Matt's Basement Workshop HD Video Feed show

Matt's Basement Workshop HD Video Feed

Summary: The small screen just wasn't big enough. Matt's Basement Workshop HD is the same show it's always been, just formatted in 720P for your HD devices.

Podcasts:

 558 Utensil Drawer Organizer "Forks, spoons and knives...oh my!" | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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.

 557 The New Workbench is Here! | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

For years I've been saying I was going to build a new workbench for the basement workshop, and after just as many years of not doing it, it's finally happened! The "design" of the bench is simple, and the dimensions are perfect for a smaller shop like mine considering the goal turned from making a monster bench like we've seen in magazines, or elsewhere and instead turned to constructing something that would simply help me build projects easier than ever before. Today's episode isn't a construction video for "HOW I built the bench" but instead it's a "TOUR" of its simple features, materials used in the construction, and a little bit about how I determined the dimensions and joinery. Items mentioned in the video: WoodRiver Tail-Vise Screw - Amazon.com Veritas Tail-Vise Screw - Lee-Valley Workbenches: From Design And Theory To Construction And Use - Christopher Schwarz If you're wondering about the episode I mentioned regarding building the plywood top for the old bench, you can find it by clicking here to visit episode 290.

 556 Simple Planer Sled Q&A Follow Up | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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!

 555 A simple planer sled | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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.

 554 Small bowl for holding stuff | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 553 The Small Pine Cabinet | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

Who doesn't need a little more storage space? Whether it's in the woodshop like me, or any where else throughout your living space, small cabinets help to tuck away the clutter and keep things organized. In this episode we're making a simple, small cabinet from supplies you can easily pick up at just about any home center. For this one I purchased a few "handi-panels" which are pre-glued and dimensioned boards that eliminate most of the milling we'd have to perform to get them ready for cutting and assembling. I also purchased some adjustable "euro-style" hinges and a simple wooden knob for the door. For joinery, it's all about the "blind-rabbet" joint in the corners to assemble the box, but something as simple as pocket-hole joinery or even tongue and groove would work fine too. Of course you could take a step further and use dovetail joinery or such to spruce it up even more. The only real "decorative" feature on this simple cabinet is the raised panel on the door. Originally I planned to leave it a flat panel, but then I wouldn't have had a chance to free-hand the extra wide chamfer all around the edge with my skew rabbet plane. Regardless of what you do with your small cabinet, this is a quick and easy project perfect for a single-day or leisurely weekend build. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

 552 Chisel Talk "3 chisels to start with" | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 551 Simple Cabinet Construction Pt 2 - "Face Frames, Doors & More" | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 550 Simple Cabinet Construction Pt 1 | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 549 Turned bottle opener | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 Woodworking in America 2013 - Mary May "Linenfold Carving" | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 Woodworking in America 2013 - Roy Underhill "TIMBER!!!" | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 512 Platform Bed Build No. 1 "the Undercarriage" | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 MBW "Shorts" Extended Crosscutting | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

 511 Resawing on the bandsaw for fun? | File Type: video/mp4 | Duration: Unknown

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

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