Category: Podcast Episodes

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Sean

1) If I wanted to try my hand at veneering my own panels, what set up process do you recommend? This would be an attempt to do it without diving in and purchasing what I hear you guys talk about as a vacuum bag. Is it even possible to veneer my own panels without a vacuum bag? Matthew

2) Hey guys thanks for a great podcast and for answering questions from all of us.  I have a question about planers.  I am looking to upgrade my lunch box planer to something that is better than what I have now (ridgid 12.5″).  I had a 15″ planer years ago and am wondering if I “need” a large planer (15-20″) or would something like the Dewalt 735 work just fine?  Thanks for your input. Troy

Guy

1) Thanks to you all for the wonderful podcast. Really enjoy the way you discuss our (sometimes dumb) questions with great care. I appended my question to an earlier message, but I don’t think it got answered. (If it did, please just re-direct me?) I was finishing up a console made of red oak lately with a couple coats of shellac followed by 3-4 coats of Total Boat Water-Based Poly. Again and again, I’d put on a coat of the poly that looked completely smooth only to come back to what looked like dirty grey raindrops with long tails — not the look I was going for my beautiful sandy red oak piece! I was using a foam brush to apply. I didn’t see any of these trails when I was putting on the finish. And it happened on both horizontal and vertical surfaces I finished. Is this a well known problem with water-based poly? Is it my brushes? But most importantly, is there a way to avoid it? I loathed having to sand it back and reapply. Also, while you’re at it, is it worse to finish things vertically rather than horizontally because it the finish might collect and drip down? Thank you for your thoughts! (Oh, and tell Guy that he never needs to apologize for giving his “opinion”. Frequently, it’s not just an opinion but a position arrived at from lots of expert observation!) Adam Potthast

2) Hey guys, thanks for always producing such great content. My question is about dovetails for beginners. I’ve never done dovetails before, but recently purchased the Leigh through dovetail jig TD330 and am eager to get going. What tips, tricks, and general words of wisdom would you give someone who is just starting to work with dovetails? I know that’s super open-ended so here are a couple specific questions to get the juices flowing- I see that this jig can be used with a handheld router or a router table. Do you have a preferred method when making your dovetails? I’ve also heard people say to buy extra material when starting to work with dovetails, but how much extra? If I’m making a box, should I plan to buy enough materials for 6 sides (basically giving myself 2 extra box sides in case of screw-ups)?

Thanks again for all the great shows. I’ve learned so much from you guys and really appreciate it. Billy

Huy

1) Hey guys! Quick question – I like to resaw turning blanks to make small boxes and they often come covered in wax (or something). When I receive them, should I scrape off the wax immediately and let them acclimate to the shop? Or wait until I’m ready to mill them? Also, what’s the best way to do that? I was thinking skim-cuts on the table saw. Thanks!!
Dan

2) Which type of router would you suggest for fitting to a router table?
I imagine that if I buy a plunge or fixed type and mount it to a table and I can always take it out and use it handheld etc but with a motor body I can leave it set up and just purchase a plunge type as well ( more tools is always a good thing) -Geoff

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Guy

1) I am looking to build a new bench that will serve many functions.  It would be an outfeed table, assembly bench, finish bench, and anything else I see fit to use it for.  I am very intrigued with the Ron Paulk Smart bench design and will most likely go that route.  The big question comes down to what type of hold down/ clamping surface is best.  I see lots of people do numerous T-tracks and use all the new style clamps designed for this, but on the other end is the numerous dog holes like an MFT top.  I do currently have a track saw that I use a fair amount to break down items too unwieldy to use on my small contractor table saw.  Which design do you think is better and why.  If you choose the dog holes design is there any preference on 3/4″ holes vs 20mm holes? 

Great podcast and keep up the great work.

-Chris

2) This may be more of a question for Guy, specifically. I’ve heard him mention Trans Tint Dye multiple times on the show. As a hobbyist, I’ve used Minwax oil based stains for quite a while, but I’m starting to understand why Guy dislikes it. Could y’all explain a bit deeper how you use Trans Tint Dye? After a bit of research, it looks like it comes concentrated and should be diluted before use. Just trying to understand a bit more about the product as it seems preferable over oil based stains.

Also, do any of you have any experience with any water based stains? And would you still prefer a water based dye over a water based stain? -Josh

3) Thanks for the great show. The question portion is a great help. We had a house built 4 years ago and the cabinet, doors, and drawers were sprayed with conversion varnish. The leftover product was left with us for touch up. I was under the impression that conversion varnish had a very short shelf life and would not keep but the painter said that as long as it was sealed it would be fine.

Something recently fell against 2 of the drawers and damaged the fronts. I repaired the damage and tried

doing the touch up with the leftover paint and a brush and it was not good. A friend sprayed it for me with his gun and they look great. The problem is that they have a glossy look that we can live with but they are also a bit tacky. They were sprayed 3 weeks ago and there is still a slight tackiness to them. Is the problem the fact that conversion varnish does not keep and is bad? Will  it cure  or should I strip it, go to Sherwin Williams, get a product they sell to the public, and redo them? Thanks -Bob Smith

Huy

1) Hey guys I purchased a L-Fence from Ben Brunik.  So far I’ve used it for long bevels.  Do any of you use a L-Fence in your workflow?  If you do what other procedures is it good for? Thanks guys -Nate

2) Hey guys! I am a huge fan of the show. I’ve been listening for a few months now and as a novice wood worker I’ve been learning a lot.

I’m generally in my shop alone I’m looking to build out a first aid kit.

I’ve got the basic tweezers and alcohol I use pretty regularly. But I feel like having a proper first aid kit would make sense around all of the blades I’ve got going. I’ve been looking at tourniquets, something I absolutely hope I never have to use but just trying to be on top of safety. Love to know if you guys keep something nearby like that just in case god forbid something were to happen. Thank you for the great show, stay well!

-Mohamed

3) I’m a newish woodworker and noticed that it’s hard to gauge the actual difficulty level in potential projects (maybe youtubers just make it all look easy). What are some projects you would suggest beginners avoid until they establish a larger skill set? Any that look harder or easier than they actually are? Thanks for the podcast and covering so many nooks and crannies of the craft, certainly a better and more entertaining resource than the many Woodworker 101 books out there. Tyler

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Sean

1)Hi,

I want to start using SketchUp and wondering if you guys had any tips on coming up to speed with the app? Did any of you take any training or know of some good video series?

I’m fairly tech savvy, will be using Windows PC and Android devices.

Thank you for your down to earth, real world views! By far the best podcast out there!

Eric

2)Hello again, hope all is well. Perhaps this is somewhat of a tool true woodworkers would never use ,but I’ve always thought CNC machines are really cool and have always wanted to get one in my shop eventually to make custom signs, jigs, gifts and whatever more intricately detailed thing I couldn’t do by hand. Have you guys ever used a CNC machine for anything at any point, or maybe more importantly, WOULD you ever use one? Why or why not? Keep up the great work with the podcast – Brendon.

Guy

1)Hey guys,  I’m working on building table tops for 4 or 5 pieces of living room furniture. I wanted to know if I should install something underneath the tops of the Coffee and console tables like 2 metal U channels to keep the tops flat? The coffee top will be about 4ft x 2ft and console top 2ft x 5 or 6ft. I’m using various hardwoods cut into long strips with different widths like a cutting board. My plan at the moment for the coffee top is to glue it up in 2 halves and use dowels to join the two. Also planning to use Z clips to secure the tops to the bases. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us,

Matt in Alabama

2)I’ve tried making finger joints/box joints. I’ve bought the flat grind blades and used the common technique of making groove in a sled and then shifting the pieces over into the slot/shim that I’ve created. It starts out fine for boards less than 4”, but for boards greater than 4”, I can’t get them to fit just right. Either they won’t join together or they’re too loose. What am I doing wrong? I don’t want to have to remake the sled/jig, but will do so if it means I can get boards of any size to fit properly together? How do you guys go about making box joints?

ChrisCustomWoodworks

Huy

1)I know it’s best to plane, joint etc. with the grain (rubbing the cat from head to tail instead of tail to head). I have trouble determining which direction the grain is running. Any foolproof pointers?

Thanks for the best woodworking podcast around!

Great podcast – thanks for all the information! – Tim in North Carolina

2)Hi Guys from across the pond in the Uk! Love the podcast, the time in the shop is more enjoyable when I’m listening to you guys laugh and chat about your woodworking knowledge, it’s a great help and has answered so many of my questions already. I wanted to ask your advice on shaker cabinet doors. I make a lot of shaker doors for cabinets, alcove units and fitted wardrobes. The problem comes when painting. I don’t spray anything and use water based finishes. I use a water based wood primer undercoat and then a acrylic eggshell topcoat. I lay the doors flat and level on my bench, as soon as the first coat of undercoat goes on the door bows badly, it bows with the centre going away from you on the painted side. After about half an hour the undercoat has gone off enough for me to flip the door and paint the other side which then flattens the door back out but it sometimes doesn’t go back to what it should and also this just doesn’t feel great to me, with my straight edge the door is perfect after glue up/sanding but it’s never this good after painting. Any tips on what I could do/am missing when it comes to finishing these doors. Would love to hear from you guys and keep up the good work, love the show and keep producing great work!

Thanks

Mike @mgscarpentry

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Sean

1)Hi guys

I’m in the market for a miter gauge for my table saw and really like the look of the Incra Miter 5000 but the cost over here in Australia is a bit on the high side ($700 plus postage). Ive started looking around at different manufacturers etc and the usual YouTube searching and I notice a lot of users using a miter gauge only as opposed to a sled with miter type options.

Would you use a miter gauge only as opposed to a sled configuration. Thanks for the great podcast Geoff

2) I would like to make a assembly table top with dog holes just like the MFT basic. I already have an MFT table. Would it be possible to use my existing MFT table top as a template on a larger piece of 3/4 MDF? I was thinking of clamping it down somehow and pre drilling some holes and using my festool plunge router with a flush trim bit. Would this work and how would you do it with what kind of router bit? I see a lot of jigs made or bought online for this but if I already have a MFT table why not use it as a template – Anythony

Guy

1) Long-time podcast listener, thanks for the great content and helpful advice for woodworkers of all skill levels! I’m a few years into woodworking and have a 12 x 15 shop in my basement. No windows in the basement and my workshop is in the climate-controlled utility room with the finished basement just outside the workshop door. I make a variety of things such as boxes, crosses, shelves, trays, etc out of hardwoods, primarily walnut and curly maple. So far, my go-to finish has been a few coats of Shellac (Zinsser Sealcoat) finished with a coat of satin Arm-R-Seal. This finishing process can be a bit tedious, especially when making crosses and boxes that have lots of small crevices.  I’d love to settle on a finish that checks the following boxes:

– Easy to apply

– Isn’t overly smelly, given my workshop location and lack of outside ventilation

– Accentuates the beauty of the wood (e.g. highlights the figure in the curly maple, richness of color of the walnut).

– Doesn’t involve pre-finishing, if possible, as I’m lazy and often have some sanding and clean-up work to do after assembly.

– Is quick from start to finish, as my workshop time is limited with 3 young kids and I want to spend as much of the shop time as possible making sawdust, not applying finish.

– Easy to clean up. For example, I’d love to avoid spending 30 minutes cleaning a spray gun after using it. Also, I don’t have a ton of space due to my Sawstop PCS 36″ saw, router table, planer, drill press, etc.

Should I keep with Shellac and Arm-R-Seal, or should I look at a spray option? And if a spray option, should I do an actual sprayer or buy rattle cans of finish? I’m open to recommendations. Thanks! Brian

2) Being 69 years old now, I find my reflexes, muscle control, eyesight etc. aren’t quite as good as they used to be. Would it be, in your opinion, foolish to go to a SawStop table saw for the increased safety, when my Powermatic PM 2000 works fine. I realize there are other sources of hazards in the shop, but reducing one at the table saw is being considered. Thanks for the great podcast! Tim in North Carolina

Huy

1)Hi Guy, Huy, and Sean, love the podcast, I learn so much every episode. After only a year of woodworking, I’ve decided it’s time to get my shop better organized. I’m going to start making a lumber cart, clamp racks, flip top tool stand, various storage cabinets, assembly table, etc. Most designs for these kinds of things call for plywood. But with plywood prices through the roof, I don’t want to spend a ton of money on each thing. MDF prices are still high but seem a bit more reasonable. How can I determine when MDF can be substituted for plywood? And do you have any other tips for how to make shop furniture on the cheap with today’s prices? Thanks, Matthew

2) Hey Guys, love your podcast; it’s one of the few woodworking podcasts out there that actually pushed me to be a better woodworker. Keep it coming. My question is this: I’m considering purchasing a dust extractor. I currently don’t any any Festool products, but I am considering the new Festool C15 dust extractor. (My budget doesn’t allow for the high prices of the other units with Bluetooth and since I dont own any other Festool products, I don’t see a reason to have any of the other units, but maybe someday). My current set up for my orbital sander, biscuit jointer, etc is a 4 gallon 5hp Dewalt shop vac with 90 CFM. I also have the vac and tools plugged into an I-socket auto switch which allows the vac to automatically turn on/off when I run my tools. I find that this set up does really well. With a price tag at $350, do you think it’s worth it in my situation to upgrade to a C15? What additional benefits do I gain from it that I don’t already have?

– Scott

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Huy

1) When using a hold-down clamp to prevent wood movement -for example on the Incra 5000 crosscut sled, I find that often the wood moves veers slightly as I tighten the knob to hold the clamp against the workpiece. Have you experienced the same? If so, how do you deal with it? Would adding some sandpaper to the bed of the jig potentially create other accuracy issues, you think? Great podcast – thanks for all the information! – Tim in North Carolina

2) What tool or machine do you use for something it’s not necessarily  intended for? ( I wanna hear more than I use every tool as a hammer haha.) For example:  buiscuit joiners are intended to align two boards but people also use them to make slots for Z clips. Or table saws to make cove cuts instead of a shaper. Etc. ) I’m curious to hear if you guys have any neat tricks up your sleeve?  As always love the podcast and keep up the great work.

 Nick

Sean

1)With increasingly limited space in my workshop, how do you decide what scraps to get rid of, and which to keep?  Mark

2) I really hope all has been well with you all. It has been a while since I have wasted your time with a question for the podcast. I mean, come on, we all know how the answers that were getting from this podcast are as spot on as much as the MSRP of a new car. Anywho, I was wondering if any of you use your woodworking tools for other materials other than wood. I have always been weary of using my table saw or bandsaw and such for cutting things like acrylic or even aluminum sheets. Since I have made the router sleds I have found myself more and more using my woodworking equipment to cut those two materials in particular. Now, I do not use my expensive woodworking blades for this purpose but I was just curious if any of you have used your equipment for different materials.
Thanks a bunch for wasting your time to keep my interests peaked just enough to listen to every episode in hopes that one day I’ll learn something.
Brent Jarvis
Clean Cut Woodworking

Guy

1) I have a makita corded track saw that I’ve had for about 4 years. I don’t have a table saw, so the track saw is probably my most used power tool, and I’m really relying on it to give me straight, finished cuts I can reference from.

Recently I was cutting some Baltic birch for a jig where squareness of the panels is critical, so I was checking every cut afterwards. I found that my track saw was not cutting straight. I haven’t put A ruler to it, but it might be 1/64 or maybe 1/32 out over 4 feet.

I took everything apart, cleaned sawdust out of every nook, cleaned the grippy strips on the track, cleaned and waxed the top of the track, cleaned the blade, tightened the track snuggers. I checked the back edge of the track against my straight edge, and that appears straight.

Do you guys have any suggestions? The blade I have on it is more than 2 years old, so I ordered a new one. if that doesn’t help, I can reach out to makita about how to check and adjust the blade for squareness relative to the track slot on the saw base. If none of that works, I’ll probably order a 55 inch festool guide rail (Amazon reviews say they work interchangeably with the Makita saw).

Anyway, I find this very frustrating, but I’m glad to have a reason to write in! I love the show, thank you all! – Jonathan

2) I am going to be making a 72”w x 14”h x 14”d credenza with a mitered waterfall edge out of walnut with a finished thickness of 3/4”. (All four corners mitered) There will be 3-4 drawers in it.  My initial thoughts were to do it out of solid wood but I am now wondering if using walnut plywood would be a better choice as it is more stable than solid wood. I plan to use a domino to join my edges but not really sure how to account for wood movement on a large mitered box. 

Love the podcast and have learned a lot from you guys, please keep it coming!

Lindsey