Featured Site - Matt's Basement Workshop!

This week's featured woodworker is Matt Vanderlist over at Matt's Basement Workshop!  I've been watching and listening to Matt's podcast for many years.

When I bought my first iPod Classic, I searched iTunes for 'woodworking' and Matt's podcast came up.  In case you didn't know, Matt is known as the Woodworking Podfather because he was the first woodworker to start a podcast in 2006.

I like Matt because he's a regular guy just like me.  He not only tells us about the good, but also the bad and the ugly too, so we can all learn from his accomplishments and mistakes.

Matt delivers thorough information and you can tell that he cares about providing accurate, clear, and easy-to-understand details, whether he is walking us through a project, reviewing a tool, or showing us how to perform a process.

Matt is one of three key woodworkers who inspired me to get back into FUN woodworking after getting burned out in woodworking production.  So, thanks for that Matt!

Check out Matt's website at MattsBasementWorkshop.com and be sure to like and subscribe to his social media networks.  BTW, if you are just now discovering Matt, you have a lot of catching up to do!

Guitar Repair Article Featured on John Heisz's Website!

Visit John Heisz's website at ibuildit.ca to read a full article I wrote about repairing an electric guitar!  Thanks to John for featuring this article on his website.  Click the photo to visit John's site and take a look at all of his amazing woodworking projects while you are there.

John's hospitality has inspired me to add a Featured Friends page to my own website where I will feature fellow woodworkers on a regular basis.  Check back often and click Featured Friends in the menu at the top of the page to discover more woodworking content creators.  Thanks for the inspiration John!

Drumset Birdhouse - Outdoor Woodworking Art Project

Spring is here, so build a birdhouse!  Be creative!  Birds don't care what birdhouses look like, so go crazy with color and outrageous designs!  Check out my Drumset Birdhouse video!

I freestyled this drumset birdhouse and didn't even use a ruler, so I don't have any measured drawings for it, but here are some more details that can get you started:

• Bass drum measures about 8.5" in diameter and 7" deep.
• Tom measures about 4.25" in diameter and 3.25" deep.
• The cymbal is 6.25" in diameter.
• The bass drum artwork was applied using this Inkjet Photo Transfer technique demonstrated by Steve Ramsey of Woodworking for Mere Mortals.

The sky is the limit!  Create something new and different, and march to the beat of your own drum!

Making Drum Sticks on a Lathe!

I've been playing drums since 1973 and I've broken lots of drum sticks.  I'm new to the lathe and have turned many pens, so it was only natural to attempt to make my own drum sticks.

I used solid cherry because it is somewhat durable, yet turns nicely on the lathe.  I made my first one off-camera just to see how it would turn out.  It was successful, so I recorded the process when turning the second one.

The sticks are 16" long and about 1/2" thick.  The sticks were easy to turn; however, the middle of the stick did flex from the pressure of the cutting tool.  Next time, I might try using a steady rest to apply some opposing force to the tool.

It was very rewarding to play drums with my own handmade sticks, so I will be making more in the future.

The Woodworking Show Atlanta 2014!

The Woodworking Show is coming to Atlanta this weekend March 7-9th.  I will be there all weekend helping with our Gwinnett Woodworkers Association booth.  If you are in the Atlanta area, come check out the show and stop by our booth and say hello.

I know there are a lot of woodworkers out there who are unable to attend woodworking events like these.  So, I plan to to put together a video recap after the show so you can see what it's like to be there.  Until then, check out my video recap from last year.