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

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