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Guy

1)Jacob from North Carolina, long time listener, 3rd time questioner.

I’m building a trestle style kitchen table that will have a painted base. Not my first choice, but happy wife happy life.  My question is:  What do y’all use to eliminate seams when painting?  Spackle, putty, or some other product.  My seams are tight, right and smooth, but when I’ve painted projects in the past, the seams remain visible.  For the trestle table legs, I would like them to be seamless and look like one piece.   Any insight is appreciated. FYI, I’ll be spraying the paint.

2) Gentleman love your podcast and have listened to every episode, keep up the great work. My question is about fence length. Currently the saw I own is a 1980 Delta Unisaw with a 52″ fence. I purchased it new in 1980. I am retiring this year after I sell my company. My wife wants to purchase a new Sawstop for me because I’m always complaining about the dust collection on my old saw. She wants to buy me the Sawstop Industrial saw (I love tools), and wanted to know do I want the 36″ or 52″ fence.  I think I can count on one hand the number of times I used the additional length on my current fence and was just wondering do you guys have the 36″ or 52″ fence assembly and is it worth having the larger fence.  Normally I just have stuff sitting on it.

Second question is for Guy, as I’m in my late sixties and my skin is quite dry and I use lotion regularly I’ve heard you talk about using gloves in the shop. What type of gloves do you use and are you happy with them.

And one last thing Guy at 5’8″ I love my Laguna bandsaw the table height is perfect for me 🙂  Kris

Sean

1) Hey guys I just wanna say thank you for the amazing contact the guys put out! I found you guys about four months ago I’ve been going through the old episodes to catch up. But I was wondering if you guys could help me out and point me to a good affordable biscuit joiner. I would love to get a festool biscuit joiner but it’s just out of my price range, is there anyway you guys can recommend A biscuit joiner that is worth the best bang for his buck. Thank you again for awesome content Ethan thompson

2) I am contemplating making a new workbench to go with my inkliened vise. I like my current workbench made of southern yellow pine but would like to add a few features like a two piece top for clamping as well as an end vise/wagon vise. My question is would ambrosia maple be a good/bad material choice for a workbench? From my wood store is $3 cheaper than soft maple. I could see the color variance possibly being an issue during use and sighting material. I’m not sure the holes in the material would be that problematic. What says you guys? Thanks, Ryan

Huy

1) Hey guys. New listener here! Love the genuine vibe of the show and of course all the knowledge. I build barn doors, blind mount shelves and mantles out of my garage to support my family. I recently had to switch to plywood for most builds due to cost of solid wood (1x and 2x materials) . My question is..I live in Tampa Florida and my wife hates that our pool table room has become the lumber storage room. Now that I’m using sheet goods and don’t want to break them down far in advance of projects…what are your thoughts on ways to store plywood in a NON climate controlled Florida garage? Also storing solid woods as well. Oh, and my material is always pine or poplar. I would love your thoughts on this topic. Humidity, drastic weather changes hourly and no climate control? The garage is a dedicated, yet messy work space.

2)Hey Fellas, Thanks for addressing my last question on fuzzy cutting boards.  Sean was correct – I was over-sanding after each raising of the grain.  So many ways to shoot yourself in the foot it seems…

I want to ask your thoughts on the practical limits of mitre saws.  I’m sure you’ve addressed similar before, but as Guy often points out, what haven’t you addressed before!   Maybe not from this angle perhaps?  There are folk who do anything and everything with a mitre saw and those who wouldn’t  cut a precise mitre with one to save their lives.  In my journey thus far I think the most important thing for novices is to appreciate the full capabilities as well as the limitations of their equipment.

Assuming a novice user.., one with a reasonable quality mitre saw and table saw.., one who has learned to keep both reasonably well calibrated.., but one who has yet to be collecting after-market devices such as advanced mitre gages etc.. 

Can you point to any examples of types of operations that represent a limit, or exceed the limit, of what a novice should reasonably expect from themselves and their mitre saw?  Or put another way.. for this or that operation – have at it..  but at such and such a point..  well then it’s time to be pursuing table saw jigs or other skillsets to get where they need/want to go?

Thanks again, hope this finds you all well, keep on keepin’ on! Colin

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This episode is sponsored by: Shaper Tools, makers of Shaper Origin

Guy

1) Hey guys, Jonas from Germany here. Since you’re always looking for question, here is another one. As a weekend woodworker who doesn’t get much time in the workshop, I regularly get the problem that milled stock doesn’t get touched for several days before I can continue with the project. Right now I am working on an outdoor table made from European oak and there might be a few weeks between milling the boards and actually assembling the table. I have heard of the solution to use plastic bags or shrink wrap but that doesn’t really work for 7-foot boards. How do you handle stuff like that?

2) Hey guys, love the podcast and thank you for all you guys do! I made a dining room table for my sister-in-law about a month ago. The table is made out of Hard Maple and is 3.5’ wide by 8’ long. I noticed when I first bought the boards that there were some very small, hairline cracks at the very ends of the boards. After glue up I was able to square up the table by cutting the end that had the worst cracks completely off. Unfortunately, I did not have enough material to completely eliminate them from the other end. So instead, I cut as much as I could from the other end and filled the remaining hairline cracks with Plastic Glue wood filler. This seemed to have remedied the problem! I then finished the table with 4-5 coats of water based poly, achieving a nice, thick coat of finish. Now, about a month later, my sister-in-law is showing me spots where the hairline cracks are reappearing. Curiously enough, they’re reappearing from both ends too. My question is multilayered. First, is this cause for concern? The cracks are very small and not easily noticed unless you look very closely. However, will these cracks continue to grow over the years? Second, given how small these cracks are, how can I go about repairing this issue? I don’t know if thin CA glue will help with the issue or simply act as a bandaid. And I don’t believe these cracks are large enough to allow thin epoxy to seep into them. Any help/advice you guys could give would be very much appreciated!
Chris

Sean

1) Love the show and appreciate what all of you contribute to the woodworking community. I have been a hobbyist woodworker for a long time and though my projects are not fine furniture or wining any awards I truly enjoy time in the shop and making simple things for friends and family.

My question is about finishing.  I hate finishing, so much that I feel guilty sometimes that my project truly never really gets completed even those it’s gifted away. I justify to myself that I’m letting the new owner finish it to their preferences but the reality is I hate that step.  I’ve done spray on (rattle can) shellac, poly, cheap spray paint, Briwax  and rubbed on some polyurethane but I would like to venture out a little farther without fear of ruining my hard work.

Any suggestions on how to take the next step without jumping in over my head?   I have sanders, planers, all the usual finishing tools but I’m basically lazy.

2) I am a hobbyist woodworker with a full time job to support my hobby, and I am lucky in the fact that people are asking me to make things that I want to make. With the urban lumber I am really enjoying the wild and crazy figure that comes from non-commercial trees, crotch grain especially, and the randomness of pallets (everything from cedar to white oak and an occasional exotic species). My question, since we are all woodworkers, is how much would you spend to not buy commercial lumber? As an example, I purchased my 14″ bandsaw, 6″ joiner, and 10″ planer used for $400 total. The chainsaw and chainsaw mill cost $130. Am I crazy? Joshua

Huy

1)Good morning gents. I hope this finds you well. Thanks for the great show.

So 2 questions that are related:

1. I’m losing access to my current workshop – a 2 car garage. Renting commercial space is very expensive, so any other suggestions for finding a space for my workshop would be appreciated. I’m only looking for 400 square feet or so.
2. Because of #1, I’m considering joining a community maker space. Pros and Cons?

thanks

Mark

2) I made a slatted bench out of red oak, but I’m questioning how I want to finish it.  The bench is from Steve Ramsay’s course, and can be seen here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-LKKPyBEVE/

Because of the slats, which are about 3/4″ wide and 2 1/2″ deep, getting finish down there with a sprayer would be impossible, so I think I want to do something I can wipe on.  I’ve created my own simple finish of equal parts spar urethane, mineral spirits, and boiled linseed oil (so similar to a Danish oil) that I’ve wiped on to other projects with success, but not sure if there may be other options that I should consider.  This is a gift for my parents and will live inside, probably by their patio door for them to sit down on to put on their shoes.

Also, if I go the homemade Danish oil route, any suggestions on how many coats to apply, and what to do between coats? Keep up the great podcast, thank you! -Nick

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Guy

1) I’ve been woodworking nearly 4 years and do it as a part time business. This year, business has really taken off and I’m getting several large commissions. Because of this, I finally pulled the trigger on a Fuji Q5 Platinum HVLP. I figured if I was gonna spray… go all the way. My question for you gentlemen: I am convinced that Conversion Varnish is a very high quality finish I would like to use; do you all have any that you have used any loved? Any that you hate? Since many are water-based, should I spray shellac first to pop the grain? Thank you! Nathan

2) Hey Guys. Table saw technique question for you: when ripping narrow stock from a wider board do you prefer the narrow rip against the fence (let’s say it’s a 2” rip for discussion purposes) when ripping down a wide board or do you prefer to keep the wide board between the fence and the blade and use a stop block or a thin rip block and constantly move the fence? Assuming the thin rip against the fence is more accurate but are either techniques safer? Ben

Sean

1) Hey I love your guys show. You guys are lucky to have Guy on your staff. Every act needs a straight man. He’s a good one. LOL so my question is this. In making tabletops is there a standard width of board you prefer. That is, if you have to cut down something wider you typically go for a 8in wide board, 6 in, 12 in. board? – Marlan

2) I’m probably going to get one of the Rigid oscillating belt and spindle sanders that everyone seems to like a lot. But I’ve also had my eye on a 12 inch disc sander. Mainly now I will be using them to sand to lines on curves cut with a bandsaw. Wondering what I would be able to to do in addition to that if I had the disc sander, or whether it’s overkill to have both. Thanks, and don’t let Guy answer my question first 🙂 Just kidding — you’re great, Guy! – Adam

Huy

1) Can you share any info or help for vacuum hoses? How many sizes are there? I have 7 different types of shop vacs ( some for the shop, some for job sites and one for water) and it seems like every one has a different size hose. I have reducers and tons of other fittings, but it seems like half the time I am taping them to the tool I am using. Is this a common problem? I also have 2 portable dust Collectors. I thought about painting each size a different color and then just match them up – Tomakazi

2) I picked up a Festool TS55 last fall, and have been slowly getting more familiar with it.  I’m working towards getting an MFT style top for an outfeed table, and came across an older (2013?) video on Guy’s YT channel showing a setup using an Incra fence with stops on an MFT outfeed table.  I’m curious if you still use that sort of setup, and if you’d go with the same method for attaching the fence today vs. something like the FenceDogs from BenchDogs.uk or PrecisionDogs.us (not released yet).  Any discussion on using a track saw on an MFT type table for cross cuts, with stops, etc. would be welcome. -Monte

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Guys

1) I had a question for you about staining frame and panel doors. A few months back I made a few cabinets that I wanted to match reasonably well with existing kitchen cabinets (made from birch). Everything was going well but when I came to staining the wood I ran into issues. I had tested a few stains on a piece of the birch I was using for the face-frames/rails-stiles and found Varithane premium fast dry interior wood stain (color: kona) had a close enough color to the existing cabinets that the difference should’t be noticed as the cabinets were going in different rooms. After the wipe on, let sit for a few minutes, and wipe off process I discovered that the panels of the doors were significantly darker than the rails and stiles. I tried a second application of stain to just the frame to try to darken them to even out the coloring but that didn’t do much. The wood for the rails and styles was solid birch that I ran through a thickness plainer, assembled, ran through a drum sander, and then sanded with a random orbit sander to 220. The panels were 6mm baltic birch that I sanded with a random orbit sander to 220. I should also mention that I got the wood from a local reputable hardwood dealer, not from a home center. I also used an air compressor to blow of any trapped dust from the doors before staining.

What did I do wrong? I would’ve been happy if the whole door was either the lighter color, or the darker color, but with the light frame and the dark panel, it just doesn’t look right. The only thing that makes sense to me is that the surface structure of the top veneer on the birch plywood was more porous and thus able to absorb more stain. But what do pros do in order to get the same color on solid wood and also veneered wood?

Thanks again for the great podcast.

Cheers,

Gavin

2) I’ve been woodworking for about 2 years now and in that time I’ve been primarily using white oak (with occasional use of Ash, Hard Maple & Walnut), but I’m at a loss when it comes to adding finish; I’m simply unsure where to start, so I don’t use any. So could you help me, please? I do understand that after listening to your podcast from the beginning, that this subject is a bit of a mine field and you’ve covered it numerous times for other listeners, but for someone starting out who would like to use low VOC finishes (to protect my asthmatic Wife), what would you recommend starting with, please?

Thanks in advance and keep up the great work.

Sean

1) I’m building  a planer sled for my Dewalt 735 to do face jointing.  Do I attach the  ‘stop’/‘fence’ part to the leading or trailing edge? I’ve seen it done both ways on YouTube.  What in the world is the correct way? Thanks in advance and I’m a big fan of the podcast and all of your work!

Thanks again, Jason Ruffino SkinnyDogShop

2) Recently built a router table/cabinet because my wife doesn’t know enough about woodworking to stop me from adding to my shop, for now at least.
 
The carcass came together nicely, all 3/4” birch ply with pocket screws (shop furniture so it’s not blasphemy). It was all square and seemed right until the drawers came into play. In total there are 5 drawers – 2 over/under on the bottom left, 1 bigger bottom right, and one on each side of where the router/lift goes. The drawers themselves seem to measure square, unless my public school math is failing me! However some of the drawers seem to be harder to pull in and out. I’m using the full extension drawer slides from Home Depot. Also, when the drawer fronts are attached, they seem to be a little wonky when spaced correctly and some won’t close flush. -Joey

Huy

1) Hi woodshop guys. I have a question about case construction. Ive started building my shop with mobile carts, one for my saw/mitre saw/ router etc. I recently started using pocket holes screws since they are bang around shop carts and i wanted to make them as quickly as possible. My question is what is the best construction bottom and top sandwiched between side panels? Or bottom and tops sitting on top of side panels leaving edge exposed. I add a strong back on each case. Ive seen cases made both ways, so I wonder what you guys think. – Bigsquidy

2) Got a question for your awesome podcast: how do you hold small parts when using a plough plane to make the groove for a drawer bottom? Aaron

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Guy

1) Hey guys. Question on horsepower for table saws. I’m slowly moving toward upgrading my table saw (I won’t mention the brand so Guy won’t have a reason to make fun of me but let’s just say I’m looking forward to not dying). I currently have a 1.5 hp older delta contractor saw. My question to you is what hp are your saws and if there is a major difference between 1.5 and 3 hp? I don’t work with a ton of 8/4 or bigger stock so I wouldn’t be putting thick stuff through. Thanks for any insight! Ben

2) First off just wanted to say I love the show! You are all talented and experienced woodworkers but all offer different viewpoints on how you like to get things done.

My question is about table saw upgrades. I’ve had  a Ridgid R4512 table saw for about 2 years now. I enjoy it but I’m wondering about upgrades. I’m specifically thinking about dust collection and the fence. I know I want to get a zero clearance fence but also wondering about over arm dust collection? Would it be worth it for this saw? Any aftermarket over arm set ups you guys would recommend or have experience with? The other upgrade I’ve considered is a fence. I’ve found that at times I feel the fence on this saw might be a little inaccurate and it doesn’t have a lot of adjustments. Do you feel any of the aftermarket fence systems would be good for this saw? Any recommendations?  Or would you recommend possibly saving money to just get a better saw in the future if you felt like the upgrades weren’t worth making to this saw.

Thanks for the time. Again, love the show.

Brian Bingham

Sean

1) I’ve seen a few people online build jointer sleds to edge joint and flatten boards. Can I actually get decent results out of a jointer sled in most cases? I assume using a jointer sled for processing a large amount of lumber would be a hassle compared to using a floor standing jointer, but what are the other limitations to using a jointer sled that I am not considering?  Brock

2) 

Still loving the show. I wrote in once before and you sold me on shellac finish for small boxes, and you made me a believer.

I do have a new question,

I’m building a dresser for my daughter and I’m not sure how to finish the job. The main carcass and drawers are mostly plywood with oak edge banding. I made the base out of oak and the drawer fronts will also be oak which I plan to stain to let the grain show through.

Do you guys normally finish the inside of the drawers in a dresser? If so, what do you use?

Also, I was going to paint the carcass(it’s plywood, don’t freak out), so I’m wondering if you have any tips on how to get that perfect painted finish on the carcass? I don’t have a sprayer, and the budget is tight, so I won’t be buying a fuji anytime soon, but any other tips are much appreciated!

Thanks, Scott

Huy

1) Love the podcast.  Thanks for everything that you put into it.  I recently resawed some 5/4 walnut, about 32″ long, for some drawer faces (shop furniture).  My plan was to resaw this and then glue up a panel to have continuous grain down the three drawers.  The walnut had been in my shop for a few months and I got it from a reliable source, so I was pretty comfortable with the moisture, although I don’t have a moisture meter.  I had milled a face and an edge square, but as I was resawing it, the two pieces bowed significantly, to the point that they would require another round of milling, and getting 3/8″ to 1/2″ final thickness was not possible.  Did I do something wrong, or is that to be expected when resawing something to that thickness? Chad

2) I am using a 3/8″ diameter upcut spiral bit with a 1/2″ diameter shank from Whiteside to make 1 1/8″ deep mortises in some cherry. Whiteside says the bit is good for 1 1/4″ deep. I am using the bit in the Porter Cable 690LR fixed base router. My questions: How deep a cut is recommended per pass? Is there any criteria out there for depth of cut?

Dave