back of a trailer or truck and hauling around from site to site. In fact, the cabinet saw is a beast of a saw and is designed with the serious hobbyist and professional woodworker in mind. I've been using my granite topped Steel City cabinet saw for a couple of years now and have been loving the features and specifications that came with it. But just recently, an opportunity came up to try another make and model of cabinet saw that has some upgraded features and specifications I didn't think we're all that important at first, but now that its here I can't wait to test them out and share the results with all of you. In today's episode I'm introducing my brand new SawStop PCS175-TGP236 1.75HP 10" Professional Cabinet Saw. In the interest of complete transparency, the opportunity to try out this model of saw and all the accessories and upgrades that accompany it was in exchange for a sponsorship and advertising deal on my website and in the show. I'm under no obligation what-so-ever to gloss over any warts I may think the saw has as I use it over time. As of the time that I'm posting this episode, I haven't had an opportunity to put the saw through it's paces yet. But that should be remedied very shortly as we get ready to start a series of projects that will have plenty of cuts being made on the saw. Then in about 6 months, I'll come back and give it as thorough a review of what I've experienced with the saw as I possibly can. I don't expect all of you to be as excited about this opportunity as I am, and I imagine some of you will express your opinions about it with me rather loudly. But I'm interested in hearing what your concerns are regarding the specifications when compared to other manufacturers and maybe even some of the myths you've heard too. So without further delay..."Hello New Saw!" Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

The Platform Bed build is just getting underway. This first episode is the construction of the "undercarriage" or support system for the slats that will be used to keep the mattress from falling through the middle of the platform frame. Because it's being hidden from view I decided to not use the same wood species as the rest of the bed frame, in fact the secondary wood is just Poplar. It's plain, simple and more importantly in my neck of the woods, inexpensive. The design of this support system is very straight forward and there are a number of options for constructing it. The joinery choice for me came down to something that was pretty simple but very strong, a corner lap joint. And to take that lap joint even further, the joinery for the long middle support is a half-blind lap joint. How I constructed both of these joints is something I share in today's episode. There's different ways to construct each and my choice is the one that works best for me. But if you want to learn more about what the various options are for this joinery and many more, a great resource for the power tool user is the book "Classic Joints with Power Tools" by Yeung Chan. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

While working on the new wedding boxes for my wife's photography business www.shuttersam.com (shameless plug I know...because I love her) I discovered that the 1/8" diameter straight cutting bit I was using to route an important groove didn't seem to be adequately surrounded by my smallest diameter throat plate in the router table. No big deal really, but I didn't want to take the risk of the material catching or splintering or tearing out or...whatever could go wrong. So better to be safe than sorry, I broke out a customizable insert plate and made one that would work perfectly for this task. Tools featured in today's post: Bench Dog 40-300 ProMax RT Complete Bench Dog Tools 40-150 ProLift Router Adjustment System Bench Dog 40-136 Zero Clearance Insert for Large Bench Dog ProPlate and ProLift 1/8" Downcut Spiral Bit Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Every year I try to help my wife's business by making wedding boxes for her clients. They're simple and plain and are made to hold a few pictures and maybe a CD or other archive of the images from their happy occasion. This year we changed things up a bit, and went with a new design. One that's easier for me to build and batch out, often using not much more than some smaller scraps and off-cuts that normally might be thrown out or burned in a campfire. The joinery for this easy to build box is also quite simple. Grooves, rabbets and a miter are all there is to it, all joinery that can be accomplished on a table saw alone or with a variety of tools if you prefer. Simple and understated, this box can be built completely for utilitarian purposes or dressed up for something more elegant. Enjoy! Tools featured in today's video include: Bessey Web Clamp Kreg Bandsaw Fence Whiteside Router Bit Steel City Tool Works 14" Band Saw Bench Dog ProMax RT Bench Dog Feather-Loc Double Featherboard Milescraft Push Stick SawStop Cabinet Saw Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Shortly after the release of the most recent video featuring the new photo boxes I'm making for my wife's business I received an email from an audience member asking if I was concerned about the expansion and contraction of the box's bottom panel effecting the metered corners of its sides? In truth, not really, or at least not nearly as much as I would be if this was a different project and with larger dimensions and maybe even different materials. Of course, it's not just the dimensions and materials that make confident against the wood movement having drastic effects on the boxes, there's also a few other things too that make me feel confident about my decision. In today's video I discuss these topics in the hopes that I answer the audience member's concerns and maybe some others from folks who were thinking along the same lines. Items mentioned in today's post: Timber Check Moisture Meter Lee Valley Wood Movement Reference Guide Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Recently I've been doing a lot of resawing on my bandsaw. Resawing is a great way to get thin material for a project versus wasting away the material by simply running it through a thickness planer or purchasing it pre-thicknessed (which probably means it's been sitting around for a while and is bowed or warped by the time you get it). In episode No. 491 "Resawing options" I had shared different ways I know of to resaw thicker material, but I didn't go into the details, especially when it came to my techniques on the bandsaw. And that's what we're doing on today's show, talking about how I resaw and a few tips on what I do to get my bandsaw all set up for it. Tools in today's show: Steel City Tool Works 14-Inch Band Saw Kreg Bandsaw Fence Woodslicer resaw blade Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Once in a while I have a few crosscuts that exceed the capability of my table saw miter gauge or my crosscut sled and since I prefer to use my table saw for crosscutting versus my miter saw, because of it's accuracy and versatility, I found a technique that works and is super accurate. There are any number of ways to attach an extension arm to my sled so I could clamp on a stop block to make multiple cuts that are repeatable and equally accurate, but they can get in the way and or even just clumsy. This technique is as simple as they get and can be easily adapted for use on just about any miter gauge or crosscut sled and requires nothing more than a pencil. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Following up on the last episode, where I revealed recent changes made to my shop to improve work flow and efficiency...at least in theory...,today's show is a closer look at some of the "accessories" and little shop helpers I've added all around it. We've all heard the cliche "it's the little things that matter". In this case, it really IS the little things that make all the difference...in how I feel about working at my various tools. As much as we want to justify buying all kinds of new fangled jigs and shop accessories the one issue we run into eventually is where to put them, and more importantly, how will we find them when we need them the most? Being organized shouldn't just refer to having a set of well thought out plans to build a project. Being organized should also refer to where and why things are laid out also. I don't know the statistics off hand but I think it's safe to say that many of the shop accidents that occur regularly each year, both big and small, probably have to do with someone not taking the extra time to use a safety accessory simply because it wasn't close at hand. Surprisingly, it doesn't cost a lot of money to get well organized, nor does it take a lot of time. The accessories I talk about in today's episode took me longer to figure out exactly where to place them than it did to purchase OR put them in their new homes. You don't have to go as far as building fancy cabinets or caddies (although that could be fun) when you decide "now I'm ready to be organized", being organized is a state of mind and a way of life. The payoff at the end of the day will make a huge difference in how we work in the shop. Of course the second half of being organized is remembering to put things back in their place...but that's for another episode! Featured items in today's show: Magswitch and accessories Bench Dog Feather-Loc Featherboard with Bar Bench Dog Push Bloc Push Stick Tormek Rotational Base Micro-Jig Grrripper Fast Mount Shelving System All of these are also available at Amazon.com too! Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I have no doubt in my mind that the chance of me felling a tree and then taking the time to hand hewn it is pretty much zero. But that didn't stop me from attending one of my favorite classes this year at Woodworking in America 2013. The opportunity to sit in Roy Underhill's class "TIMBER!!!" to see him demonstrate an aspect of woodworking that is so far out of my scope of accomplishing, was worth every second I sat in the lecture hall. I will admit there was some morbid curiosity as I wondered if something would happen when he started swinging the axe for real, but what I discovered instead was that the more Roy swung a tool, the more I learned. The more Roy sent wood chips into the audience, the more I understood how and why it might be important to learn how to hand hewn my own log…although I still have no idea when I'll ever do it. Perhaps you're into timber framing or just really want to try something like this yourself…because you have a fireplace mantel just waiting to be made out of that pesky tree in the yard?…attending this class was a great way to get my experience at Woodworking in America 2013 off and running. Thanks Roy! Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

At the top of my "woodworking things that intimidate me to tears" list you'll find woodcarving somewhere in the top 5, definitely far below "magnifying glass pyrography". Considering I took the plunge not so long ago and faced my fear of woodturning, and currently I'm alive and not noticeably maimed (thanks to tricky camera angles at least), I figure it's time to start knocking one or two more off the list. Thankfully this year Mary May returned to Woodworking in America and taught a couple of classes on woodcarving. Before I go any further, if you're not already familiar with Mary she's an amazing woodcarver who's taken the time to not only teach her art form at conferences like this or in the occasional class at a woodworking school but more importantly (as far as I'm concerned) she's taken the next step and opened an online school too. But more about that below… The two classes Mary was teaching this year were "Carving Life into Leaves" and "Linenfold Carving". The footage for today's post is from the linenfold class and has been edited to show more of the actual tool work and even Mary's body positioning at the bench to give you a feel for what you could learn if you were to sign up for her online classes. This isn't meant to be a sales pitch by any means, but considering what I learned just from sitting in the audience and watching I can only imagine what I'd learn if I were to start following the lessons with my tools in hand repeating the action she's teaching on the videos. Do I see myself becoming a full on woodcarver down the road? Probably not. But it would be really cool to feel confident enough with my tools and a basic knowledge of the craft to occasionally embellish a component or two on a project! For more information about Mary May including her online school visit www.marymaycarving.com. And if you join, you'll also find this linenfold project as one of the many available lessons to watch and learn about. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Over the years, I've done my fair share of experimenting with sharpening. From the early days of sandpaper on glass to waterstones and now on to my Tormek, I had one goal in mind...to create the scariest sharpest edge anyone could ever imagine!!! I won't claim to have achieved that dream yet, but I've managed to create edges that were sharp enough to draw blood with very little effort, usually also at the worst possible moments too. In today's episode I'll show you some of the tools and equipment I've used over the years to accomplish this goal. It's not an episode on HOW TO SHARPEN but instead an episode on options for WHAT TO SHARPEN WITH. From sandpaper to power sharpening and a few in between, I'll show you what I've tried in the past, what I'm using now and a little bit of why on each method. Just like our woodworking, sharpening methods are a personal thing, there's nothing wrong with experimenting until you find that one technique that's right for you. Tools mentioned in today's episode: Tormek Sharpener & Accessories Veritas MK II Honing Jig Waterstones Shapton glass stones Abrasive grit powders DMT Diamond Plates Granite surface plates Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

At the heart of my workshop's redo is the massive Bench Dog Router Table system I reviewed with ToolSelect.com - see the review HERE. Compared to previous router tables in my shop, this version is a beast! Of course it's not really a fair comparison, given its predecessors were all bench top models, but that's beside the point. The Bench Dog ProMax RT router table system provides woodworkers with a number of great options for customizing their own version. The system in my shop is a cast-iron top on an enclosed cabinet, but it could easily be a phenolic top instead. Or I could choose to have either one of those tops on an open stand. For me, what really makes this new router table system so invaluable in my shop IS the cabinet. The enclosed cabinet has enough storage space built into it that it's become my all-in-one router center. All my router bits, router accessories and even my routers can be stored in it and there's still room for more. What it takes up in floor space, it makes up for with overall storage space…I actually have some empty shelves…I wonder what I can put on those? The beauty of the system is the fact it has options! And speaking of options, one that will be making a dramatic change in my operations at the router table is the addition of a router lift. In the realm of router table upgrades this one is like going from a bicycle to a jet plane! See my review of it on ToolSelect.com HERE. Everyone who's used a router table knows the frustration there can be when dialing in just the right height between cuts. Having a router lift allows you to raise or lower your router from the top of the table where you can easily see what's happening versus the old method of reaching underneath and often blindly making the adjustments. How many times have you done this only to realize the bit is much higher or lower than you wanted? Router lifts are pricey, and to be honest I always had one on my list but I never considered it a necessity as far as I was concerned. But after using this one just for some test cuts and demonstration purposes, I wouldn't hesitate recommending it get bumped up to the top of the list for anyone who uses their router table frequently. The accuracy and ease of adjustability it provides will dramatically help with router operations in my shop. And then there's the fence system. Regardless of which table top, base or whether you choose to go with a router lift or traditional insert plate, if you don't have a good fence system it won't matter. The Bench Dog Fence system is worth the money! Links for items mentioned in today's show: Bench Dog 40-300 ProMax RT Bench Dog Tools 40-150 ProLift Bench Dog Featherboards Kreg PRS3090 3" Dual Locking Caster-Set Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

AHHHH SUMMER!!! The time of year that I find it's hardest to get myself into the shop to work on projects, but yet I can't fight the need to be in there. So to help ease my burden of guilt I like to do smaller projects that are easily accomplished at night or for a few hours on a weekend. Today's project is exactly the kind of "small project" I'm talking about. Plus another great thing about it is the fact I'm using up some of my smaller stock and scraps that ordinarily become firestarter for our summer bonfires in the backyard. Completely based on the dimensions of a typical cardboard six-pack, the six openings are the perfect fit for standard 12oz glass "beverage" bottles. The bottles fit perfectly in the openings and are very stable when you're carrying them from one location to another (not to mention, depending on what stock you make it from, you'll look pretty darn cool too!) And unlike the standard cardboard six-pack, the handle is much friendlier on the fingers and you could easily adjust it so it rises up further from the bottles for EVEN more comfort. Today's episode is the first of two parts. We'll cover a little bit of the milling and dimensioning of the stock along with much of the straight forward joinery I used to make assembly easy and strong. Tools featured in today's episode: Veritas Small Router Plane Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

We're now about halfway through Safety Week 2012 and hopefully you've found that one or two golden nuggets you'll carry with you every time you step in the shop. Regardless of what it is, the most important thing is to take what you've learned this week and turn it into the kind of habit that becomes second nature. Because it's those kind of habits that one day could be the difference between a close call in the shop or a trip to the Emergency Room...or worse. Woodworking to me is the kind of past time and lifestyle that is probably best learned by observation and learning from our mistakes. No one makes perfect dovetails the first time out and no one WON'T have a close call or two in the shop over their lifetime. The real responsibility of every woodworker when it comes to safety is to develop a set of best practices they can count on to greatly minimize the chance of an accident occurring. Because the truth is, there will never be a way to completely eliminate them. Last year while working on a project for the show, I had one of those accidents that could have been life altering. I made a number of mistakes that in hindsight leave me feeling embarrassed and angry at myself. On today's episode you'll see footage from this accident. I won't lie, it's graphic so please consider that before you watch. But the big lesson for today will be about what went wrong, what I could've possibly done to prevent it and hopefully you'll learn from my mistake so you don't make one just like it or worse. As I mentioned in the episode, here's a link to the video at Popular Woodworking Magazine featuring Bob Lang's Trim Router base CLICK HERE. Don't be surprised if it shows up on the show sometime. Episode available for download in the following formats: |SD Video||720HD Video| Help support the show - please visit our advertisers [adrotate banner="5”]

Without a doubt, home ownership is probably one of the biggest catalysts to propel people into woodworking. Even if you grew up with a woodworker or took shop classes in school, being a homeowner reignites that spark and grows into a passion for tools and creating projects intended for in and around the home. Most of the time that spark occurs because once we take ownership of a house, we immediately want to make it our own. Whether it's replacing trimwork, adding crown mouldings, maybe even tackling some repairs to unsightly fixtures or features that would scare off some people. Whatever the task it suddenly means it's time to get some tools and dive headfirst into those projects. Recently a friend of ours approached me with a problem she's lived with for several years, a broken louver door to a bedroom closet. As soon as she walked in the door with it I had flash backs to when we bought our first house. It was a project I couldn't resist, especially because I knew it was one I would have been intimidated by all those years ago. On today's episode, join me on a trip down memory lane as we set aside some of our regular woodworking shop projects and tackle a little home repair. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

It's time to wrap up the construction of the wooden drink carrier (six-pack) so we can all get back out in the sun and enjoy the rest of our summer (or for our friends in the southern hemisphere…prepare for the summer). Today's episode we pickup at the bandsaw where we'll shape the middle divider and then continue from there to create some finger holes for easier carrying and then on to final assembly. There's also a little discussion about materials for building your own and possibly some dimensions for carrying larger bottles than the standard 2.5" diameter size used for this particular version. If you decide to make one or something very similar, please share your pictures and results. I know I'd love to see it! Tools mentioned in today's show: Veritas Spokeshave Gorilla Wood Glue FISH Forstner Bits Bora Pistol-grip Clamps Woodslicer Resaw Bandsaw Blade Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

You've seen the pictures and some of you have even been asking how I did it? After all, jewelry might be an amazing way to win over the love and affection of your significant other. Or it could simply be a way to wow your friends who still think the only thing you can do in your shop is "claim to be building a piece of furniture" but they can't understand why it takes days, weeks or even months considering the guys on TV do it in 30 minutes or less. Back around Valentine's Day 2013 I posted a blog entry titled "Fastest way to her heart is with wooden jewelry?" and ever since then I've been down in the shop experimenting with scraps and even buying some exotic stock to try and make new pieces that EVEN I can't believe came from me. In today's episode I share with you some of the basics to wooden ring making I've discovered over the past few weeks. I'll demonstrate the first technique I tried and the one I'm having a lot of success with currently. It's so simple and you probably already have all the tools on hand. Tools mentioned in today's post include: Auriou #6 rasp Rikon 70-100 Mini Lathe Forstner bits Milwaukee 49-56-0051 1-1/8-Inch Super-Tough Bi-Metal Hole Saw IRWIN 226340 4-Inch Drill Press Vise ***UPDATE*** Since recording this video I've been experimenting with a couple more options, which appear to be easier and more successful, for creating these beautiful rings. Keep a look out for follow-up posts and maybe even a follow-up video too? [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-504WoodenRings353.mp3" title="MBW504"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

In part 1 of the Teak shoe rack build I milled this amazing Teak stock my friend Jim sent. In today's episode it's time to wrap up the milling process by taking the components over to the router table and profiling the edges on all the pieces followed by prepping them for the mechanical fasteners. The final result is an amazing project that my family will put their shoes all over, soaking wet and nasty. But since it's made from Teak I'm not worried about it all. Tools featured in today's show: Fisch Drillbit/Countersink Set Bench Dog 40-300 ProMax RT Complete SawStop Cabinet Table Saw Steel City Tool Works 14-Inch Band Saw Wood Slicer Resaw Bandsaw Blade Bora Pistol Grip Clamps Micro Jig ZeroPlay Guide Bar System Download HD 720 Video Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Thanks to a generous donation of some amazingly beautiful Teak boards from a friend of the show, I have an opportunity to work with an species of wood I probably would ordinarily not use. It's not that I don't want to use different species, I just have a few that I'm readily familiar with and just haven't had a reason to step out of my comfort zone before. So the first thing I'm building with these gorgeous boards is a...shoe rack! Tools featured in today's show: JET Benchtop Oscillating Spindle Sander with Spindle Assortment, 110-Volt 1 Phase SawStop Cabinet Table Saw Steel City Tool Works 14-Inch Band Saw Wood Slicer Resaw Bandsaw Blade Bora Pistol Grip Clamps Micro Jig ZeroPlay Guide Bar System [haiku url="https://archive.org/download/506TeakShoeRackPt1/506%20Teak%20Shoe%20Rack%20Pt%201.mp3" title="MBW506"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

On today's episode I'm sharing my full review of the 110V, 1.75HP SawStop cabinet saw I received as part of an advertising deal back in October of 2012. As I had mentioned in the previous video "Hello New Saw", I wanted to spend a little time with the saw before I shared my opinions about it. And that's exactly what I do in this episode. It's been a little over 6 months and I've had a chance to build a few projects with the new saw, this has allowed me to get a "real world" feel for whether a saw like this is worth the investment for a home woodworker or serious hobbyist. Of course what would a SawStop review be without firing off the braking system? So we do that today too, in fact we do it TWICE just to show off that flesh isn't the only conductive material that could set off the system. Interested in purchasing a SawStop or SawStop Accessories for your woodshop? You can find them at the following locations: Highland Woodworking Woodcraft.com Amazon.com [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-505SawStopMeTheFullReview291.mp3" title="MBW505"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Today's episode is the first in a two (maybe three) part build series featuring the Hock Smoothing Plane Kit from Hock Tools. Previously we had such success building the Hock Shoulder Plane it only seemed like a great idea to come back and build this kit. Just like before, all the materials for successfully building a completely usable plane were included, all you need to add is glue and some shop time. In less than a weekend you can have a great tool that will quickly become one of your favorites. In part one, we tackle the assembly process. While it's very straight forward there are a few key tasks that need to be accomplished to ensure the rest of the setup goes as planned. So follow along and see why this kit maybe your entry into the world of hand planes. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I swear I wasn't waiting until the warm weather was just around the corner before I posted this content, but that's exactly what it looks like! So many of our fellow woodworkers give up woodworking in the cold months of winter because their shops are located in unheated or under heated locations. Be it a garage, a shed or a large out building like a pole-barn when it's cold out even the most passionate woodworker is thinking more about burning their stock to stay warm versus building with it. But the biggest concern isn't so much about how to heat the shop as it is on what the long cold winter months do to our lumber and our tools. Let me start by saying I'm no expert by any means on this topic. My shops have always been in climate controlled locations of my house. But that doesn't mean I'm immune from the cold. And considering there's the occasional project or two that requires me to temporarily move into my under heated garage to complete them, it only makes sense I learn a little something about the environment I work in. So in today's episode I cover some very basic tips on winter woodworking. Starting with some common sense tips on lumber storage, moving on to ideas to help minimize rust building up on your metal surfaces and even a suggestion or two about cold-weather glue-ups and finishing. Today's episode is as a cold as ice (not really, but it sounded cool in my head). Tools and resources mentioned in today's episode: Book I vaguely referenced Sandor Nagyszalanczy's "Setting Up Shop: The Practical Guide to Designing and Building Your Dream Shop" HTC Large Machine Cover Magnetic Tool Cover Link to USDA "Storage of Lumber" Handbook [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-503WinterWoodworking328.mp3" title="MBW503"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

In today's episode we're wrapping up the two part series on the construction of a Maple table base for a our friend's daughter. Previously we touched a little on the overall design of the legs and then spent the rest of the episode creating the template to duplicate the legs with our solid Maple stock. I used the template to not only rough out the legs on the material but I also used it to finesse them on the router table by flush trimming the oversized pieces down to their finished sizes. In this episode we're picking up where we left off last time and starting to assembly the project into the finished base. The hard part is all done, so this should be straight forward and pretty uncomplicated. But you know me…I can't let anything be that uncomplicated. In the process of drilling holes for dowels to use in the assembly I make a small mistake that really can't be ignored. So part of this episode is devoted to how I fixed the mistake and was able to get things back on track to a great ending. In today's episode we're wrapping up the two part series on the construction of a Maple table base for a our friend's daughter. Previously we touched a little on the overall design of the legs and then spent the rest of the episode creating the template to duplicate the legs with our solid Maple stock. I used the template to not only rough out the legs on the material but I also used it to finesse them on the router table by flush trimming the oversized pieces down to their finished sizes. In this episode we're picking up where we left off last time and starting to assembly the project into the finished base. The hard part is all done, so this should be straight forward and pretty uncomplicated. But you know me…I can't let anything be that uncomplicated. In the process of drilling holes for dowels to use in the assembly I make a small mistake that really can't be ignored. So part of this episode is devoted to how I fixed the mistake and was able to get things back on track to a great ending. [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-502MapleTableBasePt2357.mp3" title="MBW502"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Today's episode is the first of a two part series on the construction of a solid Maple table base built for our friend's daughter. The tabletop is a pre-manufactured top with a Maple edge banding, so we won't be covering the construction of it. In this first part I'll demonstrate creating a template pattern for re-creating the four legs I need and then I'll take the stock from rough to finished. All four legs are curved and attached at 90º to each other and when designing them, our friend's already had a specific shape in mind, so it was a matter of duplicating it as close as possible. After a little trial and error, I found a quick and easy to achieve the curves without having to buy expensive drafting devices. I'll talk a little bit about it in the beginning and hopefully you'll find it useful. [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-501MapleTableBasePt1768.mp3 " title="MBW501"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Please help my fundraiser to reach it's new goal! Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

The end of the "Bedside Tables Build" is upon us. I've once again been working on them a little longer than I had anticipated, but I have a slew of excuses for that...some actually true too! In today's episode there's a lot to cover; from assembling the body to assembling the drawers. There's dimensioning and attaching the tops and drawer fronts to a few other things in between. In other words, this is a busy episode! But in the end, the final result is a couple of matching bedside tables for me and Samantha. Finally something that has plenty of room for our stack of bedside reading (iPads and the occasional magazine), a lamp, and maybe even an alarm clock? Not to mention a drawer for hiding midnight snacks and more!!! Tools mentioned in today's show: Knew Concepts Fretsaw Veritas Low-angle block plane [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-500BedsideTablesPt6278.mp3" title="MBW500"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

The holidays have really set me behind schedule on completing this set of bedside tables. Luckily though, I've been promising Samantha I'd build them for a few years now, so she's use to the delayed schedule. In today's episode I'm concentrating on getting the drawers built. Nothing fancy about these boxes. Rabbeted ends on the sides to attach to the front and back of the boxes. A simple groove for the plywood bottom. And then eventually a false front for the drawer face (a topic I'll discuss in an upcoming episode). I know many of you will be asking why there's no dovetailed boxes or why I decided to use basic drawer slides vs homemade or a more expensive version. The fact of the matter is simply that the boxes will be closed the majority of the time, and while I love dovetailed joinery, I don't feel the need to use it all the time when there's other options. Speaking of options, the one point of controversy I'm anticipating from today's video will be surrounding my single blade method of cutting the rabbets. I won't go into details about it here, but I stand by method and will simply state once again; it works, it's safe and if you're not comfortable with it don't do it. Tools featured in today's episode: Micro-Jig Grrripper [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-499BedsideTablesPt5865.mp3" title="MBW499"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

The last few episodes of the Bedside Table build have been all about milling of components for the project and playing around with joinery techniques. It's time to start the final assembly. The first step is attaching the dust frames and shelves to the sides. We have a lot of joinery options to get the job done, but in my opinion the one that's right for this particular project isn't a complicated one, it's dowels. Years ago I bought my first dowel jig and feel in love with the simplicity of the joint. Unfortunately I hated the dowel jig! So eventually I abandoned the technique for something else. Recently though I bought a better jig and have started to use dowels in more of my projects. The result is a happy woodworker! In the line up of joinery techniques dowels appear to get a little more respect than biscuits or pocket hole joinery but aren't on the same level as mortise and tenon or other "traditional" joinery. Seems a shame considering how strong the joint can be, not to mention their versatility in location. Tools used in this episode: Wide capacity economy dowel jig Bora Pistol Grip Clamps 24" Veritas Aluminum straight edge Veritas Dovetail Saw Wentzloff & Sons Carcass Saw Benchcrafted Moxon Vise Bessey Bar Clamps Kreg K4 Kit Kreg Micro Jig [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-498BedsideTablesPt4873.mp3" title="MBW498"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

At this point in the project I've milled all the components I need to get things started for the joinery work, so it's time to move on. The first joinery task to tackle is cutting dovetails for joining the top front and back rails to the legs. But before moving on to the dovetailed ends of the rails, I need to cut them to length and then define the shoulders of the dovetails. This is a simple task, but when you're not paying close enough attention to your setup things can go wrong, as you'll see in today's video. As for the dovetails themselves - because they're not thru dovetails, and instead half-blind dovetails, removing waste material can be a little tricky. Rather than sticking to my usual technique that involves using a dovetail saw and a chisel or two, for some reason I decided to try something different. I'm a huge advocate of "trying something different" every now and then, but this time I should've stuck to my tried and true method. In the end the result was good, the joint is solid, but the route I took to get there was a little too windy. Plan on seeing a special excerpt video coming later this week where I demonstrate my tried and true technique. [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-497BedsideTablesPt3885.mp3" title="MBW497"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Welcome back to part 2 of the Bedside Table Build. We again have some wide panels that will make up the sides of the tables and they need to be milled and glued up. But rather than tackling the task by “going ALL hand plane” on the wide boards like last week I decided to mix it up a little and use both hand planes AND power tools. In other words, living up to my claim to be a “hybrid woodworker”. The task is a pretty simple one. It’s a matter of knocking down the high spots of the concave side of the board with my Jack plane until it lays flat and doesn’t rock. Then it’s over to the thickness planer to do the rest of the work. Typically it takes more time to run it through the thickness planer than to knock down those high spots, but of course the board I chose for the video was the only one of the 8 pieces that decided to be difficult and took much longer than the others. The other tasks we complete in this episode are gluing up these wide panels, including a quick touch up of the edges with my Edge Trimming Plane and then prepping the stock that will become the legs for each table. In the next episode, we’ll start working on the joinery and begin to assemble the entire project from that point forward. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers:

I'm sure you've heard the trope "The cobbler's children have no shoes"? Well the same thing in the Vanderlist household can be said about furniture. Around here it feels like I'm always making something for someone else's house (or more than likely for my shop). For a long time now my wife Samantha has been asking me to build us a matching set of bedside tables. I keep asking if she wouldn't prefer something bigger and more awe striking like a new dining room table. But while that would be nice, a bedside table that actually has room to set a book AND a lamp seemed to be a higher priority. So, starting on today's episode I'm finally building those bedside tables for her. The design is simple. Straight lines, no embellishments and something with a drawer and a shelf. Samantha also asked that they be painted too. That's fine with me, I have a decent stash of Poplar that's been waiting to be used for quite a while now. I'll get us started by roughing out the stock that will be the 20"x18" tops and the 16"x16" shelfs. These dimensions are a little too big for my jointer and thickness planer, so it's a great excuse to break out the hand planes and flatten them by hand.

On today's show I'm walking you through the steps of building a very basic, utilitarian shoe organizer. And I'll admit it, I obviously didn't pay close enough attention to the warning signs when things started to go bad! It started out great. The components were milled in near record time, even with just having 30 minutes here and there during the week. I just never thought I'd be the victim of a glue-up catastrophe on this project! But even if the glue-up had gone perfect, this is the kind of project that gets tucked away in a closet or in the backroom where it gets used more than it gets seen. Which isn't a bad thing! Sometimes we don't want our projects just admired from a far, WE WANT THEM USED. This project was also just the kind of thing that let us take the new SawStop table saw out for a spin to see what we think about it. So far? It's a really nice table saw! And in the show today I even take a moment to demonstrate how easy it is to swap out the brake cartridge when switching from a regular 10" blade, to a 8" stacked dado set. The construction of the shoe organizer included a few joinery techniques; mitered corners, thru dadoes and even the use of dowels. In hindsight, it was a glue-up nightmare, but when tackled with a little strategy (apparently better than the one I used) it's possible to get the job done correctly.

ENOUGH TALK ABOUT THE NEW SAW, LET'S BUILD SOMETHING WITH IT!!! I'd love to tell you it would be something über cool, ultra modern and hip...but then it wouldn't be on this show if it were. Instead, the first project on the new saw is something FOR THE NEW SAW; it's a very basic, no frills crosscut sled. [caption id="attachment_6965" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Basic Table Saw Sled[/caption] The entire sled is built from scraps and cutoffs laying around the shop, the only thing I didn't make myself was the Micro Jig ZeroPlay Guide Bars. I maybe doing this on the cheap, and can easily just toss it on the burn pile and start all over, but why worry about loose miter bar guides when I can spend the money on these reusable and adjustable manufactured ones that take all the worry our for me? (In full disclosure, when we gave away a few pairs of these over the summer, I snagged myself a set from the pile...don't worry...Micro Jig already knows) If you follow the show on either Facebook or Google+ I mentioned getting ready to build one and asked what the ones look like that you've built. A number of you responded with some really interesting ideas, both simple and WAY tweaked out. I'd love to see and hear more of your creations, please send them in and I'll put together a gallery on the website to share with everyone. Email them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com. Items mentioned in today's show:Micro Jig ZeroPlay Guide Bars Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

On today's episode we wrap up the construction of the Hock Smoothing Plane Kit from Hock Tools. Last week we assembled the pieces, glued it all up and set it aside to dry in the clamps. Today we start the work to make it a fully functioning hand plane. I'll walk you through one method of truing the sole to make it flat, which is extremely important for it to work the way it's suppose to. We'll shape the body to a size and feel that not only makes it unique from other planes on my shelf, but feels right in my hands. And then we'll take it for a maiden voyage and discuss a little bit about adjusting the blade of a wooden bodied plane vs the metal bodied versions with mechanical adjusters. If you've built a Hock Smoothing Plane or something similar, I'd love to hear about it. Send pictures if you have any available, I may even post them so others can see your work. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

As promised, today's episode is the second of two episodes featuring selected clips from some of the classes I attended at Woodworking in America 2011. There were a lot of great classes to choose from and the lecturers were equally fantastic. In today's episode I've included clips from Megan Fitzpatrick's "Your first dovetails", Charles Brock's "Sculpting by hand & power", Chris Schwarz's "12 rules for toolboxes" and Steve Shannesy's "Veneers in contemporary furniture". To learn more about each of these lecturers, books, DVDs or possible upcoming classes visit the following link for each: Steve Shannesy & Megan Fitzpatrick - www.popularwoodworking.com Chris Schwarz - www.lostartpress.com Charles Brock - www.charlesbrockchairmaker. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

After the last episode of Samantha's mirror frame project many of you wrote me to ask how I installed the mirror in the frame. It was a SLIGHT oversight on my part not to cover the topic, so I'm coming back with a third episode to remedy that mistake. While we're talking about how I did it, I'll share with you some other potential options for taking care of the same task. My own technique was a little unconventional, so it's important to see a few that are more traditional. Once we've covered the topic of installing the mirror in the frame, I wanted to address a couple more questions that came in regarding the construction process. A few of you wondered about options for cutting the rabbets using other techniques than the single blade method and a couple of you wanted to know about another way to create the stopped chamfers. Hopefully we'll answer your questions and concerns in today's show. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers [adrotate banner="5"]

On today’s show we’ll continue where we left off last week on the construction of the Cherry Mirror frame I recently built for my wife. As I mentioned in the last episode we purchased a full-length mirror for our bedroom and after getting it home I decided it was just a little too plain for our tastes. Thankfully I’ve been holding on to a stash of Cherry for a while now and this seemed to be the perfect project to break it out for. Last week we ripped and crosscut the stock to size (I also admitted to messing that up and having to re-draw the plans to accommodate for the mistake), we also cut the mortise and tenon joinery we’ll use to assemble the project. This week we rabbet an edge on the backside of the frame to support the mirror. That sounds easy, but I chose to use just the tablesaw and I had to create stopped rabbets for the stiles. Then we chamfer the edges of the rails and stiles, but not end to end, instead we create a nice little stopped chamfer on the router table. We glue it all together and then add some shop made walnut pegs to help reinforce the mortise and tenon joinery. This was a great little project that could easily be completed in a weekend and leaves you looking like a hero to someone. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Today we start a new build project. We’ve (and by “we” I mean my wife) been in need of a full-length mirror in our bedroom for quite a longtime now. We (this time I mean “us”) finally purchased one not to long ago and I intended to hang it behind the door in our bedroom. Even though it’s beveled on the edges it just looked to plain, so we were trying to decide if it should be hidden away in a closet? It didn’t take very long to think about it, but what we really needed was a nice frame to set it in and mount in position. So I headed to the basement and decided it was time to break into my stash of aged cherry. Now that we have the backstory of today’s project, let’s get started building it. This is a two part build video, starting with the basics of ripping and crosscutting the stock to its dimensions and then moving into “handcut” mortise and tenon joinery. Then next week we’ll wrap it all up. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I've been doing a lot of resawing lately in my workshop. Not for the purpose of making my own veneers instead it's all about milling thin stock for the boxes I'm making for my wife's photography clients (shameless plug...www.shuttersam.com). Resawing thick stock into thinner pieces is a great way to save materials and money too! As a beginning woodworker my assumption was that thin stock, anything thinner than 3/4", was a rare item and either you settled for the warped and over-priced stuff at the home center or you repeatedly ran the stock through a thickness planer until it was the dimension you desired. Then one day the light bulb went off (actually I read an article) and I discovered resawing. In today's episode, I'll share with you a few options I've experimented with when it comes to resawing. I've tried it on the tablesaw and I've had some success with a handsaw, but my preferred way is on the bandsaw. And even that has changed slightly over the past year. Regardless of which route you choose for whatever reason; limited tools, experience or self-loathing, learning to resaw can open a whole new set of options for you in the shop and with your projects. Items mentioned in today's show: Kreg Precision Bandsaw Fence - Woodcraft.com or Highland Woodworking Kreg Resaw Guide - Woodcraft.com or Highland Woodworking Magswitch Resaw Guide - Woodcraft.com Wood Slicer Resaw Band Saw Blade - Highland Woodworking BANDSAWBLADESDIRECT.COM Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I'm sure you've heard the trope "The cobbler's children have no shoes"? Well the same thing in the Vanderlist household can be said about furniture. Around here it feels like I'm always making something for someone else's house (or more than likely for my shop). For a long time now my wife Samantha has been asking me to build us a matching set of bedside tables. I keep asking if she wouldn't prefer something bigger and more awe striking like a new dining room table. But while that would be nice, a bedside table that actually has room to set a book AND a lamp seemed to be a higher priority. So, starting on today's episode I'm finally building those bedside tables for her. The design is simple. Straight lines, no embellishments and something with a drawer and a shelf. Samantha also asked that they be painted too. That's fine with me, I have a decent stash of Poplar that's been waiting to be used for quite a while now. I'll get us started by roughing out the stock that will be the 20"x18" tops and the 16"x16" shelfs. These dimensions are a little too big for my jointer and thickness planer, so it's a great excuse to break out the hand planes and flatten them by hand.

The beauty of owning a lathe is being able to turn small scraps of wood into fun little projects. Typically these are quick & easy to make and something friends and family love to receive as gifts (or that you can sell to customers rather than burning in a fire pit with the rest of the scraps.) Earlier this year on a trip to my local Woodcraft store with my wife reluctantly tagging along, we saw these bottle opener hardware kits. Before I knew it, I had a basket full of them and a list of friends who would be expecting one. If you’re new to the lathe, or you just want a fun project that you can knock out in no time at all, one of these bottle opener kits is just the thing you’re looking for. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

It's pretty much next to "NEVER" when Samantha wants to work on a woodworking project with me. So when she asks about us building a large table together I didn't quite jump at the chance at first, I kind of carefully asked some probing questions before I agreed to anything. Don't get me wrong, if you have a spouse that enjoys working in the woodshop with you (even only once in a while) consider yourself lucky. Having a shared hobby with your significant other is a great way to spend time. On today's episode we're building what's become lovingly known as the MattKEA table. A solid wood, farmhouse-style table that easily accommodates 8-10 people with plenty of elbow room for good food and great conversation. So why did we jokingly call it the "MattKEA Table?" While Samantha is helping with most of the assembly, and almost all of the finishing, I was the one down in the shop manufacturing most of the components (except the legs and the top, more about those in the video...here's a hint though www.osbornewood.com.) The idea behind this build is that I'd do all the milling, shaping and joinery and she assembles the final product, just like when she comes home from a trip to Ikea. All kidding aside, it was actually a lot of fun and there's even a chance we'll do more of these joint project builds in the future. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I've been trying to distance myself further and further away from product reviews. Since they consist entirely of opinions they can be a little tricky to pull off successfully. This is especially true if you've had plenty of time to try the item out and can navigate your way around it like a seasoned pro, and forget to mention the number of times it took you to get to that point (I promise I've never done that on this show...tempted to do it, but never have!) One tool in the wood shop that doesn't typically have a built in dust collection system or necessarily a great way to capture dust at the source is the drill press. Sure there are different ways to go about pulling the chips and dust out of the way*, but one new option on the market is the Drillnado. The Drillnado is a dust collection accessory for the drill press that slips right over the chuck, the bit and clamps on to the quill. According to the folks at drillnado.com it's designed for use with most floor-model drill presses, but can be easily adapted to many bench-top versions also thanks to the included components in the kit. (**NOTE: After recording the video and sharing it with the folks at Drillnado.com I heard back from them that they’ve started manufacturing the sleeve that fits over the drill bit without the narrower nose at the bottom. They’re now pre-cut to work with the larger diameter forstner and spade bits you might be using.) I haven't used it for more than demonstrational purposes, but given the early success I've had with it, I don't have a problem recommended it to anyone who's looking for a great way to add dust collection to their drill press (there was one little hiccup involving my Festool dust extractor, but I'll explain more about that in the video.) Drillnado is a Chortle-level Patron of the show. *Patrons of Matt's Basement Workshop at Patreon.com will see more about other options in the bonus content just for Chortle-level patrons and above Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

In today’s episode we wrap-up this epic nine-part series on the construction of the 8 Drawer Tall Dresser for my daughter Madison. It always seems to happen no matter how hard we try to avoid it. As we near the end of a build there are plenty of small (and sometimes significant) details we have to tackle before we can move on to the finishing process, and this build is no exception to that rule. For this project those loose ends include the final dimensioning and installation of the top, and the finessing of the reveals around the drawer fronts, a task that can sound harder and more complicated than it actually is. Unfortunately at this time my daughter hasn’t picked a color for the paint, nor have we even begun to consider pulls for the drawers, a task I have a feeling is going to be even more tedious than the paint. But I’ll keep everyone up to date in a future blog post or revisit to see the final outcome. Thanks for watching! A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts. You can find them by visiting our new "Digital Downloads Store" by clicking here. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Jointing away from the fence, choosing a router for a router table, and using floats.

The end of the tall dresser build is almost here. One of the final things left to do, other than apply the paint, is to build the drawers. So that’s what we’re doing in today’s episode, it’s all about drawer construction. We’ll discuss dimensioning the Baltic Birch plywood for the drawer box sides. Fabricating the drawer runners that the boxes will ride on to keep them centered in their openings, not to mention how they’ll help to make opening and closing them much smoother. Then we’ll follow that all up with the construction and fitting of the pinned rabbet joinery we’ll use to assemble the sides to the solid wood drawer fronts. After today’s episode we have only one more to go and the entire construction of the 8 drawer tall dresser will be wrapped up and ready for the paint room. A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts. You can find them by visiting our new "Digital Downloads Store" by clicking here. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

When I first came up with the basic design for Madison's dresser I knew I wanted to incorporate turned feet into it. I'm still as novice a woodturner as anyone can be, but as I've learned over the years the quickest way to becoming better is to be at the tool rest as frequent as possible. So for today's episode it's all about my time in front of the lathe turning and shaping the four tapered feet that support the entirety of the dresser. Originally I tried to convince myself that a much simpler form would suffice, but once we had the plans together there was no doubt in my mind a tapered turned foot was a must. I'm sure this style of design has a given name (they all do,) but whatever it is, it just appealed to me as I thought about what my daughter would like for her own piece of furniture. The turning and tapering process is really simple, as you'll see when you watch, but it wasn't until I started the fourth foot that I finally found I had been way overcomplicating the process. I obviously spent way to much time overthinking, and being overcautious (don't confuse this with being flippant and cavalier about my safety) in how I was approaching it. The difference in time to accomplish the same task from the very first foot to that last one dropped dramatically. Too bad I didn't film that last one though. Still, the technique I demonstrate achieved the same result and was only about 1-2 minutes longer in overall time. My take away lesson in all of this? "Don't be shy with hogging away the material." Get right in there and get to work removing the waste quickly (and safely) so you can start finessing the final shape quicker. A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts. You can find them by visiting our new "Digital Downloads Store" by clicking here. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

With all the drawer frames built, and assembled it’s time to glue them into position in their corresponding dados between the two sides. Glue ups aren’t all that bad on a small scale, but when you have this many pieces to put together in a short amount of time it can be downright scary if you let it. But if you take the time to do a few practice runs to anticipate where things might get sticky (pardon the pun) it’s not that difficult to formulate a plan for when you finally breakout the glue bottle and actually get started. In today’s episode we only have three things to discuss. First is a slight alteration to the existing plan, second is cutting and installing the drawer guides and third is the massive glue up itself. The first two are only a small portion of the episode, but the third is almost all the footage I shot to give you an idea of just how long it took me and all the little steps that went into it. On the bright-side, it came together better than I anticipated, but next time, I think I might ask for some help from the family to speed it up. A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts. You can find them by visiting our new "Digital Downloads Store" by clicking here. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Just when you thought you were finished, they pull you right back in again! Actually I was never really finished, once I had the drawer frames glued up I still had a little more work to do on them before we're ready to assemble the entire body of the dresser. So in today's episode we're going to finish the construction of the drawer frames. This involves cleaning up the dried glue and tweaking the joinery to insure the drawers will slide in and out smoothly every time. And it also involves cutting a dado down the center rails to accept a drawer guide we'll install later to help keep the drawers perfectly centered. Unlike the dados we cut for the sides of the dresser body, these dados are a stopped version. So this requires a little more planning to make sure they don't show on the front face and a little chopping with chisels, followed by some tweaking with a router plane. All of it can sound a little complicated, but it's not as bad as you think it will be. A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts. You can find them by visiting our new "Digital Downloads Store" by clicking here. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

We’re making progress with the 8 drawer tall dresser I’m building for my daughter Madison. In today’s episode we’re moving on to building the drawer frames for the dresser. Drawer frames are a crucial component in the overall body of the dresser, and while most probably won’t notice them in their entirety (other than the edge of the front facing rail) it’s still important to make sure they’re well constructed. There are a number of joinery options to choose from, including non-traditional joinery such as pocket-holes (which is actually what I was originally planning to use.) But the joinery I decided to use in this build was a traditional tongue and groove joint. To insure the mating pieces match up as perfect as possible, I opted to use a tongue and groove router bit set I featured several years ago in an episode of “Router Bit of the Month.” Also featured in this episode is the glue-up process for assembling the drawer frames and a quick discussion of cleaning up the dados from the last episode (something I didn’t plan to do, but it turns out they needed a little assistance.) A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts. You can find them by visiting our new "Digital Downloads Store" by clicking here. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

It’s time to get started with the actual building of Madison’s tall dresser, and the first steps in the process is making the sides for the body. These consist of two wide, solid-wood panels just over 49 inches in length and 19 inches in width. In order for us to attach the drawer frames (which not only support the drawers but are an important part of the overall structural framework of the dresser,) we need to plow out a few dados across the width of the sides and cut rabbets at the top/bottom and also on the back edge to eventually receive the back panel. For the side panels I got really lucky and chose two extra-wide boards (approximately 12+ inches in width each) to make up the majority of the width, and then eventually glued them together with some not so extra-wide 8 inch boards to give me a rough dimension I could start working with. To mill the extra-wide boards I decided against ripping them to widths that would fit on my 8 inch jointer, and instead built a very simple thickness planer sled that would allow me to flatten one face as if I had ran it over the cutter head of a monster-sized jointer. Then after the glue-up was completed it was over to the table saw to crosscut and rip the panels to size, followed by installing my dado blade and getting to work on those dados and rabbets. I’d love to tell you there weren’t any complications along the way…but that would be a lie! So we’ll discuss what happened and how I fixed those mistakes in today’s episode. A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts. You can find them by visiting our new "Digital Downloads Store" by clicking here. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Now that the design, and dimensions of Madison's Dresser have all been worked out in the planning process it’s time to order the lumber, and sort through the stacks looking for just the right pieces for each component. Given the fact this project is being painted, I’m far less worried about matching colors or grain patterns, but I still need to find stock that can easily accommodate specific sizes for components, and not to mention setting "flawed" pieces aside that might work better for interior pieces. Ordinarily this process might be taken care of at the lumber yard if I were to hand pick the boards myself, but I usually order my lumber through a service like Bell Forest (yes, they are an advertiser, and no they didn't pay me to say that...because I'll continue to use their service long after they stop advertising.) Typically there's not a lot of "flawed" material, the occasional small pin-hole knot or barked waney edge, but that's about it. The real benefit of this task though is that it's a great opportunity to familiarize myself with the stack and it also helps me to pass the time while waiting for the lumber to acclimate to my shop, that is, if it’s necessary. Given it's the middle of winter while I'm building this project...I'm not taking any chances. A couple weeks of patience to be on the safe side is well worth it. A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts, you can find them by clicking here to visit our new "Digital Downloads Store." Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I'm only a few years behind finally building a dresser for my daughter, but it’s just in time for her to graduate from High School in a couple of years and head off to college. In this first episode of a multi-part build series we talk about my own design process, starting from the rough idea in my head then taking it to the finished plans and drawings. For many, inspiration comes from a variety of places, but for myself it's mostly a result of the family identifying a need and letting me know we need to fill it. While it’s a far cry from being inspired by a mythological muse it’s still very effective and has resulted in some great projects that fill our house. A full set of detailed plans are available for sale on my website, thanks to Brian Benham of Benham Design Concepts, you can find them by clicking here to visit our new "Digital Downloads Store." Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

During the long, cold winter nights I like to cozy up with a hot cup of cider and sit down to watch a movie or read a good book, and to help set the mood (because who DOESN'T take the time to set a mood?) I'll turn on a nice accent light and let it bath me in its warm glow. On today's episode we're making a wood veneer lampshade for just the kind of accent lighting that I like to use. The project is super simple, and you can batch a whole bunch of them out to be placed wherever you think a little light needs to be cast. The veneer I’m using for this particular project came from the folks at Oakwood Veneer at www.oakwoodveneer.com. It’s a paperback cherry veneer that’s easily bendable and cuts clean with very little splintering. It comes in a variety of species, and we already have some amazing Douglas Fir veneer waiting for another project or set of lights. It’s not only the species of veneer you can experiment with, but also the design of the seam where the two ends meet. In this video I’ll demonstrate how to create a zigzag pattern that looks pretty sharp when the light is turned on, but there are so many options to play with, the choice is completely yours. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Mornings can be rough for me, but a good cup of coffee can make all the difference. Over the years we’ve tried several different coffee makers, including the K-cups, but in the end we always come back to our good old Mr. Coffee coffee maker. As a result it's important to make sure I get the right amount of coffee grounds in the filter every time for the perfect cup. This doesn’t sound like it should be a big deal, but when I’m doing it with one eye open (and that one eye is unfocused and sleepy) it can be a challenge. For years we've used an old measuring scoop that I've never been convinced was giving us the right measurements (or at least for me it hasn’t,) so I decided to do something about it. And that something is to make my own coffee scoop from scrap maple I have laying around. Okay, that’s not completely true, part of the reason I want to make the new coffee scoop is that I want an excuse to keep honing my woodturning skills and this seemed like the perfect project. So on today’s episode, we’re turning a maple bodied coffee scoop on the lathe. It’s surprisingly simple, and can be knocked out in less than an hour (if you’re not filming it to share with friends.) Perhaps the hardest part about the project is deciding how big of a scoop you'll need, or even what species of wood to use. This one ended up being just deep enough to equal one cup of coffee per scoop, which is perfect for me, because the only math I have to do when I’m waking up is adding up the number of cups I think I’ll need to figure out which pair of pants to wear. Non website footer Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

The end of Movember is rapidly approaching, and that means soon there's going to be a run on razor blades as some men return to their clean shaven ways. I'm not quite sure why anyone would want to do that, but to each their own I guess? So in today's episode we're making a stylish, and custom razor from a turning kit that's readily available at woodworking retailers such as Woodcraft.com. It's a fun and easy project that once again let's you use up some of those scraps you have laying around, or maybe you found something in the exotics bin that looks just too good to pass up. Whether it's for yourself, or maybe for a loved one or close friend, these turned razor kits are a quick and easy project that you could batch out in a single day, and have ready for gift-giving in no time (so quick in fact, you could probably excuse yourself at the next family event to sneak out to your shop and finish just in case you forgot someone!) As promised in the video, here's a link to the kit available at Woodcraft.com. And to go along with it, here's a link to an optional razor stand and shaving brush kit, also available at Woodcraft.com (and featured as the bonus footage and extra episode for some of the Patrons of Matt's Basement Workshop, which you can learn more about by clicking here.) Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

In today’s episode we’re making a fun little project from more scrap wood lying around my shop, specifically we’re building a beard comb. Why a beard comb? Given it’s the beginning of November, that means it’s also the beginning of “Movember.” So I thought it would be a fun little project for some of my full-bearded woodworking friends, and an unique way to draw attention to the Movember cause. The comb is very easy to make, only requiring a simple bridle joint and a little time shaping the handle to your hand. It’s a fun experiment in becoming more acquainted with hand tools such as spokeshaves and rasps and can even be made entirely with hand tools by cutting the curves with a coping or fret saw. But for mine, I’ll use a combination of power and hand tools to get it built. Is it cheating? I don't think so, it's just a lot of fun. So what exactly is Movember? It’s a yearly event to raise awareness about men’s health issues, specifically Prostate & Testicular cancers and mental health. According to the website www.movember.com "The Movember Foundation is the leading global organization committed to changing the face of men’s health. The Movember community has raised $559 million to date and funded over 800 programs in 21 countries. This work is saving and improving the lives of men affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems. The Movember Foundation challenges men to grow moustaches during Movember (formerly known as November), to spark conversation and raise vital funds for its men’s health programs. To date, 4 million moustaches have been grown worldwide, but we won't stop growing as long as serious men’s health issues exist.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a good cause to me! So have some fun with the project and consider giving to raise awareness to these important health issues. If you end up making a beard comb, I’d love to see some pictures. Please share them either on the Matt’s Basement Workshop Facebook Page or by emailing them to me by clicking here. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

The H.O. Studley Tool Chest is considered by many to be THE "Iconic Tool Chest," the very tool chest that all others are compared to, and the envy of every woodworker who set their eyes upon it. [caption id="attachment_12920" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Image courtesy Don's Barn blog[/caption] On the outside it's constructed of a gorgeous Cuban Mahogany, but it’s the meticulousness of the organization on the inside that sets it apart from everything. When opened, it reveals the breathtaking layout and arrangement of the 240+ tools contained within. All of which add to the beauty and awe-inspiring effect the tool chest has on those who’ve seen it. But who was H.O. Studley? Truthfully, we know more about the chest than the man who built it. And what about the lesser known Studley workbench? Have you ever seen it up close or even knew it existed ("Chortle"-level Patrons of Matt's Basement Workshop will get a look at it in the bonus footage accompanying this video, join today by clicking here?) Those, and many more questions were what Don Williams set out to answer in his upcoming book about H.O. Studley and his tool chest, due out in early 2015. Don, along with photographer Narayan Nayar, and Christopher Schwarz of Lost Art Press are painstakingly documenting the man, his tools, and of course his tool chest, so the rest of us can understand who he was and what’s so amazing about this iconic piece of woodworking history. Along the journey to write the book and document the tool chest, Don made arrangements with the current owner to set up an exhibit for the general public to come in and see it up close. The H.O. Studley Tool Chest and Workbench Exhibit is happening May 15-17, 2015 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It’s occurring the same weekend as Handworks in nearby Amana, Iowa and will be offering visitors a full 360º view of the tool chest and workbench. Tickets are currently on sale, but there is a limited number available. So don’t miss out on the opportunity to see the Studley Tool Chest in person. For more information visit www.studleytoolchest.com. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

No one will ever be able to say the Vanderlist family vinyl collection is overwhelming. It's diverse to say the least, but that has more to do with them being picked up solely for use in a photo shoot by my wife versus played. Actually, we don't even own a turntable, so even if we wanted to listen we'd have to take them to a friend's house. Regardless, the lack of a full collection (or a player) is no reason they can't be displayed well. And that's what we're doing in today's episode, creating a display to make them look amazing. Because in the words of Fernando Lamas "It is better to look good than to feel good!" (or in the case of a few of these records..."sound good.") I first saw this project on Pintrest, so it's not an original design, but it was a lot of fun to make. It's easy to customize and add your own little twists too. Whether it's varying the species of wood used, the length of the base, or the height and shape of the supports it's easy to make it uniquely your own. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

No one will ever be able to say the Vanderlist family vinyl collection is overwhelming. It's diverse to say the least, but that has more to do with them being picked up solely for use in a photo shoot by my wife versus played. Actually, we don't even own a turntable, so even if we wanted to listen we'd have to take them to a friend's house. Regardless, the lack of a full collection (or a player) is no reason they can't be displayed well. And that's what we're doing in today's episode, creating a display to make them look amazing. Because in the words of Fernando Lamas "It is better to look good than to feel good!" (or in the case of a few of these records..."sound good.") I first saw this project on Pintrest, so it's not an original design, but it was a lot of fun to make. It's easy to customize and add your own little twists too. Whether it's varying the species of wood used, the length of the base, or the height and shape of the supports it's easy to make it uniquely your own. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

No one will ever be able to say the Vanderlist family vinyl collection is overwhelming. It's diverse to say the least, but that has more to do with them being picked up solely for use in a photo shoot by my wife versus played. Actually, we don't even own a turntable, so even if we wanted to listen we'd have to take them to a friend's house. Regardless, the lack of a full collection (or a player) is no reason they can't be displayed well. And that's what we're doing in today's episode, creating a display to make them look amazing. Because in the words of Fernando Lamas "It is better to look good than to feel good!" (or in the case of a few of these records..."sound good.") I first saw this project on Pintrest, so it's not an original design, but it was a lot of fun to make. It's easy to customize and add your own little twists too. Whether it's varying the species of wood used, the length of the base, or the height and shape of the supports it's easy to make it uniquely your own. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

For a long time now I've been trying to find a way to take Matt's Basement Workshop Podcast to the next level. So what exactly is the "next level?" Well I have an idea, but it's never been worth talking about because I never had the time to create a plan to get there. That was until recently! I'm so excited about this, I want to get started on it right away. So here it is: Why should I become a Patron of Matt's Basement Workshop? Maybe the better question to start with is "what is a Patron?" According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary a Patron is "a person who gives money and support to an artist, organization, etc. : a person who buys the goods or uses the services of a business, library, etc." Without Patrons there's a good chance some of the world's greatest artists, musicians, playwrights, and even furniture makers would never have created the pieces that inspire and enlighten us today. Just ask modern tool-makers like Scott Meek of Scott Meek Planes, or Mark Harrell of Bad Axe Tool Works what their beloved patrons did for them and the many other tool makers who needed a helping hand to get started. If you choose to become a Patron of Matt's Basement Workshop I have three reward levels as my way of saying "thank you!" $2/month - "Spoiler" - Your name on the Patreon supporter web page on the website, and access to new content at least one day before everyone else! $5/month - "Chortle" - Same as the "Spoiler" level but with an option for a clickable link to your website on my Patreon supporter web page. Plus access to bonus content from each new episode; easily an extra 5-10 minutes of footage exclusive to this level of patronage and above. $15/month - "Woobie" - All of the benefits listed above plus a guaranteed minimum of one exclusive bonus video each month (videos answering listeners’ questions, expanding on content from previous video(s), and possibly even an exclusive build just for "Woobie" patrons.) Also, Patrons at this level will also have their choice of a MBW "Classic Logo" or a "Your Brain on Matt's Basement Workshop" t-shirt to be delivered during the first month of their patronage. And regardless of which level of Patronage you choose, every Patron of Matt's Basement Workshop will be entered into a monthly giveaway of woodworking/show related schwag.* *due to international shipping costs, alternate schwag items may be provided for Patrons outside of the USA As the support from Patrons of Matt's Basement Workshop continues to grow I have milestones to gauge the success of the partnership between the show and the audience that benefit not only the Patrons but EVERYONE. Milestones I know you'll love! Rather than explaining everything here and writing a lengthy blog post, visit the Patreon information page I setup on the website. All your questions should be answered there, along with links and detailed information about the reward levels and milestones. Together we can create the next level of Matt's Basement Workshop Podcast that I know you'll love watching & participating with, and I'll love producing, because I'm freed from chasing down advertisers and supporters when I could be creating content. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I knew it was eventually going to happen, the temptation is far too great to avoid. Don't worry, I'm not talking about turning to the darkside and taking up knitting (although I wouldn't mind making my own matching wool scarf and woobie set for winter, especially if it's as cold as last year.) Instead, I'm talking about another blackhole of woodworking that I've been very vocal about avoiding for years...WOODTURNING! Sure I've had the lathe for awhile now, and yes I've dabbled a little bit with it here and there. But I've never taken the plunge and unleashed the full power of the turning tools. Recently I moved the lathe up and out of the basement workshop and into the garage where I could enjoy the warm summer evenings and not feel like I had to stop every five to ten minutes to vacuum up the accumulating chips and sawdust. On today's episode you get to witness the fruits of my dabbling. The result of what happens when a woodworker decides to make more than a dowel and attempts to learn what each woodturning tool does (preferably without hurting himself in the process.) You'll see plenty of mistakes in this video and probably laugh at my fumbling with the tools (especially when I attempt to identify which gouge I'm using) but hopefully more than anything else, you'll enjoy seeing the first of what I imagine to be numerous woodturning projects to come. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

If you haven't noticed yet there's a bit of a theme to my videos this summer. Have you figured it out? It's "Scrap wood projects!" Continuing along with the last couple of episodes this one is no different. For today's project all you need are some Metal Hinge Clips, Magnet discs, and scrap wood. What I find great about this project is that it's an opportunity to use some of your smallest scraps and you're truly only limited by your imagination when it comes to shape and size. Okay, maybe you're a little limited also by the strength of the magnet, but that's easy to fix too with the purchase of a rare earth magnet or two. And just like all the other scrap wood projects we've seen over the years, this is a great opportunity to not only use material that might ordinarily get tossed or burned, but it's an inexpensive way to familiarize yourself with a new species or two. If after watching the video you decide to make some yourself, please feel free to share pictures. I'd love to see what you create! Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Easy durable finishes, automation distancing us from our craft, and how to perform a ritual bloodletting with your chisels

In the never-ending quest to answer the timeless woodworker question "what do you do with your scraps?" I have yet another answer, photo clipboards! Actually, this one came directly from my beautiful and amazing wife Samantha, who was looking for something new to present to her wedding photography clients. The concept is simple. Take a beautiful piece of scrap wood, shape it a little if necessary, clean up its surfaces so there's no splinters, apply a simple finish to protect it and attach a clip to one face. The result is an amazingly simple project that can be as big or small as you need for your presentation and a great way to clean out your scrap pile (or to just experiment with some pricey exotics without breaking the bank.) Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Short of having a bottle opener in every room of the house I don't really have a need for another one. But when inspiration strikes, who am I to stand in its way? So on today's episode we're making another bottle opener. Except this time, I know for a fact you can easily find this version just about everywhere (even Amazon.com), and in most cases for under a $1. Plus, with this style of opener, there's a lot of ways you can dress it up or have a little a fun with the scraps you'll be using. In fact, you can use scraps that might ordinarily be tossed simply because they're practically the size of cutoffs and chips that probably go flying across the room when you use your mitersaw. So crack open a cold one (grape-soda or otherwise) and kickback for a quick project you can knock out in an hour or two and literally for just a few dollars. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

For sure the warm days of summer are upon us in the Northern hemisphere, and as I mentioned in a recent post, that means it's time for me to start spending more time out of the shop. I'd love to say all that time outdoors is devoted to hanging with the family; swimming in the big lake, riding bikes and just all around having fun. But typically the summer is usually filled with plenty of yard work and home repairs too. While shop time can get limited in the summer, I still manage to head into the basement during the hottest parts of the day to escape the heat and enjoy this shared passion of ours for woodworking by tackling smaller projects I can knock out in an hour or two or over a few evenings during the week. Last year, around the 4th of July, I built the six-pack made of scrap wood that was lying around the shop. This year I'm taking some of my smaller cutoffs and scraps that I bought from the folks at Bell Forest Products and decided to spruce up a rather ordinary rubber gripped bottle opener I picked up at my local big box grocery store. [caption id="attachment_12198" align="aligncenter" width="600"] So many wood scraps to choose from...I guess I need to make more of them![/caption] This is one of the projects that reminds me how much fun it can be to be a woodworker. Being able to take something that looks rather plain and ordinary and making it my own. I was looking around at the store where I originally bought it and I can't find any more. I also looked online and at the manufacturer's website, but apparently this must be a discontinued item? However, I did see this model is available from the same manufacturer, and it looks like it could work just as easily. Perhaps another video in the making? In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this little project and it inspires you to do something similar with items laying around your house. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I've finally navigated my way through the quagmire that is "the loose ends" of the final steps to completing a project. It was a rough trail with a few pitfalls along the way. But regardless of the route I took to get here, the final video of the bathroom cabinet project is complete. In today's episode we're covering the basics of the construction of the base upon which the cabinet will sit. And I have to admit, it looks good from the front, but from the side it appears I may have misread my own dimensions? At just under 8 feet tall, the combination of the cabinet and the base are pretty amazing, but it leaves me wondering if I should construct a step stool to reach the top shelf! Regardless of the height or any of the details that bogged me down, the dark chocolatey color of the finish and the beautiful grains of the cherry veneers in the cabinet doors and sides make this cabinet absolutely gorgeous! Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

The next component of the platform bed build to tackle is the box encasing the undercarriage assembly. It has three purposes: First, it's a means to support the undercarriage assembly for when it's attached to the platform proper. Second, it'll act as part of the support and reinforcement system for when we attach the legs in an upcoming episode. Third, it just looks cool and is an opportunity to cut some beautiful thru-dovetails and show off my mad joinery skills (of which you'll learn more about the truth behind this last point). The main focus of this episode is on the cutting of the dovetails themselves. I chose to do it completely by hand for one simple reason, I don't own a dovetail jig. There's an entire list of reasons why I prefer to hand cut my dovetails and I'll share them at a point further down the road, but suffice to say, they may take me a little longer to do it but I enjoy the process. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

This year I decided I really wanted to take a class or two on topics that normally I wouldn't be drawn towards. In the past this usually meant something to do with turning, carving a linenfold or leaf and especially nothing to do with hand-hewing a log. It's not that I don't think they're worthwhile topics, it's just up until now my interests at Woodworking in America have been more about bench tools or projects that I see myself doing as soon as I got back to my shop. You know…topics I'm kind of familiar with already. But this year I obviously threw all that out the window! It's pretty safe to say that the majority of my classes went against the grain of normalcy for me. And I can honestly say it was worth it! For today's video it's a visit to Peter Follansbee's "Carved Spoons". I have no idea when I'll ever carve my own spoon(s), but after only about 30 minutes of watching Peter split a log, then shape it into a spoonlike blank, I was hooked. Unfortunately I didn't make it all the way through the class, so I don't have the finished spoon footage to share (it was lunchtime and someone else was buying that day…), but I think you'll quite easily get an idea of what a great class this was. Thanks Peter for keeping me entertained and actually sparking an interest in me for something I still can't believe I'm looking forward to trying sometime in the near future. To learn more about Peter and to checkout all the things he has going on that might be something you'll be looking forward to trying out too, visit his blog at pfollansbee.wordpress.com. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I’ve had an opportunity over the years to tryout a few versions of the Kreg pocket hole jig and I’ve always been impressed with their ease of use, repeatability and accuracy. It’s not that Kreg radically redesigns the jigs each time, but instead they make small improvements to their look and feel that make them more user friendly while still working exactly the same way. A little while ago Kreg sent us a new K5 Pocket-Hole Jig to use in the basement workshop. Considering I’ve always been happy with the K4 I was a little skeptical that I would see any significant difference between them. As I suspected, the results were the same when it came to accuracy and repeatability but the big difference, as far as I’m concerned, is in its easier to use clamping system and its support wings. Both a very nice touch! Considering purchasing a Kreg pocket hole joinery system? The K5 is a very nice model to add to your shop. To expand the range of materials you can use it on, you can eventually add both the Micro Drill Guide System and the new HD Jig for 2x lumber. Purchase yours through Amazon.com: Kreg K5 Pocket-Hole Jig Kreg Tool Company KJHD Jig HD Kreg KJMICRODGB Jig Micro Drill Guide System Also available at Highland Woodworking Help support the show - please visit our advertisers