This month we're talking about the various species of Oak.  A traditional favorite for woodworkers all over the world and apparently a real favorite of navies world wide too!

Strong and beautiful, Oak is a great choice for projects of all shapes and sizes!

Thanks to the great folks at Highland Woodworking, home of the mornings at highland free educational series, for donating another customized Woodslicer Resaw Bandsaw blade to this week's lucky schwag winner.  If your name's not Herman V.  then you're not this week's schwag winner, but that doesn't mean you can't get your own great Woodslicer Blade for your bandsaw, just click on the picture!

If you haven't gotten your name in for the schwag, well it's too late for this week but not for upcoming episodes.  Drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

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As we approach the holiday season, its time to think about the truly important things in life. Things like your gift list! Matt and Marc each discuss their top 5 most wanted tools. Price and shop size were not a consideration. These are dream lists. So if you have a dream list of your own, give us a call at 623-242-2450 and tell us about it. We will play them on the show next week.

We also read a few emails as well. Luis had a question about the many different types of glue on the market. Mark asked for information on cleaning, restoring and identifying old hand tools. He also recommends checking out the Internet Archive for old woodworking texts. And finally, Mike needs some advice on gluing up miters for a recipe box.

This is part 2 of the discussion of the shoulder plane.  Today I try to explain in my own special way how to use it correctly.

Questions, comments and schwag entries -  mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

I'm back from my Thanksgiving vacation...if you can call it that?!?!? The traveling, the family, the traveling...anyways once the veil from the turkey coma wore off it was time to get back to work and I couldn't help but think that talking about one of my favorite speciality planes was in order.

The shoulder plane is an essential part of my workshop, it does only one job but it does it so well that it makes quick work of fixing up my not so perfect joinery.  Sometimes a not so easy task depending on my state of mind.

I highly recommend that if you're interested in finding out more about hand planes a great resource to check out is Garret Hack's 'The Handplane Book'

Also, a huge congrats to www.lumberjocks.com for hitting the 2000+ membership mark!

This week's feature friday is a special version of our normal DVD review.  We had a chance to preview a great new title from Hendrik Varju "Jointer and Planer Secrets."  And what makes today's episode so unique is that not only are we going to talk about the DVD, but we have an interview with the host too. 

Hendrik Varju, an accomplished woodworker, author, teacher and now DVD producer and host has created this great DVD that doesn't just highlight the proper use of both the jointer and the thickness planer.  But instead walk you through everything you need to know to get the best results from them everytime you turn them on.

This 2 DVD set comes in at 4 1/2 hours, but just as the extended title suggests it's a "Private Woodworking Instruction in a Box" it's as if you're actually in Hendrik's shop taking a course with him.  There's no cut and paste editing here, everything is real time and the camera angles are in the right spot to make sure you don't miss a thing.

Along with the discussion on proper jointer and planer techniques there's an included bonus footage covering edge-gluing a solid wood panel.  This DVD is a great buy and for anyone wanting to know more about the two most important tools for making your stock square and flat it's well worth the look.  Check it out at www.passionforwood.com

Congrats to Troy Jack for winning a copy of "Jointer and Planer Secrets".  If you haven't gotten your name in yet for the free schwag drawings drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com .  Also don't forget I'll be at the Saginaw Woodcraft on Saturday November 24th at 2PM for a carving workshop...I won't be teaching but it sounds fun...stop by and say HI!

Rough dimensioning is an important part of my milling process.  By roughing out oversized pieces I find that the milling process goes a little bit smoother.  Rather than dealing with large unwieldy boards I can mill smaller more managable pieces. 

This also gives me flatter, more stable stock and better results in the end.

So this weekend I went to a local woodshow and had a chance to listen to John Wilson, Shaker box builder and Boat Builder, etc was speaking.  The first lecture was a demonstration of building a paddle using construction lumber...pretty interesting I must admit!  The second was a talk on building and using a solar kiln to dry lumber.  I got some great insight into not only drying my own lumber, but more importantly a bigger understanding of wood movement.

So let's start another discussion on rough dimensioning our stock when we begin working on our projects.  It's a previously discussed topic, but wood movement can make or break your projects!!

To check out information on classes and lectures given by John, not to mention purchasing shaker box supplies, head over to www.shakerovalbox.com

Thanks to longtime listener Wayne Breshears we have a great tutorial on making our own zero clearance tablesaw inserts.  For both safety and accuracy reasons zero clearance inserts are a great accessory to just about any tablesaw.  And with the detailed and easy to follow plans that Wayne took the time to put together for us, making one for your saw is only a click away!!

This weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan my favorite lumber supplier and woodworker's supply store is having a woodshow.  I'm planning on attending saturday the 10th so if you're there when I'm walking around say HI!  www.theworkbench.com for directions and info.

Congrats to this week's winner of free schwag Dennis Ewing, Sr. and also a big thanks to Wayne for sending in the plans.  For both of you, I have a pair of ZEM hearing protection waiting for you to claim. 

If you have a jig of the month that you'd like to share, send it to me at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com and if I use it on the show, I'll send you some great schwag too!!

Remember, my description of Wayne's jig on the show isn't always the best, so that's why I've posted it as a downloadable file...just click here to get your copy if you haven't already!

Long time listener Wayne Breshears sent in a great jig idea back in July, but I'm finally getting around to sharing it with the rest of you.  This PDF is a full tutorial on making your own zero clearance tablesaw insert for your own tablesaw.

Thanks Wayne for the great detail and making it look so easy!!

I wanted to wrap up the discussion on benchtop jointers with some ideas on how to overcome it's shortcomings.

Is it possible to lengthen the shorter infeed/outfeed tables of the BT Jointer?  How about the small fence?  I say why not...

Enter for schwag or just say "HI" at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

The benchtop jointer is one of those tools that most of us have trouble believing could really be of any use.  They're too small, too unreliable and too underpowered...  and that's just the beginning of what many woodworkers believe is wrong with them.

Just to be completely honest, I've never owned one or used one myself.  And I too believed all the above ideas.  But the truth is, benchtop jointers can be just the right thing for your shop and work just right for you too.

Thanks for all the emails and keep the feedback coming  in ... mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

It's time once again for "Router Bit of the Month" from Woodcraft and Whiteside Machine Co.

This month we're featuring Whiteside's Glue Joint Bit, a great edge profile that's an improvement over the traditional butt joint.  This single bit creates mating profiles that greatly increase the gluing surface and  assist in easy glue ups of multiple pieces.

Congrats to Frank Bylo, this month's winner of the Router Bit of the Month at Matt's Basement Workshop Podcast. 

If you didn't win but are interested in taking advantage of the discounted price on the Glue Joint Bit over at Woodcraft.com - Click Here it's only for the month of November so get yours while you still can.

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Can you believe it's November already?  That means a couple of things, 1)  Turkey day is only a few weeks away and 2) with it being a new month it's time once again for "Router Bit of the Month" from Woodcraft and Whiteside Machine Co.

This month we're featuring Whiteside's Glue Joint Bit, a great edge profile that's an improvement over the traditional butt joint.  This single bit creates mating profiles that greatly increase the gluing surface and  assist in easy glue ups of multiple pieces.

Congrats to Frank Bylo, this month's winner of the Router Bit of the Month at Matt's Basement Workshop Podcast. 

If you didn't win but are interested in taking advantage of the discounted price on the Glue Joint Bit over at Woodcraft.com - Click Here it's only for the month of November so get yours while you still can.