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Guy:

1) Always enjoy listening to your podcast while working in my shop. I recently saw Huy using a router set to cut cope and stick joints for some cabinet doors.  I have a similar set by Freud that I have used to cut many similar joints over the past several years.  My set has not been cutting very well the last few times I used it so I took it to have it professionally sharpened. It’s no better now than before, maybe worse. Should I try having them sharpened again, or is this just the nature of the beast?

Keep up the good work on the podcast. -John

2) Sharpening vs replacing.  I’m still running straight knives on my planer and jointer and always wondered what makes more sense between the two.  The local Rockler and Woodcraft stores offer send away sharpening for these and all other blades and bits.  It’s about $20-25 for a set of blades to get sharpened, but they’re about the same to just replace them.  I could be just getting the “cheaper” blades as they’re not carbide tipped or anything special.

 What are your thoughts?  I know table saw/miter saw blades are different and seem to last longer.  What were your methods before going to helical everything? Joey

Sean:

1) New to woodworking, love the podcast, learned a ton from you guys so far! My question is about determining moisture in wood when purchasing. I’ve heard you guys talk a lot about needing to sticker wood and let dry before beginning a project, but how does a person know when choosing pieces from their local dealer, what the moisture level is? Does everyone just take a moisture meter with them when selecting boards? Or is there some other way to know which pieces will allow me to start on a project sooner than later? If I want to build a table for example, I don’t want to have to wait two years for my lumber to dry before starting the project. Again, I’m new to woodworking, so apologies if this seems elementary. -Tony

2) Just watched an episode of Woodsmith Shop on my local PBS channel.  They were making a white oak gentleman’s dresser, and used a “gel varnish” for the finish. I have never heard of this before, and I was wondering if any of you guys have used it before? They did not identify the make or model of the product, but Old Masters is one of their sponsors, so I suspect it may have come from them.

Huy:

1) Enjoy your program very much. How did three intelligent talented young men (yes Guy your are younger then I) living so far apart geographly ever become close friends? My question is I would like to add a good jointer to my modest woodworking shop (https://www.instagram.com/papajimshobbywoodworking/) but due to space constraints a floor model would not fit at this time and a 6 inch model may not always be wide enough. Have been looking online at the Model 40180HC-CT (with carbide tips) jointer from www.cutechtool.com Any thoughts on this or suggestions on a different jointer. I am retired from a carrier in massage therapy now living on Uncle Sams monthly donations and enjoying my hobby. Thank you and have the best day ever. James

2) First, I own a large 27”x43” Incra router table. It takes up a lot of space. Is it worth getting rid of the table and getting the built in router table option on a Sawstop? I realize I probably will lose the Incra fence, but I could get back significant room. 

Tony from Atlanta

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Guy

1) I have a couple of Bessey F-Style clamps and some wooden ones made by Klemsia here in Germany (https://www.klemmsia.de). What to get next? Are parallel clamps like Bessey’s REVO really worth the extra price? Lots of people in the US seem to use pipe clamps – what’s so good about them? Are there any specialty clamps that should go into my basic kit like wooden handscrews or one handed clamps? Jarmo

2) I have seen lots of articles on making and using shooting boards but I don’t understand very well the theory behind shooting miters. How does the process work? I mean, if I make a mitered frame, and the miters aren’t perfect, what is the order or operations or the process for shooting the perfectly while maintaining the perfect length of opposing sides? As I think about it, it seems like trueing a miter also shortens the piece with will introduce a new problem and I’ll end up chasing perfection forever. Can you help me understand this?

Thank you so much! I love your show and I seriously appreciate all the effort that goes into it. All of you make my hobby even more enjoyable! – Mart

Sean

1) Hello guys, I am in the process of building my first real workbench and was wondering how you like the benches you have. I’ve seen your benches on YouTube-my questions are, how did you decide on your design/type of bench and vise styles? Is there any things you would do next time? The stuff I’m interested in is usually furniture, using mostly power tools but want to use hand tools more often. Any other discussion on the topic would be appreciated. Thanks and keep up the good work on the podcast- don’t ever change your format- it’s what makes this podcast stick out from the crowd! – Travis

2) Ihave a couple of questions about my DeWalt DW735 planer. Lately I’ve been having trouble with the planer not pulling the wood through. I’ve tried waxing the wings and bed and cleaning the rollers with mineral spirits. These help for a bit, but eventually it stops pulling the wood through again. Any ideas on what might be causing this? Brian

Huy

1) Question: I’m a diy’re and have accumulated my tools over the years. I have a Ridgid Planer and a Ridgid 6” jointer and a Delta Bandsaw 14”. They all run fine. My question is – would it be worth the money To upgrade the Ridgid machines with the helix cutters and the Bandsaw with a Carter bandsaw guides. If I did them all it would be around $1000.00. – Dave

2) How do you know when a piece of sandpaper is worn out or no longer the grit it says it is? I use high quality klingspor sanding discs that last a long time but not sure how to tell when they are no longer effective. Is there a board footage or rule of thumb you guys can talk about? – Stockbilt

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Guys Questions:

1) First thanks for the great podcast y’all have put together I really enjoy listening. I am looking for a new bandsaw for the shop. I had a 18” Jet bandsaw that I really liked but it was just to big for my shop. I am looking for a 14” bandsaw to replace the old one. I have looked at the Jet JWBS14-SFX and the Laguna 14/12 and the Laguna 14BX 2.5 HP models. There is not a huge price difference in them but I have also noticed that Harvey Woodworking has a bandsaw that looks very similar to the Laguna 14BX but I have not seen or heard of them before. I believe the Jet has ball bearing guides and the Laguna has ceramic. Do any of you have an opinion on these saws. My local Woodcraft has both Laguna machines and the Jet in store but I am torn between them. Any help would be much appreciated. Keep up the good work guys! – Troy

2) Hey all, love the show – Guy is looking handsome as ever – 

I’ve been watching a lot of old New Yankee workshop and noticed that Norm reinforces like EVERYTHING with brad nails – I’m especially talking about show faces on projects like the shaker wall clock he built – he shot like 10 brads into face grain on the sides of the clock where everyone will see – 

I’m sure he is hiding them in the finishing process with a filler, but I’m wondering if a brad is really necessary on non load bearing joints / projects – We have all seen the tightbond ads showing that the glue joint is actually stronger than the wood itself – Do I really need to brad / pin nail in a divider piece on a wall clock? Or trim molding that is glued otherwise??

SB

Seans Questions:

1) How do you decide what the next Purchase in the shop will be with a given budget? I have 1500-2k I can spend so I’m debating between many different things

2) Hey guys I have just got into listening to the podcast and have really enjoyed it. I was wondering how do y’all go about selling the projects that you make and where to advertise the pieces so that they get sold. Also what are some good ways to get your name out to the community to let them know about you and the skills that you have.
Thanks, Logan

Huys Questions:

1) My question concerns instagram/maker etiquette. I am a novice in woodworking/cabinetry, and I am always curious what other maker costs are in some of their projects. I guess my question is, is it ok to ask other makers how much they have in a project and what their net profits are on the project?? I’d like to know how I’m doing when it comes to margins. -Cole

2) The WWGOA has made a pretty big push lately regarding the Harvey “Ambassador” Cabinet Table Saw. Would you share your thoughts on the C200 & C300 models? I have been saw shopping for some time, reviewing all available “cabinet style” brands, and recently put this saw into the mix of choices.

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Guys Questions

1) Can you speak a little in general about expansion and contraction of wood with some basic Do Not vs. Do when it comes to glueing and allowing wood movement?  Thanks in advance, I am learning a ton! April

2) Hey Guys, I’ve got a question for the podcast that I’ve never heard anyone address. Is it worth it to invest in high-dollar drill bits? 

As a hobbiest on a tight budget, I generally get new bits at the box store, but sometimes I can look at them while they are spinning, and tell that they are not spinning straight. They seem to do the job, but I always wondered if having better bits (or possibly a better drill, I guess) is worth the money?

Thanks, and love the great show format.

Sincerely,

Scott A.

Jackson, TN

Sean’s Questions

1) Hello, I would like your opinion what would be the better upgrade option around the 300-400 dollar range. I currently have a 60’s era Delta 6″ jointer with a 1.5HP motor and am debating on whether I should upgrade to a carbide helical cutter head or should I upgrade my capacity with a used 8″ jointer which I can usually find around here for about a hundred more. Thanks for the podcast, it’s going great! – Travis

2) Love your podcast. Your show is amazing and I love all three of your social stuff. Guy, your YouTube page is amazingly helpful for me. I’m a hobbiest woodworker who sells pieces based upon commission only. I’ve been building out my shop via commissioned projects over the past 4 years. I started with all HD Ryobi stationary tools to learn on and now am upgrading to more professional tools. Here’s what I have so far: Laguna F2 hybrid table saw, just got it and love it, it took some mods for dust collection but it’s awesome. Wen drill press. Craftsman used lathe(got it for $100 from a neighbor) basically brand new. Rigid miter saw station. Porter and cable router on a homemade table. Dust collection system with a shop vac and dust deputy. 10 inch wen band saw. My question is what do I get next? Drum sander? Or planer/jointer combo? My budget is around $1200 and space is an issue. I work in a 1 car garage. I do have everything on wheels except the table saw. Hope I didn’t ramble. Keep up the great work. Brad 

Huy’s Questions

1) What glue do you use for veneering? Are there any circumstances when you would change the glue your using, such as curved panels, color of veneer, or purchased vs shop sawn veneer?
Douglas

2) I don’t think I have heard y’all talk about these before so here you go. Woodpecker tools. What do y’all think of them?  Are there better or cheaper tools out there that will work as good? I have a few Woodpecker tools and I really like them and find them very useful but just looking for other options out there. I also have bought a few of their one time tools and have been very pleased with them. Keep up the great work guys! – Troy

Thanks to Maverick Abrasives for sponsoring this episode!

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Guys Questions

1) I’m having trouble getting clean 45 degree angles (or any angle other than 90) on my table saw. I use an Incra Miter 1000. It seems like my workpiece shifts ever so slightly as the wood enters the blade and my miter isn’t clean. I don’t have confidence in the miter stop provided with the miter gauge cause it’s just a small round piece of metal. Any tips on cutting angles with this style miter gauge would be awesome. Also, do you recommend using it on the left or right miter slot of a left tilting blade. Much appreciated.  Keep up the good work. -Zach

2) I just got my first Lie-Nielsen plane (#4 bronze body smoother).  I’ve decided it’s time to up my sharpening game and purchase some quality stones to sharpen plane irons and chisels.  I had pretty much decided on Shapton Waterstones when I ran across their glass stones. The glass stones now seem to be the way to go but I’d like to have your guys take on glass vs. water stones before I pull the trigger. Love the show guys!  Thanks and Merry Christmas! – Jeff

Sean’s Questions

1) Hello guys, big fan of the podcast, I’ve listened to all your episodes and look forward to each one. I enjoy the Q&A format.

My question is about a workbench I want to build, more specifically the top. I have no formal workbench right now so I’m looking to build my first. I was initially looking to source some butcher block top and use that but last year I acquired a full 4×8 sheet of 1-1/4″ MDF leftover from a jobsite. I had to rip it down and cut it down to make it manageable enough to get it in my car so I have 2 5’x2′ pieces of 1-1/4″ MDF.

I was planning on laminating these 2 pieces together to get a 5′ X 2′ X 2-1/2″ thick benchtop. I’m wondering what if any issues I may encounter and any tips for gluing up, attaching a vise, etc. I was going to drill dog holes but I recently saw a video from Dave Piccuito at https://youtu.be/DYIwSm2wnAA where he puts in a t-track. I really like how his turned out and was thinking about doing that.

So I was just hoping to get some insight into anything I may want to look out for or be aware of. Pros/cons/thoughts. Thanks for everything you do guys, take care. – Michael

2) On a recent episode, you talked about using your CNC’s to cut out jigs, etc.  I’m interested in getting a CNC to complement my woodworking, which is a fairly new hobby for me since I retired a couple of years ago.  My only real interest is in using it to make jig parts and router templates for things like furniture legs – not interested in creating final products or 3D sculptures with the CNC, nor doing production for products to sale.  What are your recommendations (size, features, manufacturers) for a setup that would see light duty limited to this application? I’ve tried some of the online laser-cutting services – but they can get pricey pretty quick and have limited thicknesses, so I’m interested in my own setup.  Price is a big consideration – as I can’t see spending 5 grand for such a limited application. Thanks, Scott

Huy’s Questions

1) I started woodworking last year, and I’ve only been using jatoba, African mahogany, hickory, and hard maple. Mostly because I got good deals on Craigslist. Based on what I’ve heard you guys discussing, those might not be the easiest woods to work with.

My next project is to make a bed for my 4 year old son. What species would make my life easier? I’m in Denver, so cherry isn’t all that cheap. Also, any tips on making beds? -aaron

2) I have a commission for a 6’ round 12/4 (poplar but it doesn’t matter) dining table. I’ll fabricate the steel base, but how would you move such a massive piece around the shop? And any recommendations on the glue up? Guy, how do you move your large pieces at the new shop? Thanks gentlemen! Will

Thanks to Maverick Abrasives for sponsoring this episode!