Author: woodshoplifepodcast

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I have a question on wood storage I have a smaller shop and lots of tools so wood storage space is tight. I purchase my wood based on what I have planned for the next 2-3 projects and try not to stock many extra boards. I store them on end leaning against an outside wall. I often clamp several boards together to help avoid bowing. So far no problems but I am fairly new to full time woodworking as I retired 2 years ago.
Do you see any problems with this method that I haven’t experienced yet? With the cost of hardwood lumber I don’t want to be surprised with wood that I cant use. Thanks Dean

I’m just finishing up building all the cabinetry for my Seattle home and decided to take on the interior doors as a new challenge. I’d like the doors to appear as if they’re made from 5-6 vertical wood boards, with a small 1/8” kerf between each board (I’ve attached an inspiration image). I know that a large glue-up of solid wood would expand and contract undesirably for a door, so here’s my current plan to keep things stable:
I’m planning to veneer 1 1/2” by 5 1/2” TimberStrand engineered studs with 1/8” shop-sawn veneers in a vacuum press, ending up with a 1 3/4” stile. Then, I’d edge glue the 5-6 stiles together, reinforcing each joint with Dominos. Once glued up, I’d add the 1/8” kerfs with a track saw.
My questions are as follows:
1. Would you recommend using the largest 14mm x 140mm Dominos between each stile, and if so, how many and at what spacing across each 8-foot section?
2. Do you have any tips for gluing the doors up flat?
3. Does this seem like a viable method to achieve a flat, stable door with the look I’m after, or is there another approach you’d suggest?
Thanks for your input and for all the time you put into creating such a great show! Best, Sam

I would like your thoughts on the depth/ratio you prefer for cabinet or bookcase dado’s for shelves – for example if using 3/4″ plywood for a cabinet, or 3/4″ hardwood a bookcase. It is my understanding that 1/4″ is a good depth overall. I am planning on building both some cabinets this fall, but my current project that I am preparing for is a hardwood Scandinavian bookcase. I am considering fixed shelves installed via dado. Each shelf will have an offset vertical shelf divider, also installed via dado. John Sanchez

Guys Questions:

A few years ago I refinished our oak dining table. It may be close to 100 years old. My mother used it in her youth, and I am now 61 years old. To refinish it, I used – sorry to say – MinWax – stain and water based satin Polycrylic. We use this table everyday for any meal we eat at home. Well, the finish has gotten gummy where I rest my arms on the table. Now I need to refinish it again.
I had recently applied Osmo Polyx-Oil hard oil wax on a guitar neck that I finished, and really like it. Would this be a good, durable finish for an oak dining table that sees daily use? And not gum up again?
Thanks, David Vespoint

I am contemplating a (non-epoxy) dining table build using some soft maple slabs I have acquired. I will mill the slabs into as wide of boards as I can and glue them up and get them surfaced so that my final dimensions will be about 84”x35”x2.5”. I want to add a fairly significant under bevel, leaving about 3/4” on the edge and cutting at a 16 degree (or 74 degree, depending on how you measure it) angle, so that the bevel ends about six inches from the edge on the bottom of the table. My question is: How the heck do I do that? I have a table saw, but I don’t think I’m lifting this whole tabletop and running it through my table saw (the blade isn’t long enough anyways). I thought about getting a track saw, but it turns out they use dinky little blades. Do I make an angled sled for my router? Do I use my 4” handheld power plane? Is there another solution I am not imagining? Thanks! Jon

I’m building a couple of nightstands for my daughter based on an image she gave me. She needs the diameter of the round top to be between 15 and 17 inches. The legs are 2 panels, one is 13 inches wide and one is 10 inches wide, the 10 inch wide panel will be cut at an angle and attached at 90 degrees to the 13 inch panel. I made a template with MDF, and the table works fine with the top width of 16 inches.
I’ll be using knotty alder and I can get it in 5″ 7″ 8″ and 10″ widths. My question is: when I get the boards to glue together to make the correct sized panels for cutting into the legs and top, should I use all the same widths of boards I buy, or can I vary the widths to use the wood most efficiently? It’s an aesthetic question more than an functional one. Do table makers use the same width of boards for the top and the base of tables? If you don’t, does it look odd?
If I could attach a photo this might make more sense. Thanks! Trish

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