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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

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

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