Woodshop Life Podcast

Huy

1)I recently got a new 12×16 shed and am planning on shifting all of my woodworking tools out of the multi purpose garage and creating more of a dedicated shop space. I may have more questions on that in the future but for now I’ll start with a simple one.

I have a few different battery tool platforms and I know it’s bad for the long term battery life to expose the batteries to lots of temperature and climate changes. As a result I have all of my batteries and chargers in our laundry room for now. I ( and my wife) would prefer to store these in the shop but I’d rather not sacrifice the batteries well being if I don’t have to.

I know yalls workshop space is climate controlled so you probably don’t have this issue. But I wanted yalls thoughts/opinions on the issue in general. Would making some kind of insulated storage cabinet be worth trying. Or is that just poppycock. Ha. For reference I live in NC so the winters occasionally get down to the teens and the summers often the 90s. Thanks for all you guys do. Respectfully, Jon

2) I have been practicing cutting dovetails by hand because I’m silly Using the Veritas dovetail saw I’m pretty sloppy But using a Veritas rip carcass saw I’m pretty on point Is it possible my big rock biter hands are better suited to a larger saw and that offers a better advantage to my end result, than the specific size and toothing of the dovetail saw?

These used to be such big strong hands. I know a girl who dated Atreyu from Never Ending Story. Apparently, very short. But I digress. Thank you for any insights before I drop some serious change on Bad Axe or Lie Nielsen saws.

These Veritas saws are all from the annual scratch and dent sale. Which is why I have a rip carcass saw oops.

I guess I should also say that my other thought was that the Veritas saws are too light and that’s why I’m having a problem with the really small dovetail saw it has no mass. Tom

3) Thanks for making ‘Woodshop Life Podcast’ part of my life! It’s a great mix of styles, knowledge and a little snark – from Guy’s aged wisdom. My question takes off from the last podcast, and the ending talk on an eco-friendly woodshop. I work primarily with reclaimed woods, being involved in that part of the industry since the late 1990’s, so was caught by the subjects lead in the podcast No. 103 marquee. I wasn’t disappointed or surprised that reclaimed woods did not make it onto any of the short lists – though Sean did trail off the session with “and like the wood – recycle it” – though I imagine that it referred to using shop scraps, but possibly other types of salvaged wood material.

So my questions is mostly an open ended one on any experience that you all may have in using reclaimed material – or why it can provoke different reactions among woodworkers, whether used for it’s original or rustic surfaces or resurfaced?. Huy, working in Alabama, must come across some antique pine, though I think he mentioned taking a pass on its uneven grain and amber tone. We’ve sent regular tractor trailer loads of this salvaged old growth material to Alabama – or maybe back to Alabama, as it covered large parts of the state until the mid-1800’s. My perspective on availability can be off, as there’s a lot of the old buildings here in New York City framed with the old softwoods. The longleaf pine is getting harder and more competitive to acquire, but there’s often the Northern softwoods – like less desirable spruce, hemlock and fir, but still old growth in quality. along with the signs that are witness to it’s history – nail holes, stress cracks, aged surfaces, etc. And even if it’s among the local woods available, the mix of species, sources and not least, embedded nails can cause woodworkers to barricade the shop doors.

Also – myself and my business partner Klaas Armster, put out a book a short while back ‘Reclaimed Wood: A Field Guide’. We’d be happy to send along a copy and/or some boards of salvaged wood (dry and de-nailed).

Thanks again for reclaiming the tradition of woodworking in America – the craft itself seems at the heart of an eco-friendly workshop, despite any type wood that is used. Alan

Guy

1) Hi Guys, I want to start by saying that you all Rock. I listen to a few woodworking pod casts and yours is the best at passing along knowledge.

Thank you for helping all of us out with your insights on wood working.

I am very new to this hobby and am in the process of building my wife a cabinet. It will be used for holding potato’s and onions and a few other things that clutter our kitchen up.

My question has to do with the glue up for the top of the cabinet. I am glueing 3pieces of 3/4 cherry together to make the top and I am concerned about it ending up flat. I am wondering if I should use dowels to help with this. I am thinking about buying a dowel jig from rockler and want to know if this is worth it or should I try a different technique.

I would like a good jig but do not want to break the bank because it will not be used too often.

Also, what type of finish would be good for cherry. I am thinking some stain and then a poly. Thanks again, Cory

2) Hey guys, Jared from Houston here. Really appreciate the podcast!

I’m making a wall-hanging cabinet intended to store a couple whiskey bottles and glasses. The cabinet will be solid cherry with one door and maybe a drawer on the bottom. I’m moderately experienced with wood but woefully beginner with finishes. I typically would finish with shellac only and wipe down with steel wool to a matte finish. However, due to the likelihood of contact with alcohol, I believe another approach might be wiser. My favorite idea right now is to put two coats of shellac then follow with a coat of spray can lacquer. What do you guys recommend? Also, to what grit do you sand before applying your first coat of finish? Last consideration on these questions…I’ll be donating this to auction at a local school fundraiser and do not want to get called for finish repairs down the road! Thanks for any advice you can offer! Jared

3) Hello guys (and guy), thank you for delivering an awesome podcast!

I know this topic is taboo, but I was wondering what y’all’s thoughts were on veneering one side of a panel when it is already in its frame.

I am planning on building a tool cabinet (loosely inspected by FWW Mike Pekovich tool cabinet) the door in question would be a traditional frame and panel door with a 1/2” plywood panel set into a 1/4” groove. The back of the door has a case style frame attached to the back to give the hinged door some depth to house tools.

The reason I am wanting to only veneer one side is due to lack of material, (the door frame will be made of mesquite, and the panel shop sawn veneer out of spalted hackberry) I know I could veneer the back with another material but I am also trying to save on weight/ thickness of the panel.

Hopefully y’all will have some advice / experience on this topic. I am planning on doing this project in about 6 months. Thanks in advance, Josh

Attic Drying, Handling Large Sheet Goods, Bench Flattening, & MUCH More!

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

Sean

1) Hey fellas. Hope this finds you well.
I’ve come into a work bench that needs some tlc. I’d like to rehab it if I can. It has a solid steel tube base (clearly store bought) with a butcher block style top that is 2’x4’. It’s laminated strips of what I believe to be maple. (Sorry; my janka hardness test machine is on the fritz, but I can’t dent it with a fingernail). It’s got a significant bow from front to back (across the 24” dimension) of at least a 1/4”. Whats the best approach to flatten it? I’d like to save the thickness as it’s about 1 1/2”. It doesn’t need to be dead flat. It would be a secondary work area (aka a horizontal surface that collects all manners of various and assorted things. )

Thanks for all that you do and keep up the good work!
Mark

2) Hey guys. Don’t want you run out of questions, so here’s another one: When and how often do you sharpen your hand tools? I don’t really like sharpening and find myself going through chisels to find a sharp one and using that favorite plane although it’s not sharp anymore because I’m telling myself that it’s not worth it yet to get those stones wet. What’s your balance? Should I just buy new tools when they are not sharp anymore? Just kidding, although I would love to.
Jonas

Guy

1) Hello gentlemen, love the podcast and I took your last advice to heart and have been staining some of my projects with polyurethane with great results. Thank you for the encouragement.

My question today is on handling full 3/4″ plywood sheets from the store to the shop. I have not built much carcass based projects as I’ve been a little too impatient to get everything square then find myself disappointed in the outcome. As I approach 6 decades on earth I find myself slowing down and enjoying the craft a little more leisurely instead of a to do list and punching a task list as complete approach. That being said I have built 2 projects now out of plywood starting with full 4 x 8 sheets and they have been fun challenges but I find myself not planning another project because of the challenges of getting a 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4 ply to my shop. It seems like plywood has gotten 1 pound heavier every year that I have aged. I enjoy solo working in the shop so it’s not really easy to get somebody to help me go to the big box store and load a single sheet of plywood.

I was wondering what are some of the tricks and tips you guys use for handling big heavy sheets. I use the foam board insulation as a backer when breaking it down into panels and I use a cheap cordless circular saw with a homemade fence. It’s cheap and slow but that part works fine. I have one of the handle things that you hook under the plywood to carry it with a handle but that doesn’t make the panel any lighter. I do have a utility trailer so hauling it isn’t a problem.

Any other other tips, tricks or tools you would recommend for heavy sheet goods? Thanks

2) Hey there, OK so this is a pretty simple question but you did say you need some so…

I have a Delta 14” bandsaw, pretty typical and I have had it for about 35 years (holy cow, I just realized how old I am!). Anyway, its pretty basic, and lacks any feature to keep the tires from gumming up as I am cutting. Do you have any advice on devices, brushes etc. that I can add to keep them cleaner as I use the saw? I do connect a shop vac to the dust port, that helps but I still find I have to scrape the wheels. Using you instead of google or Pinterest for this one 😉

Huy

1) Hi guys, I recently had a walnut tree taken down, brought the log to a sawyer and they cut into 4/4, 8/4, and 12/4 boards. I cannot air dry the boards on my property so I am planning on drying them in my basement. My basement is dry, and of course little to no air movement. After about a year, I am considering completing the drying process by putting the boards in the attic above my garage. There is Sheetrock under the rafters in the attic, so there will be very little air movement again. Should I be concerned with the heat in the attic adversely impacting the boards when they are not completely dry. I live in CT so the attic can get well over 100 degrees in the summer. Thanks for any word of wisdom you might have, Mike Gitberg

2) Hey guys I’ve got a door construction question for you. I’ve been tasked with making an extra large sliding barn door for my house. The door will need to be 8′ 10″ tall by 48″ wide by 1.75″ thick. The kicker is my shop is in the basement and I can’t fit that large of a piece up the stairs. I have an empty room on the 1st floor that I can assemble and possibly use a vacuum press.
My thoughts were to make an outer frame(walnut) with a torsion box interior made from 1/2″ ply or possibly 1/4 ply and filling the void with rigid foam. I was going to skin each side with 1/4″ MDF and then veneer each side with commercial 3/32 walnut veneer.
Some of the issues I think I will run into.

This would require a 6’x10′ vacuum bag (which I would have to make), I’m not sure if my pump can pull a bag that large down and hold. I have a 3 cfm and according to Joe woodworker a max size for that pump is 4’x9′.

After I’ve pressed the veneer down I have some clean up and and sanding to do, which I’m not fond of doing this on the 1st floor. Also there’s finishing which my only option is a hard wax if I finish it inside. Or carry the damn thing outside and spray under a pop up tent.

I’ve been thinking of instead of one large panel making a series of say 3 horizontal panels pressing and finishing them in the shop, sanding and pre-finishing then and then installing them to the frame with some sort of 1/16″ shadow line or maybe a brass inlay between each panel.

Or do I just scrap the idea and find a garage to assemble, sand and finish in and bring it to the house for install. Granted this garage will not be climate controlled.

I’m concerned about weight, I have a 200# max on the door hardware. I’m open to other ideas for assembly. Also I can’t spilt the door into two separate ones, the opening will not allow a door to rest on either side of the opening.

Thanks in advance for the advice and keep up the great work with the podcast!!

Jesse

Eco-Friendly Woodworking, Grain Matching Logs, Jointing Thick Lumber Without Jointer & MUCH More!

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

Sean

1) How often should I be cleaning my planer roller and do you know any plans to build a rolling lunchbox planer stand or cabinet.

I have the HD ridgid 12″ planer. So I guess a better question is how often should I change blades in jointer and planer and maintenance my cheaper tools I use daily. To rid of snip and a seemingly guy crooked planer bed? Broken_pine

2) Hello everybody. First time listener, long time caller. Wanted to hear of any shop items you use that would be more “eco-friendly”. An example that comes to mind is instead of using the disposable glue brushes using a silicone one. Thanks, Twin Lake Woodshop

Guy

1) My question is that I have two logs (from the same branch but non-contiguous), and need two nightstands, primarily composed of a 16″ w x 14″ h x 12″ deep mitered box/case. One log is dead straight grain and the other, beginnings of a crotch. Aesthetically, would each of you combine the two logs to make two “truly” matched (well bookmatched) nightstands, or use one log for each nightstand, matching grain WITHIN the individual nightstands, but not BETWEEN the pair? That’s confusing even reading it back so please contact me with any questions,

For reference the bed these will flank is a California king California king so there is a good deal of distance between them it’s not like they’ll be on on both sides of a twin. -Tom

2) Hey guys, from time to time I’ve been asking questions and you’ve always provided great advice. My question is, I’m tuning up my jointer and I have the tables co-planner within .002” out 18 inches from the cutter head. Is this close enough? Should I invest in a longer straightedge? Currently I’m using a 24” ruler from a good combination square. Looking online for straightedges, the Starrett 36” is $247.50 and it accurate within .0002”. I also found the Veritas 38” aluminum straightedge for $44.90 and is accurate to .003”. How strength of a straightedge do I need? And can I get away with an aluminum straightedge? Thanks so much for your thoughts. -Mike Gitberg

Huy

1) I am a newbie in woodworking! and I’m working on my indoor stairs to the second floor. Stairs are completely removed and we plan to have an open riser 3 1/2″ thick tread. I have somebody who confirmed the structure and adapted it to city codes for me. So nothing dangerous is happening here.

I am trying to get the costs down while I like the walnut looks and because of that I am thinking of ripping and altering grain on 2″x12″ nominal lumber from the big box store and making 3″ x 11½” x 37½’ butcher block of yellow southern pine (construction grade, kilin dried) and veneer it with 1/4″ walnut.

I am buying a 16′ 2×12 kiln dried yellow southern pine and will start ripping it after stocking it for a month in my garage.

Should I be worried about wood movement? I mean movement between walnut and SYP. I am not worried about SYP core because I have one of them made two month ago and it’s been staying inside with us and cupping/twisting, has not been observed.

Will the 1/4 glued walnut veneer is a good idea for this application in term of resisting wear and tear?

I am using regular glue for making the core. any advice on glue for making the core and veneer?

Will you approach same method to do this project? If not, What will you do? vafa

2) G’day team
It’s the old guy (older than Guy) from Australia who potters around in the shed in his thongs ( Aussie footwear Guy )
I recently bought a Dewalt 735 thicknesser because I like to use reclaimed wood but I really don’t have a clue what I am doing but you need to start somewhere.
Anyway I recently used the thicknesser on a couple of large pine blanks that came from some sort of industrial packaging which were approx 5 inches wide and 3 inches tall ( I used imperial for you guys)
I ran both blanks through the thicknesser ” jointing” one side first by using a planer sled and some shims and then running the other side through squaring up the sides to each other and then gluing both pieces together to make a blank for a bandsaw box, everything seemed good at this stage.
I started to cut the blank on the bandsaw only to realise that it wasn’t square to the table and that I had actually made a square block that was tilted ( I think it’s called a parallelogram, I wanted to use a big word so Huy would feel at home)
How can I square this up ? The block is approx 5 by 5 inches and my table saw height is 3 inches.
I probably did this all backwards but even though I’m old enough to remember dust being invented I still like to learn.
Do I need to buy a jointer ?
Thanks for your help (ps, the nurse is cranky with me because I took some other guys slippers and won’t take my medication, hope you guys get this while I’m still alive………still no Sawstop) -Geoff

Storing Plywood, Biscuit Joiners, Invisible Seams & MUCH More!

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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