Category: Podcast Episodes

Brian’s Questions:

Hey Fellas,
I’m in the market for a new table saw. I am coming from a 2hp Grizzly hybrid saw with a broken part I cannot find a replacement for. I’m debating between a 3hp Powermatic or Sawstop. Either of these will be a major upgrade from what I have but do you have opinions either way? The Sawstop technology is great and I understand accidents can happen but I tend to think if your hands are that close to the blade you’ve got bigger problems. That said, the Sawstop is up to $1,000 cheaper than the powermatic depending which add-ons you choose. Do you have any thoughts or are there other brands I’m missing and should look into?
Chris
Instagram: @custom_by_chris

Hi guys! I am a hobbyist/turning professional woodworker based in Portland, Oregon. I have really enjoyed listening to your podcast and thought I would quickly ask your opinion on rectangular dominos.
I have been creating shop-made dominos to save money. Creating them is a pain in the butt! Trying to nail metric round-overs with imperial bits at that level of precision is pretty involved. It usually takes a bit of time and wasted material to set the router table up correctly in order to batch a bunch out. Then running a glue groove on everything is another step that takes time. A thought came to me about creating square edged, rectangular tenons that aren’t hitting the radii of the domino mortise. My thought is that the few millimeters of void wouldn’t really affect the strength of the joint and the voids themselves would act as a hydrolock prevention by nature. Assuming these aren’t used for through style tenons, do you see any issues using rectangular stock? Thanks for doing the podcast and I look forward to future episodes!
Sal Al-Sudairy
sfapdx@gmail.com
@oregon_woodworks Instagram

Guy’s Questions:

Hey Guy’s

I know finishing gets hit often but this is perhaps a different spin. My basement garage is my workshop so odor and chemical safety is a concern.
I’m mostly done with my plywood/poplar painted dresser (thanks for the tips by the way, screwing and glueing without fancy jointery made assembly a breeze Guy).
That being said what is a good low odor option for finishing a paint grade project that’s being painted white? Yellowing and tannin bleed are therefore both concerns.
I’ve heard Ya’ll talk about conversion varnishes but also heard complaints about odor. Would BIN water based primer under enamel paint be best? Should I go the oil based primer/paint route for durability?
I have recently gotten a paint sprayer but am open to rolling if that’s preferable. I’ll attach my budget sprayer below for context.
Thanks so much, this is by far the best woodworking podcast.
-Dave

Hello Huy, Guy, and Brian! You gentlemen, as well as Sean, have been a huge help and inspiration to my woodworking journey. Keep the great content coming!
I recently picked up an older Bosch 1615 evs plunge router mounted to an old tabletop with an Incra Intelli fence. While I can find manuals online for both of these discontinued items, I’d like to get your input on how to best set up an older router with this fence. Since this particular router is in its own molded housing, I don’t think a router lift is an option. What do you all recommend for setting this router up in a new table? I intend to likely build a stand-alone router table with a top made with melamine left over from a recent project, but I’m open to suggestions. Thanks, -Kurt

Huy’s Questions:

Hi everyone,
Thank you for a great show. I’ve listened through the entire catalog twice, learning a lot.
In Episode #115 (and other episodes) you mention UV light turning walnut orange. I recently built a large dining room table out of walnut. I did not dye the table, even though I knew color change was possible. I have never used dye and the walnut was so stunning, I was afraid I would mess it up.
If my table turns orange, can it be sanded off? How deep does the UV “damage” go into the wood?
If I was to dye the walnut, could you please remind us what color dye you have used that works on walnut? How you have applied it to walnut, and when in the finishing process?
hanks again for a great show and a great woodworking education.
Kevin

Hello Gentleman,
Love the podcast. Thanks for all your hard work.
I am considering tackling a Entertainment unit for my bonus room; however I am struggling with material choice. The cabinet finish will be painted, do you suggest plywood or MDF? I plan on building some drawers with plywood boxes and MDF faces but I am concerned about the durability of the MDF when installing hinges if I use it for the carcass construction.
The overall length of this build is 16″ long by 8′ tall with drawers along the bottom open shelving on either side of that with the TV in the middle. Normally I am not so indecisive ; however this is such a large project and with the high cost of materials I want to start off on the right foot. Any guidance would be appreciated.

• Mike

Brians Questions:

Every time I make a jig I struggle to get the fence square. How do I do this properly. Is this a common problem amongst new woodworkers? Love the show guys keep it up!

Johnny

This is Ben and I’m 8 years old. I would like to make a pocket knife with my dad. What suggestions do you have for making one?

Ben and Nathan

Guys Questions:

I recently found your podcast and have been binging it while in the shop. Guy, I was quite surprised to learn about your passion for 3D printing and various tinkering in his shop. I share the same passion for tinkering that extends beyond woodworking. In my shop I get almost as much satisfaction in discovering/creating a jig or tool to complete the job as I do in the actual finished product. My biggest “tool” build has been the ‘Mostly Printed CNC machine’, which is good enough for cutting various templates or basic v-carves. I can’t justify the price tag for an off the shelf machine to do that work when this one is good enough for me, at least for now. But I don’t think I could ever make something like a dowelmax, when I can buy a quality tool for relatively cheap. Apologies if this has been asked before. My question is about shop built tools and jigs vs. store bought. From your perspectives, with quality and cost in mind, what tools should be purchased off the shelf and what tools can be or maybe should be shop made? (Crosscut sleds, planer jointing sled, flattening jigs, clamping jigs, mobile bases, router tables…the list goes on and on). For reference I’m very much a hobbyist making stuff for the house or family and friends, while selling a piece here and there. So I do not work under any form of deadlines other than those imposed by my wife. Additionally, this is my creative outlet, I’m a gear design engineer the other 40 hours, this is my opportunity to make what I want to make. Keep up the great work!

Caleb Gurd Gears & Grain Woodcraft

Hey guys. You have been kind enough to answer a few of my questions in the past so thought I would throw a couple more your way. I have two questions which fall into the category of finishing. Number one – I’ll be building a coffee table out of walnut which is a mix of heartwood and sapwood. I would like to find a way to blend the color of the mixed wood together. If I use a walnut dye on the entire project will the color of the heartwood and sapwood blend together and provide a uniform looking finish? If dying the wood is the solution can you recommend a brand of dye? Should the dye be oil or water based given that I’ll likely use an oil based clear coat. I have never used dye in the past so any tips will be helpful. Answered – Second question. Our cherry wood kitchen table, which measures 36″W x 48″L, needs refinishing. I believe the original finish is an oil based pre-catalyzed lacquer. I’ll be refinishing just the table top which has several scratches and shallow dents measuring up to 1/16″ deep. The legs are painted black so no need to match the color of the top with the legs. Can you recommend a method for removing the original finish? I don’t own or have access to a drum sander. Also, can you recommend a durable oil-based finish for refinishing the table top? Is spraying the preferred method for such a large surface area? Or, will a wipe-on poly do the job? Thanks again for all your help and expertise.

Jack Francis Geneva, IL

Huys Questions:

Hello fellas. Thanks for the enjoyable podcast, I’ve been listening for months but finally asking a question. Where do you look for inspiration when it comes to design for furniture pieces? Any particular magazines or books you like to reference when coming up with designs. Not necessarily looking for how to’s , but more on design and style. Thanks again!

A. Torres

Kind sirs- Wonderful job etc. and I hope this finds you well. I posit this question knowing full well that I “overthink things” (according to Guy), even though I am “really intelligent” and have “design style” (according to Huy, your Tom Fan Club membership package is in the mail, including a life-size Tom cutout, suitable for posing with for social media photos.) I need a second desk for a backup office when my in-laws visit. I have a nice 2.5″ thick ambrosia maple slab about the right size, and a couple of 4′ long, 6″ x 8″ pine posts. My idea is to wedge-mortice the posts through the slab to create two 30″ legs, and then mortice those into the 18″ offcuts to make wide “feet”. Think two upside down capital “T” going through the slab 3′ apart. Would this construction method obviate the need to consider wood movement, since I only have one point of contact between the pieces? My understanding of wood movement is that it is the constraining of movement that can cause issues; in this case I can see the mortices getting 1/16″ wider in the winter but if they’re wedged, who gives a care? Or, should I hide the mortices and give them a little wiggle room to avoid splitting if the legs swell? Would pine stretching, crack maple? There I go over thinking things again. But thank you for humoring me. I await your answers with bated breath –

Tom the Bomb Figura

Brians Questions:

Hey guys, Got another one for ya. I have never used real hardwood for a project. Everything I have done so far has been with random scraps, pine or plywood. I was wondering what you guys would suggest as a good first project using hardwood. I do have a small variety pack of 3 species I picked up from woodcraft a while back that was on sale. 3 small boards that are essentially 2′ 1×4’s. Couldn’t tell you what species they are at this point. I had thought about starting out by making a simple wood mallet using these. As a companion question. What general advice would you give someone just starting out. I don’t have a planer or joiner so where should I get my hardwood? Do typical wood suppliers have an option to purchase already dimensioned lumber? I know a big box store is always an option. What species would you recommend getting started with? Any other helpful tips for this rookie? Thanks again, Jon

Guys Questions:

Hello gents, My wife creates some really detailed pyrography on offcuts from my woodworking projects. Usually I give them a light coating of linseed oil or tung oil but We’ve found over time, and in particular when in direct sunlight, that the burnt image fades quite a lot. Any ideas on a finish that would help prevent or reduce this fading? Thanks Adam (listener from the UK)

Hey all this is Mason with Blairswoodshop again. I’ve been thinking of more questions to ask and I have a couple. I’ll start with this one and send the others later. I’ve been seeing a lot of advertising from finewoodworking magazine about some online courses. I’m actually quite interested. I live in a rual area of Missouri and before that I was in a rural area of Southern California. So any kind of in-person class is always a 2-3 hour drive away. I know there is a lot of experience lost with the lack of hands on and in person instruction, but do you all still think there is something to be gained through online live instruction? Most of my experience is through hours of research, reading, listening to this podcast, YouTube, and hands on experience. I feel I could learn some processes faster even through a camera, where my questions can be answered directly at that moment. Sorry about the long winded question, but I am curious of what you guys think?

Huys Questions:

Huy, Guy, Newbie Brian – First off let me apologize for taking a month off from my regular queries. I had to go ahead and dodge a process server after my 7 year old made me get my wife a toilet seat heater for Christmas. Second, Happy New Year to you and yours. May your 2023 be filled with etcetera. Third, I got a hot one for you. Had a 30″ diameter beech tree taken down out of my deck (it was growing through it), and saved the bottom 10′. Borrowed my buddy’s chainsaw and Alaskan mill and slabbed it up into 8/4. Here is my conundrum. I am 95% sure I will use all but two slabs as milled lumber to make a big dresser. Would you, if you were in my size 13’s, mill the lumber to rough size green/now, and then air dry it, or dry it as stacked slabs and then mill it? I can see advantages and disadvantages to both approaches, I’m leaning towards leaving it as slabs only because beech is notorious for twisting as it dries, and I feel like less mass moves easier. But then I consider that if it has innate tension, it’s going to move when I mill it, no matter what. I have a whole bunch of other questions but I like a nice lead-in to warm up the audience, so I’ll send them individually. You guys breaking trying to break up a multi-parter would just throw off my flow. Love you miss you. Tom @figurawoodwork

I use Odie’s oil. I don’t like it for furniture at all though. I think it looks nice, but I question the durability. That said, I do use it on pens that I sell. You do not get a high shine, but it does leave a nice, natural looking finish with a moderate shine. Plus it applies super easily and seems durable enough for my pens. I was wondering if you guys had a take on hard wax oils for wood turnings. We don’t talk about lathe work a lot. Dillon