Matt's Basement Workshop - Audio

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! Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio 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

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. Download Video Download HD 720 Video Download Audio Help support the show – please visit our advertisers