Author: woodshoplifepodcast

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife

Sean

1) I’ll save you the airtime by not mentioning how awesome y’all are and how awesome your podcast is because you already know that. If Huy and Sean didn’t know that already just ask Guy… he will talk for hours!  Hahah
Two part question is… when contemplating buying a new tool do you let the space you have for that tool determine if you’ll be getting one over the other?  Also, when you bring a new tool into the shop do you find yourself using that tool as an excuse to rearrange your shop, even if it’s an upgrade from a tool you already have?
I’ve found myself rearranging my entire workflow every time I introduce a new tool even if the one I’m upgrading one that’s been in a certain spot for years.
I hope all has been well with you and your families. Please continue with the fantastic content! Thank you for your time.
Brent Jarvis
Clean Cut Woodworking

2) Hey fellas, I’m looking into a new drill press.  I’m looking to spend about 500$.  I noticed the rikon radial arm drill press is the same price as the standard drill press.  why wouldn’t I buy the radial arm drill press? 

Thanks Scott

Huy

1) Howdy from Madison, AL!  I’m pretty new to woodworking although 
I have been building (and finally finished) our kitchen cabinets including 43 drawers!  Now I’m getting into ‘finer’ woodworking and am building a 2” thick (6’x4’ oval) walnut/maple kitchen table.  My question is about building a base for the table – any idea how to prototype the build so that I can see if the base will actually hold all the weight of the table?  I can build it in Sketchup but that really won’t tell me how much weight it will support… I also thought about building a ‘tulip’ style base as our home has very contemporary styling… 

Adrian Abshire

2) First off, this MAY be a repeat (I’ve sent it to SOME podcast but who can keep them all straight ?). I’m making a high chair for a friend, which I hope to complete before the kid goes off to college, from box store mahogany so I’m thinking it’s sapele. I’d love suggestions on how to finish so it’s both durable and safe for a tiny human to gnaw on
Jason

Guy

1) Hey guys I’ve been listening from the start. Awesome podcast and has been super informational so thank you for all you do. My question to you guys is, is it worth upgrading my dwelt 734 to a helical head or buy a new 735 four post and upgrade the head later on?(money reasons for later on) The 734 has worked great for my for about 3 years. My only complaint is the knives are crap. They don’t last very long. My question is it worth upgrading the old 734 Vs getting a new four post and upgrading later. It’s a better machine so maybe it will last longer in the end. Thank you for your time!  Mike

2) Hello. My brother-in-law’s house flooded during a recent hurricane. They have a heavy duty metal circular staircase that had carpet covered plywood stair treads that were trashed. I’ve made new stair treads with red oak and was planning to use Osmo to finish, but now they say they want them “dark”.
What product would you recommend to both darken and seal that would hold up long-term to foot traffic. I’m thinking a stain with Osmo might eventually wear off leaving an uneven color.
Thanks in advance, Mike Sibley Sibley Manor Woodworks

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife

Sean

1)Hi all, Love learning from y’all, though your podcast has cost me a bit of money since I hear about some great things that I HAVE to buy!

However, my spouse says that we are running out of room in our tiny 16.5 x 8.75 foot garage and has put their foot down on a thickness planer. They pretty much use a lathe and other machinery to help support their lathe work (benchtop bandsaw, sander, drill press, job site table saw), and have no stated need for a thickness planer. I am interested in moving more into furniture and cutting boards, so I thought a thickness planer, and possibly one day a jointer, would be helpful in my woodworking. I found plans for a jig that I could use my router on but didn’t know if this was a sufficient substitution. Have any of you used such a jig for planing and if so, how did you find it compares to the thickness planer? Also, do you have any suggestions to efficiently plane or joint wood without a planer or jointer? Thanks in advance for your help. Adrien

2) I see and hear people referring to how many hours they have in a particular project – 50 hours for this, 100 for that, etc. and so on.  More so for people doing commission work than just personal stuff, I guess, but it got me wondering… how do you generally figure the hours for a project?  Do you keep track of your shop time, or is it more of a ‘best guess’?  Do you count stock prep?  Tool sharpening during the course of a project?  Building jigs necessary for the project? Time spent waiting between coats of finish?  How deep in the weeds do you go on this, and how does it differ between ‘individual’ projects that you do at home, vs. say projects done at work (in Guy’s case)? Thanks! Monte

3) Two things.

#1 – for the listeners… there seems to be only 58 Patreon members. This is a great resource and I hope more of them contribute, as $5/month is a bargain.

#2 – for the gentlemen, can you please talk about when you do your edge details in relation to sanding. For example, if you’re doing a small chamfer with a block plane, I would think this happens after all sanding is complete. But if you’re looking to blend in a top and bottom roundover, I assume you do this before any sanding, but at the risk of losing some symmetry. Look forward to your thoughts on this topic.  Thanks, Glen

Guy

1) Hey guys, recently found love the show. I started at the beginning and am nearly caught up, but forgive me if this has been discussed already.  I’m planning to build my wife a very large craft desk/work area. She wants it to be ‘U’ shaped so she can rotate in place and complete each operation of her projects. Due to the shape and size, I naturally want to assemble this in a manner that it is easy to disassemble to allow for future relocation.   Aside from basic, but strategically located, screws or bolts for assembling each section to one another, have you guys used any sort of “knockdown” hardware.  I have used connector bolts on cheap throw-away furniture pieces before, but not on pieces that I have built.  I can foresee some difficulty in accurately locating the various holes to be drilled when using that type of system.  Any thoughts on products and/or approach for such an application?

Ps. I have seen a couple of neat options using the Domino and Lamelo biscuit joiner. I have a Dewalt biscuit joiner, but neither of the two other tools are currently at my disposal.  Perhaps this is my excuse to invest in the Domino? Thanks and keep up the good work!  Jason

2)Hey guys.  I really enjoy the podcast.  Thanks for sharing your expertise with the woodworking world.

I’ve decided to upgrade my sharpening media by moving away from Norton water stones and purchasing two of the DMT Duo Sharp diamond plates (220/325 mesh and 600/1200 mesh) and the 6000 grit Shapton Glass Stone for final honing.  It’s my understanding the ceramic on the glass stone will require flattening but not nearly as often as the Norton stones which I flatten after every use.  Can you tell me how to best determine when my 6000 grit glass stone will need flattening especially since it will be used primarily only for final honing?  Also, can the DMT diamond plates be used for flattening the glass stone?  If so, which grit/mesh do you recommend.  Thanks again and keep up the great work.  Jack Francis – Geneva IL

3) Question mainly for Guy: ive heard you talk about your love for the Incra 5000 many times. I have one myself for a few years. One part i wanna pick your brain on is how you claim to be able to square it up in seconds. I will preface this by saying that i hope i am missing something in my own experience. But I find i still need to do 5 cut methods for mine every now and then because when the fence gets bumped… you can no longer trust the registration marks until its squared again. Aside from this, theres also so much play in the outer end of the fence before you lock it down so how do you ever truly trust the angle? I find myself only setting it to 90 and still occasionally find its misaligned. I wouldnt dare trust it for angles like 45 etc because of the play of the arm and the other factors. What am i doing wrong? (I have made sure everything is tight) – tree of life woodworking

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife

Sean

1)  If I use the 1/3 rule for the tenons on the aprons, the tenons would be 1/4″ thick if I use 3/4″ stock.  Do you think this is thick enough for a side/sofa table that won’t see much abuse? 

2) Hey guys, love the podcast! I have been following Sean’s box build and wanted to talk about box hinges. For side mount hinges, what’s your preferred installation method that works every time? It’s something I struggle with and would like some tips or tricks. Thanks, Deron

Guy

1) Thanks for the great podcast and answering a number of my questions in the past.  As with many of us I have a love hate relationship with finishing.  I have been using Shellac with a Rubber (I know Huy dislikes that term) using Guy’s method of preparing and using.  I’ve recently tried hard wax oil (Odie’s) which I like, but want to try spraying.  I have a Home Right Super Finish HVLP (ie CHEAP) Sprayer, can I use this for spraying Shellac?  I know recently Guy had mentioned that he pretty much just sprays shellac now.  If I do this would I prepare the ratio the same as I have been for rubbing?  Any tips or tricks you could share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Doug

2) To my question, how do you guys balance getting stuff done vs quality?  Is quality always important? Thanks again Liam

Huy

1) What is your favorite species of wood to work on with hand tools  and why? Michael

2) I want to make a bow front bedroom set (night stands, chest of drawers and dresser). I plan to make the draw fronts out of bending ply and 1/16 shop sawn veneer. I was considering sawing them out of 12/4 or 16/4 cherry but some of the drawers will be 10 inches tall and I’m concerned about the stability of the wood over time.

After I bend and glue up the drawer fronts, How should I square up the ends so they are parallel plus have a flat on the back for the draw sides? Also, I usually hand cut dovetails when making drawers, since the fronts will basically be plywood, I am thinking this will be difficult. Is there another technique that you could suggest that would be strong, yet simple to make?

Also, the dresser will be two drawers wide with a single bow (each drawer will have a half bow). Whatever technique I use to make the drawer fronts on the end tables and chest of drawers will need to be different for these drawers, how do you suggest I square up the ends and create a flat on the back for the dresser drawers?

Mike

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife

Guy

1) Gentlemen-

Enjoying, as always, the podcast. Especially with the recent addition of my questions, and your informative, insightful, and obviously thoroughly researched and considered thoughts on my quandaries.

Onto my current woodworking-related predicament. I find myself both lacking a proper workbench, and having a surplus of black locust and white oak from my aforementioned shed project. My current workbench is a tall (40″) dining room table- when it served as such, it came as set with stools, not chairs. From Bloomingdales. For $2600 f@CKING DOLLARS! IT’S MDF SCREWED TOGETHER! Who gets a tall dining room table as the only horizontal surface in a 400 square foot Manhattan apartment? My ex-wife. Because that makes sense and if it doesn’t you are in the bad boy corner. Word of advice to your listeners – if your fiancée insists on haircuts that cost more than a Woodpeckers router lift, don’t. Just don’t and run and make up an excuse, but don’t. Ever. 5 months of hard lessons right there.

But I digress.

I have enough black locust to make a 26″ x 78″ top at about 3.5″ thick. My lumber dimensions range (rough, not nominal) from 4x4s to 2×10’s. The only bench top dimension limited by the lumber is the thickness. I feel like I want a “girth-ier” bench. The legs are going to be 4×6 white oak with 2×6 stretchers and in the drawings the top looks out of proportion.

I’m a big feller (6’4″) and I generate a lot of force with my hand tool work. I don’t want to bring the base dimensions down to suit the current possible top thickness.

So do you think I should suck it up and go grab some more 2×6+ and get me a 6″ thick top?

The goal here is to get rid of all of this black locust – it’s not good for woodworking, it’s the best for outdoor building, but I want to get back to woodworking.

But my parents, who live nearby, need a cathouse. The kind for sheltering an outdoor animal, not housing prostitutes. So I could potentially use the excess to make that impervious to the elements, and make my mom happy. Because apparently Jeff told her his little bitty feet get cold on the stone patio, and my dad built what looks like a homeless encampment out of tarps and pallets as a temporary shelter.

But I digress.

Tell your listeners to look @figurawoodwork on instagram they can see what I am talking about. I’m going to send you a pic direct so you don’t have to dig around. Continue the superlative work, may your blades stay sharp, and your fences square. Tom

2)Hey,

Thanks so much for the podcast! I have a delta contractor saw 36-725T2.  I’m very happy with the saw and it happens to line up with my work bench well.  The one thing I’m struggling with is, I feel the table is a little tall.  I need to really stain to look straight down on the blade to line up fine joiner cuts.  Such as diver tails and tenons.  I thought of lowering the saw but I like my bench height, and don’t have room for an outfeed table and a bench. Which height is more important? Scott

Huy

1) Hey fellas! Love the podcast and the wealth of info you share. I’m building a dining room table out of old growth fir. I know it’s a bit silly to use such a soft wood for such a high traffic piece, but the wood came from a 12×12 post that was holding up part of my childhood home.

I’ve inset some brass pins and tubes in a flowing pattern on the table top and plan to finish it with Osmo oil ebony stain for colour to contrast the brass, but I’m stuck on what to do for an impact resistant top coat. Have any of you used a foam roller to roll on epoxy and build a couple of coats up? Would an epoxy with high solids be more durable than other more ‘tried and true’ finishes? The table is being gifted to my brother in law and they have a veeeery active toddler, so dents are inevitable but I’d like to protect it as best I can without doing an epoxy pour-over. Apologies if this question has been asked as I’m only on Ep 22! Thank you from Vancouver, BC – Bruce

1) As I sit here coughing and assuring everyone it isn’t covid I just have lungs full of Sapele, I thought to myself… The woodshop life guys can maybe help me. I try my best to wear all my PPE but I often find myself choosing between lung protection and eye (and ultimately hand) protection. I have tried many different masks and

Eye protection but every time if I am wearing both the glasses fog up and I can’t see so I take off the mask. What do you all wear or have you used to overcome this. I have seen the full face mask with Ac blowers but I can’t spend 500 and need something economical

Will

2) Great podcast fellas, such a wealth of knowledge.  My question is about Sherwin Williams Hi-Build Precat Lacquer (low gloss white).  I’ve been spraying it thru my Fuji for a few years.  I know SW can tint it but I have a big assortment of trans tint dye.  Wondering if it works as well as SW tints.  Thanks David Morton ,Central Kentucky

Sean

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife

Sean

1) My question for you is regarding finishing. I have used an alcohol based dye and sealed it with shellac as ‘it sticks to everything and everything sticks to it’. I’m also using a water based poly over that. Specifically regarding the legs, they are an upside down ‘U’ shape or ‘A’ shape and I have them set up to brush on the poly. Would you finish the outward face and edges first, let dry and then flip to do the inner face (legs are laying flat on painters pyramids that are set up on top of the table saw). Or would you poly all sides at once and try to touch up finger marks as you go?

If I were to spray the poly, what would be my order of operations (spray one side and all edges first or all sides at once). What about orientation of the table legs (lay flat/ stand them up/hang from a wire?)
The poly I’m using is Zar Premium Finishes fast drying semi gloss. It says on the container ‘do not thin’ if spraying can I disregard this and add up to 10% water to lower the viscosity as I might with other finishes?

Thank you so very much for such an in depth dive into this glorious craft. Bruce

2) Thanks for answering my last question on stickering new cherry boards in a horizontal rack. I did sticker them and they stayed stable but in the future I will probably not if they are kiln dried as I have limited space and need to maximize.
I just completed a shaker end table with the cherry I had bought and realized when putting the top on that the painter’s pyramids that I used to hold the top while I was applying the finish left dents in the top. I finished the top with a coat of BLO and then five coats of shellac. The finish looks great but the dents are ruining the look of the smooth top. I know you can steam the dents out but I am afraid to try this as I do not want to damage the finish. What are your thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks again,
Jim

Guy

1) Hi guys… I’m a truck driver and listen to your podcast allot.
Guy,, do you still use your Incra TSLS fence? Why don’t we see more woodworkers using them? Even on YouTube the videos are years old. Your thoughts please. Brent

2) Name a tool that you have that you’re not particularly happy with, but  for some reason have not upgraded, and give your reasons why you haven’t bit the bullet and bought a better version of that tool?

Huy

1) Gentlemen- I [insert enthusiastic verb] your podcast, and think you all are etc..I have a…different…finishing question. I am about to complete a small timber framed shed. No fasteners used except 4 hurricane straps and nails for the roof deck. Guy you would hate your life here all the mortise and tenon joinery was cut by hand. The frame base, flooring, and siding are black locust, the rest of the beams are SPF. All locally sawn, and then transported on the roof of my Subaru. The roof is going to be a living moss roof (i have no lawn only moss on 4 acres). I went through the trouble of bookmatching the siding when I made it, and even though black locust will last 100 years outdoors, I would like to, as the kids say, “pop” the grain. Would you recommend any sort of oil-based finish? I know i would have to reapply periodically which isn’t a problem, however sanding would be. I live about an hour outside of NYC, we have seasons. Any other info you need feel free to ask. Thanks. Tom

2)  I recently bought a combination machine (itech c300). It’s a HUGE step up for me, and I’m worried about neglecting something because of my own ignorance. What would you say are requirements for servicing induction motors? Any other tips or tricks for someone who has just upgraded to a serious piece of kit for the first time?