A while back I received some voice mails from some apparent listeners of the show.  They were a little unusual to say the least, but who am I to say no to a listener with a question.

So sit back and enjoy this Halloween Special, I know I had some fun putting it togther and I hope you have fun listening.

Don't forget to get your name in for the schwag drawing this friday, if you haven't entered yet just drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com  Remember one entry is all it takes and your name stays in until either you win or I run out of schwag!!

I received an email not so long ago from a listener who recently purchased a Biesemeyer Rip Fence off of Craigslist.  Not sure if it would work with his current table saw, he asked if I had any ideas how to modify it to fit.  Happens to be that my old saw needed modifications so my aftermarket fence would work.

This video shows some of the changes I made so that it would work on my saw.

 

Thanks to the great folks at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks we have another great title to review and for one of you lucky listeners one of you are going to win it for your very own.

"Building Furniture with Hand Planes" is a must have DVD for anyone who wants to learn more about how and where to use their hand planes in the construction of their own furniture.

Christopher Schwarz does an amazing job of explaining all the in's and out's of which ones to choose, how to use them and then demonstrates it all.

There's so much in here that you'll discover something new everytime you watch it.

Didn't win?  Click on the picture to buy yours!

 

The discussion of benchtop drill presses turns today to the proper usage of them.  And we also try to give a brief description of a few of the many accessory items that you can get and use with the presses.

Of course after the show was recorded I realized I forgot to mention perhaps one of the most popular accessory items used with the drill press...sanding drums!

Don't forget to drop me a line to say hi! mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

Is the drill press an essential tool in the woodshop?  Some say yes, some say no but I'll leave that up to you to decide if it's important enough to have one in your shop.

The key advantages that I've found in using mine is that I can make nearly dead on accurate holes, at the same depth and with the help of a jig in the same location time and time again.

Whether it's an benchtop or a floor model the anatomy of the press is the same, so let's start there.

On a seperate note, I'd love to hear from all of you, just to know how many of you are out there...just drop me a line and simply say "Hi" mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

With all the instructional DVDs on the market, wouldn't it be great if there was a video store or sevice that you could rent from so that you could decide just how helpful they really are?  Or better yet perhaps you've always been curious about a new hobby and just didn't know where to turn.

Well there is such a service out there, its called Smartflix.com.  Now you can now checkout great titles on your computer.  Have them sent directly to you, watch them at your convience and then return them in a prepaid envelope.

With over 5500 video titles covering over 220 categories you're sure to find something that peaks your interest and with new titles arriving regularly you'll have a chance to check out the latest titles as they become available.

Congrats to Trey for winning a free gift certificate to Smartflix.com for 5 free rentals.  If you haven't gotten your name in for free schwag yet, then just drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com . 

Also, if you want to help me get a feel for how many of you there really are just send me an email at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com , just say "HI".

It's time to share some of the great emails and comments that have come in to the show regarding the benchtop tools.  As always your feedback is very important to help keep the show going and so by sharing these it's just another way to learn from each other.

 

Today we're even closer to wrapping up our discussion of benchtop thickness planers.  Of course we have to talk about the versatility of the planers.  They can do more than just give us evenly dimensioned lumber, they can also be used to....

It's time for the most popular Feature Friday here at MBW that's right it's time for 'router bit of the month'!!! 

Thanks again to the great folks over at WoodCraft and Whiteside Machine Co. for giving us the opportunity to try out this month's specially priced router bit, Whiteside's 14 degree dovetail bit.

Remember, for the entire month of October, WoodCraft reduces the price of this great bit to make it more affordable for us to get our hands on it.  So if you aren't this week's winner at Matt's Basement Workshop Podcast, like Brian Burritt is, head over to your local neighborhood WoodCraft store or just click here... Woodcraft.com - Over 10,000 Woodworking Products. Shop Woodcraft Today.

 

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If you haven't gotten your name in for the drawings drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

It's time for the most popular Feature Friday here at MBW that's right it's time for 'router bit of the month'!!! 

Thanks again to the great folks over at WoodCraft and Whiteside Machine Co. for giving us the opportunity to try out this month's specially priced router bit, Whiteside's 14 degree dovetail bit.

Remember, for the entire month of October, WoodCraft reduces the price of this great bit to make it more affordable for us to get our hands on it.  So if you aren't this week's winner at Matt's Basement Workshop Podcast, like Brian Burritt is, head over to your local neighborhood WoodCraft store or just click here... Woodcraft.com - Over 10,000 Woodworking Products. Shop Woodcraft Today.

If you haven't gotten your name in for the drawings drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com

Last episode we talked about some of the features that are probably good choices to look for when choosing your benchtop planer.  This episode let's talk about putting our planer to work. 

There are some simple steps we should take to get the best results from our planer and they include...

Benchtop thickness planers are a huge tool with a little footprint.  These are a huge timesaver when it comes to dimensioning lumber flat and square and they also have the potential to be a money saver too. 

With all the models on the market there are a plenty to choose from, but there are some key features to look for along the way...

This month we're talking about a very popular lumber species used throughout furniture construction, flooring, turning, and so much more.  It comes either in a hard or soft variety, an uniquely figured or straight grained variety and can be a real challenge to cut if you're not use to it.

Guess which species I'm talking about?  If you haven't figured it out yet the species of the month is ... you'll have to listen to find out!

Our schwag winner this week has won a customized WoodSlicer Resaw Bandsaw blade from Highland Woodworking.  Perfect for resawing lumber with beautiful grains like those found in this month's lumber species.

If you're not this week's winner and you want to get one for your bandsaw just click here to order yours

If you haven't gotten your name in for the schwag, well it's too late for this week but not for upcoming episodes!

Let's look at some of the accessories that can be important to bandsaws, even the benchtops.  Today's discussion includes a review of blade types and fences.

If you haven't gotten your name in yet for the schwag giveaway on friday you've got a couple of days to do so.  Just drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com and put your name in the coffee can.

Benchtop Bandsaws do have their place in the home woodshop, even though a larger floor model does have some huge advantages over it.  Just like with any of the other benchtop tools, sometimes the larger version is...well it's to large. 

Whether it's because you don't use it that often, or just can't give up the floor space a benchtop model maybe exactly what you're looking for.  Just do your homework ahead of time and be realistic of the limitations you'll be dealing with.