I've talked about kickback, but what is it?

Suggestions for using push sticks and push blocks for safer cutting...

A few thoughts on safety in the workshop........don't forget to check out the Lloyd Williams Memorial link at the website.

Have you wondered what those numbers on Stanley-Bailey hand planes mean?  Do you start with the number one and work through the number eight?  Today's tip is a little insight into what those numbers mean....

A quick Thanksgiving thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So many tools today have lasers, but do you really need one?  How much of an advantage does it give you when making accurate cuts?  Just a few thoughts on the accessory...

A few thoughts on choosing a 10" or 12" Miter Saw.....

A quick look at the subtle difference between the compound miter saw and the sliding compound miter saw....

A quick look at winding sticks.  A set of shop made winding sticks are easy to make and a great way to use some scraps in the shop for something that will make your projects a lot better....or at least flatter.

Sure you can use a claw hammer to hit your chisels with, but are you sure that's the best choice for YOUR chisels??????

A quick look at the differences between a Japanese and Western Style handsaw.....

Do you need a bandsaw if you already have a tablesaw or vice versa?  A little babble about the idea...

Another joinery lessen...the half lap.  A great little joinery technique with a lot of strength.  The half lap is made from two pieces that are cut so that the mating surfaces are half the thickness of the stock.  Thus for example two pieces, both 3/4", are cut so that their mating edges are 3/8" each.  When brought together, the total thickness is 3/4".  The half lap is a very strong joint, with the strength coming from two components of the joint.  The first component is the shoulder and the second is the mating face.  The shoulder provides a great deal of rigidity that helps to reinforce the joint from any racking under stress, while the large surface area of the mating face provides ample gluing surface.

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Have you checked out the new audio format yet?  Let me know what you think about it? 

Until the next show, Straight Grains and Sharp Blades, Matt

Can you use a circular saw in a furniture building woodshop.....absolutely yes!  The circular saw is great for resizing any type of large panels or solid stock that would otherwise be way to large....

An often forgotten measuring/marking tool...the story stick or story pole will allow you to reproduce the same details and measurements without every having to break out your tape measure.  As mentioned in the show, check out "Choosing and Using Hand Tools" by Andy Rae.

A quick look at sandpaper.  The old CAMI grading system is getting alot of competition from the FEPA grading system.  Do you know the difference?  If you were to use them on bare wood there wouldn't be too much of a difference, but for finer work...the difference is noticable.

A few ideas on identifying and controlling stain blotching in blotch prone woods.....

A secondary wood used for hidden components, such as drawer rails, stretchers, drawer sides and backs is a great way to cut the cost of using more expensive hardwoods and exotics.

A question from the emails inspired this episode about workbenches.  A few ideas about sizes and materials for workbenches.

The Mortise and Tenon joint is perhaps one of the strongest joinery techniques available to the woodworker.  The M&T consists of two very distinct parts, the mortise - a deep groove cut into the edge or face of a component and the tenon - a corresponding tongue cut to match the mortise for a snug fit.  The M&T joint has a number of variations but the one I demonstrate here is a four shouldered basic M&T.  Why four shoulders?  The four shouldered version provides a great amount of strength against any kind of racking that may occur if and when stress is applied to the project.  Not to mention that because the shoulders hide any miscuts I were to make while cutting the mortise a four shouldered M&T provides a cleaner look.  The M&T joint gains it's strength from the increased glue surface of the tenon but also receives alot of strength from the shoulders too.  When made correctly, the M&T joint can be simply pegged or pinned in place vs. glued, this is a traditional timber framing technique that's easily used in furniture building.

The two methods that are easiest for making M&T joints are a combination of machines.  Using a drill press, chucked with the appropriate size bit - preferably a forstner bit - can begin the process of making the mortise.  It's important to have all you lines drawn out on the piece so you know where to cut.  After drilling out much of the stock next you can use a sharp chisel to clean up and define the four walls of the mortise.  The other method that works great for cutting a mortise is using a router with a straight cutting bit, even after using a router you'll still need to clean up the mortise with a sharp chisel for square ends.  To cut the tenons you can use a table saw equipped with a dado blade set for the right height to cut the cheeks and define the shoulders.  A regular table saw blade can be used also, it's just a matter of making multiple cuts and using a tenon cutting jig to safely cut the cheeks of the tenon.  Two other methods for cutting tenons are the routertable and the bandsaw. 

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Congratulations to this episode's winner, I finally drew a name for free schwag and the winner is being contacted as we speak.  If you're interested in getting your name in for free schwag, drop me a line.

Until the next episode, Straight Grains and Sharp Blades  Matt

Featherboards are the perfect extra set of hands to keep your cuts tight against the fence. 

For many of us, a benchtop tablesaw will be the first large power tool we'll buy when we start woodworking.  Here's a few to think about....

A longtime listener, Skee, dropped me a line with a question about the differences between Shellac, Lacquer and Stain.  If you have a question, you're welcome to send it to me via mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com  

A little look at the different types of drill bits....

A few thoughts on choosing your first cordless drill......

Which router is best for your shop?  Plunge router vs. Fixed base.

Router bits come in three flavors of material.  The most basic and inexpensive version is HSS - High Speed Steel, next are carbide tipped bits and last are full carbide bits.  HSS bits work great in all but the toughest material, they're easy to sharpen so their edge can be made very sharp.  Carbide tipped bits are usually HSS bodies brazened with carbide tips for longer life and easier cutting in material like plywood.  Full Carbide bits are very expensive and usually found in professional shops.

The first episode of the daily version of MBW Podcast - Tips From the Scrap Pile.  Today's topic is about choosing a block plane.

The dado joint is another basic joint in the woodworker's arsenal.  The dado is similar to the rabbet joint, with one difference, unlike the rabbet the dado groove is not cut at the component's edge.  The dado is cut in from the edges, thus creating a groove with two shoulders.  These two shoulders help to create more gluing surface and also act as a structural component that increases the strength of the joint.
The two tools that make dados quickly and easily are the table saw and the router.  A dado blade can be set up to cut the dado in one pass if the arbor of your saw can handle the width.  The router is similar, depending on the width of the dado a single size bit can do the job in no time.  Of course if either the dado blade or router bit are undersized it's possible to make multiple passes until the desired width is achieved.
There are three types of dado cuts, a through dado- the dado is cut completely from edge to edge, a stopped dado- the dado is cut stepped back from the leading edge and through the remainder, the blind dado- similar to the stopped dado but it's not visible at either edge.

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Check out the newest Woodworking podcast on the block...The Wood Whisperer.  Marc contacted me and I asked him to send me a clip for all of you to check it out, so I included it in this podcast.  Thanks for checking out the show and coming back.  Straight grains and sharp blades.  Matt

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted, but here it is finally.  The rabbet joint (also known as the rebate joint), is a very fundamental joint in the workshop.  Simple to make with either a tablesaw or router, the technique is up to the craftsman.
What makes the rabbet joint so unique is the increased amount of gluing surface available versus the traditional butt joint.  The rabbet joint is essentially a stepped cut created on the edge of a component.  Similar to the tongue of a tongue and groove joint, the rabbet can be cut in a way that leaves the component weakened.  I suggest that the finished depth of any rabbet be no more than half the thickness of the material.
Cuts made with the tablesaw are best achieved with a dado blade, since more material can be removed simultaneously.  Cuts are possible with a single blade, it's just that you have to make multiple passes including possibly having to position the component in a manner that maybe unstable.  A router chucked with a rabbeting bit is ideal for large panels, afterall it's sometimes easier to bring the tool to the wood rather than the wood to the tool.

The drawing for the Pinnacle Tool set has finally occured.  Thank you to all of the entries, I really wish I had more schwag to give away so that all of you could've won.  The winner of our first ever major tool giveaway was Seth from California.  CONGRATULATIONS SETH!!!

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Until the next episode, thanks for watching.  Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt

Tongue and groove joinery is a step up from the butt joint.  The joint consists of two components, a tongue and a groove, one on each mating edge.  Unlike the butt joint, it's crucial that the mating edges are flat and square to each other, not just complementary angles.  The size of the tongue really shouldn't be larger than 1/4-3/8" deep and the thickness should be at least 1/3 the thickness of the total board.  A wider tongue is more likely to break off under stress.

Advantages of the tongue and groove
A. increased gluing surface
B. interlocking components for added strength
C. interlocking components aide in keeping surfaces level with each other

Disadvantages of tongue and groove
A. set up time can be long and frustrating
B. tight joints can cause splitting of mating pieces

Wood prep - just as important or more important than butt joints
A. mating edges must be square and flat for tight interlocking joints
B. stock must be of equal thickness
C. for best results, all tongues should be cut at the same time and all grooves should be cut at the same time.  This will decrease any irregularities between interlocking components.
D. remember also that if you want the boards to appear uniform in width, account for the hidden tongue.

Tools for joinery - depends on the woodworker, but either the tablesaw or router are your choices
A. tablesaw uses either the dado blade, the traditional blade or a moulding head cutter.
B. routers are best used in a router table with either a straight bit with multiple passes or a specialized bit.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! If you are interested in winning a five piece Pinnacle Tools turning set then send me an email to get your name in the drawing. Woodcraft tools was kind enough to offer this great looking set of tools for me to give away to a lucky listener. I'm keeping the drawing open for a period of two months to give everyone a chance to enter. Names must be submitted by 12:00am October 6, 2006. That weekend the winner will be drawn and then announced on the following episode. It'll be the winner's responsibility to cover the cost of the shipping, but given the value of these tools, it'll be worth it.

Thanks to Shutter Sam Photography for the picture. Check out her work at www.shuttersam.com . Thanks for listening and remember to submit your name for the tool drawing.

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The butt joint is a basic all purpose joint, easy to make and very useful in all sorts of situations. The butt joint is crucial for gluing up multiple narrow boards into a single wider board. The key to a successful joint is to make sure that the mating edges are complimentary to each other. Most likely your mating edges will be squared as a result of running them through a power jointer, but there are other ways to achieve the complimentary edges. Other methods for achieving the mating edges include using a hand plane or even using jigs for either a router or a tablesaw. The strongest butt joints are achieved by gluing long grain to long grain edges, this type of joint is strong by itself but if you're concerned about excessive stress it's possible to reinforce the edges with various aides. Reinforcing joints can be done with either a biscuit joiner, dowels or even pocket holes.

Thanks for all the emails and for all the support it's greatly appreciated. Remember to get your name in for the Pinnacle tool set from Woodcraft or just to get your name in for some of the free schwag we have. Check out the Woodcraft magazine link for a free issue.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! If you are interested in winning a five piece Pinnacle Tools turning set then send me an email to get your name in the drawing. Woodcraft tools was kind enough to offer this great looking set of tools for me to give away to a lucky listener. I'm keeping the drawing open for a period of two months to give everyone a chance to enter. Names must be submitted by 12:00am October 6, 2006. That weekend the winner will be drawn and then announced on the following episode. It'll be the winner's responsibility to cover the cost of the shipping, but given the value of these tools, it'll be worth it.

Thanks to Shutter Sam Photography for the picture. Check out her work at www.shuttersam.com . Thanks for listening and remember to submit your name for the tool drawing.

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It's the end of summer here in Michigan, it's time to start thinking about moving projects indoors.  This is the perfect time to go over a few steps that ensure our tablesaws will be working at their best when we need them the most.  Not to mention, having a tablesaw that's all tuned up from the get go will make your work even easier.

Areas to go over include, the motor, the tabletop, the blade and the blade alignment, the fence and it's alignment.  Once the tablesaw is set, all you have to do from time to time is just check to make sure it stays set.

 

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Congratulations to Brian K. Ross, this weeks winner of free swag.  To get your name in for free swag, just drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com. 

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! If you are interested in winning a five piece Pinnacle Tools turning set then send me an email to get your name in the drawing. Woodcraft tools was kind enough to offer this great looking set of tools for me to give away to a lucky listener. I'm keeping the drawing open for a period of two months to give everyone a chance to enter. Names must be submitted by 12:00am October 6, 2006. That weekend the winner will be drawn and then announced on the following episode. It'll be the winner's responsibility to cover the cost of the shipping, but given the value of these tools, it'll be worth it.

Thanks to Shutter Sam Photography for the picture. Check out her work at www.shuttersam.com . Thanks for listening and remember to submit your name for the tool drawing.

Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt

Hey everyone, due to popular demand I've included this supplemental video to go along with episode 24 "Marking Tools". I hope this video helps everyone to understand the topic a little bit more. After watching it, I realized that a few things are off camera as I attempt to display them, but I'm sure you can get what I was talking about so I'm not too worried about it. I promise though that future videos will be better. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the audio version also.

 

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MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! If you are interested in winning a five piece Pinnacle Tools turning set then send me an email to get your name in the drawing. Woodcraft tools was kind enough to offer this great looking set of tools for me to give away to a lucky listener. I'm keeping the drawing open for a period of two months to give everyone a chance to enter. Names must be submitted by 12:00am October 6, 2006. That weekend the winner will be drawn and then announced on the following episode. It'll be the winner's responsibility to cover the cost of the shipping, but given the value of these tools, it'll be worth it.

Thanks to Shutter Sam Photography for the picture. Check out her work at www.shuttersam.com . Thanks for listening and remember to submit your name for the tool drawing.Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt

Learning to mark our pieces for both the milling and dimensioning of lumber to the final assembly of the project is an important habit every woodworker should try to establish.  Each woodworker will eventually have their own marking symbols that mean certain things to them.  Whether it's as simple as a line that designates two connecting components or as elaborate as a crazy symbol you saw in some sci-fi movie late at night the most important thing is to be consistant with it.  For me, the main purpose of marking is to help make the glue-up and assembly process less chaotic.  At a time when keeping your cool and knowing where every component belongs, forgetting where a crucial piece really belongs can make or break your project.

Marking for milling and dimensioning is important since the most important step for flat, square components is establishing one flat face and one straight, square edge.  Once those are set, everything else just follows.  Marking these two edges will help ensure that you will reference these edges for all your cuts, thus leading to flat and square components.

Marking tools include Marking knives or scratch awls, marking gauges, pencils and even chalkboard chalk.

Congratulations to this episodes winner of schwag - Steve Schmidt.  If you're interested in winning free schwag send me a note.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! If you are interested in winning a five piece Pinnacle Tools turning set then send me an email to get your name in the drawing. Woodcraft tools was kind enough to offer this great looking set of tools for me to give away to a lucky listener. I'm keeping the drawing open for a period of two months to give everyone a chance to enter. Names must be submitted by 12:00am October 6, 2006. That weekend the winner will be drawn and then announced on the following episode. It'll be the winner's responsibility to cover the cost of the shipping, but given the value of these tools, it'll be worth it.

Thanks to Shutter Sam Photography for the picture. Check out her work at www.shuttersam.com . Thanks for listening and remember to submit your name for the tool drawing.  Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt

Glue ups always seem really easy, afterall you take the glue, apply it to the wood and then apply a clamp to bring two pieces together right? Well yes, but it's much easier said than done.  Glue ups are the perfect example of Murphey's Law, if anything can go wrong, they will go wrong and they will always go wrong when your hands are so tied, that only divine intervention will be able to save your project. The best thing a woodworker can do to avoid all the hassels and nightmares of a glue up gone bad is to the dry fit.  A successful dry fit gives you an idea of just how much time it may actually take you to put together a complex piece or where a joint needs a little attention.

Gary Rogowski, a frequent contributor to FWW magazine and a great teacher has written several articles all about the glue up process.  The number one lesson he stresses above all others is preparation. Obviously preparation includes a successful dry fit but it also includes often overlooked steps such as:

Check your glue, both the amount and the freshness.  Make sure you have glue sticks for spreading the glue and glue boats for squeezing glue into so that you can use the sticks to spread the glue.  Check that you have enough clamps on hand.  Thin scraps of wood are great for placing between the face of a clamp and your project to help avoid ugly marring marks left behind by overclamping a piece.

Just prior to clamping, take the time to open the clamp jaws so that when your ready to clamp you don't have to worry about the clamp jaws being to narrow. It's often easier to close the jaws then it is to open them with only one hand.  And last but not least, make sure mating pieces are near each other or at least readily marked so that you don't make the mistake of gluing a piece with the wrong face showing or attempting to assemble a joint that wasn't customized for each other.

Just remember, above all things, nothing beats a good fit so take the time to make sure all your joints and edges are machined properly from the start.

How much glue do you apply to a joint?  The right answer according to most experts is always, 'just enough'. How much is 'just enough'? With time you get a feel for it, but ideally there should be minimal squeeze out.  Remember, the most important part of any glue up is using the right clamp for the job.

Thanks for all the great emails and also for all the entries for the Pinnacle Tool Set giveaway, keep them coming.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! If you are interested in winning a five piece Pinnacle Tools turning set then send me an email to get your name in the drawing. Woodcraft tools was kind enough to offer this great looking set of tools for me to give away to a lucky listener. I'm keeping the drawing open for a period of two months to give everyone a chance to enter. Names must be submitted by 12:00am October 6, 2006. That weekend the winner will be drawn and then announced on the following episode. It'll be the winner's responsibility to cover the cost of the shipping, but given the value of these tools, it'll be worth it.

Thanks to Shutter Sam Photography for the picture. Check out her work at www.shuttersam.com . Thanks for listening and remember to submit your name for the tool drawing.

Straight Grains and Sharp Blades, Matt

This is the second video on the construction of Aiden's Dresser.  Using a crosscut hand saw I rough dimensioned the Cherry stock and show how to easily use and quickly use a hand saw on stock that is too wide for my power miter saw.  Also covered on this video is how I use a No. 7 Jointer hand plane to quickly prep the lumber edge prior to gluing up the panels for the sides and top and then the gluing up of those panels.

 

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MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! If you are interested in winning a five piece Pinnacle Tools turning set then send me an email to get your name in the drawing.  Woodcraft tools was kind enough to offer this great looking set of tools for me to give away to a lucky listener.  I'm keeping the drawing open for a period of two months to give everyone a chance to enter.  Names must be submitted by 12:00am October 6, 2006.  That weekend the winner will be drawn and then announced on the following episode.  It'll be the winner's responsibility to cover the cost of the shipping, but given the value of these tools, it'll be worth it. 

Thanks to Shutter Sam Photography for the picture.  Check out her work at www.shuttersam.com . 

Thanks for watching the video and remember to submit your name for the tool drawing.  Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt

Last episode was all about glue, so it's fitting that we next talk about the tools we use to hold our components together while the glue is setting up...clamps.

Clamps literally come in all shapes and sizes to meet our needs.  Clamps can be as basic as the all purpose pipe clamp to something as simple as a length of surgical tubing.  Based on the clamps throughout my shop and those covered in Andy Rae's book 'Choosing and Using Hand Tools' there are about seven styles of clamps.

Regardless of which clamp style you use it's important to take care not to overapply pressure.  To much pressure can cause stress that will crush wood fibers or at worst break a joint.

I'ld like to thank and congratulate this episode's winners of free schwag;

Darryl Park of Calgary, Alberta  - Delta Tools Banner

Rob Drown of Roseville, CA - Lie-Nielsen T-shirt

Shaun Swanner - Delta tool stickers and bookmark

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! If you are interested in winning a five piece Pinnacle Tools turning set then send me an email to get your name in the drawing.  Woodcraft tools was kind enough to offer this great looking set of tools for me to give away to a lucky listener.  I'm keeping the drawing open for a period of two months to give everyone a chance to enter.  Names must be submitted by 12:00am October 6, 2006.  That weekend the winner will be drawn and then announced on the following episode.  It'll be the winner's responsibility to cover the cost of the shipping, but given the value of these tools, it'll be worth it. 

Thanks to Shutter Sam Photography for the picture.  Check out her work at www.shuttersam.com .  Thanks for listening and remember to submit your name for the tool drawing.

Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt

This is our first ever video podcast.  Starting with this first video I'll be demonstrating the steps I go through when building a project.

Thanks for checking it out...Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt

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This episode is all about glues, we use them in almost every project so it's good to know all our options.  To help us understand the different types of glues out there, I found the following article and rather than putting it in my words I'm just reading it as the author wrote it.

The Six Essential Glues by Scott Gibson - Fine Woodworking Magazine Issue Number 176 April 2005

Regardless of what type of woodworking you do, glue is one of the most crucial tools in your shop. There are, as this article covers, six categories of glues we can use for our projects.

The six categories are as follows:

1. PVA - standard yellow glue, the versatile workhorse good for general assembly work and joinery

2. Polyurethane - ideal for laminations, edge joints and outdoor furniture

3. Epoxy - good for laminations, outdoor furniture and when a structural gap-filling bond is needed
4. Cyanoacrylate - Best for quick repairs of defects, such as cracks, small knots and slivers

5. Hide Glue - excels at veneering and repairing period furniture and musical instruments

6. Urea Formaldehyde - good for veneering and bent laminations

The main points to keep in mind when choosing a glue is not only the above but each glue varies in the following categories:

1. Open time - the amount of time inwhich the joint should be assembled

2. Clamp time - the minimum amount of time the joint needs to be in clamps for the glue to set up so that it's strong enough to stay in place

3. Water, Heat and solvent resistance - is the glue water proof, at what temp. does the glue begin to breakdown and are there any solvents that would dissolve the glue joint after it's setup

4. Cleanup - what do you need to clean up any mess while gluing

5. Health and safety - how toxic is it to use this product?

6. Shelf life - after you buy it, how long do you have to use it before it becomes less effective?

Not all glues are the same so do a little research to make sure you have the one that works best for your needs. 

Free schwag Banner winners - Wayne from Sacramento, CA , Matthew from Winona, MN , Matt Sullivan, Jason from Surrey BC, Canada. Congratulations to this episode's winners and if you're interested in possibly winning some schwag, drop me a line.  Thanks again for listening and staying subscribed to the show.

Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt

Sharpening our own tools can be a very overwhelming task for most beginners, but it's not as bad as we usually imagine it to be. Really there are three very basic steps to the entire process and once the first step is taken care of, the rest of the job is as simple as 1..2..3.

Step 1. Flatten the backside of the blade, also referred to as lapping. You don't have to flatten the entire backside, just the first 1-2 inches depending on the blade. Always start with your coarse sharpening surface, either a 220/320 wet/dry sandpaper or a 800 grit waterstone. Once an uniform scratch pattern has been developed move up to a medium surface to refine the backside, either a 600 wet/dry sandpaper or a 1000/1200 grit waterstone.  The last part of flattening the backside is to produce a mirror like reflection using a fine surface, either 1500+ wet/dry sandpaper or a 4000 grit waterstone.

Step 2. Hone the primary bevel to 25 degrees, for most bench tools. Don't hesitate to use a jig there are many on the market, take advantage of their ease of use and reproducibility of results.  Establish the primary bevel using your medium surface. After only a few passes with minimal finger pressure just behind the cutting edge, the refined bevel should be clearly established and the scratch pattern should extend to the cutting edge. Flip the tool over and run your thumb along the edge on the backside, you should feel a small metal burr. Remove that burr by lapping the backside 2-3 times on your fine surface as you did in Step 1. Repeat this process of honing the primary bevel on your medium surface and removing the burr by lapping with the fine surface at least 2 more times.

Step 3. Hone the microbevel to 30 degrees. The main purpose of the microbevel is to make it that much easier to resharpen your blades, not to mention the few extra degrees really help to make cutting that much easier. By having a microbevel established, when you rehone a dull blade, you only have to worry about removing a smaller amount of material versus rehoning the entire face of the primary bevel.  Establish the microbevel on the cutting edge by using your medium surface. Only a few passes should result in the microbevel being present.  Feel for and then remove the burr on the backside, again using only the fine surface.  Once the microbevel is established with the medium surface, move up to the fine surface and repeat the process. The small microbevel will be as reflective as the backside and the burr will be very minimal, but still remove it.

Congratulations, you just sharpened your first blade!!!! Remember the hardest part will always be flattening the back, but once that is accomplished you shouldn't have to repeat the process again. To rehone a dull edge, simply set up your jig at 30 degrees and repeat Step 3. If you manage to get a major nick in the cutting edge you may have to repeat Steps 2 & 3, but mostly you should be able to go to Step 3 without any concerns.

Important notes about sharpening systems: Always use the correct lubricant to avoid overheating the metal. You can very easily change the properties of the metal and they will fatigue much easier. Comparable grits between sandpaper and waterstones are as follows:

 Sandpaper / Waterstones

220 or 320 / 800

          600 / 1000 or 1200

        1500 / 4000

Don't forget to check out this link for Christopher Schwartz's great article on sharpening. www.popularwoodworking.com/features/sharpening.pdf

Also don't forget to submit your name for free schwag from Delta and PorterCable tools, it's nothing extravagant but it's my way of saying thanks for listening.  Straight Grains and Sharp Blades, Matt

Hey everyone, once again thanks for coming back to Matt's Basement Workshop. For this episode I decided it was time to get away from design and construction for a couple of shows and return to talking about tools. Rather than giving another broad overview of one or two groups I decided to narrow it down. Back in episodes 11 & 12 we talked about hand tools. I broke them into general categories and gave you a somewhat brief outline of each one, but I didn't really make any suggestions about which ones are really essential to the amatuer. Well today's episode is just that, I'm going to talk to you about what I think are the four most important hand tools, human powered hand tools that is, that every amatuer needs to have in their shop.

1. A good reliable combination square

2. A rasp and file, both flat and rounded

3. A very good set of chisels - I recommend buying only the 3 most basic sizes 1/4", 3/8" or 1/2" and a 1" chisel. You can always add more to the set as you need them.

4. A very good block plane - I recommend a low angle block plane

Remember, with all four of these tools a really cheap price on a no name brand will equal a really cheap tool. There are plenty of good mid priced tools that will handle all your needs but there are no good, low priced tools that will ever come close.

Most beginners are very reluctant about sharpening their own chisels and plane blades but it's really easy once you learn the basics. I learned to sharpen mine thanks to an amazing article by Christopher Schwartz at Popular Woodworking Magazine so I'm including a link to a PDF file of the article. Take a look at it, I'm sure you'll learn a lot also. I'm planning on doing a sharpening episode in the very near future based on the article, so if you take a look at it you'll get a sneak peek.

www.popularwoodworking.com/features/sharpening.pdf

Until next time, Straight grains and sharp blades. Matt

 

In the previous show we started talking about the various methods of joinery that are available to us as woodworkers. As I mentioned in episode 17 choosing the right method of assembling a project often has more to do with a woodworkers personal preference than just about anything else. We need to remember that chances are there's always more than one way to join components in a project, the question is just a matter of how much strength is needed at the joint and does the joint stay consistant with or maybe even add too the look that you wanted for your project. It's important to remember that each joint has some sort of limitation, whether the limitation has to do with the amount of stress that can be beared down on it or the amount of time and experience it takes to create it successfully. For this second half of the joinery talk, we're going to be introduced to the dado joint, the finger joint, the lap joint, mortise and tenon joints and the dovetail joint.

When done correctly the dado joint provides not only a great deal of strength to a project but also acts as a guide for keeping pieces together during assembly. The dado joint is made up of two components, a groove cut in the face of the first piece and the second is the mating piece that sits in that groove. The basic version of the dado is the "through dado". A through dado is nothing more than a dado inwhich the groove is cut from the back edge to the front edge and the mating piece just sits in the dado. The next type of dado is the stopped dado. The stopped dado can give a project more of a finished look vs. the somewhat more utilitarian look of the through dado. The third type of dado is the blind dado. The blind dado is made up of a groove that is completely cut inside the face of the piece.

Finger joints are most commonly associated with boxes or even drawers. The many interlocking fingers of the joint provide a great deal of extra gluing surface which contributes to the strength of the joint. As the name implies this joint is made up of numerous interlocking fingers. Most people use the table saw along with a jig to make them. There are numerous homemade jigs out there so it's really easy to find one on the internet.

The next joint is the family of lap joints. Lap joints are commonly found in frame construction either at the corners or in the middle of a piece where two or more components cross each other. This family of joints is very simple to construct. The first type is the shiplap joint. The next lap joint is the half lap. The strength of the joint is found in the shoulders that are cut when making it, the shoulders are vital in decreasing any racking that may occur when stress is applied to the joint.

Mortise and tenon joints have been around forever, very common in all sorts of traditional furniture building and even timber framing. They are a very strong joint for joining components at right angles to each other and are especially great for where a joint needs to capable of sustaining a great deal of stress. The joint is made up of two main components, the mortise and the tenon. The mortise is a deep groove and the tenon is a tongue that fits inside that groove.

The last family of joints is the dovetails. A very traditional joint, often associated as a trademark of craftsmanship. There are two parts to the joint the tails and the pins, often seen in box construction, small boxes and large chests the traditional dovetail is the through dovetail. The through dovetail is characterized by the interlocking joint of wedge like cuts seen on the face of one board and the endgrain of its mating piece. For drawer construction and some box construction the halfblind dovetail is very popular.

So, that was a lot of information thrown at you, huh? Well as I'm working on this episode I realize that I think we need to breakdown a few of this joints a little bit more, especially those that are basic and vital to construction. So I think that we're going to devote a few shows to covering a specific joint so that we can understand how to create it.

Thank you again for all the emails and keep them coming. Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt.

Thanks for checking out another episode of the show, it's really great to see all the listeners coming back or visiting for the first time. This episode is the first half of a two part episode. I thought about making one long show, but I think too much information all at once is just too much. Joinery is a very vital part of the design process and when used correctly can add a lot to a piece. Just as the right wood species can make a big difference between a simple everyday utilitarian object and a family heirloom, the right joinery can do the same. Not to mention that choosing the wrong type of joinery could also result in a piece that falls apart when put into use. So it's vital that we understand our choices and are aware of their limitations. Just like a certain style of furniture appeals to certain people, certain types of joinery appeal to certain woodworkers. When it comes to joinery, just like in many other aspects of woodworking, beauty is in the eye of the woodworker.

For today's episode I turned to a book that has been a valuable resource in my shop. The book is called 'CLASSIC JOINTS WITH POWER TOOLS' written by Yeung Chan a leading furniture designer, craftsman and teacher. Published by Lark Books. Yeung Chan broke down the various joints in his book into eleven categories covering the most basic joinery to the some rather advanced types, not to mention the various ways to make them with several different tools, so let's take a look at them.

The first joint we'll cover is the butt joint - this is the most basic joint in the book. It's made up of two boards, butted up againest each other, hence the term butt joint. The butt joint can be either an edge to edge, an edge to face or even an mitered edge to mitered edge. The strongest butt joint is made when the grains run parallel with each other thus long grain to long grain. The best feature of the butt joint is that if you can match the grains of the two boards and are able to mill them straight and flat, the joint line can disappear and give the illusion of one wide board.

The next joint to talk about is actually a modified version of the butt joint it's the tongue and groove joint. The basic form of the tongue and groove joint is the edge to edge construction. Proportions are very important in making the joint strong, as a rule of thumb it's best to make the tongue and its corresponding groove about 1/3rd the width of the stock you're using. For example, 3/4 inch stock would look best with a 1/4 inch tongue and groove, also it's important that the depth of the tongue and it's groove should be the same as the width. So that same 1/4 inch wide tongue should also be 1/4 inch long. The joint should fit snug but not so tight that it splits the corresponding groove, depending on the application of the components a snug fit maybe all you need, glueing the joint could be an option rather than a requirement.

Next up is the rabbet joints. Cut either on the end or along an edge, the joint is essentially a step cut made into one edge while the adjoining edge is then fit into the step cut. By having the stepped cut where the corresponding component can rest a much stronger joint is created. The basic form of the rabbet joint is the corner rabbet, one end or edge is step cut to accept the entire thickness of the mating board. The stepped cut provides a lot of surface for applying glue and thus can be a strong joint.

Thanks for listening and sending me your questions and comments, I greatly appreciate it. Until next week, take care and straight grains and sharp blades.

In episode 15 we started our talk about lumber. As I mentioned in that episode, the choice of material is an important aspect of the design process. Understanding the basics of choosing the lumber we'll be using is very vital and that's why we covered some of the pitfalls to look out for, when looking at the stock you'll being using in your project and now in this episode we'll cover even more aspects of choosing lumber for your project.  Most of the talk in this episode pertains to choosing rough sawn lumber, but I realize that many of you probably won't be buying your lumber rough sawn, still many of the issues I'll talk about will apply to pre-dimensioned lumber also.
The first thing we should always do before we head out is to have a cutlist. By having a cutlist we have a check list that helps guarantee we account for all the lumber needed.  I've posted a PDF file that contains a cutlist I created and use for all my projects, you're welcome to use it for your next project.
Second, remember that rough sawn lumber has a little play in the thickness, so keep that in mind when choosing crucial boards for important components. If you're concerned that a certain board won't have enough thickness to it, move up to the next increment to be sure.
Third, always plan on having to buy a little more lumber than you'll actually need. As a good rule of thumb, I always add a minimum of about 20% more bdft to my order then what the project originally calls for. This takes into account the essential oops factor.
This leads into number four which is to buy long. Especially when buying lumber rough, never plan on getting all the wood out of a length of lumber.
Fifth, as I mentioned in episode 15 there are numerous grading scales for the appearance of the lumber itself.  In rough lumber the boards are graded on the total yield of clear wood per board, the actual dimensions, grains and color differences within a single board are less important.
And the last things to keep in mind is more about the actual appearance of the boards.  Ideally we want all our boards to have both an uniform color and grain appearance, but in reality that doesn't happen to often.

If you get a chance to check out some of the weblogs I have listed give them a look.  Until the next espisode Straight Grains and Sharp Blades. Matt

Another important aspect of the entire design process is the choice of material or materials we'll use in our projects. So for this episode let's start talking about lumber.  The first question to ask about the lumber you'll use for your project is what are you looking for? Is the piece we're building in need of a material that helps it stand out, or do we want the exact opposite, are we looking for a material that allows our piece to blend into the background, one where the material is less important than the overall design itself.  Irregardless of which direction your design goes in, there are so many different wood species that will fill the need of your project's final look that the hard part really is deciding which one to use.  A few things to take into consideration when buying lumber already dimensioned from a retailer include many of the same things you'll want to think about when buying rough sawn lumber. These include checking the moisture content of the stock, how long has the stock been sitting around and last but not least is how much warping is there in each board?  All these questions are important when picking the appropriate stock for your project so we'll cover the things you should know when picking your stock.
Terms to remember:
Moisture content - a measure of the percentage of moisture remaining in a board during and after the drying period.
Kiln dried - a method of drying lumber inwhich lumber is dried using a kiln under controlled circumstances and is completed in a matter of weeks vs months or years like in air drying of lumber.
Cupping - warping across the width of a board's face.
Bowing - warping down the length of the board's face.
Crook - warping down the length of a board's edge.
Twist - warping down the length of a board's face in which the board's corners twist out of position.

Thanks to Johnson's Lumber for the use of their catalog as a reference in making this episode possible.  Thanks for listening and coming back.

Straight Grains and Sharp Blades, Matt

Hey everyone thanks for checking out the show again, I really appreciate it.  This episode is the continuation of the hand tool talk.  We talk about the last three categories of hand tools I think no shop should be without.  Chisels, hand saws and edged tools such as hand planes.  When it comes to chisels the best all around type to get are the bevel edged chisels.  They are truly the workhorses of the chisel family.  Once a sharp edge is established bevel edged chisels can do light paring cuts to heavier mortising cuts.  Of course depending on what punishment you put them through will determine how often they need sharpening.  There are a variety of hand saws but perhaps the most useful in my shop is a nice sharp crosscut saw.  One of the benefits of using a hand saw is that you can bring the tool to the wood which in many situations is a lot easier and safer than trying to balance it on a table saw or miter saw stand.  Not to mention that with a little practice you may actually find that your cuts may be just as accurate and quick as the cuts from a power tool.  When choosing a saw you may want to consider whether you would prefer a Western style or Japanese style tooth setup.  Japanese style saws are becoming more popular today because of how easy they are to cut with.  The main difference between the styles is in the direction of the cutting action.  Western saws cut by pushing away from the user while Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke.  When it comes to edged tools it's easy to become addicted to them.  In this day and age of power everything tools, the old fashioned muscle powered tools seem useless, but in fact once you discover how to set them up and use them properly you'll be amazed at how easy they are to use and to some degree how they can make you a better woodworker.  Older hand planes and spokeshaves can be found at antique stores, flea markets, etc. they may take a little elbow grease to set up, but trust me, once you do you'll enjoy them over and over.  Remember don't be fooled by the numbering system used to identify the planes.  Most manufacturers, old and new, use the old Stanley tools numbering system.  The numbers don't indicate the order of use, but rather the size of the tools.  No. 8 - No. 6 are the largest and are used for leveling surfaces.  No. 5's are the real workhorses of the hand planes and are often referred to as 'Jack' planes.  The Jack planes are used for mostly rougher dimensioning or prepping a surface for the larger No. 8 - No. 6 to joint.  No. 4 or smaller are the final planes to touch the woods surface.  These are actually the ones that would be used prior to finishing a piece.  Today though you can easily get away with using a No. 4 to prep a surface and then go straight to your finer grit sand papers.  The one problem most amateur woodworkers face when it comes to either chisels or hand planes tends to be the assumption that they are sharpened and ready to go from the moment they're out of the package.  This is not true no matter what the manufacturer tells you.  Take the time to flatten the back of the blade and learn how to put a sharp edge on the tool. 

There are great articles out there will walk you through it and trust me once you learn you'll love using them every time.  A good place to look for such an article is in Popular Woodworking's special issue from January 2006 all about Hand tools in the modern workshop.  Christopher Schwartz's article about sharpening is in there, this is the same article that gave me the confidence to try and I haven't looked back since.  Also if you're really interested in learning more about hand tools in the wood shop check out Andy Rae's book "Choosing and Using Hand Tools" by Lark Press.  His book played a major role in putting the last two episodes together.

Again, thanks for listening and send me any comments.  Don't forget you're welcome to send pictures to add to the gallery, of any of your projects.  Until next time, Straight grains and Sharp blades.  Matt

Hey everyone thanks for checking out another episode.  There appears to be a few more listeners then previously so for those of you who are new to the show welcome.  This episode is the first of two, covering the often overlooked but equally important hand tools.  A great resource for any and all questions about hand tools is the book "Choosing & Using Hand Tools" by Andy Rae the publisher is Lark Books.  Andy does a great job of categorizing the tools according to their use and then also introduces some tools you may not have known existed or were just curious about in general and didn't know who to ask or where.  For this episode and the next, I've borrowed from Andy's book and layed out the tool categories the same.  So in episode 11, I cover the first five categories of tools that play a vital role in everybodies shop. 

1) Striking tools - hammers and the like

2) Boring tools - drills and drill bits

3) Pulling, prying and twisting tools - pliers, cat paws and screwdrivers

4) Layout tools - tape measures, squares, etc.

5) Scraping tools - files, rasps, scrapers

The next episode will cover Hand saws, Chisels and Hand planes.  As I mentioned you can get to the shownotes easier now by going to www.mattsbasementworkshop.com .  Two more new features to the shownotes includes a link to Flickr.com to see pictures related to the show and also links to popular woodworking magazines and their featured articles.  I'm planning on making the featured articles segment a regular part of the blog so check it out periodically.  If you're interested, you're welcome to send photos of your projects so that we can post them on Flickr and put together our own photo gallery for each of us to show off.  Just send me an email with the photo as a .jpg file and a comment to post along with it.  I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone.  Straight Grains and Sharp Blades, Matt

After much delay and what amounts to a blown deadline promised to you the listener here is this week's episode.  As the name implies, this is all about the bandsaw.  One of the more popular and versatile power tools in the shop.  Regardless of whether you have a benchtop model or a floor model, there are all sorts of uses for the bandsaw and probably just as many blades.  One of the great advantages to the bandsaw is that you're not restricted to one cutting direction.  With the right size blade you can make tight radius cuts or long flowing curves.  Not to mention the fact that the material your cutting can vary just as much as the direction of cut.  This type of saw is used not only in woodworking, but metal shops, plastics and even butchershops (you might want to clean the blade before and after though, just in case).  Bandsaws are great tools for rough dimensioning lumber.  Their very thin kerf blades can make quick work of cuts and waste very little material in the process.  Depending on the type of projects you'll be making, some woodworkers find this is the only saw they need in their shop.  As a general rule in my shop the most commonly used blade is a 3/8" or 1/2" wide blade with 3TPI(teeth per inch).  It was recommended to me and I've found it to be true that it takes care of almost all my basic cutting needs.  I can rip, resaw and even make decent curves in thin material.  For resawing boards to achieve a book-matched effect great on door panels go for the widest blade your saw can use.  The cut will be straighter and true.  For curves with tight radius cuts the narrower the better.  A 1/4" blade can cut a radius of about 3/8" whereas a 1/2" blade a radius of about 2 1/2" minimum.  Never change a blade with the saw plugged in and before cutting check both the tension and tracking of a blade to ensure the quality of the cut.  Thanks to so many of you listeners for your comments, questions and suggestions it's really great to hear from you.  Send any of them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com.  Also you may notice a links section in the right hand column of the page.  I'm going to be updating those with links I think you may find helpful.  Thanks to 3 Feet Up for their song 'No Right' check them out and other great artist at music.podshow.com.  There will be another delay between this and the next show as I'm taking a week off to hopefully put together some things to improve the webpage and a few other things.  So please check back soon and I promise you won't be sorry.  Straight Grains and Sharp Blades.  Matt

Thanks once again for stopping by Matt's Basement Workshop. In this episode we talk about dust collection systems. What are the types out there? Which one is right for you? What's the difference between an air cleaner and a dust collector? A couple of important points to think about if and when you choose a dust collector, the minimum CFM for a single large tool e.g. 12" planer should be about 500-600CFM. If you plan on having two or more tools the minimum suggested is about 1200-1300CFM. We all have questions and hopefully once again I at least manage to shed a little light on the subject without getting you to confused. For great resources on topics like the one in this episode check out my two favorite woodworking magazines Fine Woodworking and Popular Woodworking. Thanks to 3 Feet Up for their song 'No Right'. You can find them and other great artist at music.podshow.com So if you haven't subscribed to the show yet, take the big plunge, that way you don't have to worry about missing any new episodes. Any comments, suggestions or concerns please send them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com. Until the next episode, Straight Grains and Sharp Blades. A suggestion sent in by Shaun was that "another way to keep dust down in the shop, specifically super fine particles, is have your shopvac/dust collector outside or at least outside of the shop area....I would put the shop vac outside and just run a long hose to what I was working on...I have the vac exhausted to the outside." He also mentions a few pros and cons about the set up. Basically that if it doesn't bother the neighbors and it's not against code it's something worth considering. Thanks Shaun for the suggestion. If you have one don't hesitate to send it.

Hey everybody thanks for coming back for another episode. In this episode I'm going to try and cover a little bit about the types of router bits out there. Considering the vast number of bits and manufacturers of them, it's nearly impossible to talk about each and everyone. So instead, I try to break them down into one of three categories. Surface-cutting bits, edge-forming bits and speciality bits. I recap a little from episode #7 about the direction of cut for routers -remember outside cuts go left to right and inside cuts go right to left- and also a recap of cutting speeds for the size of your router bit. 1/4"-1"=24,000rpm, 1"-2"=18,000rpm, 2"-2 1/2"=16,000rpm, 2 1/2"-3 1/2"=12,000rpm. Thanks to 3 Feet Up for their song 'No Right'. You can find them and other great artist at music.podshow.com. For great woodworking articles and help check out both Fine Woodworking , Popular Woodworking magazines. Not to mention thanks to American Woodworker for the router special issue. I also have to mention 'Router Basics' by Patrick Spielman as a source for this episode. Any comments or suggestions? Send them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com or click on the comments button. Until the next episode Straight grains and sharp blades.

In episode #7 we talk about the types of routers, what are the differences and hopefully I give you a little idea of which one is the right one for you. There seems to be a major push towards combo kits which include both types of router bodies that are interchangable with a single motor. These are a great way to go if you can afford them. If you just want a single type a general rule is that a Plunge router with a 2HP motor and 1/2" collet is going to give you plenty of freedom in the shop to try all different kinds of projects. Remember, when you can, buy carbide tipped bits. They stay sharp longer and tend not to chip out so readily. A variable speed motor is essential to control the cut of the bit. The larger the bit, or the more prone the wood is to burning, the slower the RPMs. Bits <1" = 24,000 RPM, 1-2" =18,000 RPM, 2-2 1/2"=16,000 RPM, 2 1/2-3 1/2"=12,000 RPM. Thanks to 3 Feet Up for their song "No Right". Find them and other great artist at music.podshow.com For great articles on woodworking check out both Finewoodworking.com or Popular Woodworking. I also found articles that helped with this episode at both Workbench Magazine and American Woodworker. If you want to drop me a line to comment on this episode or any other send your emails to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com. So until the next episode, Straigth Grains and Sharp Blades.

In this episode we're talking about three more workshorses of the shop, the mitersaw, jointer and thickness planer. Each one of them does one kind of job and they do their one job extremely well. Do you need all three? That's up to you and what kind of projects you'll be creating, but it's nice to know they're out there if you really need them. As usual I'ld like to thank 3 Feet Up for their song "No Right". You can find them and other great artist at music.podshow.com For great resources on topics discussed here check out both Fine Woodworking and Popular Woodworking magazines. Once again thanks for stopping by and if you haven't subscribed to the show just take the next step and subscribe so you won't miss any of the episodes to come. Any comments or suggestions? Send them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com, until next time, Straight Grains and Sharp Blades.

Thanks once again for stopping by for a listen. This episode is all about tablesaw blades and what the difference is between the basic types used for woodworking. I cover a little bit about some of the terms associated with blades and then a little bit more on what is the right way to cut material using them. Thanks once again to 3 Feet Up for their song "No Right", you can find them and other great artist at music.podshow.com As usual check out great woodworking articles at Fine Woodworking or Popular Woodworking magazines. So until the next episode straight grains and sharp blades. 2/21/2006 Hey everyone, I just listened to this episode again, and realized there is a hiccup in the show. So if you noticed it and I'm pretty sure you will, it's the show not your player. Also for some reason I think I sound like I was rushing through the show. If there is anything that you just didn't quite catch drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com so I can try to answer the question for you.

Thanks to everyone who's listening! This episode is the first in a series that will cover the workhorses of the shop, starting with the tablesaw. The tablesaw for most of us is the most important tool in our shops, but when we're first starting out the number one question is which one? This episode should help shed a little light on the question and get you pointed in the right direction. Once again I'ld like to thank 3 Feet Up for their song "No Right". Find other great music at For great woodworking articles and resources check out both Finewoodworking and Popularwoodworking magazines. Until the next episode straight grains and sharp blades.

Hey there listeners, thanks for subscribing or just downloading the show. This episode is all about setting up your home shop. An overview of what I consider to be the five basic workstations you could possible need. Music provided by 3 Feet Up "No Right", you can check them out at music.podshow.com. Also you can find all kinds of articles that really are a help with your woodworking education at both Fine Woodworking or Popular Woodworking. Until the next episode, straight grains and sharp blades.

Here's a look at a few basic safety issues for anyone to consider when working in their shop. It doesn't get into great detail about safety on individual tools but should be a good starting point from here on out. Thanks for listening and come back again. Matt