Matt's Basement Workshop HD Video Feed

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

After what felt like forever I finally completed the pre-finishing process for the body of the bathroom cabinet. A brown dye with a few coats of poly and it's now ready for assembly. If you’re curious how this first attempt at a pre-finish went, checkout my earlier blog “Confessions of a first time pre-finisher”. In today’s episode we’re concentrating on getting the doors installed. At this point it's all about finessing the fit to get the desired reveal I like for inset doors. While I like to think I have enough experience to be able to hang the doors without a lot of effort, the truth is I rely a lot on the adjustability of the European-style hinges I'm using in this build. Installation of this style of hinge looks complicated at first, but in reality it's a lot easier than you may expect. But to make it even easier we’ll cover the construction of a story stick to make it quick and easy to layout all the hinges quickly and accurately. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers Get your MBW t-shirts, click here to order

It doesn’t matter how amazing the joinery or how beautiful the stock is that I’m working with, if this bed doesn’t have a decent set of legs upon which to stand, it’s not worth the effort as far as I’m concerned. At 3-1/2” square the ideal stock for making these legs might be straight-grain 16/4 maple, but for mine they’re being made from laminated pieces of 8/4. And while these aren’t pretty in their design, their chunky style and solid construction ensure they’ll stand the test of time or Vanderlists…which ever is worse. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

In today’s episode we’re moving along on the bathroom cabinet by constructing all three doors. The two on top and the flip down version below. All three are a form of frame and panel construction, but the biggest difference is in how I chose to assemble them. For the two larger doors up top, the panel is actually 3/4” plywood glued to the stiles creating one large piece. Then for the flip-down door I used a more “traditional” construction technique and turned to a rail and stile router bit set to create the joinery. Once all the doors were constructed, we also need to drill the holes that will make up the adjustable shelving system behind the two doors on top. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

My next big project is already underway, a “commission” piece for an old neighbor. After they did a little bathroom renovation, there’s now a need for a cabinet that can store towels and all those things you don’t necessarily want hanging out making the place look all cluttered. The cabinet itself is a pretty good sized piece. In fact a lot bigger than I had originally envisioned, but so far it’s coming together rather nicely. The body of the cabinet is being constructed of a premium cherry veneered plywood, so the big question on my mind was what would I cover the exposed plies with? Veneer edge-banding or a thicker solid wood edge-banding? I chose the thicker solid wood version and decided to try a technique to cut it repeatedly and accurately on the table saw that I hadn’t tried before. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Now that I lured you in with that “misleading” title here’s what today’s episode is really all about, a side-by-side comparison of my old Rigid 13” thickness planer and the new-to-me Steel City Tool Works 13” thickness planer with helical-style cutter head. Actually that description is also a little misleading considering the only thing being compared are the cutter heads. The Rigid planer has a traditional 2 straight-blade cutter head while the SCTW has a helical-style cutter head, which features numerous smaller cutters laid out in a helical pattern. Really my goal today was to demonstrate (to myself and you of course) that there is a noticeable difference between these two styles of cutter heads. So to achieve this goal I grabbed some scrap highly figured curly-maple, ripped it in half and fed one through each machine. The result? I guess you’ll have to watch to find out. ***FOR THE SAKE OF COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY: I originally received the Steel City Tool Works 13” planer for a review segment in 2013. Then after working with the staff of SCTW for an event at their Head Quarters, I received the tool as partial payment for my time and assistance. But I can assure you, my opinions on the tool are completely my own and cannot be altered by the manufacturer*** Looking to purchase either of these machines? You can find them at the following retailers (please remember, purchases made through these links help support the show while getting you the tools and supplies you need for the projects in your own shop): Amazon.com - Steel City Tool Works 40200H 13-Inch Planer with Helical Cutterhead Highland Woodworking - Steel City thickness planer Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

Looking for a fun project in the shop that doesn't take long and you can carry it around in your pocket where ever you go? Here's one for you, a custom veneered smart phone case. One of the benefits of being a woodworker is that we can frequently customize everyday items. Whether it's building them from raw materials or adding a little flair to an existing item, it's relatively easy to find a way to spruce them up a bit. In today's episode I'll show you a little fun I've been having lately when I combine some inexpensive pre-manufactured plastic smart phone cases I picked up at Amazon.com with some veneers I bought at Woodcraft.com. The process is simple, it can be relatively quick and more importantly it's a great way to have fun in the shop and maybe even impress your friends and family (unless they're like mine who just roll their eyes and walk away...with the item in hand.) Links to items mentioned or used in the episode: Smart phone cases at Amazon.com Veneer Variety Pack 20 Sq. Ft. Crown Veneer Saw Nexabond 2500 Instant Wood Glue (regular formula) Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I won't make any excuses for the length of time it took to complete the construction of the platform bed. Sure it was supposed to be done by Thanksgiving...and then by Christmas...and then by...well, you get the picture. The truth of the matter for me is simple, large projects should not be started anywhere near holidays that involve family visits and travel plans. When you know you'll be gone or preoccupied every weekend of those month(s), whittling might be a better project to tackle to feed the woodworking bug. Actually, I guess that is an excuse... Looking back on previous builds in which their original deadlines were never met, I have a very consistent track-record of not meeting them. But hey, that's part of the fun of being a home woodworker versus a professional. When it's my family and I miss a deadline I'm not freaking out, I just bribe them to stop whining. So with that said, today we wrap up the construction of the platform bed. The final remaining piece to be built was the headboard and that's exactly what I tackle. I know many of you will be disappointed I don't wrap-up the video series with a look at how it'll be finished. But as I explain in the video, I hate finishing so there's no way in the world I'm recording it. I am planning though on writing an article or two about it once it gets underway. A big thanks to my son Aiden for being so "patient" and for interrupting the final moments of the video to express his feelings...many of which I KNOW ALL OF YOU WERE THINKING TOO! Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

I’m getting oh so close to the end of the platform bed build, but we still have a couple more episodes to go before we finally wrap it up for good. On today’s episode we start working on the headboard. More specifically we start working on the supports that will hold the headboard itself in place. The supports were originally designed as single pieces 6 inches wide, but after yet another re-design, the new version of the support will work much better. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

We’re FINALLY moving forward with the platform bed. After this round of construction it actually resembles a place you could lay down and take a snooze. In today’s episode we construct the platform itself. A simple mitered frame that gets attached to the “undercarriage” and a series of slats to keep the mattress from falling through the larger openings. Perhaps the hardest part of the build today was dragging my son’s mattress into the basement for the test fit. Even gluing the miters together was made easier thanks to a sample of Nexabond’s 2500L C.A. glue. It’s much longer open time than traditional C.A. glues made it easier to use without worrying about parts sticking to me or the floor. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

It’s official, the platform bed now has legs to stand on! We constructed and shaped them awhile ago, but finally attached them to the rest of the subassembly just recently. My biggest concern is making sure they’re properly reinforced and can withstand potentially being dragged across a floor or from a leap across the room Superman style (it happens…and not just by my son either…) As has been happening all along, the original plan and design has been altered slightly and we’ll cover a little bit about that too. But I’m happy with how they turned out and satisfied that the design change not only looks better but is more rigid and stable. Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

t feels like I skipped around a little in the last episode and should have instead saved working on the legs until after the assembly work in today’s episode. With that said, in this episode we’re assembling the box upon which the platform will rest and the legs will be attached. In other words, we’re doing the foundation work. We’ll start by prepping the outside surface of the box itself, followed by joining the dovetails and then inserting and attaching the “undercarriage”. So let’s get started… Tools mentioned in today's episode: Kreg K5 Pocket-Hole Jig LN Card Scraper Set Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

It has been awhile since I’ve given out schwag and the guys over at Centipede Tool have convinced me it is time to break that streak with a contest to win one of the first Centipede PRO Sawhorse Kits to ever be made. To enter this contest, they ask that you submit one of two entries: 1. Tell us about how traditional sawhorses have failed you in the past. 2. Tell us about why you can’t wait to get your hands on a Centipede Sawhorse of your own. Pictures, videos and some passion in your entry is a plus! Send your entries to me, in the comments section below, or to the Centipede Tool team at info@CentipedeTool.com or post it to their Facebook, Twitter or campaign comments page. We’ll assemble the entries into a poll on August 12th and you can vote for your favorite entries until the last day of their crowdfunding campaign on August 15th. I can't wait to see the entries, so get started right away! Help support the show - please visit our advertisers

The new website is up and running…obviously…and I have all of you to thank for making this happen. Not just those of you who donated to the fundraiser but to all of you who visit from time-to-time. If you're a frequent visitor and remember the layout of the old site hopefully you can see a huge difference in the way things are laid out on this current version. I really like the layout of this new site and have ongoing plans to make it more informative and easier to navigate, so you'll see the occasional tweak from time-to-time. As part of my thank you to the many donators that made this happen you'll find your name listed below…it's the least I can do to show you my appreciation for your generosity! Thank you to each of you (listed in no particular order): Zac Higgins Gunnar Olsson Brander Roullett Fr. Thomas Bailey, OSB Jim Ligon Richard Law Mitch Roberson Brian Glendenning Marilyn Guthrie Chris Schwarz Bill Schenher Chris Michalek Jeff Peterson Scott Bassin Dave Hart Tom Collins Randy Peterman Steve Brassard Larry Thayer Chris Nichols Jack Coats Jim Ashley Rik Minnich Chet Kloss Dyami Plotke Frank Bivins Tony Hamm Neal Becker Walter Keast Pierre Forget Bobby Slack Toby Sauer Shaun Wellert Erik Van Joe Wiener Richard Hall David Ulschmid Tobias Eklind Dick Moffett Mac Lyle Allan Grant Brett Watson Mark Loughran Ben Strano Jim Mossoney Alan Anderson Brian Brazil Eric Fortin Mick Montgomery Wes Fullenwider Big Cheese Stefan Gmoser Rick Gable Mike Tuxen Wilbur Pan Jon McGrath Jon "Dozer" Mendoza Jack Jacobs David Beecher Chris Birkland Scott Blanchett David Lankford Todd Clipping Tom Hoffman Tom Pritchard Eric Wolf Daniel Gardner Matt Robinette Shannon Rogers Ben Minshall Jonathan Szczepanski Mike Llewellyn Jay Tennier Ron Hock Tobias Sauer Kevin Van Deusen Ken Goodell Andy Gartzke Dennis Rozak Scott McClaury Cliff Merrill John Verreault Vic Hubbard Christopher Landy Marc Spagnuolo "Drunken Woodworker" Ron Shoemaker Elaine Andersen Stephen Glaesman John Laffoon Robert Teague Ernesto Segovia Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio

I finally had a chance to install the new SawStop Z.C.I. Aluminum body throat plate, available at Infinity Cutting Tools www.infinitytools.com, in my SawStop this weekend. It's nice to have options when it comes to items like zero-clearance inserts for table saws and this one has some nice bells and whistles. This is just a sneak peek at the throat plate being installed and prepped for use. I'll share more about it's overall use when I release the SawStop review episode during Safety Week 2013. In the meantime, if you're a SawStop owner and were considering ordering a zero-clearance insert for your saw, now you have another option over the manufacturer's. Follow this link to Infinity Cutting Tools www.infinitytools.com to learn all about it. [haiku url="http://blip.tv/file/get/Mattvan-SawStopZCIThroatPlate811.mp3" title="SawStopZCI"] Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show - please visit our advertisers