Woodworking is no sport, but just like with any activity to improve your woodworking skills nothing will help you more than a little practice.  Whether a hand tool or a power tool, the more time you spend using them the more it can make you an all around better woodworker.  Want to learn handcut dovetails?  Practice a side a day.  Want to improve you're veenering skills?  Veneer a small panel a day.  Practice makes perfect, not to mention it's a great excuse for time in the shop.

Our new monthly feature premieres with a review of a really great book on Bandsawn Boxes.  Donna Menke has put together a book that not only walks you through how to make the boxes between the covers, but sets you up so that you can make the boxes in your imagination.  With chapters covering tool choice and use to design and finishing techniques.  Donna has put together a complete book for both the beginner and the advanced woodworker alike.  The Ultimate Band Saw Box Book by Donna LaChance Menke.  www.sterlingpublishing.com

Congratulations to this week's winner of free schwag and the winner of this great book Michael Darling.  If you haven't entered your name into the drawings you still have time.  Send them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

Don't forget to check out the newest woodworking podcast on the block.  Erik over at The Novice Garage Woodworker at http://garagewoodworker.blogspot.com

Part 1 of a 2 part series on lapping our hand planes.  So perhaps you do have that hand plane you picked up at the flea market and now you want to use it.  Where do you start?  Start at the bottom and work your way up.  This 1st part is all about the equipment.  What do you need to get started?  Let's take a look!!!

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Who says you can't use both hand tools and power tools?  Here's just a little look at what can be done with both types.

Don't forget to get your name in for the 2007 Schwag Drawings!!!

So we've been talking about using hand planes for prepping and smoothing stock.  But how do we do it?  Hopefully this episode finally answers the question.  Or at least gets you started.

Crosscut sleds are a great jig for accurate and efficient cutting of wider and longer stock that traditional miter gauges may have trouble supporting.  This version I describe today is made up primarily of scraps of plywood and hardwood and can easily be built in a matter of minutes.

Also today's episode is the first drawing of 2007.  So congratulations to Bill Bradley for being our first winner of 2007.  Bill has won a pair of Zem hearing protection.  For more information on Zem check out their website at www.zemzone.com .  I use a pair of Zem in my shop and I hope Bill finds them just as great as I do.

If you haven't entered your name for the drawings, get it in.  The next drawing will be next friday so good luck.

A great jig that helps you to get accurate and successful crosscuts each and everytime on your tablesaw.  Especially great for use with wider and or longer stock.

The next part of our talk on the scrub plane.  The tips and techniques for using.  Small enough to hold with one hand and easy enough to use the same way.  As the hand plane version of the modern thickness planer, these little guys come in quite handy.

The first drawing is this friday April 20th, 2007.  Great books from Sterling Publishing and Zem hearing protection are up for grabs.  Just drop me a line and let me know you're interested in getting in the drawing.

 

The scrub plane, a member of the bench plane family that could easily fall into the family of specialized planes.  A single purpose plane that is equivalent to the modern day thickness planer.  Small in size but large in purpose.  Let's take a look at them today.  Don't forget to get those jigs in and especially don't forget to get your name in for the schwag.  The drawings start this week.  Also, you may have noticed the sound is a little off.  I just bought a new mic and I'm still making adjustments, please bear with me!!

2 ANNOUNCEMENTS:  The warm weather is just around the corner and as a result it's time to get outside and do some yardwork and such.  So starting this week I'm planning on doing only 3 shows a week.  I'm sure I'll occassionally do more but 3 for sure.  Thanks for your understanding, I just want to make sure that the shows I do for you are the best they can be.  Next, just a reminder, but Wood Talk Online Podcast has it's own feed and can be found at www.woodtalkonline.com

Thanks for listening, Matt

 

 

Let's take a closer look at the basic anatomy of the hand plane.  From the toe to the heel and the sole to the lever cap we'll take the plane apart for a closer look at what makes it work.

 

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Episode Number 2 of Wood Talk Online.  Marc and I once again had way to much fun with this show, so we hope you enjoy it.  A new website dedicated to Wood Talk Online is up and running thanks to Marc.  Check it out at www.woodtalkonline.com and from there you can also subscribe to the feed.  So enjoy!!

A great router table jig for safely and accurately cutting coped ends on rail pieces for face frames or door frames or what have you.  Thanks Wayne C. for sending this one in.

Don't forget to get your name in for the free schwag giveaways.  Books from Sterling Publishing and Zem hearing protection.

Suggestions for fine tuning of the smoothing planes.  A few ideas that go beyond the usual set up of the other bench planes.  And what would an episode be without a few tangents.  I've mentioned Garrett Hack's book "The Hand Plane Book" over and over.  It's a great resource for any hand plane user or collector.

Don't forget to get your name in for the free schwag drawings, books from Sterling Publishing and hearing protection from Senseguard www.zemzone.com .  Hopefully more to come later.

There are certain traits in the smoothing plane that makes the difference between a good smoothing plane and an excellent smoothing plane.        

1) Body weight   2) Throat opening  and 3) Blade assembly

Get your name in for the free schwag giveaways.  Books from Sterling Publishing and hearing protection from Senseguard www.zemzone.com  If you want to be included in the giveaway send me a note to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

The group of smoothing planes consist of the small No.1 up to the larger No.4.   The most common version most people think of is the No.4, in fact I'm willing to bet that the No.4 is what most people think of when they hear the words Hand Plane.  Prior to the mass availability of sand paper, the smoothing planes were one of the tools craftsman used to prepare their projects for finishing.  It was the last tool to touch the surface.

Don't forget to get your name in for the free schwag drawings coming soon.  Not only do I have several great titles from Sterling Publishing, but I now also received a free pair of ZEM hearing protection from senseguard.  Even if you entered for the schwag back in 2006, resubmit for this new round of schwag.  Did you enjoy Wood Talk Online?  I know I did...emails for Wood Talk?  woodtalkonline@gmail.com  

Here it is, the first episode of Wood Talk Online featuring myself and Marc Spagnuolo.  We had a lot of fun doing this show, so we hope that you enjoy it also.  Don't forget if you have any questions, comments or suggestions for the new show send them to woodtalkonline@gmail.com