Woodshop Life Podcast

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hello Guys,
Love the show so much great information. I have recently got into scroll sawing. I am a comic book fan and I want to start scrolling the comic book art that I love. As you may know comic book art is very colorful. My goal is to start getting enough exotic wood to try and cover as much color as I can. In the mean time I would like to start using stain to color the woods. Are you all aware of any stains that have a good color spectrum.
Thanks
Korey from Independence KY

I am looking to build a shop building on my property. What is the minimum square footage you would recommend for a home hobbyist? I will have a miter saw, router table, table saw, and eventually a planer and dust collector. And of course a work bench with a saw vise.
I have plenty of room on my property, so that isn’t a limiting factor. My biggest concern is not spending money that I don’t need to on a building that is larger than needed.
What are some things you recommend that I plan for when building? Power outlet locations and qty, ceiling height, lighting type, etc.?
Thanks in advance! Kyle

Guys Questions:

I know you guys have referenced putting shellac under water based finish so you can have the richer look in the wood but ease/quick timeline of water based. I typically use an airless sprayer to apply General Finishes High Performance. I have some projects with walnut that I would normally finish with Arm-R-Seal to get the rich walnut tone. Id like to try the shellac coat first and then High Performance on top. I was wondering what is your standard application practice when you do this. Do you apply shellac (by hand or spray) and then wait a few hours/a few days/a week? Thanks for the advice and looking to avoid any pitfalls in the process being that Ive never done it before.
Thanks and keep up the good work on the podcast.
Pete from Uncarved Block Woodworks, Madison, WI

Do you have any tips for glueing up mitered-corner boxes to ensure they are square/plumb, etc.? I’ve had a hard time with this. Thanks David Vespoint

Huys Questions:

My local Rockler shut down and I found myself purchasing the Dark Half Tung oil from the real milk paint company at a steep discount. Never used the stuff but I’ve heard that dark tung oil can help give cherry a patina look without aging. I’m wondering if it can help walnut preserve its dark color over time?
Tung oil is supposed to be a pretty durable finish on it own. Have you guys tried using it as part of an arm r seal mix?
Thanks again for the help! Jose

All of my furniture pieces seem to have glue creep on all the table tops and panels. I switched from using titebond pva to titebond hide glue thinking this would solve the problem. On some newer pieces I built with the hide glue, I can now slightly feel the glue seams after a few weeks. The tops all have biscuits for alignment as well. Could this be a matter of temperature and humidity change from my shop to my house? About 40% humidity in my shop through the use of a dehumidifier. Temperature ranged from in the 50s this past winter to now it’s in the 80s. Would you sand the seam lightly with 0000 steel wool or very high grit sandpaper? And any tips for future builds to avoid this again? Thanks guys! Jeff

This Episodes Questions:

Guys Questions:

Gentleman, Chris here @custom_by_chris on Instagram. My shop is a single car garage roughly 11.5’ wide by 22’ long. I’d like to build a miter station along the front wall for my Kapex. Will I regret confining myself to that 11.5’ width? I would position the saw so I have at least 8’ of cutting capacity to one side. I am not doing regular trim work so don’t frequently deal with long stock. Lastly, when designing and building the miter station what features would you consider must-haves or things that aren’t necessary? It’s easy to get sucked into the YouTube rabbit hole of miter stations so please guide me back to the light. Chris

Zach from Minnesota here. I recently constructed a box using box joints for the first time (thank you, I hold the applause.) As the tutorial by wood magazine suggested, I cut the fingers a little long with the intention of trimming them later rather than risking them being slightly too short. I have come across numerous suggestions regarding the best way to trim flush these protruding fingers, and as with most things to do with woodworking every suggested method also includes a comment claiming that following any of the other suggestions will ruin my work piece. What method do each of you prefer to use when flush trimming your box joints? Thanks in advance.
Sincerely, Zachary T Owens

Hi Guy and other guys,
Thanks for the great podcast. I have learned a lot from all the great content you put out. I really appreciate your advice and perspective. I have a couple questions I was hoping you could answer.
Recently I was rubbing a beeswax and tung oil finish on a little box I made for my mother in law. I was using a white scotch bright pad. I guess I didn’t softened one of the corners enough because the pad caught the grain and torn out a little piece of edge. My question is what do you do if something catastrophic happens while finishing? Do you sand it back repair it and then finish again? Do you have to sand the whole thing back or just the piece you are repairing? Or is there some trick to repairing finished wood? Or do you just trow it in the fireplace curse a lot and start over?
Thanks. Keep up the great work. Jon Moch

Huys Questions:

Hey guys, longtime follower and still enjoy listening to the podcast. Guy, it seems like you’ve fallen out of love with woodworking a bit and moved onto 3d printing? Is that just because you’ve been doing it forever haha? Always good to have a change.
I wanted to ask you guys about pigmented conversion varnish. I often hear you talk about it and I’ve never heard of it mentioned here in the uk across the pond, the only thing I can find online is it’s potentially the same as what we call acid catalyst? Is it dangerous to spray? Here in the UK acid catalyst (or commonly called AC) is quite toxic and you have to be in a proper booth with serious fume extraction and prober PPE respirator. Is this the same stuff? I’m guessing a pigmented conversion varnish would be a paint finish? Such as a solid colour? Any info would be great.
Keep up the great work guys, Mike

Hey guys thank you for all the information in the podcast and your previous answers to questions. For the most part I make sawdust. I build some furniture pieces, picture frames, boxes, etc. I also build some shipping crates for my real job which helps offset some of the cost of this hobby. The crates use 4×4, 2×8, 2×10 & 2×4 construction lumber and plywood. I’ve been using a sliding compound miter saw to cut up the boards. I’m reorganizing my garage and was thinking of selling the miter saw and going back to a Radial Arm Saw. I do not do any type of trim work or anything like that. Am I making a mistake wanting to go to the radial? It would just be for breaking down the boards to length. Thanks, Doug

Hi everyone,
Pretty much a novice woodworker with some questions on sapele. My primary question: I have a sapele front door that I inherited that has a finish that has not done well even in dappled sunlight. Fortunately, the door is completely structurally solid, so no repairs needed there. But my question is about how you would refinish it? I kind of like the look of a Danish oil or tung oil with a really solid coat of Total Boat marine finish to protect it. I have also seen people use Eipifanes as a protectant. But with little experience, I am guessing what the outcome will be. I would love to hear the team brainstorm what options I have to both enrich the beauty of the wood and the protect it. What should I optimally do to produce a nice piece that will last with regular care. Any suggestions on products?
More generally, we have some sapele accents in a refinished kitchen. Nothing too fancy or complicated – panhook bars and similar. I would like to build a few more simple pieces. Any thoughts on working with and finishing this type of wood from a broad perspective?
Great podcast. I love how you name brands and don’t beat around the bush on advice. As a “maybe I can do it someday” woodworker, I find each episode valuable! Thank you. George

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:
Hey guys! Another quick question that I get from others in our field. And I’m interested in your input. What making basic shaker/frame and panel cabinet doors, I use the big box, larger ridged router with the FREUD T&G bit set. I’m tired of cutting the tongues and having blowouts..even when using a backer board when running the rail through the router. I’ve leaned in to using the BEADLOCK system from rockler. It’s been great so far. Would you suggest that loose tenon joint, or stick to the TONGUE in the groove? For durability? Crafted Carpenter

What are some tool under $50 that you (or listeners) love. My examples:
-The Rockler or Milecraft center marking tool
-Temtop S1 Indoor Air Quality Monitor (cheap, accurate, see what’s actually happening in your shop instead of guessing)
-Any router coping sled
George

Guys Questions:
Hi guys
In two pervious shows you mentioned two things.
One. You would give up your table saw in favor of a band saw. The question is what can you do on a table saw that you can not do on a band saw. The only thing I can figure is a Dado joint.
Many thanks,
Paul Mitchell
Oki Mitch Crafts

Good day gentlemen
Long time listener (3-4 years) and still feel your the best woodworking podcast. I build a variety of wood project from band saw boxes to use up scrap pieces to some furniture.
I have a Domino DF 500 and use it often. You talk about a biscuit joiner being a different animal and used for different things. Can you give us examples where a biscuit joiner is the best choice? The examples may answer this question for me but do I need a biscuit joiner? Which brand(s) would you recommend?
Thank You Dean

Huys Questions:
Where do you purchase your shellac flakes? Do you use unwaxed? Thanks Mark Moeller

Hey guys. As always, appreciate the podcast and the information shared.
I thought as a topic you might discuss what glues you keep on hand (types more than brands) as well as what specialty glues you’ll acquire for a specific project or technique.
For example, I keep regular wood glue (partial to Gorilla Wood Glue) for most usage, but I always have liquid hide glue for any sliding joint, like dovetails or box joints. I keep 5 minute epoxy and CA glues, but use them less often (and often wish I hadn’t because they’re usually to fix a mistake). Thanks again.
Peter

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hello guys,
Love the podcast. Thank you for your time and expertise!
Question on making drawer boxes and other situations where butt joinery is used. How much of a difference would it make if I do not use any glue and rely only on pocket screws / regular screws? Main reason I am asking about skipping glue is because I usually use 2 side prefinished plywood to make drawer boxes so unless I figure out how to remove the finish where the joints are, it will not really stick.
Follow up question. What’s the rule of thumb on how to space pocket screws? Let’s say I have a drawer box that’s 12 inches high. How many pocket screws would I put on each butt joint?
Max
Greddie Woodworks

I’m building a very large display case for a museum, about 15 feet long and 4 feet high and 6 inches deep. Kind of like a giant shadow box. It will contain a canvas replica of the Shroud of Turin, with LED backlighting behind the shroud canvas and a ¼” glass front (2 sheets of glass with a seam in the middle). The back panel will be either 1/4″ or 1/2″ plywood. We will have legs under it to support the weight across the 15 foot length, as it will be very heavy once fully assembled on-site. Here’s my question; is it realistic to plane, cut, and sand a 15 foot long 6/4 board, about 6 inches wide? Am wondering if I could realistically handle such a board, and if so, would it remain flat and straight over time. Or, would I be better off making two 7-1/2 foot long boards and somehow joining them together to make one 15 foot long board. If two boards, what’s the best method for end-to-end joining of these boards to get a barely-visible joint and a perfectly straight assembly. Do I need to be concerned with sag in the middle if I have a plywood back panel? Mark

Guys Questions:

I have recently started using Arm-R-Seal and I am new to using finishes with long curing times. I have been prefinishing all my parts because I assume it’s near impossible to get a nice finish after glue up. Is this correct? How long should I wait after applying the finish before glueing? Also, if the piece of furniture was for a customer, would you wait the full 30 days of cure time before delivery? Jeffrey Hughes

I teach a beginning woodworking class at a High School. I will be receiving two Bambu Lab X1 3D printers for one of the Engineering classes that I teach as well. I know that 3D printers can be very useful for woodworking and was wondering what ideas you would have to share for helpful tools or accessories that could be made using the 3D printer? Also do you have a specific website where you go to find premade tools and accessories that is trustworthy? Thanks in advance for any information that you could provide. Scott Kirkman

Huys Questions:

Hey it’s me again,
I have a 10” Metabo contractor saw I use for my house projects and finer pieces. It’s a quick and dirty saw that I can set up and knock down and roll into the corner. I love the wide table of it but it’s starting to feel wobbly when making cuts. Thinking of building a box around it to have out all the time and catch dust and shavings. Maybe on wheels? I’m no contractor so maybe I should just invest in a cabinet saw… love to hear thoughts. Ian

Hello,
I am getting ready to build a box beam to wrap an exposed LVL beam in the great room of our vacation home. It’s a horizontal beam with about 2″ protruding from a finished wall (drywall). The span is about 14′, and the beam is about 4 1/2″ tall. I will be using knotty pine to create a 3 sided box beam with mitereed corners. My challenge is that I cannot built and transport 14′ beam, so I need to build 2 7′ beams. Each end of the beam will butt against a wall, so there isn’t much room. So my question for you all is what type of joinery would you use to seam the 2 beams together on-site?
Thanks, and I appreciste what you all are doing for the woodworking community. John

Brians Questions:

I craft Shaker Furniture and then donate it. I am often gluing up tabletops. I have seen many discussions around “how to properly joint” the edges of a-joining boards. Am typically using plain sawn cherry.
After rough dimensioning, jointing, then planing the individual pieces, and arranging the pieces so they look nice, and hopefully having the grain run the same way (I finish the tops with a smoothing plane), it comes time to joint those edges that are to be glued.
There in lies the question….does one 1) rip them on a table saw, or 2) joint the edges such that there is a slight bow to allow compression in the center, or 3) take the pair of boards to be glued and joint them together in a book match style. I usually do 3)
I then clamp them using footed bar clamps and cawls over the top.
How do you all handle this part of the process. 1), 2),3)….something else??
Secondly, I use hide glue to glue the joinery, but have had trouble using it for table top gluing up table tops –not enough open time…use titebond instead….have you had success in using hide glue for tabletop glue up??
thank you, John

Hi,
I am a hobbyist woodworker who uses a mix of hand tools and power tools. I see a lot of people nowadays using track saws where I would normally use my table saw or my circular saw with a guide. What am I missing with the track saw trend? Won’t a simple plywood guide and cheap circular saw do the exact same thing as a track saw? Thanks Adam

Guys Questions:

Hi,
I enjoy the podcast, it is favorite woodworking podcast where you get right to the point and answer real questions without a lot of wasted time. Keep it up!
I am currently working on a fairly large cabinet & desk built-in. It will be an “L” shape, run along one wall for about 18 feet, and then wrap around and extend out about 6 feet, with the corner being the desk section. I’ve already completed the base cabinets, so the next step will be the desktop, followed by all the shelving.
My question is about the desktop(26in deep). My plan was to build this in 6 foot sections, which I would then join to span the whole wall. I’ve been going back and forth over whether I build this out of solid wood(thinking 8/4 rough sawn which I would mill down to maybe 1-1/2in), or using veneers. I planned to join each section using a Lamello Zeta P2.
I have access to the tools(6cfm pump from Veneer Systems) to do either method, but am not sure if one is really much better. I’be been leaning towards solid wood(Walnut) as I have that on hand, but not sure if that’s more of me shying away from using veneers as I don’t have a lot of experience on bigger projects. This is for my home so may be an opportunity to get more practice using veneers without worry of it being a customer piece. I’m interested in what you would recommend.
Thanks! Frank

Also a dummy, thank you Bob for opening the can of worms. Who cares if it is 1/4 sawn or 1/64th sawn?
When is it important to know? If riff sucks…then why use it or if plane is plain to unstable to use why use it etc. Strengths and weaknesses for price versus application might be interesting to discuss, especially if opinions can vary.
What is the wheelhouse for the different boards? I imagine it’s a combo of beauty, price and stability. Can you guys flesh out this conversation a bit? Benjamin

Huys Questions

I use Kreg work bench system so my benches are mostly straight and strong with the factors I stated above. I also am lazy or forgetful about putting down paper before glue ups. replacing the top of the work bench I have considered finishing it with thin layer or epoxy to allow a non-sticky surface for the wood glue or finishes I use. I am also going to make match fit dove tail clamp system ( would finish with epoxy then have the cnc redue the job to clean the channels ) maybe also with dog hole.
is the epoxy finish a good way to make a more permeant bench top ? should I just lay down plywood top and replace when needed? Am considering ordering a butcher block top to make the bench so it looks nice and is more lasting. bench is 44 square and supported by wood beams in the center so it doesn’t dip.
Thanks folks Paul Oki Mitch Crafts Okinawa Japan

Hi, thanks for answering a couple of my questions in the past. I have another one now about using loose tenon joinery to glue up boards to make a panel, such as a tabletop.
One feature of a Domino or a biscuit joiner is that they reference off of a face of the board, assuring a perfectly flush (or close enough) show surface. I don’t own a Domino, but I have a biscuit joiner and a dowelling jig. I would like to use dowels on occasion, but I only have a simple dowelling jig that is of the self-centering type. If all my boards are of the exact same thickness then this in theory should give good results too, but sometimes I am using 3/4” boards right from the lumber yard that I have edge jointed but have not milled to a common thickness, since I don’t want to go any thinner than the 3/4”. So the thicknesses might be off by small amounts.
So in light of this, I was thinking that I should upgrade to a higher end dowelling jig, one that references off of a face surface. Does this seem like a worthwhile idea? If so, are there certain other features I should look for in a product, and do you have specific product recommendations that you can make?
Thanks. Steve

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

As a hobbyist who buys wood occasionally, I have never developed the skill of correctly identifying the grain pattern or even the cut type (plain, rift, quarter) in rough cut lumber at lumber yards. It’s all fuzzy and impossible for me to discern. Any tips for a dumb dumb like me? American Bob

Hey guys! I started listening to your podcast a couple months ago, and began dabbling in woodworking only a couple months before that. I can’t tell you how helpful your podcasts has been to me, as I don’t really have anyone to show me the ropes. I’m usually pretty good at figuring things out via YouTube and Google, but a lot of use concepts are so new to me that I’m not sure what to search for. I don’t know what I don’t know.
I have to admit that I have been cutting off sending in a question to you guys primarily because I’m listening to your podcast while I’m in my fledgling shop and I have a hard time putting down what I’m doing to get on my phone if I don’t have to. Having said that, I’m sure that I can come up with enough questions to completely fill out half a dozen podcast episodes, so I’m finally answering the call. Thank you in advance for your answers and insights.
I chose to serve with this question because it is an issue I run into constantly. To put it simply, I do not as of yet own jointer or a planer, and I can’t afford one for the time being. I have been trying to make do with a number of workarounds, to varying degrees of success. For example, cleaning a board or panel with a belt sander, which is exactly as much fun as it sounds. My recently discovered work around for jointing boards is a jig I made for my table saw. It’s essentially a fence I guess, with an outfeed and in feed side. The outfeed side is flush with my saw blade, while the infeed side is offset. The width of my saw blade. I can send you a picture if you are curious. My question is, for a person who absolutely cannot afford a jointer and planer right now, are there any other tricks you can think of to accomplish these essential woodworking processes? Thanks again for your help and all the great information you provide. Zach

Guys Questions:

Hello, this is Zach from Minnesota again. I have a question that has been bugging me for quite some time now. Ever since I learned about water-based polyurethane, it’s almost exclusively what I have used to finish my projects. I almost always apply this with my Wagner or HVLP sprayer with a detail nozzle and it has worked great for me. There are a lot of topics in woodworking where people have opposing views. One practice, however, that seems to be universally supported, and strongly so, is sanding between codes of polyurethane.
I very, very rarely follow this practice. For whatever reason, on one project I did not do this and it turned out fine, so I haven’t really bothered since, and I haven’t had any issues, even when I’ve applied polyurethane over paint. Why is sanding so strongly recommended, and what issues am I risking by skipping this step? Thanks again. Zach

Good morning Woodshop Life Podcast Folks!
I am about to finish up my largest commissioned work, netting me a nice little profit. This isn’t my full time job, so any sort of money I make from woodworking I want to put back into the shop and continue to grow as a woodworker.
I have the Dewalt DW735 Planer and a Grizzly 8” Jointer, both with straight knife cutter heads. If I could only do one for now, Which one should I upgrade first to a helical cutter head?
I love listening to you all when I am in the shop, and have grown tremendously as a woodworker because of it! Keep up the great work! Nathan

Huys Questions:

I just built a router table with a lift. Was going to upgrade to a 3+ hp router as I have been told “the large bits need 3 or more hp”.
Looking at the routers I can purchase they all come with 15 amp plugs. The 15 amp can only carry 2.4 hp max no matter what the hp of the motor is. Even if the plug / receptacle is 20 amp it still could not carry the watts/hp of 3 hp.
Just wondering why I should spend the money to upgrade. Can you enlighten me?

Thanks and love the show. John-Michael

Do you have any tips for drilling the holes in legs to insert leg levelers? I have practiced a few times and I can’t consistently get the holes straight. I have avoided using the leg levelers because of this. Thanks Jeff

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I really enjoy your podcast. The information you provide is very informative and helpful. I am beginning to build more furniture items and considering purchasing a Festool Domino tool for both strength and convenience. I am having a difficult time, as I’m sure many do, justifying the cost. My question is: is it that much better and/or stronger than bisquits, dowels, pocket hole screws, fixed tenon, etc., or is this just a “status symbol” tool? Your opinion will help immensely. I do already own their CT Midi dust collector and a couple of sanders. Rick

Gentlemen: I’m a long time listener and can’t thank you enough for all the info you have shared through this podcast. I am a hobbyist woodworker who is moderately successful with my projects the majority of the time. I am being requested to make keepsake/ jewelry boxes for my grandkids. I have not made small boxes before so my questions are:
What species of wood should I consider to use. I have access to some exotics and have used numerous species on previous projects but are there specific species that would really help these boxes standout? Any species I should avoid?
Should I use veneer and plywood or solid hardwood? I am comfortable using miters with splines or finger joints but this guy doesn’t do dovetails.
What finish should I use. I can already hear Guy screaming shellac and amour seal. Anything else to consider like lacquer?
Thanks again Liam Indianapolis

Guys Questions:

Hi gentleman.
Thank you for all of your time sharing your experiences and helping to grow woodworking. You have saved me, and many others, countless board feet of mistakes
I am have transitioned from carpentry and repairs, to fine woodworking, such as desks, and mechanical puzzle boxes. This involves a lot of very precise measurements and cuts. I have needed to cut exact angles to fit together, slide, and hide the seams. You have mentioned using a router bit to cut an exact 45 degree angle, but how do you cut an exact angle other than a 45, such as a 73.43 degree angle?
Also, is there a specific finish that will help minimize wood swelling? While expansion is not always a concern with tables or chairs, for example, it is a real problem with mechanical puzzle boxes as the swelling can prevent the mechanical puzzle box from opening. Thanks for your help. George Allan

Hello Woodshop Life Crew,
I have a 1-car garage woodshop and want to add dust collection. I’m considering the Grizzly G0861 – 2 HP Portable Cyclone Dust Collector. ttps://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-2-hp-portable-cyclone-dust-collector/g0861
My shop is 12′ x 24′ and my main tools are a tablesaw, a plainer, and a jointer. Do you think a 2 HP system is too big? Too small? This unit has a 7″ intake port that splits into three 4″ ports, 1023 CFM of airflow, and a 1-micron filter size. A dedicated 30A 220V circuit is at the ready. Given the small shop size, I would be ok with hooking up one tool at a time or adding ducting to all tools. In short, what size of system and ducting would you recommend for a small 1-car woodshop like mine? Thanks as always for the great podcast.- Adam

Huys Questions:

Thanks for the content yall have been bringing the woodworking community. I’m new to the podcast, but have found the few episodes I’ve listened to extremely helpful. I’m living in New Hampshire, and recently moved my shop into a large barn. I have a section for wood storage on the second floor. The barn is open and in an uncontrolled climate. As of right now, I have a lot of pine and white oak, but would like to expand my selection as more projects become available. Do you have any suggestions on how to better control humidity/temperature to allow for better moisture regulation? Also, I am looking to upgrade my planer. I’m trying to decide between a 13 inch Grizzly bench top planer (G0940) and a 13 inch Jet bench top planer (JWP-13BT). Please let me know your thoughts on these or suggestions on another option in that price range. Thanks! Caleb

Hi gentlemen. This is my second question. I’m still catching up on past episodes and am now in 2024. I have learned so much from each of you.
On an earlier episode, you mentioned that if a drawer glue-up is not square, one option is to break it down before the glue sets and “fix it”. My general question is, can you re-glue parts and still maintain their glue strength? If you remove any unset glue (assuming PVA) as much as possible, will the remaining glue embedded in the wood prevent a structurally sound joint? I’m assuming that no further milling is required to “fix” the joint. In other words, the glue-up didn’t go as planned.
Thanks for this great podcast. Anthony

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I am a hobbyist that wants to start making more polished pieces but am stuck making most of my furniture out of Douglas Fir or cedar. While these are fine options, I want to get into other species like walnut, ash, etc. but am usually priced out when buying one or two boards.
I feel like people buy in bulk or something to make the savings work. Could you offer some guidance on purchasing wood that isn’t the normal big box stuff at a fair price? Thx! Ian

Hi,I’m currently working on a cable railing for my stairs and have been laminating four 1-inch boards together to create 3⅝” x 3⅝” x 48″ posts. However, I’ve encountered challenges achieving the final squared dimensions. My contractor’s Bosch table saw is not capable to cut 3⅝” in one pass and doesn’t provide a clean cut due to some broken teeth on the original carbide blade. Despite extensive searching, I haven’t found a solution that doesn’t require using a table saw. My current approach involves jointing and squaring two faces on the jointer, then flattening the remaining two faces on the planer. Initially uncertain about this method, I examined the posts and found all edges to be within an acceptable 90-degree tolerance, attributed to the accuracy of my approximately 70-year-old jointer fence.I’m curious why this method isn’t more widely discussed. Could it be because most people don’t typically work with this thickness, thus making the table saw seem unavoidable?
Keep up the great Vafa

Guys Questions:

I am really enjoying listening to your podcast and, although I have been woodworking for over 50 years, I invariably learn something new from you. An example is your discussion about the proper way to allow for wood movement on an inside shelf. I am currently working on just such a configuration and will now look at bread board ends for the shelf.
My question is about the advantages using metric in the wood shop. Canada, where I live, is only partly metric and most of my friends use inches when laying out parts in their shops. I took a course from Garrett Hack some years ago and said he likes to use metric as there are no fractions to deal with and in his view a millimetre (a 25th on an inch) is a good level of accuracy.
Do you ever use metric measurement when building your projects? Bob

In the midst of reorganizing my shop. My question is about dust collection. I have about 500sqft of 1000sqft garage dedicated to my woodworking projects. Every time I cut something or sand, I coat the bikes, and all the other things stored there. Not focusing on the vacuums, what do you do about cleaning up the air? I am thinking about one of those Grizzly air filters but not sure it will do the trick. Thanks! Ian

Huys Questions:

Curious to hear your experiences with mentorship. Do you think it’s important to have mentors in the shop? (Someone who you can learn from who’s also invested in your progress) Grateful to have your podcast and love to hear the different perspectives from the 3 of you. Such a valuable resource for the woodworking community. Ari

Hi guys,
*Thanks for answering my past questions, I have another multi part one for you. I recently picked up a grizzly 5hp shaper, I know it’s probably bigger than I need but I traded a few days work for it so the price was right. My first project I plan to do with it was patern cutting some 3.5 inch thick table legs. I ordered an amana 61295 spiral cutter and followed bearing but after setting it up it quite frankly scares the crap out of me. How would you guys go about holding the work piece? Would you cut from one side to the middle then reverse the machine and cut from the other side to prevent cutting against the grain? I’m new to shapers so any other advice would be helpful.
**The other part is I’m looking at a job where I’ll probably have to shape a few hundred lineal feet of trim so I’m looking at getting a power feeder as well. I see they range from 1/8 to several hp, how big should I be looking at? I’ll mostly see myself using it with smaller shaper bits but that could change as well as possibly setting it up on my table saw when I have to do long miters or lots of rip cuts. I’ve never used one before and couldn’t find much info online, any tips and tricks would be a big help. Thanks, Mike Arntz

This Episode’s Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hey guys, I am building an arts and crafts style entryway table that is roughly modeled after a Stickley magazine stand. It will have an upper “shelf” that is surrounded on three side by the rails or stretchers on the side and back and is open on the front. The bottom “shelf” is identical. These two shelves are seated into the four legs. The front legs have a full depth groove cut into them that the shelf seats into and the rear legs have a cutout on the inside corner for the rear shelf support. I will include a link at the bottom showing the piece that I modeled my table after. The original is smaller and has three shelves, mine will only have two and will have spindles between the rear top and bottom stretchers as well. However, the way the shelves are attached will be the same.

My question is this: How can I attach the shelves to the front and rear legs without causing issues with wood movement? The shelves will be somewhere in the 13-14” deep range. Gluing the shelf to the rear legs and letting the shelf slide in the groove in the front legs would work but there is no front rail or stretcher connecting the two front legs so I don’t think that works. Can I glue the shelf to all four legs? Alternatively I suppose I could put a small low profile stretcher under the shelf connecting the two front legs, but I don’t think it exists on the original and I’d prefer not to if I don’t have to. Please feel free to contact me to clarify anything if I didn’t explain well enough. Kellen

I think the thing I struggle with the most in building furniture is laying out where each part is going to come from on the rough boards. All the wood I’ve bought so far was air dryed from Facebook marketplace, so maybe that has made it harder since the boards are never perfectly straight. I always use straight grain sections for the legs and I try to also use straight grain for any aprons, rails and stiles. This leaves alot of waste. If I have a 8″ board and I use say 2.5″ from each edge of straight grain, what do you do with the leftover center section that is just cathedrals? When do you not use straight grain on these types of parts? Any other advise on laying out parts on the rough boards? Thanks again for answering my questions and the best podcast. Jeff

Guys Questions:

Hey Guys,
I love your show! I usually listen on my commute or while I’m working in the shop.
I’m building a hayrake table out of walnut and haven’t decided on the finish. I’m looking for something durable, easy to wipe clean (I have kids), and not super glossy. Any suggestions on what to use and how to apply it?
Thank you for all the great tips! Ezra

Thank you for your fantastic podcast! I really appreciate how accessible and practical you make woodworking for both beginners and experts alike.
I’ve been woodworking for about two years now, mostly building cutting boards, boxes, gifts and simple furniture out of basic hardwoods. I’ve also dabbled in making furniture with plywood, such as a bedside table for my 11-year-old. I’m fortunate to be a member of a shared woodworking shop at a local arts and crafts society, which is well-equipped with power tools including a SawStop cabinet saw.
Our shop uses a shared set of well-worn Freud blades which get pretty beat up, but I’ve had the privilege of using nicer table saw blades loaned to me by the shop keeper, who has been incredibly supportive as I develop my skills. This brings me to my question: I am ready to purchase my own table saw blades and have zoomed in on CMT as a brand for their value.
I’m considering three blades: an 80-tooth Hi-ATB crosscut, a 24-tooth flat top grind ripping blade, and a 50-tooth combination blade with ATB and one TCG tooth, all in full kerf. My research suggests that the main arguments for thin kerf blades are that they are easier on low power table saws and produce less waste. Since I have access to a SawStop cabinet saw, I don’t need blades suited for low power saws, and I’m not sure the reduced waste is worth the trade-offs.
Are there other advantages or reasons I should consider a thin kerf blade? It seems that full kerf blades offer more stability and cleaner cuts, and as I build my skills, my expectations for precision are increasing. What are your thoughts on kerf size and blade choice for someone in my situation?
Thanks for your advice, and keep up the great work! Stuart

Huys Questions:

Hey gents,
I’m getting into a kitchen remodel and will be building all the cabinets myself because I’m a glutton for punishment. I’m trying to find a white (tintable base) finish, but am a little overwhelmed by all the options. It for sure needs to be water based, and I have an Airless system as well as a 2-stage HVLP for application. Can you recommend any product for this purpose? I’ve been experimenting with Target Coatings water based pigmented lacquer (EM6500wp) with their CL100 cross-linker and was just “ok” with the results. I tried spraying it with the HVLP but I’m thinking the finish was too thick to properly atomize with a 2-stage turbine, so maybe I need to shoot it with the Airless? I’m not super keen on any finish with a real limited pot life, since I’ll be doing this on the nights and weekends, and feel like that would lead to a significant amount of waste. Thanks in advance for the insight! Travis

Hello guys,
I have been a long time listener and I really appreciate all of the knowledge that you guys share with the woodworking community.
I have seen the Critter Siphon Gun advertised in the Lee Valley catalog and watched a few videos about it on YouTube. Have you had any experience with the Critter Siphon Gun and how does it compare to other options like HVLP sprayers?
Thanks, Daniel

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I have a question for you about glueing up table aprons. And I’m mostly referring to large dining tables. The aprons I’m making are generally w 8/4 stock roughly 4” width. I can manage to get the legs and the aprons milled and cut square. All my joinery is w dominoes. Whenever I do the glue up everything is slightly out out square despite everything being square prior to glue up . I have pipe clamps and parallel clamps and have tried both. For some reason I can’t get the clamping pressure or positioning right. Any tips would be appreciated. Timber Tables

Hi guys!
Love your podcast and listen for over a year during my early walks in the morning. I’m always picking up a tip or two. Keep up the great work!
My question has to do with designing a bowling ball rack shelf system for my granddaughter. She is an outstanding bowler with well over 20 balls so my little ball rack is only going scratch the surface.
My plan is for a 12 ball bowling rack with three shelves with four 15# balls on each shelf. Each shelf will be made of 3/4 poplar (to be painted with college colors) and is 46” wide, 10” deep and will have 3” chamfered holes for each ball to sit in. So the shelf has to support 60# in bowling balls!
I’ll be fastening the shelves to the upright side with through tenons.
Do you guys think 3/4 poplar shelves with through tenons and chamfered holes to be enough to hold 60#? This is the first time I’ve created anything requiring that much weight to support. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks! Pappy

Guys Questions:

Hi all. Looking for recommendations for entry level laser engraver to be used for making router templates / engraving logos and simple designs on my woodworking projects such as cutting boards, wall decorations, etc. Are there any alternatives to a laser engraver that would do the same in a similar lower price point? thank you for a great show! Max

Hello gents, as always, the podcast is one of the best out there. My question for you is about pivoting. What I mean by that is, what do you do when something happens during a project that causes you to take a different direction? Recently I completed a humidor for a friend. He gave me the rough dimensions that he wanted, and his only specification was that it had some contrast and some nice looking grain. I made myself a plan and began working on making the box sides with alternating maple and cherry. My original intent was a 4 corner grain match. Unfortunately, my miters did not come out well, so I changed to a corner post design using mahogany. Since the client did not know the original plan, this was an easy change to do in my shop. Have you guys had to change your plan mid way through a project? How did you handle it and how well did it work out? As a side note, sometimes I appreciate the original plan going sideways because it forces me to think of viable alternatives.
Keep making sawdust and sharing what you love.
Joshua from The Blackdog Woodworks.

Huys Questions:

Hi guys, I have a question for the best woodworking podcast around. I bought some beautiful air dried white oak from someone who had it sitting in a barn for 20 years. I have two 4/4 boards that are 8 foot long, 10.5″ wide and almost dead straight. I would like to use them for the top of a dresser but there are several lighter shaded bands going across the boards (on both sides). I believe these stains or marks are from stickering. I did a light pass through my planer and it doesn’t appear that it made a difference. Are these boards totally ruined? I am not confident that if I keep planing them this will go away, plus they are just north of 4/4 in thickness and I was hoping to keep them as thick as possible. Jeff

Thank you for your informative podcast, enjoy the experience and diversity you bring to woodworking enthusiasts. I was recently installing drawer faces on a nightstand. The drawer boxes were just slightly inset so soft close slides would pull the drawer tight when face installed. The drawer faces are proud of the nightstand cabinet. I wanted to have very tight/consistent reveals between the two drawers and wanted the sides to line up perfectly flush with sides. This requires very precise holding of drawer fronts while securing from the back side of drawer box. I was able to get the drawer fronts flush with sides and use a 1/32 shim between drawer faces for the gap, great so far. The drawer face handle is a flat rectangular(lip style) wood pull at the top of the drawer face so there are no holes in the drawer face like there would be be with a more conventional pull. I attempted to use thin double sided tape to hold face securely in position until it could be attached but it was not secure enough to ensure the precise geometry for the drawer face until it could be attached. I felt thicker double sided tape was too flexible for desired outcome. I end up using pins strategically placed under the pull which works but the pins were barely visible. I find wood filler draws attention to pins so left them unfilled reasoning that no one would notice. My wife of course noticed right off the bat. Here is the question:
What other methods of holding drawer face in place before securing to drawer box which doesn’t leave evidence:) Thanks, Dave at xcuse4tools custom woodwork

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hey guys thanks for the best podcast You knowledge and wisdom
Thanks for answering my last question about what project would help build my skills
My question now is I’m looking for a set of chisels and I don’t know what brand to get i’d save up to buy the brand that to get recommended cause I want a set that lasts
Thanks for your help and guidance wise ones Ashtin

I hope you can help me:
I made a 58 inch round table top out of 3/4 inch, good quality plywood. It’s meant to sit on top of smaller round table (48 inches) to add additional seating for occasional use when extra guests are coming to dinner. I’ve done it before with good results. To make it manageable, and because it’s quite heavy, I cut it in half.
I use a rug pad between the smaller table and the ‘topper’ table to keep the 2 halves from slipping. I fitted it and made sure it worked in the space and was stable before doing the finishing. All good so far.
My problem is: I finished one side with stain, lacquer and wax and it looks great. Then I turned both halves over and repeated the same process on the other side. When both sides were all finished, I noted that one of the halves had developed a slight bow, thus making the fitting together of the 2 halves a little wonky. But, when I turned only the bowed half over, the 2 halves fit together perfectly. YAY! BUT – here’s my problem. With both sides lining up perfectly, and laying flat on the rug pad on top of the smaller table, the stain color is slightly different on the 2 halves.
Thinking about how this happened I realized I had to open a new can of stain part way through staining the 2nd side. I must have mixed one of the cans poorly. Or maybe different batches can be slightly different?
What are my options? I don’t think any of these will work.
Do I:1. Try to clamp the bowed half of the table topper (plywood) for awhile hoping to eliminate the bow?

2. Try to refinish the halves that fit so they match?
3. Come up with a latch of some sort to eliminate the bow when using the table topper?
   Since the lacquer is on and wax is rubbed in on both sides, I don’t even think I could paint, or add a veneer.
   Am I stuck with a harlequin table topper? Trish O’Neill

Guy’s Questions:

In contrast to some podcasters who seem to think we are interested in listening to them talk for the sake of talking, you guys have the best podcast as far as communicating tips and techniques for woodworking so thank you for all your hard work.
I have been been working and building things wood for many years but within the last year have dove into making more fine woodworking type of projects, with nice woods like Walnut and Cherry for example.
I have been using shellac as well as 1:1:1 mixtures of BLO:Polyurethane:Turpentine and Beeswax:BLO:Turpentine for finishing so far. Wipe on, wipe off technique…
What finishes are considered best to really highlight the chatoyance/beauty nice figured woods? It seems like the finishes I have used so far are not doing it justice that or maybe I am just too critical. Quinn

Hey guys! Thank you so much for your hard work on the podcast. I love listening to how much fun you guys have and getting answers to questions on various woodworking topics. Great content! We are running a woodworking company, mainly doing cabinets, out of our 500 square foot garage. We have a Hammer 12″ planer but would like a sander to assist with uniform door sizes. When it comes to sanders, what would you recommend? Would it be worth getting an open-ended wide belt sander (Grizzly 15″ or something) for the extra horsepower and belt size, or would a drum sander be sufficient? Within the realm of drum sanders, would an open model (such as Supermax 2550) running on 110v be sufficient, or would you recommend a closed model with greater horsepower? More capacity, less power, or vice versa? Just want to hear your thoughts on width capacity, motor power, belt size, machine footprint, and which you think is most important. Sorry for the long question, and thanks in advance for your help on this! Gavin

Huy’s Questions:

Hi, I have a question about applying finishes in cold conditions. My specific situation is that I have a bunch of drawer boxes for a desk I’m building, and I’ll be finishing them with a few coats of Zinsser Bullseye brand spray shellac. The only instructions on the can pertaining to the spray conditions say to apply it with “the can at room temperature”.
Based on my experience it does tend to smell up the house a little (or so my wife says), so what I’d like do is to spray them outside. The workpieces and the spray can would be brought outside to the 40 degree weather, then I’d quickly do the spraying, and then bring everything inside to dry. Although there will be some smell from the outgassing of the solvent, at least there won’t be any smell from any overspray. What do you think about this plan? And is there any limit to how I can safely have them outside after spraying, before things would be adversely affected by the cold? Thanks. Steve Feldman

Gentlemen,
First I would like to thank you guys and Guy for the podcast and and for sharing all your knowledge.
About 6 months ago we had a large multi truck red oak tree fell down in the front yard. Being so frugal, I cut it up myself for later use. I painted the ends to help preserve the wood.
Now I’m looking to bring it to a sawyer. My wife/I are not a fan of the cathedral 80’s look nor the live edge. We both agree that quarter sawn would look nice.
We have a large space for a table and my kids are starting to have kids so a very long table would be nice to have.If I don’t have enough wood post kiln drying, how can I extend the table length to 12’.
Breadboard ends?Hardware to insert multiple leafs (any recommendations)?*butcher block some boards glued end grain to endgrain staggered?
The available logs I have vary from the biggest in diameter 15”-24” and length 8’-12’. The thickest being the shortest unfortunately. While the longer ones are curved.
I have limited woodworking outside of lots of endgrain cutting boards, the usual kitchen wares and a few boxes. This is one project I can afford to mess up.I don’t currently own a domino, but would be willing to buy one if needed. I have a 20”hh jet planer , 8”hh Laguna joiner, 8’ JLT panel clamp the big industrial type. Jason

This Episode’s Quesions:

Brians Questions:

I plan to build a handtool workbench in the future, maybe in a year or so, but as of right now, I do not have any workholding devices. I have a large assembly table that does have an overhang and the top is 1.25″ thick. I have been using clamps to the top as a stop for planing and it does not work very well. I also need a way to hold the wood for using chisels, and I haven’t bought any dovetailing tools yet because of the lack of workholding devices. Are there any good vises that don’t require cutting a hole in my assembly table or makeshift ways to hold the wood until I can build a proper bench? Thanks Jeff

When sanding end grain, say when you’ve got a panel where you’ve chamfered or rounded over the edge, which direction should you sand? I’d imagine you continue to follow the grain direction from the adjacent face grain but I’m not sure. Can you sand across the grain? Thanks for the great podcast, you guys really do have the best wood working show out there! Eric

Guys Quesions:

Hey Guys
I am looking to set up a shop in my unheated garage. I live in Canada so the weather is inconsistent. Very cold in the winter and very hot and humid in the summer. I am thinking of setting up a small workbench in my basement to cut joinery and do glue ups/assembly. I would keep all of my big power tools( table saw, planer etc.) in the garage. This setup would allow me to work comfortably through the year. My question is with wood movement.
If I stored wood in my air conditioned basement and just took it out to the garage for a few hours at a time to plane and cut to size and then brought it back inside to cut joinery with hand tools, would the few hours spent in the humid or cold garage be enough time to warp the boards after I brought them back in?
Heating the garage isn’t a realistic option right now as I have two young children and would probably only be able to get a few hours in the shop a week. (Not worth the cost)
Thanks for all of the help. This podcast has been a huge influence in helping me to get started with woodworking. Derek

I have a small benchtop jointer that a friend gave me for free and a Dewalt 735 planer. For anything but pretty small parts, I use a sled to joint lumber in my planer. I’d like to upgrade both of these eventually. I have a big shop with plenty of power, so neither of those are an issue. My budget is generally the limiting factor. I do plan to keep using standalone machines for the convenience of maintaining settings and flexibility of workflow. I’d like to get a big jointer first and keep using the 735 while I save up for a big, heavy 220v planer. My question is about 12 inch combo machines. I keep seeing decent 12″ combo machines come up used for way less than I can find a standalone 12″ jointer. I’ve seen a few of the Jet machines for $2k-$2500 and a friend recently got a Hammer A3 31 for $3500. Even new, combo machines seem to run way cheaper than a 12″ jointer. Why? I understand the beds are shorter, but other than that, what is the disadvantage. Is it ridiculous to buy one if I have no long term need of the planer function and don’t plan to use it? Parker

Huys Quesions:

Hey guys,
Thank you for your many thoughtful responses to the questions you receive from your listeners.
I tend to get bored after I’ve made the same type of project several times (ie pencil boxes, pens, etc..).
If I am not in a time crunch, I like figuring out how to do something to make a project a little more challenging and interesting.
I like looking at projects to give me some inspiration on how I might make a new project. Early on in my woodworking journey I gained a lot of positive inspiration from watchin ‘New Yankee Workshop’.
The way Norm broke down processes in his projects was very helpful to me.
However, there are some projects I’ve seen which are incredibly intimidating.(ie highboys, Maloof rockers, etc…). While I admire these types of projects, I don’t think I would tackle them without taking a specific class.
Where do you guys find inspiration for you projects?
Are there any type of projects that intimidate you?
Thank you for your responses.
Have a great day.
Chuck

I am designing a dresser which will be 48” high and 72” wide and a chest of drawers which will be 60” high and 40” wide. I would like to join the carcass sides and top with dovetails. With the sides being 48” and 60” and the width being 72” and 60”, how should I clamp the sides and top/bottom to my bench and stand in order to cut the dovetails by hand? I’m only 5’8” and have never cut dovetails up by my head. With a dresser and chest of drawers being the above sizes, would you recommend another method for my joinery?
Love the podcast, keep up the great work!!
Mike

This Episodes Questions:

Guy’s Questions:

With mothers day around the corner, I plan on knocking out a couple of small jewelry boxes. Mitered corners and book matched grain for a seamless look. 2 questions leading into this project. The first is more likely for Guy.

In the past my boxes have been cut to 45.1 degrees to ensure a closed outside corner. My table saw is a jobsite saw and setting a precise angle is extremely difficult. I recently set up a router table and have seen guy use a 45 degree chamfer bit to cut miters this way. How close to 45 degree do these bits actually get? Is there a brand you recommend for better accuracy? How bad is the tear out?

2nd question. In the past I used a wiping poly to finish the boxes. However VOC’s are a concern for these boxes. I’d like to finish the boxes with a base coat of shellac and finish with beeswax top coat. I purchased a block of beeswax but didn’t really think about how to dissolve it for quick finish. Seems like mineral spirits are the leading candidate but I’m curious if anyone has used natural oil citrus solvent for the same task (I’d likely by the version from milk paint company). Jose

Gentlemen, thank you for all you do to support and educate the woodworking community through this podcast and other platforms. I’m planning out a full kitchen remodel for our home and will be building the cabinets myself. The style of cabinets will be frameless/euro style which means all the plywood will need to be edge banded. The plywood will be pre-finished, but the doors and drawer fronts will be painted. How would you recommend finishing the edge banding to match the door and drawer front color? Would you do hardwood edge banding and paint it? That seems like it would take a lot of taping which leaves room for lots of error. Is there such a thing as custom colored edge banding for cabinets that is either iron-on or peel-and-stick? I don’t have an edge banding machine so that probably limits my options. Thanks in advance for your help! Joel

Hi guys,
Thanks for providing some great knowledge for fellow woodworkers.
My question is around drum sanders and the usefulness of them in a hobby shop. When do you use a drum sander and what type of projects are you using a drum sander on?
I just purchased a 20” bandsaw and would like to start resawing veneers for projects. In the past I would buy 1/16” thick veneers from a commercial veneer shop which worked well. But I question if a drum sander is actually required/desired for this operation. I’ve read a bunch about troubles with drum sander’s and really question if it speeds up the work.
Could I just joint a fresh face, resaw. Then joint another fresh face and so on. Then glue up the panel. And either clean up the panel on the planner or ROS?
In my future I probably have a set of kitchen cabinets and various built in cabinets(which I would either buy plywood or use commercial veneer and glue my own). I normally make freestanding furniture as well. This isn’t a production shop, and I have all the normal tools for dimensioning lumber, TS, Jointer, and planer.
Feel free to summarize my question, just wanted to give you guys enough context.
Thanks,Jesse Beechland Furniture

Huys Questions:

Hi Guys
Have known of & liked Guy’s YT channel for a number of years and recently came across this podcast which I’m really enjoying as I go through the back catalogue.
I must be on similar wavelength to you Guy as I love (& own a lot / most of) the Incra stuff, saw your MFT style outfeed which I’m about to build a copycat of (just awaiting delivery of the aluminium extrusion) and am in the midst of milling the timber to start building your mini workbench, the plans for which I recently bought.
I then happened on your YT channel the other day Huy and whilst watching the 6yo shop tour video was interested to see your boom arm. Could you tell me a bit more about it. Is it bought as is, or built up from tubing etc?
Keep up the good work.
Thanks Andy

I love your podcast, particularly that you spend the time talking about woodworking without a lot of jibber-jabber about unrelated stuff. I’m sorry to hear about Brian’s accident, and appreciate very much that he was willing to share about it so we could all learn. Could you possibly send me the 10 safety rules from the Purposeful Design shop? Also, here’s my question: are there any general rules for how much clamping pressure is advisable when doing a glue-up? Is it just enough to close the joint? Or does glue work better when extra clamping pressure is applied? I realize this is a broad question and the answer may differ depending on the situation, but any guidance you can provide would be much appreciated. Thanks for all you do! Jimmy B, Los Angeles CA.

Hello Guys,
I recently found your podcast and I love it. Great content and great chemistry between you all. I will be sad when I catch up on all the past episodes because then I will have or wait to listen to new episodes. I am new to woodworking and I currently use a Dewalt 8 1/4 inch job site table saw. For my 50th birthday I am looking to upgrade to a larger table saw. I am economically challenged so my budget is around $1000. I am looking at 2 different saws the first one is the Delta 36-725T2 for $699 and the other one is the Laguna Fusion F1 for $1080. Is the Laguna worth $300 more? Do you have any other suggestions? I would prefer to buy new. Thanks you all are awesome have a great day. Korey

This Episodes Questions:

Brian’s Questions:

I’m so curious about the Laguna bandsaws that Guy used at work. Long time listeners of this podcast could easily believe that Laguna bandsaw tables are at knee height and unusable. But I have a Laguna 14/12 and the table is at 35″, which seems really normal, and I’m pretty tall. All the other Laguna saws I’ve used or been around seem about in the same range. Is this not normal? Is Guy freakishly tall? Or an advocate of chest height bandsaw tables? Parker

I haven’t felt like my woodworking really justifies a jointer yet. I don’t generally mind using a planer sled to get flat faces and a jointer sled on the table saw to edge joint boards, but I’ve never tried to use those workarounds on long stock (over 4′.) With that being said, this dinner table project that is looming ahead of me seems like it might be the moment to finally take the plunge and buy a jointer. Do you think its possible to get the table top glue-ready without a jointer? I trust my planer sled to get flat faces, but I’m wondering if you think edge jointing such long boards is possible with an extra long table saw jointer sled jig. Any tips on milling and glue up for this table top would be very appreciated.

Part 2: Or maybe you guys can give me the nudge to consider this dinner table project as the moment to finally buy a jointer. I suspect that a bench top jointer wouldn’t give me much (other than efficiency) over the work arounds that I already use for milling. Do you have any recommendations for a first jointer? I don’t have major space limitations but I do like to save money, so I’m curious if you guys would send a case like mine to scour craigslist or facebook marketplace for an old delta 6″.

Thanks as always for your contributions to the woodworking community! It can’t be said too often: you guys really do make the best woodworking podcast there is!! Evan

Guys Questions:

Hey guys, I’m new to woodworking, really enjoying listening to the podcast!! I have a question, would you guys be able to go over what you use your 3/4, 4/4 etc lumber!? I often think that you need thick lumber for projects. I don’t have a project in mind but I bought some rough saw lumber that I plan on using for trim in the house but I bought enough to have plenty left over. Ivan

I want to build a cherry coffee table for my house. We’ve got a couple of cherry pieces that I’ve made. I really love watching them darken and get more beautiful with age. The other pieces I’ve made don’t really see much direct blasting sunlight so the process is subtle. The coffee table however, would get some direct morning sunlight every day (or at least for the three months of the year that we get direct sunlight in the pacific northwest). I’m worried about uneven color change and sun shadows on the top where there would be decorative objects or books or things left in one spot for a period. If I pre-darken it by leaving it in the sun for some hours or a day or two will that slow the process enough to alleviate this? If so, should I do it before or after finishing? Is there anything else I can do to help, besides not putting stuff on top of course? Parker

Huys Questions:

Hi Fellas, I recently purchased a horizontal crown bit ( ref: Yonico 16172 ) to apply a soft dimple to the drawer faces on my tool cabinet. I will be recessing the drawer pulls within them.
The challenge that I’m facing is that the drawer faces are a little small, 5 1/2″ x 3 1/4″, and without being overly creative on work holding, I’m not seeing a safe way to plunge the face onto the bit in my router table, or plunge the bit into the face with a hand held router.
My plan is to chuck the bit into my drill press and use that to apply the cut. What experience, tips, or words of advice might you have in using a drill press with router bits? I have a Grizzly G7943 which only spins up to 3050 rpm.
Thanks in advance, and for all that you guys do for our craft of woodworking!
Justin

I have a 16′ PVC board (8″ tall * 3/4″ * 16′) that needs an edge profile added . The edge profile needed is to mimic a skirt board (this board installs at the bottom of an exterior siding). I purchased the 6″ wide boards with the profile cut by the mfg, but they did not have an 8″ so I’ll need to cut this myself.
The profile is a 1/4″ tongue that is 1″ in length with a 45 degree cut underneath. This allows the skirt board to slip underneath the bottom row of siding (the 1/4″ section) and still have the rain/water drip off (the 45 degree portion).
How would you cut this profile? I am thinking on a router table, but appreciate your input.
Thank you, Mark Moeller

This Episode’s Questions:

Brian’s Questions:

Gentlemen,
First, I hope you all know that the sounds that pop through occasionally from your families in the background don’t make a bad podcast; they make you human and THAT is part of what makes your podcast great.
On the subject of families, I have 3 young sons (6, 4, 2 years old) that love “helping” with woodworking projects and learning about tools. The family has outgrown our current dinner table, and I’ve been tasked with building a new one. I’m planning a 6.5’x3.5′ dinner table that doesn’t need to be an showpiece heirloom dining table, but I’d love to produce something that will look nice and can handle the inevitable mayhem of a young family. Can you recommend a wood species and some finish options that will stand up to these demands? I can feel white oak calling me here, should I answer the call? (For context, our kitchen cabinets and floors are all darker wood tones so more dark might just blend into the background too much.)
Thank you as always for your contribution to the woodworking community. Your knowledge, experience, and unique characters make this truly the best woodworking podcast. Evan

Hey guys! Love the podcast and appreciate all the work you put into it. My wife and I have been planning a remodel of our kitchen for a few years. I really want to build the cabinets, but also recognize that my time is pretty limited with work, and my wife doesn’t want a partially completed kitchen for months. I’m currently designing the kitchen in Sketchup to a pretty high level of detail because we have some restrictions with the space that I need to ensure I take into account. The goal is to work through as much as I can in Sketchup to reduce guesswork, decisions, and time once I start building.

We have currently decided that I will build the cabinet boxes and face-frames since it will be easer to custom design and build for the space, and I’m researching options for outsourcing the drawer boxes and drawer/door fronts. We are planning on using rift sawn white oak with inset door and drawer fronts.

The drawer boxes seem like a pretty easy option to outsource, but the fronts seem like they could pose some challenges that I may not be considering. Should I be worried about significant color or grain differences between the outsourced supplier, and what I can get locally to build the face-frames?
Since they will be inset, do you have a recommendation on sizing when I order? For example, I’m planning on a 3/32″ reveal between the face-frame and doors/drawers, should I order with 1/16″ or the full 3/32″ oversized so I can trim to the exact opening once the cabinets are installed in case something shifts?
Thanks for the help! Jason

Guy’s Questions:

Hi guys. Love the podcast! Wish I could find a fishing podcast as good. Life would be perfect.
I made the move to a Fuji Sprayer. I bought one with the gravity feed gun but now think I made a mistake. I think it would be easier to hold finish in the cup between coats.
What is your preference and why?
Thanks so much. Joe

Hi Guys,

I recently asked a question concerning how to glue up a frame and panel so it’s flat. I took your advice and it worked great. Thanks so much!!!
I have two unrelated questions:
I recently purchased expensive hinges from Horton-brasses. When I received the hinges I made a jig out of MDF so I could simply rout out the mortises for the hinges to sit in. As usual, I make the jig so they are a perfect fit for the hing. I tested the jig on a piece of scrap and the hinge fit perfectly. I then used the jig on a cabinet I made and the hinge did not fit. I tried the various hinges I purchased and only one of the hinges fit (the hinge I used to make and test the jig). After measuring the hinges, I discovered that they were all different sizes varying by about .01”. I contacted Horton-brasses and explained the problem and they told me that their acceptable tolerance is +/- .05”. With some simple math this means that their tolerance is about 1/16”. I have purchased hinges from other manufacturers and never had this problem before. My question is: am I being too picky to expect the hinges to be the same size or a lot closer than +/- .01? When you make jigs for hinges, do you leave a little extra room for hinges that are off a little? Finally, where do you recommend purchasing hinges and other hardware from? Mike Gitberg

Huy’s Questions:

Hi fellas, I would love to hear some advice regarding sanders. I have a small hobby business of selling large wood slabs that I mill with a chainsaw mill. I know this isn’t traditional woodworking but it is enjoyable and brings me enough money to buy new tools and gain experience with real woodworking.
After each slab is dried I plane it down with a TrueTrac router sled system. It works great and only leaves minor ridges to sand out except on knots, crotch grain, curl and all the other “defects” that folks like in slabs where I get some tear out. I usually run 40 grit over each slab with my Dewalt random orbit but this can take a long time to get the tear out sanded. I have an old Makita belt sander but no matter what I do that seems to dig in at the tear of the belt and leave grooves in the wood.
If I were to buy a dedicated sander for just 40/60 grit first pass of slabs what do you recommend? A better belt sander? Or a wider diameter orbit and high quality sand paper?
Thanks for the great podcast, keep it up! Jeremy Westra

I’ve been woodworking for a few years but I’m still fairly new. Recently I’ve been building chairs that are either heavily influenced or loose copies of some famous Hans Wegner designs. So far I’ve built these chairs for friends and family but I’m getting more and more unsolicited requests. While I don’t think making chairs for family and friends is an issue, I suspect posting and selling chairs online that are obvious copies of classic designs (like Wegner’s ch25) could be patent or trademark infringement. What do you think? Also, its worth mentioning, many large retailers like Target, Walmart, Wayfair, etc. are selling obvious knock-offs based on famous designs while not mentioning the original. Apparently this is ok since I’m sure their legal departments reviewed the issue. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Earl

This Episodes Questions:

Brian’s Questions:

Hey guys I have a kinda lengthy question, so new to woodworking and I’ve been listening to your guys podcast and really like it!! Very helpful! Question #1 is it better to have a good table saw blade over a good saw #2 is it better to have a good table saw over a good incra fence!? Back story I have a delta table saw, I got for free from a friend, I was wondering if it’s worth spending the money or save and eventually get a better saw like a powermatic table saw etc.
maybe I get caught up in the details of tools and expect them to do the work for me, but I am someone that like to have the right tools for the job. Granted as new as I am it’s hard to justify $10,000 to have all the right tools, just wondering if I should focus more on making something then, on the tools! Hope it all makes sense and it’s not more of a rant!! Thank you for all the work you guys do!! Ivan

I’m making a mantle for my living room out of rift-sawn white oak plywood. 74″ long, with a miter fold design. My wife wants it to look the same way it does before applying finish, and I’m not sure how to do that or if it is even possible. I’ve tested with water-based poly (Minwax), but it causes it to look a bit “golden”. Suggestions? Brian

Guy’s Questions:

Hi fellas,
Love the podcast and all your great advice.
I recently glued up a free-standing (liquor) cabinet and was very nervous about it being square, especially since it was difficult to check for square (measuring corner to corner in the front and back) with all the various clamps on. I ended up making the back panel (which fits into rabbets), which I knew was square, and placed it in the back (without glue) while the glue dried on the various joints (through tenons on top and bottom shelves, mid-shelves sit in stopped dados). The idea was that if the square back panel fit correctly, it would help pull the whole cabinet into square.

It turned out perfectly this time (wahoo!), but am not sure if I got lucky or if this is a reliable method to come back to. What do y’all think? Does this method make sense? Any other suggestions on how to check or ensure square with free-standing cabinets of a decent size (46″ tall, 26″ wide, 16″ deep)?
Thanks, Bryan

Hi gents: long time listener here and as I’ve said before, thanks so much for the great content you deliver. You have discussed your spraying equipment set up in the past but I was hoping you could describe your spray BOOTH set up- obviously Brian is exempt from this question since he doesn’t apply finish. How do you guys spray volatile finishes in the winter on your garage? Do you have a spray booth like set up? Do you openly spray in your garage workshops? How do you vent potentially dangerous fumes? Any details you can provide would be appreciated as I would like to do more spraying of shellac and I like wipe on poly both of which are challenges in winter time when you can’t work outside.
Liam from Indianapolis

Huy’s Questions:

I’ve recently found the podcast and am loving going back and learning from each episode! I’ve noticed that a ton of time has been dedicated to doling out wisdom on different types of finishing techniques and products. I’m sure the best way to learn all of this is through experience, but do you have and resources to recommend budding woodworkers as a go-to guide? With the way my brain works, learning the origins of each finish, their make-ups, and how that brings about their use cases and strengths/weaknesses would go a long way for me to internalize all of the various do’s and dont’s. Do you have a resource you go to when considering applicable finishing materials on a new project? Jeremiah

Love the show, I appreciate you guys giving it the time it takes to make it happen.
My question is about a solid Walnut table that I built for my eat in kitchen. The material was 30yr + air dried Walnut milled down to a thickness of about 15/16″ for the table top each board is six to eight inches in width and makes up a 32″ wide table top by 5′ and change in length. I used Domino’s for alignment titebond two for the glue. The table base is inspired by conoid table style from Nakashima and is connected to the table top using “buttons and screws” connected to the two rails at top each of the splayed legs. I did not add any type of support down the center nor any type of skirting or an apron so there’s about four foot in between the table legs of unsupported table top. – I’ve been using table for a few months now, and every once in a while I’ll place my Veritas straight edge on it and check. It hasn’t seemed to move at all in any direction but yet I still think about this multiple times a week what are your thoughts? Will this eventually sag in the middle with out a continuous support running the center if the table? Joe R.

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hi guys! Love the podcast, as always. My question for you guys this time is about design. Specifically, it’s about design based on that “special” piece of lumber. For example, I purchased a large piece of mahogany in the late 1990’s to build electric guitars. I made two guitars from it and was left with a chunk of beautiful lumber that traveled with me for the next 25 years. Two years ago, I bought a mid-sized slab of black locust. I don’t make “slab” furniture or use copious amounts of epoxy, so it’ll end up getting cut up into a project.
I know you guys normally design your projects and then buy the lumber, but have you ever bought (or acquired) that unique board and then had to design a project to do it justice? If so, what was the project? As a follow up question, what is the longest that you have ever owned a piece of lumber that you just couldn’t get rid of?

Thanks, Joshua from The Black Dog Woodworks.

I’m a new listener and your podcast has been a blast to listen to on my evening runs. I just finished a 3-year, gut-to-the-studs home renovation, and my 1 car garage was the renovation workshop. Now that the home is finished I am transitioning the shop into a proper woodworking space. During construction, I used a lot of 16D nails and 3″ construction screws and tried to have a variety of fasteners on hand so I wouldn’t be running to the hardware store 3 times a day.

This got me thinking. What are some common fasteners you like to keep in your shop? Any common screw sizes? Bolts? Washers? Nuts? Nails? Staples? It seems in woodworking shops that there’s always a balance between having so many supplies that you’ll never use most of them in 10 years to having so few supplies that you’ll be running to the store 5 times a day. What is your approach to hardware consumables? Thanks for the great podcast.
Adam

Guys Questions:

Really appreciate the podcast, i have been listening for about 18 months and am also working through your previous podcasts. I am starting the dive into spray finishing. I have previously used wipe on or brush on finishes. I like shellac, but often coat with wipe on poly for extra protection. I would picture doing the same going forward. Question: What are considerations/benefits to using a water based conversion varnish over wb poly? What type of ppe is appropriate? I have a relatively large shop which is climate controlled, not attached to house and can set up an area for finishing when needed, what type ventilation would be desirable for occasional finishing in this situation? I build furniture and smaller items.
Thanks,
David at xcuse4tools custom woodwork

Hello everyone. Love the show. Great dynamic between you all and I really enjoy the lack of ego in the question answering. Your answers are efficient, helpful and easily digestible to a beginner woodworker.
I recently acquired a Jessem Pocket Mill Pro for loose tenon joints. Like many, I had lusted after a Festool Domino but couldn’t justify the price tag for a hobby shop. The Pocket Mill Pro is a fraction of the cost and does everything I need it to do for my projects.
The workstation that pairs with the pocket mill pro can also accept Jessem’s dowel jig. My question to you all is would a dowel jig even be necessary when I have the ability to make loose tenon joints already? Is there any advantage to adding the dowl jig to my arsenal or is it a waste of money when I already have the Pocket Mill Pro?
Thanks in advance for any insight.
Jason

Huys Questions:

I’m planning on making a face grain chess board. I’ll use 3/4″ MDF as my core and glue the chess squares on top (grain from all squares facing same direction). Chess squares will be about 1/8″ thick. I assume I’ll also need to glue some 1/8″ wood on the bottom to balance out the stresses. I’ll orient the bottom grain in the same direction as the top. My question is, do I need to glue both sides at the same time, or can I glue one side, let it dry, then do the other?
Scott Goldthwait

I love to use my handplanes and can’t get over the smooth, glass-like feeling that it leaves on wood. However, many finishing manufacturers reccomend applying the finish to a surface sanded to a specific grit (e.g., Rubio reccomends applying to 120 grit, no higher). What are the advantages/disadvantages to applying finish to a sanded surface versus a hand-planed surface. I would like my handplane to be the last think that touches the wood, but I want to respect the manufactueres’ reccomendations since they obvioulsy know information I don’t (like what the ideal porosity of wood is). Thanks!
Peter Diaz

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions

I have a question for you about glueing up table aprons. And I’m mostly referring to large dining tables. The aprons I’m making are generally w 8/4 stock roughly 4” width. I can manage to get the legs and the aprons milled and cut square. All my joinery is w dominoes. Whenever I do the glue up everything is slightly out out square despite everything being square prior to glue up . I have pipe clamps and parallel clamps and have tried both. For some reason I can’t get the clamping pressure or positioning right. Any tips would be appreciated. Bryan

Hello everyone,
Wanted your advice on dados and what I may be doing wrong. When I cut the dado and mating piece I make sure to get a good tight fit during the dry fit. My issue comes up when I’m sanding. I’ll take all the pieces apart and sand them to the desired sand grit (180 or 220 depending on finish). But when I go to glue up my mating piece is now loose in the dado. Should I be making the dado smaller, should I just wait to sand till it’s all glued up or do you have any other advice?

Thanks,
Paul at Twin Lakes Workshop

Guys Questions

I have listened to all your podcasts and have very much enjoyed and learned from them. I listen to primarily three woodworking podcasts and Woodshop Life is far and away the best.

I have to confess I am a wood hoarder. I do a lot of small projects (scroll saw, boxes, and the like) and end up with small pieces left over that should be good for something. But how do I organize them and what size is too small, in your opinion, to be useful? The same applies to pieces left over after building furniture or other large projects? Do I just throw everything in the burn pile or is there a logical way to sort and store small pieces of lumber?

And one small criticism: need to update the website with Brian’s information since he is officially part of the podcast. Roger Martin

Hey there fellas! I’m with a small furniture and cabinet shop called Silt Studio in Atlanta. Love the podcast and the great wealth of knowledge you guys bring to the world of woodworking. Guy, don’t let anybody tell you you’re wrong, they’re never right. I have a question about the relevance of our table saw. It’s a Powermatic PM2000 (I know guy loves his)with a 5×5 outfeed and a 36” rail extension. It’s really been a great workhorse for our shop. The space is about 3000 sq ft and we are quickly outgrowing the footprint for the amount of kitchen and cabinet jobs we’re taking on. There are also columns on a 9’x 14’ grid pattern so the space isn’t wide open. We’re talking about getting a large slider to facilitate speedier and more accurate square cuts. Currently we’re ripping down sheetgoods with our festool track saw then finishing on the table saw. If we get a slider, a large chunk of our milling/cutting space would be taken up. Is it worth keeping the powermatic and just losing the outfeed to save space or can we do everything we need to on the slider? We’re considering the laguna 12/8 model slider. Looking forward to your thoughts! Thanks so much, Sam

Huy’s Questions:

Hello gentlemen.
Great woodworking podcast. I am in the market for a drum sander. Currently I have a Jet 22-44. It is a love/hate relationship with all the known issues. The budget would be around 2,000-3,000. I was thinking arbor open ended powermatic 22-44 o it would be better to get Grizzly 24 or 24, or something similar that is closed ended. Also would you recommend single or double. What about finding bigger 37” or a similar from shops liquidations. I know there is wiring and things like that. I have a hobby workshop with some 220 equipment. Like I mentioned it is a hobby now maybe it will grow may it will not. I originally got the openeded sander hoping that I can send wider boards (stupidly table tops) but obviously it is not as easy as it would seems to be. I do not know if that helped on made my question more murky. Sometimes there a good deals on Facebook Marketplace place but those deals do not last long and you need to be ready. There was Grizzly G1066R for $1,300 and now I regret not buying it. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thank you. Derek

Question for the podcast: When using white oak for trim, what fasteners can I use that won’t cause the tannins in the white oak to react to the metal of the fasteners? Thanks guys. Jay

This Episodes Questions:

Brian’s Questions:

Ashtin here Hey guys love the podcast thank you for putting out good content for all of us to hear

My question is I’m very new to the woodworking community I don’t have a shop or a space I work in I use all mobile equipment I do all my work outside I want to know what projects I can do that will help build my skills in and my confidence
I have a DEWALT Dw7491rs Table saw
A Bosch router table Ra1181
A craftsman jointer Cmew020
A wen 6524 spindle and belt sander combo
A dewalt Dws 780 miter saw
I do have a Incra 1000se
Also what blade would you recommend for my table saw for an all around use? I have been using Diablo blades sense I have had it. Ashtin

Brian also gives a nice PSA on shop safety and how thiungs can go wrong quickly

Guy’s Questions:

I’ve been doing some veneering using a vaccum bag. Mostly just panels for doors and box lids. When I join two pieces of veneer together at a seam I’ll use blue painters tape to hold the seem together. My.problem is when I get it out and start taking the tape off I’ll get some of the veneer fibers coming off with the tape. How can I prevent it from happening? Thanks
John

Hi guys. Love the podcast. I’ve learned a bunch from you all. My question is about end grain. I’m building a cherry night stand that has a shelf that will be 20″ long and about 17″ wide. I’m making the shelf from solid cherry as well. The 17″ dimension end grain will show on the left and right sides of the night stand. I made my own cherry veneer from the stock I have (it’s about 1/32″ thick) and was thinking I could edge band it to the ends. But if I do that, the glue holding the veneer will prevent the wood from moving, right? I was even thinking about using the banding so that the grain follows the top (like a waterfall). But it doesn’t solve the glue issue. Am I correct in this thinking? How can I dress up the ends so that it doesn’t look like amateurish? Or should I just sand the end grain to a very fine grit and/or seal the end grain before finishing so that it doesn’t get darker than the shelf itself?
Thanks so much.
Anthony

Huy’s Questions:

Hello Gentlemen,

I’m planning on replacing the cheap hollow-core door that leads from my conditioned basement to my workshop garage.

Any advise on materials? I know MDP is flat but edges are brittle. Can I use an mdf or plywood core and dress it up with thinner material? How should I go about this while accounting for wood movement? My jointer is the limiting factor, bench-top with only a couple feet in totable bed lengths combined.

Thanks Again, Dave

I’m an “aspiring” woodworker in Harvest Alabama. I have a 1 car garage with a 5x8x6 tornado bunker in the middle of the floor. If you had that, is there any way that you would reuse that space to your advantage? Not just storage space, but actively- like dust collection, or an extra long panel saw.
Tom

This Episodes Question:

Guy’s Questions:

Why hello gentlemen. I have a crazy question for you all. I am about to build a vanity for my bathroom out of poplar. I am leaning towards staining the vanity, but I don’t know what to put on the vanity to protect it from moisture. Do you guys have any suggestions? If so, it would be very helpful.
P.S. I am always looking forward to listening to show keep up the amazing advice
Thanks, Ethan Thompson !

Hi guys!
Alissa’s question from the your last episode spurred a question if my own. Alissa asked about homemade box joint jigs and the consensus seemed to be that making your own box joint jig is more trouble than it’s worth because of the precision required (down to a few thousandths if an inch) and because of wood movement.
I was wondering if you had any thoughts on using 3d printers for jig construction. My only experience with 3d printing was about 15 years ago when we got to use a primitive 3d printer in middle school woodshop class, so I don’t really know the capabilities of 3d printers today.
Do you guys think it would be beneficial or even possible to 3d print components to homemade jigs (anything from a miter bar to a complete jig)? It seems like 3d printing would give you more precision and no movement, unlike wood.
If it is possible, What jigs do you think would lend themselves best to bring 3d printed? Andrew

After hearing Guy mention Target coatings and Emtech finishes I signed up for their email. They had a nice year-end sale and I ended up ordering their Emtech spray kit which is the Fuji LX-20 and some accessories. I’m new to spray finishing. I’m lucky enough to have a large 80 gallon 5 HP compressor, so I have plenty of air.
I’d like to know Guy’s procedure for spraying small shellac projects. I’ve heard him mention he just whips out his spray gun and it’s a quick process. Do you lay down drop cloths? Do you do anything for ventilation – I know with solvent and oil finishes you’re supposed to, but I’m wondering if you bother if it’s a small piece. Do you have a fan setup to blow overspray away? I will, of course, wear an organic filter respirator for any spray finishing I do, whether water based or not. I haven’t purchased a respirator yet, any recommendations? Scott Goldthwaite

Huy’s Questions:

Hey guys, I’ve finally got caught up on all the podcasts and look forward to hearing the next one. I have a multiple part question here. I just got a commission on a 12 foot walnut bar and matching 8-10 foot table. My next purchase is going to be a jointer and I was wondering if a 74 or 76 inch bed jointer will be long enough or if I should just cut with my tracksaw and build a shooting board and joint everything with a hand plane? Also what would you use to dye and finish? Do you use pore filler to get a glass smooth surface or just let the finish take care of everything? Arntz Construction

Hello guys, I found your podcast a couple months ago and I’m hooked and really enjoy all the knowledge you share. I appreciate you guys taking your time to produce the podcast. My question is for my Rikon Benchtop Radial Drill Press (Model 30-140). I purchased this drill press a couple of years ago but have rarely used it mostly because of time constraints. But when I do use it, I have an issue with chuck runout. I’ve spent more time working on it then using it at this point. I checked the chuck spindle runout, and it is about .001 and once the chuck is installed, the chuck has .003 to .005 runout, with a new Fisch drill bit installed the runout on the drill bit shank varies .005 to .007 runout. Given the runout I have, I can’t get a decent hole when drilling anything. I’ve followed the instructions closely and cleaned all grease from the spindle and chuck and have reinstalled several times. I’ve tried several techniques of tightening the bit in the chuck which changed nothing. Is this a problem that is common, and do you have a recommendation to fix it, or can you recommend a better chuck? I’m considering purchasing a Grizzley Keyless chuck. Or should I sell this drill press and purchase a different one that would meet the needs of woodworking better? Thank you for your advice and keep up the great job on the podcast. Daniel Held, Fort Colllins, CO

Hey fellas. A buddy of mine asked me to replace some bad fence slats on his driveway gate. The boards are 1/2″ thick tongue and groove and look a lot like pine to me. I have a couple questions. First, do you think it’s safe to use pine to get the best match with the existing boards, or should I just go with redwood and hope that it blends in when the entire fence is restained? This gate is in Los Angeles, so we don’t get much moisture. My second question is regarding the design of the tongue and groove. They have a sharp “v” profile and don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen in the big box stores. (Photo attached). Have you guys seen this type of profile on a board before? Where would you recommend I try to source these replacement boards from? And do you have any recommendations for how I might go about milling up my own stock if I cannot find a match here in town. Thanks for all your advice. Matt Miller

This Episode’s Questions

Guy’s Questions

Hey, fellas. Great show. I’ve been listening for a couple of years, and have really elevated my game based on tips from y’all. Guy, thanks for the Incra TS/LS videos. I got the combo version when I moved my router table to the wing of my Sawstop. I really love it. I have a follow up question from the Feb 24 edition: Guy, you were pretty emphatic on your answer regarding connecting 2 Festool rails. I’m curious to know if your opinion was formed on the original style or the new version? If the former, have you had a chance to play with the new ones. I replaced my old set with the self-adjusting version and they seem rock-solid to me. I leave a small gap between the rails in case the rails aren’t exactly 90 degrees. I’m also careful when moving the joined rail from one sheet to another that I don’t torque the joint. Just wondering which version your judgement was associate with? Pat Engel

Hi guys! My name is Elisa and I’m new to woodworking. I have a few fairly straightforward projects under my belt including a crate topper to go on top of my dog’s crate, a few blanket ladders, and a mobile workbench with a spot for my Ryobi 8 1/4 table saw.
I’m working on box joints right now. I’ve watched a ton of videos and made a lot of sawdust trying to make a jig and have been unsuccessful. I’m using a single blade with a kerf of .0665 in but I can measure the blade and make several cuts and not get the same measurement between them all, so there’s one problem. I’m trying to set the spacing up to be 1/2 inch but I can’t seem to get it right. The distance I’m off is small but bringing my pin closer or further from the blade seems to change the width of the pins and the slots and I can’t see a correlation between the changes that would help me figure out how to correct it.
In addition to the Ryobi saw, I have been using a sled I made, digital calipers, clamps, a set of steel thickness gauges. I’m using a variety of test piece’s including 3/4 in plywood, 3/8 and 1/2 inch S4S poplar and pine. If it helps to know, I have a miter saw, jig saw, a trim router, a regular size router, cordless drill and driver and basic hand tools.
I’d appreciate any help you can offer and if you can recommend some really good YouTube videos!
Thanks! Elisa Gonzales

Hello all. I have a veneering question. I want to wrap a elliptical cylinder with walnut veneer. It measures 18” inches long and 16” tall with end radiuses that are 4” round. The cylinder is made with stacked mdf each layer is cut in the elliptical shape and stacked to my desired height. I don’t have a vacuum press. mdf is notorious for absorbing solvents and water. I’ve ruled out PSA backed veneer since this will be adhered to the cut edges of mdf and most likely would peel away. I am thinking maybe 2 coats of solvent based contact cement on the mdf and one coat on the veneer. I need an adhesive that will hold those radial ends. Do you think contact cement will be strong enough and if so good recomm ndations? Also should I seal the mdf before applying the adhesive? Maybe with shellac or WB poly. I’d say lacquer but concerned the solvent in the cement would have a negative effect on the lacquer seal coat. Veneer hammer? Jeff (Maker)

Huy’s Questions:

Gentlemen-
Sorry to not have rapped at ya in a while, winter is for snowboarding, and I tend to loose the plot in the shop. But whilst schussing down the slopes, I have been contemplating spring projects, namely, a bridge for my stream/river. The “slash” is because it is usually a stream, but two or three times a year gets very rowdy; the last time it washed the existing 16′ long bridge off its moorings 90º, so it now sits parallel to the stream instead of across it. This bridge was made of pressure treated 2×12’s, 4′ wide, heavy, and chained to pins in boulders, so the water has some force when she’s angry.
Instead of trying to lever and pulley the bridge back into place, let’s build a new one. You guys know I love black locust and it’s perfect for something like this with water and ground contact outside. But I want to get fancy, do an arch (which will also help with the bridge-washing-out issue). For something of this size how would you go about creating the curve? It needs to be at least 16′ long (flat length, arch will rise probably 2′ on a 20′ radius) so steam bending is out. Would you glue up a “panel” of 2x material and then cut the curves out of it (or maybe even just use one big slab), or make a big form and bent laminations? I figure I need to make 2 of these curved beams for the sides of the bridge, and I probably won’t paint it, just one more thing to keep up with.
This is one time where I probably won’t have already done the thing I am asking about by the time I hear your answer, so I wait with bated breath. @figurawoodwork out. Tom Figgity-Figura

Good morning from Okinawa, Japan

This one is for Guy mainly I think but hey open game on for Huy or Sean to wiegh in on things.
First Japan is not great on space. My shop is large and very disorganized. I run a side business making some regular wood working projects but mainly custom military plaques usign the 2.5 D carving made possible by the yeti and shapeoko cnc. Almost went full time but my own disorginzation, project management, and efficency made things difficult. I havet really been set up to best handle slabs of local woods that I started useing mainly in my prjects.
slab milling to directional lumber
shop layout
spot one
10 by 12 tin can shed
yeti smart bench 4×8 cnc
spot two (next to the shed)
Kreg bench 44×64 table holding a Shapeoko XXL
12 ft miter station (6/8 ft for miter last part open for bench sanders and grinders.)
Router table (wood peckers premium)
Dewalt 745 table saw on a small cart
12 x 20 co2 laser mounted on a cart (36 x 28 cart)
questions
I am trying to save space and be more efficent. Have a chance to pick up a used Grizzly 10 inch table saw and new Laguna 14BX (I am 6’5 and i remember Guy saying the saw is low. but its the best band saw I can find out here)
Most of my work is taking slabs and turning them into lumber for projects. Guy mentioned he would give up a table saw before a band saw. I can only find a laguana 14 BX in my area from a local online retailer which has a flesmy feence. So would anyone pass the table saw for geting more shop space or buy both and make it work?
second question, (using google chrome it will translate the pages to english)
Kerv https://www.off.co.jp/category/A02B10/T_3114.html
Laguna https://www.off.co.jp/category/A02B10/T_3820.html
Otoro https://www.off.co.jp/category/A02B10/AA2014.html
These band saws do not have a solid fence clamping to both sides of the table for better resawing and straight cuts. Is there a after market feence that could be used, similar to the incra fence Guy pointed out in the recent episode?
future plans
tool buying. Would include a 100 watt co2 laser with 24 by 36 working space(foot print roughly 64 by 48 inches). Selling the old co2 laser and shapeoko to make room, moving the 4 x 8 cnc to the outside for keeping the shed a clean engraving and finishing area.
Tried to support the show but your button is not working 🙁

Hey Guys,
Every so often I have a great excuse to buy a new tool (usually a valid reason for my wife).
What tool(s) have you bought that you found more or less useful than you anticipated?
Thanks Chuck Lovelady

This episodes Questions

Guy’s Questions:

Hi guys, I’m current up to episode 43 of the podcast and can’t get enough. During this episode you discussed the merits of having a radial arm saw in your shop, or lack thereof in todays workflow. This got me thinking and I wanted to ask: what other tools are you aware of that were once used in woodshops that are no longer in general practice? I’m not talking about rocks and flints from the Stone Age, but rather anything in the past 60 or so years that have gone out of vogue. I can’t wait to hear Guys comments on my use of the word “vogue”. Hope you are well, and thanks again! Jarrett

Gentlemen,
Thanks for your thoughtful responses to my questions and observations.
This might be a potential topic: Do you think youtube and maker communities have created a renaissance for encouraging young people to get into wood working as a hobby or a profession?
I watched some amazing videos of young people making incredibly complicated turnings (among other things).
Thanks again. Chuck Have a great day.

Hi guys,
I love your podcast and have listened to every episode. I spend a lot of time on the road and have listened to many woodworking podcasts, yours is by far the best. I especially admire the work you do at “Purposeful Design “
I’m from Montreal and started woodworking as a hobby 5 years ago. I have 3 kids (9 & 2×6) and I only have limited hours/week of shop time. Additionally, I’m quite sensitive to sawdust…
I have a wall mounted 1hp dust collector with a dust separator and a 1 micron filter bag.
What is your opinion on bypassing the filter bag and venting outside?
Thank you for your contribution to the woodworking community,
Many blessings. Mike

Huy’s Questions:

I think that my next tool purchase might be for a tracksaw-like guide for a circular saw or something similar. We sometimes run into situations where we need to rip a straight line. This would actually be more for ‘carpentry’ applications than fine ‘woodworking’. Things like ripping a long 2×6 or 2×8 at an angle, or rip a sheet of plywood in the field (so portability and reasonable durability would be important).
Whatever we buy would be used by a lot of different guys and we’d keep it in our shared workshop. Most of the guys have Dewalt circular saws but several guys have other brands (Milwaukee, Ridgid, etc.). So the track would have to be adjustable for the bases of the various saws. I’ve spent zero time investigating this. Thought I’d start here. Any recommendations?

• Mark

Hello everyone, I was wondering if you could help me with figuring out a process for flattening double angled barstool legs in my shop. Last fall I was commissioned to build a set of saddle barstools for a client. The legs from front and back have a 5 degree angle on them, while the view from the sides had a 6.5 degree angle. I tried running them through my table saw (on the front and back sides) on a cross cut sled but this still produced some wobble from the 6.5 degree sides. I wound up just taking some adhesive backed sandpaper and sticking it on the flattest spot in my shop (my tablesaw) and sanding down for multiple hours. Do you know of anything that I can build or use that wont take the hours of sanding like I did for any future commissions.
Thanks, Paul Genereux (Twin Lake Woodshop)

Hey guys, I have a question around piston fit drawers and their longevity and overall use. I know they are a sign of the highest craftsmanship but how well do they hold up? In the summer will everything swell and the drawers will stick? If you ever moved how would that affect the piece? I don’t have an exact project in mind but debating the idea of trying my hand at this in my next build.
So when would you use piston fit for drawers over soft close mechanism, wooden runners ect? Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Thanks, Jesse

Brians questions:

Gentlemen,

Thank you all for the time, effort, and expertise you put into the show.  As many listeners have said before, it really is the best woodworking podcast out there!
As a beginning woodworker, I am curious about what projects you have done that helped you learn new skills or refine key foundational skills to progress along your woodworking journey?  Perhaps there are some “benchmark projects” that take a woodworker from sloppy beginner to capable amateur and beyond towards fine craftsmen?  Where do the common projects like a cutting board, a cabinet, a dining table or something else fall along that spectrum?
Thanks again for all you do in support of the woodworking community.
Kind regards,Evan

One of my close friends just had a baby. I wanted to make the new baby something, but I wasn’t sure what. I don’t have the time to make any piece of furniture, but I would like to make a little gift or two. Do any of you have ideas for small gifts that the baby could either use/play with, or something they could keep for a long time?Thanks Matthew

Hi all,
Hobbyist woodworker working out of his 1 1/2 car garage (it doesn’t quite fit two cars and I share it with house storage stuff). Mobility has been key for me when working. One thing I struggle with is that my garage floor is not level. There’s two different angles and it can be an issue at times. For example my small outfeed table can’t be level with my worksite table saw because at times they may not line up. My work bench is in a fixed location but can’t hold anything round as it might roll off if I have to use it.
Any advice for my workshop woes or any sort of leveling feet you might recommend? Since I move things around, leveling a tool or table each time I use it can be a pain. Lifting the end of the workbench doesn’t seem to create stability when I am hand planing wood or chiseling.
Thanks, Jose

Huy’s questions:

Hey all, love the podcast. Been listening for quite a while and always ready to take notes. 
 I have a bent lamination/ vaccum bag question. How do you handle epoxy squeeze out? Or any Glue for that matter? My last question is how long do I leave a bent lamination in the bag? Is there a rule of thumb? 
 I need a really rigid glue line for the tight 3in inside radius I am trying to achieve and think epoxy is my best bet. I’d rather not use urea resin. 
 I really appreciate the help. Casey the maker

Hey guys: I’m a loyal listener and am very grateful for all the great info you share. I have a finishing question for you. I make wood fishing nets for family and friends and might want to make a business of it. I have been using spar varnish as a finish which looks great but is a pain to apply (I brush it on), takes forever to dry and always seems to be a bit soft even when fully dry. Is there an alternate finish I could consider that would be easy to apply. I am willing to invest in a spray system to up my finish game so that’s not a limitation. Important to note is that I use walnut in all my nets. In episode 115 I learned that walnut will turn orange in the sun- something I didn’t know. So will the suggested finish have UV protection or will I need to dye the walnut to ensure it maintains it’s brown color after sitting on the bottom of a boat for many seasons. Thanks again for spending your precious time educating the less knowledgeable.
 Liam, Indianapolis

Hey Guy, and other guys. 
 How many pocket holes/Screws do you actually need? 
 I watch people on youtube building stuff with pocket holes and 9 times out of 10 I think to myself, “Surely that doesn’t need that many pocket holes.” I see guys building something like an end table or maybe a small piece of shop furniture and inevitably they use about 17 to 239 in this relatively small piece of wood and I just don’t understand it. Would love to hear the logic or what the general recommendation is. Jacob

Brian’s Questions:

Hey guys,

First of all, thanks for the most helpful woodworking podcast around! My question(s) revolve around a home library project. I’m planning on bookcases on all four walls of a small room and wondering how you’d approach that, specifically:
(1) what would you do about the inside corners of the room where two sets of bookcases come together? Just blank them off? Something else?
(2) as far as the cases themselves, for cost reasons, I’m planning to do 3/4 plywood carcasses close to 8’ high with one fixed shelf in the middle (Domino construction) and shelf pins for the rest of the shelves. How wide can I reasonably go without sag in the shelves? Is one fixed shelf enough for stability or do I need two, say? Do I need a plywood back on each case?
Any other general tips on a library project or this type?
Thanks! Mat

What tools you guys do regret to buy?
Marcello

Alright fellas first question from me. I finally got a Makita track saw and went for the full 110″. I’m going to tear down my old 2×4 oversized work bench and start over with a nice miter saw / work area cabinet wall.
My plan is to go about 30″ deep to accommodate my DeWalt sliding dual bevel giant miter saw while also giving me ample assembly area. Maybe an mft style work area on one side, maybe t tracks here and there.
I’m going to leave it a little open ended for you guys to play around with the idea. What would your dream work area like this include? No limits, all the bells and whistles. No one to tell you no.
Thanks for taking my question. Jim G.

Huy’s Questions:

Hi Guys,
Really enjoy the podcast and all the useful information. I wrote before about a walnut table I am making. I have a couple of questions. I looked at the walnut at the local lumber yard. Great selection but lumber is pretty expensive. Question 1: The lumber distributor has a great selection. For the table top should I spring for quarter sawn at roughly 1/3 more per board foot? Question 2: I am trying to bring some order to chaos in my shop and am considering some shop cabinets. a) should I consider casters? b) should I spend the extra to install side mount drawer slides or will homemade runners be good enough?
Thanks for your help and the great podcast.
-Scott

Good day guys..My question is probably primarily for Huy.
I am getting back into woodworking after a lengthy hiatus to a career that did not allow me the time. Now that I do have the time, I am diving right back in. I am a lifelong contract mechanical designer, and have been a SolidWorks user/license holder since 1999, dont do the math on how much that has depleted my bank account in the past 24 years, and I am no rocket scientist like Huy, I have only done work on 70 ton vehicles designed outside detroit.
SolidWorks is amazing, and I have designed many projects for my woodworking with it. However I feel it is a bit heavyweight on the design side for the projects I want to do. I want to be working in my shop, and not spending hours designing parts, making assemblies etc. Dont get me wrong, the end results are incredible on the design side, but design for my woodworking shoudlnt be 60% on SolidWorks and 40% on tools. Any suggestions for the best solution for this? I have not spent alot of time researching, but have looked into Fusion360 and other solutions but not greatly as I know there will a thought process change required.
I am just looking for something simple, quick and of course accurate. We live in a 3d world, and that is an important aspect for me.Thank you so much.
Kurtis, DutchMillWorks

Hey guys, Josh here, hope this is the right way to contact you all. My question is, what machine do you think you can get away with in order to produce the most projects? I was thinking a lathe for drinkware, baseball bats and so on depending on a mini, midi or full size lathe. But I’m no expert by any means, I only had a couple years of shop experience in school and most of the terminology has escaped me since, but all the hands on experience is still fresh in my mind and I’m hoping to get this hobby started up again. Thank you. Joshua

Brians Questions:

Hi guys, thanks for such a great podcast. You recently got me through the journey back from a road trip to Montreal, although when my wife heard you guys, she was like, “What the -hell-are you listening to?!” But then she fell asleep so we had no problem (don’t worry, she wasn’t driving at the time).

My question is about evening out the sapwood and heartwood colour in walnut, so you can maximise the yield from boards and slabs. Do you have a particular process and/or product you’d recommend here? If your solution is to simply cut it off, it seems a shame to waste all that wood… have you found any good uses for it? Phil Evans

Hi – I am building a seating bench out of figured ash. I’d like to give it a gentle brown color and really accentuate the curly figure in the wood. I’m worried that stain won’t do much to bring out the beauty in it; should i use dye instead? What steps should I go through to highlight the figure? I don’t have a spray solution, so whatever finish will need to be wipe on or brush on. I prefer to avoid rattle cans of finish too, for what that’s worth. Mark

Guys Questions:

I recently had the client that all woodworkers dream of. Came to me literally saying money didnt matter and they wanted a high quality coffee table. I loaded it with design features and in the end it became my highest priced commission to date at over $12k for this 42″ square coffee table. I say that mainly to encourage others that there’s still people who will pay for quality. Anyway my question is that one of the design ideas i pitched this customer was to do a herringbone pattern on the sides of the table using shop sawn veneer. This will be my first time ever making veneer and doing anything with it. What tips can you give me? I have a VERY high quality bandsaw, the Laguna LT18 equipped with a Resawking blade. I do not have a drum sander. I plan to now get a Vacupress 300 for the task. What else should I know about veneering a herringbone pattern? AZ Custom Furniture Bilder

Hi Guys, thanks for the helpful podcast. I’ve been building furniture for a few years now and as a newish woodworker I have tried many different finishes in the pursuit of finding the one and only one. My question is, do you keep a log of which pieces of furniture have which finish so that you can see how they age and for when/if repairs or refinishes are needed? Thanks, Patty

Huy’s Questions:

Thanks for the podcast, guys!

My question: I’m building a sideboard for utilitarian storage when entering from the garage.
It is mostly cherry, will have a cherry top and is about 22″ deep by 60″ wide and 30″ tall.

I’m planning to use 8/4 cherry for the top, with a resulting thickness of whatever results from jointing and planing the boards to be edge glued for the top. Would there be any advantage in building the top from 4/4 boards face glued to make up the 8/4 thickness? I will be chamfering the bottom of the top so that any glue line would not be visible.

Thanks so much,
Bob Clark

Hi fellas,
I first want to say thank you for developing and producing this podcast and sharing your experience with the rest of mere mortals of woodworking. I am a nights and weekend hobbyist woodworker, making small projects for friends and family or DIY projects around the house. I am fortunate to have a modest collection of tools and enjoy trying new things and learning how to up my game. My question is really more about the process of using steel wool and vinegar to ebonize some red oak I’m making into a small case with a couple of drawers. The way I understand the process is that the combination of the steel wool and vinegar ultimately reacts with the tannins in the red oak, turning it darker (I’m hoping black). I’ve also recently discovered Original Tried and True finish (polymerized linseed oil and beeswax) and really like the results I’ve got on a few projects I’ve used it on. Would ebonizing the red oak change how a finish like Tried and True works? Is there a better finish in your opinion? How would each of you finish this if black was the end result, and FYI I don’t have spraying equipment. Thanks again for all you do for the woodworking community!
-Trevor

Brians Questions:

Hi guys,
I’m a hobbyist woodworker on the gold coast Australia. I have slowly acquired all the tools I feel are necessary to build those pieces that my children will one day inherit/sell in a yard sale 😜
I don’t have a bandsaw and have gotten by with a jigsaw in most situations. My major issue is when I have thick lumbar (5/4 for example) and need only a thin board. It’s wasteful and expensive to plane it down and I feel a bandsaw is required for a good quality resaw. Is this a good enough reason to purchase a bandsaw?
Sam Kruger

Hey guys,
Thank you so much for the podcast and as others say in almost every question, I learn the most from your podcast than any other woodworking podcast I listen to.
Being from Indianapolis, I have a woodworking buddy who has taken a lot of classes at Marc Adam’s School of Woodworking (not sure if Brian and Guy are familiar). He has tried to get me to join a class but it is quite an investment due to the cost and also other factors such as possibly a week off of work depending on the class you sign up for.
While I would love to take a class due to being exposed to new technique’s and tools, I just don’t know if it’s worth the investment when Im just a hobbyist with limited budget and space for tools.
Two questions:

1. Have any of you taken a woodworking class like this before?
2. Is it worth the investment for the class, or should I continue to build skills by online research and building my shop with tools?
   Thanks for the great podcast and being willing to take my question.
   Jason

Guys Questions:

Hey folks! First off, welcome aboard Brian. You have filled Sean’s shoes without skipping a beat. And I particularly enjoy how you engage with extra followup questions too I was thinking in my head!
So my question is about Guys favorite bug excrement – shellac. She treated me wrong and I need help from my bros. Ok it’s more of a rant, so hang with me.
I’ve been a shellac lover for a while. She’s never been fickle. Used her on a dozen projects. Always great results. Always a good time. Always easy. And I always use a rubber…you know…to be safe. (babum psshh)
This time and I sanded down a second hand veneer 3’x4′ table and decided to give it a shellac finish. Using the big box store’s version, I grabbed my favorite blonde, got her drunk with half alcohol, grabbed a trusty rubber, and went to town on the table.
Ok. Ok. Enough with the puns. For the life of me, I ALWAYS got streaks on the surface no matter what I did. I tried different cuts, different applicators (rubber, foam brush and paint brush). Sanding between coats. Not sanding. Working super fast, going slow. Light coats, heavy coats. Whatever. I even went to the Google and found an article from 2010 in Fine Woodworking that said dilute with 25% mineral oil and then later wipe with Naphtha once dry. BIG mistake. Won’t get into it. Still bitter. Apparently though, it’s hard to apply shellac on large surfaces?
So here I am asking the experts. Do I really need to break out my HVLP spray gun and section off my garage? Or am I doing something wrong? Have any tips?
Paul

Thanks for delivering this content. I’ve learned a lot and I think I’ve listened to every episode.
My question is about which router table to purchase. I have an old Rockler—they’re cheapest model. Looking to upgrade and considering 3 models in particular: Woodpeckers, Incra, and JessEm https://jessem.com/products/ultimate-excel-ii-package
I believe Guy has both the woodpeckers and the incra and would like to hear from all of you what you have and what you would recommend.
Part 2 of my question is I would like to add dovetail joinery to my repertoire, and was considering the incra router table (with the super system LS17 fence) specifically because of its setup for doing that. Is that a good way to go or should I buy a stand alone dovetail jig and if so which one? The other things I use my router table for are raised panel cabinet doors, dados, and obviously edge treatment.
I’m a hobbyist trying to make this a full time job and primarily build cabinets and cabinet based furniture at this point. Have also done a bed and some tables (dining, and smaller). Sorry to be so long winded, I very much appreciate your input.
-Austin, AJ Squared Woodworks

Huys Questions:

Hey guys, really enjoy the podcast. I hear you were low on questions and I had a couple so I thought I would send them.
First question. I am looking to build a bed for me and my wife. How can I determine the best wood to make it from? Cost is much more a factor than how it looks. Another factor is we are heavyset people and I want to be sure it’s not going to break while we are on it, sleeping or otherwise. ;P
Second question. I want to make the bed in the style that I have seen on my IG feed, with castle joints. My concern is, when you cut the notches, aren’t you weakening that piece of wood? I assume you would want the notch on the top for the side rails where some of the weight would be carried. But in a joint like that, I have always wondered if that type of joint would weaken the piece with the notch taken out of the bottom half.
Thanks Gents! -Jacob

Hi guys! Thanks for continuing to put on an informative podcast, always a pleasure to listen to.
I have a question about dovetail jigs. I make a good amount of furniture pieces with drawers and am looking to potentially get a dovetail jig for drawers. 99% of my drawers are made of 1/2” stock. I have no desire to handcut, time and accuracy are important. I’ve heard these jigs can be a pain to set up but I’d imagine once set up it might be worth it. Any recommendations on a particular jig?
Thanks! Lindsey

Brians Questions:

I hear a lot of talk on forums and social media about buying smaller tools to make more room in your shop. I can see how something like a 52 inch rip fence will take up more room but in my little pea brain it takes as much room to plane and joint a 4 foot board on a 72 inch bed jointer and a 15 inch planer and it does a 46 inch bed jointer and a lunch box planer. Am I wrong? Should I take this into consideration when buying tools? I’m fortunate to have a 1000 sqft shop so space isn’t necessarily at a premium but I’ll also be shop building large built in closets and wine rooms and such so it may get tighter than I think. Thanks for all the info and keep it up. Michael

I know how to sand through the grits. And I know why to sand through the grits. But how long (in general) should you stay at each grit? Obviously higher grits are easy. I usually stay there until any major imperfections are smoothed out. But as I progress, I’m always thinking I should stay there for one more round. Especially at my final grit. Normally I just keep going until the piece “feels” nice and smooth and flat. So far that’s worked for me. I’m sure I’m overthinking it, but figured I’d ask the experts what they do. I’m using an Orbital sander by the way. Sorry for the long winded question, you obviously don’t have to read all that. I ramble haha. Thanks so much. Mick at Broken Levee Woodworks

Guys Questions:

Hey guys and Guy. I’m building a dining table for a friend out of walnut and quarter sawn WO and am starting to think about applying finish. I’m wondering about applying a couple of coats of shellac to deepen the grain and following up with water based poly for the top coat(s). After hearing Guy tout the water based conversion varnish, I’m considering the General Finishes product that has the catalyst you have to mix in. Is that what you use Guy? As far as the shellac, is that a bad idea? I don’t feel confident getting an even coat, especially on the top, using a hand application so I would like to spray. Does that sound feasible? I also don’t want to change the color, jus deepen the grain so what flavor of shellac and cut should I use? Enjoy you guys a lot. My favorite woodworking podcast. Tom Bigmuddy Woodworks

Hey fellas, I have a question about the Domino 500 and 700. What rule(s) of thumb do you use for when to use the 700 instead of the 500 when it’s not an obvious situation? Other than the 3rd’s of the stock thickness. Thanks for all of your different points of view on how to tackle situations we find ourselves in. Matt in AL

Huy’s Questions:

Where do you find the most objective tool reviews? Have a great day Chuck

Alabama ww said he has done half blind dovetails where you cut thru dovetails and add an 1/8 piece on the front. Could you expand on your process for doing this specifically adding the false front and getting it flush to sub front sides. Thank you, Schatz

Guy’s Questions: 

Hi all: First, I love the podcast. I listen to several others as well. This is by far the best, the Premier podcast on woodworking. Your focus on the questions is outstanding. I know that you repeat yourselves often but it it is so helpful to those of us that are trying to learn the craft. I learn something every time I listen. Thanks! My question has to do with spraying a finish. I just bought my first HVLP sprayer. I’ve watched many of the YouTube videos on the basic process with regard to how to tune the gun and the process and motion of applying the finish. Many of the finishes today, especially water based finishes, dry very quickly. So what do you do between coats? Do you always breakdown and clean the gun and all of the other components? Is there some tricks that you use to keep the gun clean and ready for the next coat, without breaking it all down and starting a new? Thanks again, Joe

Hey guys. I’ve been watching all the New Yankee Workshop episodes as they’re being released on YouTube lately. Interesting to see how Norm did things back then, including how some of his techniques evolved over the years. One thing he almost always does is pin his tenons with dowels. I don’t see this much today unless it’s a draw bore, which I don’t see Norm do ever. (This pinning is almost always followed up with one of Norm’s favorite phrases, “That’s never coming apart!”) I guess the question is, should we be pinning tenons? Only in specific circumstances? Only if a draw bore? Peter

Infinity tools pro router table package with 3 1/4 Triton or a Grizzly G1035 shaper that can still run 1/2″ router bits. Always lots of talk about router tables but never anything about smaller shapers. I found this podcast a while ago and have made my way through all the episodes, I really appreciate all the great content, keep it up. Mike

Huy’s Questions:

Hey guys! I know you asked for more questions so I am going to try to help. I have a question about applying Odies Oil with a buffer. I’ve been using Odies because it’s too much work making a spray booth for spray finishing in my woodshop. I have applied Odies by hand with success but it’s a lot of buffing work. Gem buffers are pretty expensive, has anyone tried putting a hook and loop pad on a car buffer and just put a non woven pad on it? Big Cedar table Co.

Can you give any recommendations of hardwoods you enjoy to make furniture with? Alot of the furniture I’ve built in my house has been made from Walnut, White oak and cherry and am looking for something new. I’m looking to build some new furniture for my basement (tv stand, coffee table, maybe a dry bar to match species) but am looking for something new to use other than those stated above. Thanks for all you do. Paul Genereux at Twin Lake Woodshop

Hey, guys. Love the show. Appreciate the fact that you answer questions and although there is a little banter between the three of you, it doesn’t dominate the podcast as other shows do. I want to attend a “convention” for woodworkers and am curious if you have suggestions on what would be a good convention for woodworkers to attend. Thanks in advance! Greg

Brians Questions:

I inherited my dad’s woodworking tools almost 20 years ago. I’ve upgraded several tools over the years. Most significantly, I replaced his Craftsman contractor table saw with a Sawstop PCS 175 5 years ago. I bought it for the safety mechanism, but I’ve really enjoyed using a cabinet saw. While I consistently use the riving knife, I have seldom used the blade guard cover. I like being able to clearly see the blade meeting the wood. Question/topic: how do you balance safety and convenience in your woodshop? Thank you. Chuck

I inherited my dad’s woodworking tools almost 20 years ago. I’ve upgraded several tools over the years. Most significantly, I replaced his Craftsman contractor table saw with a Sawstop PCS 175 5 years ago. I bought it for the safety mechanism, but I’ve really enjoyed using a cabinet saw. While I consistently use the riving knife, I have seldom used the blade guard cover. I like being able to clearly see the blade meeting the wood. Question/topic: how do you balance safety and convenience in your woodshop? Thank you. Chuck

Guys Questions:

Hey Gentleman (and Guy), Thanks for the great podcast. I’m lucky enough to be able to pester Guy directly with my questions, and he’s gracious enough to answer them. Do you have any “Dream Projects”? Something that you have always wanted to build, but just haven’t had the time or resources to do it? Think you will ever get to it? Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge, look forward to hearing your answers -Theo

I’ve heard at least one of you maybe Guy in the beginning say there were quite a few years that went by without a table saw in the shop. I very recently took a big step and got a rikon 14″ deluxe band saw as well as the Makita track saw. My table saw is a deplorable early 90’s job site Makita. really bad fence zero dust collection tiny arbor. It works but guy has maybe once compared a Cadillac vs a pinto and I own the table saw pinto that got into a wreck and then blew up and Given my two recent big purchases what would you say my big limitations are by not having a serious table saw? Can I get by wanting to make boxes? Can I get by without another big purchase such as a table saw? What do you guys see as limitations given my recent purchases? Jim

Huys Questions:

Hey all, another question. I’m wanting to get into spraying finish, I’ve seen the option and have heard decent things about the harbor frieght paint sprayer with regulator which is like 30$. I’m wondering what you guys think of it or if any of you have experiences with it? I have a 30 gal air compressor and I’m only looking at small pieces up to a night stand size, so I think that should suffice? I would love to get a 4 stage but that is very much out of the question price wise. Also I’m looking to mostly spray Shelac and conversion varnish. How easy is it to clean? Guy makes it sound extremely easy so I’m curious if Guy or Hue have any videos about cleaning? Sorry I know it’s long winded but thank you guys for what you do! Look forward to hearing the answers. Blairswoodshop

I have a question about “refinishing” a shelf. I built a floating shelf out of walnut about 2 years ago and did miter-folded edges all the way around. It’s a small shelf, only 32″ long, 3″ tall face, and 6″ deep. My wife would like the same size shelf in white oak. Could i sand back the finish and veneer it in white oak? Or do I need to start from scratch and build a new shelf? Brian

Brians Questions:

Does a combination square needs to be a Starrett ($$$$) or we clan go with cheaper brands. Kind regards from São Paulo – Brazil.

Hey guys, quick question for you. I have an old grizzly 20″ planer and I want to resaw some wood on my bandsaw down to 1/2″ and 1/4″ pieces. The bandsaw is from 1943 and doesn’t leave the best finish. The minimum thickness on the planer is 1/2″ but I see the piece do some shimmying when I put stock that thin through there. What’s the best way to finish planing the stock and finishing it off without access to a drum sander? Any tips would be much appreciated. Love the show and keep up the good work! JARED

Guy’s Questions:

Hey guys. I have been wanting to ask this for a while now. I have been asked by my wife to build dresser for our bedroom. This would be my first time building drawers. I have the cabinet built and the drawer boxes built. But when I put the slides on the drawers just don’t glide like I would think they would. I mean some of them do. I am just not sure what I am doing wrong. I have checked all my spacing for the openings. Could it be my boxes are not square? What is the best way to get them square? Nick.

I’ve been listening for a few years now, and have learned a lot. My most pressing question is about finishing. Recently l’ve built a couple kitchen tables that I really wanted to be special and put a lot of time into them. I thought everything turned out great, but at the final step, topcoating, I got a lot of streaking – more so than I’ve gotten before (although this is a bigger surface area project than I’ve ever done). I stained it, then used AquaCoat water-based grain filler (which left a few minor streaks across the grain that I couldn’t sand out, but I can live with that), and then 3 coats of ArmRSeal satin. After the 3rd coat I had a dull sheen in one spot and so gave it a 4th coat of satin, pretty thick this time, and the sheen streaking got worse. Am assuming that I need to sand it down (and hopefully not get down into the stain) and start again. Someone suggested gloss or semi-gloss ArmRSeal and then a final coat with satin. Is there an easier solution – buff it out?? Mark Schmidt

Huy’s Questions: 

Hello gentlemen. I stumbled across your podcast a few months ago and have been enjoying it ever since. I apologize I have not spent a lot of time going back through older episodes, so this question may have come up already. I’ve been woodworking as a hobby for several years now and enjoy it as my creative outlet. I prefer making smaller pieces as opposed to big furniture but have dabbled with both as gifts and favors to friends. In 2023 I’d like to start turning this into a small business. I enjoy my day job, so this would be more of a side hustle to make enough money to buy more wood and tools (and maybe whiskey 😉). Do you have any tips or tricks for getting started selling projects? Facebook marketplace seems like a dead zone and Etsy seems saturated. Thanks, and I appreciate any advice you have on this subject. Nick Hellman

I am slowly trying to turn my tiny shed into a shop. It is coming along but is not climate controlled. I was recently glueing up some thin strips of wood for an accent on a holiday gift. I live in Oregon, about an hour east of Portland. It doesn’t get super cold here usually, but that week was a bit colder than usual. Anyway, when I went to trim up the strips they came apart where they were glued up. The glue didn’t bond at all. There was just white remnants of dry glue. After asking a friend who is a professional woodworker and reading the label I learned that you can’t use wood glue below 46°. The bottle says not to let it freeze. My friend told me once the bottle freezes it is not good anymore. I bought a new bottle and am keeping it inside the house and doing glue ups inside until the spring. Is this true that once the bottle freezes it’s no good? Any advice for working in the winter in an unheated shop? Should I worry about the wood moving when I bring it inside? Any other products I should worry about in cold temps? Thanks. Happy New Year! Jon Moch

Guy’s Questions:

Good afternoon Gentlemen, Thank you for your podcast, I really appreciate it, and you fellows. Long story short, I am a re-engaging woodworker after taking a 20 year hiatus. Due to life requirements and work travel frequency, I was unable to keep up my hobby. I now have the time (and hopefully will NEVER have to fly somewhere for work again) to start anew. Things have changed quite a bit in past couple decades, and so have my interests in terms of wood working. Over my hiatus, I sold some of my equipment in hopes the machines would be used instead of sitting idle and it is time to re-equip my shop needs with eliminated tools and new needs. My tool requirements are also much different today, then they were 20 years ago. One requirement I now have is a drum sander. I don’t have the desire to rotate any work (key point), and want to acquire a machine that fits my specific needs, thus an 18″ capability is perfect for what my new woodworking interests require. I also refuse to take any advice from boob tube woodworkers recommendations, as it seems that 90% of the creators I find may have started out providing woodworking content, but they mostly all just become prejudiced tool reviewers who conflict each other based on who is giving them free tools or paying them. I have lost a lot of respect for some woodworkers on YouTube who used to be considered by me as inspirations in their early YouTube careers, no longer. With that said, I have trimmed my interest list down to a Jet 1836 and Supermax 19-38. I imagine some or all of you have had experience with both, and would like your feedback. I am not currently considering models with moving/height adjustable belts such as the shop fox/grizzly, however if you have anything to add on those, it would be nice to hear. Glad you have a new host, it seems like he may be a great fit for the podcast. Well wishes to all of you, and Guy, I hope your health is well.

Kurtis Van Kampen

You fellas have filled my head with hours and hours of information. You’re truly the best Podcast I’ve found. So before Guy’s head begins to swell, on with the question. I’ve started watching Nee Yankee workshop again now they I actually have a 520 sqft shop to work out in. In the first season Norm used what he called a panel cutting jig for the table saw. The fence of the jig was located on the blade side rather than the operator side like the modern crosscut sled. This jig is dead simple being made of only three boards. I had big plans to make a modern crosscut sled (not the aircraft carrier) with all the bells and whistles. Now I’m completely rethinking my next table saw jig. Since Guy (like myself) is the only one of you old enough to remember the first episode, this should probably be HIS question. Keep up the great work fellows. I appreciate what each of you bring to the table. -Bryan

Huy’s Questions:

I’d first like to say that I listen to a bunch of other woodworking podcasts as well, but of all of them, yours has the lowest level of useless off-topic banter. Keep up the good work. I have a question about the usage of my shop air cleaner. It’s a Jet AFS-1000B, and my ceiling is only 7’6”, so can’t hang it from there. So I have it on a roll-around cart. My shop is 13’ x 17’. I don’t have a central dust collection system, but for the following tools I hook up my shop vac to the tool: table saw, planer, drum sander, router table and random orbit sander. I also have a circular saw, a handheld router, a jigsaw, a drill press, a belt sander and a palm sander. My question is, for which tools should I be turning on the air cleaner, and on which setting? (it has low, medium and high settings) And how long should I keep it on for after the tool has been turned off? Thanks.
Steve

My perception is that the people who seem to get hurt the most are woodworking professionals who become too comfortable/familiar with machines. Is that a fair assessment? [I am a hobbyist woodworker.] FYI, on 3 I am just asking for a comment on my observation. Have a great day Chuck

Brians Questions:

First, love the podcast and thank you! Question: I’m building a 28 foot table. I’m thinking that I will essentially build 4 table tops and connect them with ‘double breadboards’ with runners between the tressels (5). Thoughts? Back story: I am a veteran and I run a program that addresses PTSD, Substance Abuse and homelessness in the the veteran community. An essential component is that the veterans cook meals and eat together and as the program has grown, there is an assortment of tables in the house and I want too big a build one. I am an average woodworker and I can do the basics. It doesn’t have to be piece of art, just chunky and uniform. Also, there’s not a big endless budget so I am doing what I can. The vision: I fhave to build it in my garage and put it together on site. 28 feet long, 38 inches wide (the space dictates it). The only way I can work out the jointing is a double breadboard end that joins each section. I thought about end jointing with dowels alternating the lengths of the boards so there was no single joint across the length of the board which was quite the puzzle to figure out. 5 trestles essentially spaced under the middle breadboards with 2 runners supporting the table between legs and one runner connecting the legs 1/3 up from the bottom of the leg. Craig laseur

Hi Guys, I love your podcast. I have listened to every single episode! Please keep them coming! I was listening to Episode 114 about the domino tips and I am now thinking of completing my kitchen cabinet project using dominoes instead of pocket screws for the cabinet construction as I already own a domino. I was curious as to how Brian prefers to assemble cabinets. I have already watched Guy’s videos! 😉 Do you use the domino? How do you go about end panel construction? How do you finish your cabinets? Any tips you can provide is greatly appreciated! Thanks, Natasha Round Lake, Ontario, Canada

Brian’s Questions:

Hey Guys! Love the podcast. Long time listener, first time asking a question! I am looking for recommendations on how to remove saw marks after ripping pieces to final width on the table saw. I recently built a couple rocking chairs for my kiddos, and was looking for a super smooth surface finish on all four sides. My solution was to joint and plane the parts on 3 sides and then rip a 1/32 or so oversized. After that I set my jointer to 1/32 and ran the cut edge back over the jointer to remove the saw. This m I recently scored a router table on Facebook marketplace for $500. Woodpecker PRL 1 lift, Incra jig ultra fence, and Porter Cable 3.25 horse router. 1, what’s your favorite lubricant for threaded parts like router lifts and table saw arbor tilts? 2, Other than keeping them clear of dust so they don’t over heat is there any other maintenance to extend the life of a router? They don’t make the Porter Cable routers anymore so I want to keep it in top condition. – Tylerethod seems to work nicely. I am using a Jet cabinet saw and not matter how much I try to adjust it, I can never seem to get a rip without at least a few saw marks. Just looking for ways to improve my efficiency while in the shop! Thanks again Dylan.

Hey guys, You said you needed more questions so here ya go… I have a couple hundred bucks left over from my December birthday and Christmas haul that I plan to spend on woodworking supplies/tools. I keep a running wish list throughout the year of various woodworking things I “need” So there is no shortage of things I could spend it on, however I don’t want to waste it. That has encouraged me to just sit on it for now and I feel like I’m at a bit of a crossroads. Do I simply save it and put it towards a big more expensive tool down the road (for example I don’t currently have any kind of planer or joiner). Or do I use it to buy some of the less sexy but more useful day to day items that every shop should have (i.e. better bits, blades, consumables, jigs, etc…) For reference: At this point in my woodworking career I do mostly hobbyist/DIY level work. I have either budget or second hand versions of most basic hand and power tools and the basic bigger tools (Benchtop Drill Press, Contractor Saw, Miter Saw) I would love to delve in to the more serious side of woodworking one day, so I do have a goal of getting a planer and joiner down the road. But realistically I know if one fell down from the heavens in to my shop tomorrow it wouldn’t get used immediately. Regardless of my own personal decisions I thought it would be cool to get y’alls take on what you would consider the top small ticket items that every shop should have. I think we all get more excited about big expensive tools, because frankly it’s more fun, but for people like myself just getting started on this journey it can be easy to miss the basics as a result of that excitement. Thanks for being so awesome, Jon

Guy’s Questions:

Good day fellas, Been listening for a while, and really enjoy the podcast. Here is my problem/question. For Christmas this past year I made a few cutting boards as gifts using Maple, Walnut and a few pieces of Purple Heart. In my design process I managed to make one of the cutting boards slightly too big to fit (on first glue up) through my Dewalt DW735 planer. In order to save some time, I just ran the piece through the table saw to get the over width down to just under 13″. On the first pass through the planer, everything went as planned. The second pass through didnt go so great. At around ¾ of the way through, the planer dug into the piece and put some pretty nasty snipe into the piece. Id say around 4-5″ from the end of the board, and almost 1/8″ deep. What would cause that to happen? Narrower pieces that ive ran through after havent given me any snipe since. Is it due to me using the entire 13″ of the cutter head? Because of my snipe issue, im really hesitant on running anything wide through the planer now. I want to experiment using some cheaper wood, but just havent found the time to do so yet. Thanks for the help. – Dwayne

Hey guys, heard you are in need of some questions from the last show, so thought I would send one your way. What do you think is the best paint for furniture that will see use and abuse? I’ve been experimenting with some different options and haven’t found anything that I think I will stick with, and I do not want to put a clear coat over the paint. Looking for something very hard and durable, as the next time I need it will be for chairs. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Huy’s Questions:

When does something cross the line between being ‘handmade’ and ‘machine made’? My nephew had a CNC machine and advertised the products as ‘handmade.’ Is this all subjective anyways? Have a great day Chuck