Bi-Weekly Podcast Focused on the Craft of Woodworking
Episodes
Friday Nov 17, 2023
Friday Nov 17, 2023
This episodes Questions
Guy's Questions:
Hi guys, I’m current up to episode 43 of the podcast and can’t get enough. During this episode you discussed the merits of having a radial arm saw in your shop, or lack thereof in todays workflow. This got me thinking and I wanted to ask: what other tools are you aware of that were once used in woodshops that are no longer in general practice? I’m not talking about rocks and flints from the Stone Age, but rather anything in the past 60 or so years that have gone out of vogue. I can’t wait to hear Guys comments on my use of the word “vogue”. Hope you are well, and thanks again! Jarrett
Gentlemen,
Thanks for your thoughtful responses to my questions and observations.
This might be a potential topic: Do you think youtube and maker communities have created a renaissance for encouraging young people to get into wood working as a hobby or a profession?
I watched some amazing videos of young people making incredibly complicated turnings (among other things).
Thanks again. Chuck Have a great day.
Hi guys,
I love your podcast and have listened to every episode. I spend a lot of time on the road and have listened to many woodworking podcasts, yours is by far the best. I especially admire the work you do at “Purposeful Design “
I’m from Montreal and started woodworking as a hobby 5 years ago. I have 3 kids (9 & 2x6) and I only have limited hours/week of shop time. Additionally, I’m quite sensitive to sawdust…
I have a wall mounted 1hp dust collector with a dust separator and a 1 micron filter bag.
What is your opinion on bypassing the filter bag and venting outside?
Thank you for your contribution to the woodworking community,
Many blessings. Mike
Huy's Questions:
I think that my next tool purchase might be for a tracksaw-like guide for a circular saw or something similar. We sometimes run into situations where we need to rip a straight line. This would actually be more for ‘carpentry’ applications than fine ‘woodworking’. Things like ripping a long 2x6 or 2x8 at an angle, or rip a sheet of plywood in the field (so portability and reasonable durability would be important).
Whatever we buy would be used by a lot of different guys and we’d keep it in our shared workshop. Most of the guys have Dewalt circular saws but several guys have other brands (Milwaukee, Ridgid, etc.). So the track would have to be adjustable for the bases of the various saws. I’ve spent zero time investigating this. Thought I’d start here. Any recommendations?
- Mark
Hello everyone, I was wondering if you could help me with figuring out a process for flattening double angled barstool legs in my shop. Last fall I was commissioned to build a set of saddle barstools for a client. The legs from front and back have a 5 degree angle on them, while the view from the sides had a 6.5 degree angle. I tried running them through my table saw (on the front and back sides) on a cross cut sled but this still produced some wobble from the 6.5 degree sides. I wound up just taking some adhesive backed sandpaper and sticking it on the flattest spot in my shop (my tablesaw) and sanding down for multiple hours. Do you know of anything that I can build or use that wont take the hours of sanding like I did for any future commissions.
Thanks, Paul Genereux (Twin Lake Woodshop)
Hey guys, I have a question around piston fit drawers and their longevity and overall use. I know they are a sign of the highest craftsmanship but how well do they hold up? In the summer will everything swell and the drawers will stick? If you ever moved how would that affect the piece? I don’t have an exact project in mind but debating the idea of trying my hand at this in my next build.
So when would you use piston fit for drawers over soft close mechanism, wooden runners ect? Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Thanks, Jesse
Friday Nov 03, 2023
Friday Nov 03, 2023
This Episodes Questions:
Brian's Questions:
I’m hoping to enhance my beginner(ish) skills by going back to the basics and making boxes. Any advice on getting perfect miters for small parts? I’ve got a table saw sled but my small DEWALT job site saw gives me issues finding 45. Any advice on reasonably priced dovetail saws or alternatives? Where do you source small parts like hinges and drawer pulls for a fair price? Many Thanks, Dave
Hi guys, Your podcast is excellent and I have been able to put your advice to use on multiple occasions. I know you have talked edge banding before but I still need a little help. I do quite a bit of plywood with a roughly 3/4 to half inch thick edge band trimmed with a flush cut bit with a vee groove to give it a little decorative look as well as make it easier to sand flush. The problem I'm having is I seem to struggle with getting my edge banding perfectly tight to the plywood so the seem is visible some of the time. I've tried jointing the edge banding but not the plywood because plywood through a jointer seems like a bad idea and that didn't seem to help. When only doing a few pieces I've clamped it to the shelf with slightly better results but often do between 8 and 15 8 foot long boards at a time so I don't have the clamps or space to clamp everything. Currently I glue then pin nail with my 23 ga nailer. What am I doing wrong? I'm hoping guy has some good insight here since he works in a more commercial/ production environment and that's more along the lines of what I do. Thanks, Mike Arntz
Guy's Questions:
Hello all, I recently stumbled on you podcast and greatly enjoy the format. I am recently new to woodworking partly out of boredom during Covid. My initial projects were too ambitious for my skill set, yet I forged ahead and learned more from my mistakes than what I did right. Since I live in Asia, hardwoods are easy to come by and recently someone gave me a 4" thick slab of Padauk. About 6 ft long. I can't imagine how much this would cost in NorthAmerica. I am making a breakfast table out it. Wood looks stunning but I understand it will darken with age. I will eventually move back home and would like to make an old style butcher block. The massive one butchers actually used to cut meat. However, plans or information on how to go about it is very sparse. I was thinking milling logs into 4x4 and fastening them end grain up somehow. I see some use long carriage bolts to hold the thing together. Any words of advice is much appreciated. I imagine this might not be a project you have done in the past, but how would you go about it? Thanks in advance, love your show and listen to your podcast when I go biking. Bert Plourde
I am building a floating shelf bar for my son. It's a 3 1/2" torsion box with red oak ply top and 3/4" redwood edging. It will be stained / dyed dark brown. I am trying to decide on a top coat. Shellac is easy and easily repaired. Oil will look good but provides minimal protection. "Shop" finish (oil/varnish/solvent) would probably work well. Maybe something else? Thoughts? Ron Guritzky
Huy's Questions:
Hey guys, I love your podcast and listen to it all day at work. While I don't do fine furniture work like you do I'm really trying to get better and do more. For a background I was a commercial carpenter turned finish carpenter and am trying to work my way up to fine finish work. I'm doing more built ins and that kind of work and am just curious as to what you recommend for tools. Right now I have a grizzly planer, benchtop jointer, mitersaw, jobsite saw, dovetail jig, and a decent collection of hand tools. I'm going to pick up an older craftsman 113 table saw and am looking for recommendations on an affordable fence. Current I work in both my shop and on site so I need to be fairly mobile but am also working on gearing up to do more shop work. Any additional advice is welcome. I also forgot to add I have mobile dust collection, and a grizzly mobile router table. Check out my profile for some of the work I've done. Thanks for the great podcast. -Mike Arntz
Hey fellas. I’m loving the podcast as usual! Keep up the great content. Here’s my question: one of the best parts of living near Silicon Valley, is the availability of old work benches from defunct tech companies. I got the one in the picture for $40 with the solid metal frame and solid maple butcher block style top. I added the plywood drawers in the bottom and I’ve been using this as a outfeed table and assembly table. However, I’ve noticed that the top is not perfectly flat, and that it is especially lower around the edges. I was considering taking the top off, ripping it into three pieces, so that it will fit through my 13 inch planer, and then using dominoes to glue it back together to try to get it flat. Do you think this is a good method or is there some better way to accomplish the same thing? I was also planning to drill dog holes into the top. However, on a recent episode, you talked about the limitations of many of the dogs on thicker tops. The current thickness is about 1 1/2 inches. Even after planing it down as previously described, I think the top will end up being at least an inch and a quarter thick. Are there dogs available that would work with a top that thick that you can recommend? @firelightwoodworks
Friday Oct 20, 2023
Friday Oct 20, 2023
This Weeks Questions
Brian:
Hey guys, I just discovered this podcast and have been thoroughly enjoying the episodes so far! I am a guitar technician by trade and recently started to build my own solid body electric guitar. I have been studying up on tool safety and learning proper technique, as a beginner I don’t want to develop any bad habits or unsafe practices. I used a router table when creating the guitar neck from a template, but if i'm being honest I am a bit intimidated by it and would prefer to start routing with a hand held router instead. As a guitar player and thumb wrestling aficionado, I would like to keep all of my digits where they belong! With that being said, I have a few questions I’d like to ask specific to hand routers:
1. When edge routing hardwood, is there anything I need to be aware of that would cause the router to suddenly jump or kickback? Can I do this with a trim router, or do I need a 2+HP router? I am using figured curly maple for the neck and alder for the body. Does that make a difference?
2. How much wood can I safety remove per pass? (The neck thickness is around 1” and the body thickness is around 1.75”)
3. Any techniques or advice on how to minimize chipping, tear out and router burn? i.e. speed of push, router bit speed
Jordan
What is all the fuss about french cleats? Have you guys used them in your shop? Are they the organizational panacea they are made out to be or is there a better way to use wall space to keep your shop neat and your tools accessible?
Evan
Guys Questions:
Hey guys, I have a question about finishing.
I am about to purchase a solid Mahogany entry door and I’d like to finish it myself. (Not so much “like” inasmuch save a grand) But I’m not quite sure what to use. I’ve asked professional painters and looked online but get a ton of different responses. I don’t really want to stain it but rather get a color from an oil finish like you’d get from waterlox or Odie’s. From all my research I’m leaning towards Total boat marine wood finish.
I live in the south suburbs of chicago and my door faces directly west. It is covered by about a 4’ over hang and I have a 30 year old oak in front so it wouldn’t see much direct Sun, rain or snow.
Hopefully you get to this in the next couple episodes as I think it’s about a 4 week lead time and we’re ordering it this week.
Thanks!
Kurt
Hi gentlemen,
I love your podcast! It really gets me through tough hump days at work and gets me excited to get back into the shop each weekend.
I typically create midcentury modern furniture or pieces that are unique and allow some creativity, but I’ve developed a side-side gig of cutting boards and such by request for business to business type orders. Recently, my day job (I’m in biomedical research) requested Missouri shaped plaques with logos and script for visiting keynote speakers. I’ve avoided the CNC and laser world as I prefer hand tool woodworking, but one or the other would be necessary for this project and presumably a great feature in the shop. I’ve done my research and still can’t decide.
This will be an ongoing order so I don’t want to be too cheap, but clearly not industrial due to space. What would you suggest? Diode seems limiting, but it would quickly pay off. CO2 sounds ideal, but pricey. CNC (Shark?) sounds more useful to my main hobby and I could cut out the state shape too. I usually believe in “pay once, cry once”, but this is a significant decision.
Deana from Pomegranate Studios
Huys Questions:
Hi. You have a great show. I’m ready to buy my first track saw and am looking at the Festool TS55. I’m looking for opinions on whether the cordless model is worth an extra $170 over the corded. In the shop with a dust extractor it seems like the cord is not much additional encumbrance. Outside the cordless with just the dust bag would be advantageous. Thanks, John
Hey guys, as always, I love the show and how you guys are able to provide excellent information from various perspectives. Today I would like to pick your brains about food safe finishes for a couple different situations. My wife bought me an outdoor pizza oven for my birthday, and because I'm a woodworker, I promptly threw out the wooden pizza peel that I've been using for years so that I could make one. My first attempt was with cherry and spalted maple. The maple ended up being much more punky than I had expected so I made a second one with cherry, hickory, and bubinga. What would you guys suggest for finishes? The peel will be going into a 700 degree oven, and I plan on repurposing the one with spalted maple to a charcuterie or serving platter, so it might have hot pizza on it, but I would like it to be sealed. Keep up the awesome podcast!
Josh from the Blackdog Woodworks
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Brians questions:
Gentlemen,
Thank you all for the time, effort, and expertise you put into the show. As many listeners have said before, it really is the best woodworking podcast out there!
As a beginning woodworker, I am curious about what projects you have done that helped you learn new skills or refine key foundational skills to progress along your woodworking journey? Perhaps there are some "benchmark projects" that take a woodworker from sloppy beginner to capable amateur and beyond towards fine craftsmen? Where do the common projects like a cutting board, a cabinet, a dining table or something else fall along that spectrum?
Thanks again for all you do in support of the woodworking community.
Kind regards,Evan
One of my close friends just had a baby. I wanted to make the new baby something, but I wasn't sure what. I don't have the time to make any piece of furniture, but I would like to make a little gift or two. Do any of you have ideas for small gifts that the baby could either use/play with, or something they could keep for a long time?Thanks Matthew
Hi all,
Hobbyist woodworker working out of his 1 1/2 car garage (it doesn’t quite fit two cars and I share it with house storage stuff). Mobility has been key for me when working. One thing I struggle with is that my garage floor is not level. There’s two different angles and it can be an issue at times. For example my small outfeed table can’t be level with my worksite table saw because at times they may not line up. My work bench is in a fixed location but can’t hold anything round as it might roll off if I have to use it.
Any advice for my workshop woes or any sort of leveling feet you might recommend? Since I move things around, leveling a tool or table each time I use it can be a pain. Lifting the end of the workbench doesn’t seem to create stability when I am hand planing wood or chiseling.
Thanks, Jose
Huy's questions:
Hey all, love the podcast. Been listening for quite a while and always ready to take notes.
I have a bent lamination/ vaccum bag question. How do you handle epoxy squeeze out? Or any Glue for that matter? My last question is how long do I leave a bent lamination in the bag? Is there a rule of thumb?
I need a really rigid glue line for the tight 3in inside radius I am trying to achieve and think epoxy is my best bet. I'd rather not use urea resin.
I really appreciate the help. Casey the maker
Hey guys: I’m a loyal listener and am very grateful for all the great info you share. I have a finishing question for you. I make wood fishing nets for family and friends and might want to make a business of it. I have been using spar varnish as a finish which looks great but is a pain to apply (I brush it on), takes forever to dry and always seems to be a bit soft even when fully dry. Is there an alternate finish I could consider that would be easy to apply. I am willing to invest in a spray system to up my finish game so that’s not a limitation. Important to note is that I use walnut in all my nets. In episode 115 I learned that walnut will turn orange in the sun- something I didn’t know. So will the suggested finish have UV protection or will I need to dye the walnut to ensure it maintains it’s brown color after sitting on the bottom of a boat for many seasons. Thanks again for spending your precious time educating the less knowledgeable.
Liam, Indianapolis
Hey Guy, and other guys.
How many pocket holes/Screws do you actually need?
I watch people on youtube building stuff with pocket holes and 9 times out of 10 I think to myself, "Surely that doesn't need that many pocket holes." I see guys building something like an end table or maybe a small piece of shop furniture and inevitably they use about 17 to 239 in this relatively small piece of wood and I just don't understand it. Would love to hear the logic or what the general recommendation is. Jacob
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Friday Sep 22, 2023
Brian's Questions:
Hey guys,
First of all, thanks for the most helpful woodworking podcast around! My question(s) revolve around a home library project. I’m planning on bookcases on all four walls of a small room and wondering how you’d approach that, specifically:
(1) what would you do about the inside corners of the room where two sets of bookcases come together? Just blank them off? Something else?
(2) as far as the cases themselves, for cost reasons, I’m planning to do 3/4 plywood carcasses close to 8’ high with one fixed shelf in the middle (Domino construction) and shelf pins for the rest of the shelves. How wide can I reasonably go without sag in the shelves? Is one fixed shelf enough for stability or do I need two, say? Do I need a plywood back on each case?
Any other general tips on a library project or this type?
Thanks! Mat
What tools you guys do regret to buy?
Marcello
Alright fellas first question from me. I finally got a Makita track saw and went for the full 110". I'm going to tear down my old 2x4 oversized work bench and start over with a nice miter saw / work area cabinet wall.
My plan is to go about 30" deep to accommodate my DeWalt sliding dual bevel giant miter saw while also giving me ample assembly area. Maybe an mft style work area on one side, maybe t tracks here and there.
I'm going to leave it a little open ended for you guys to play around with the idea. What would your dream work area like this include? No limits, all the bells and whistles. No one to tell you no.
Thanks for taking my question. Jim G.
Huy's Questions:
Hi Guys,
Really enjoy the podcast and all the useful information. I wrote before about a walnut table I am making. I have a couple of questions. I looked at the walnut at the local lumber yard. Great selection but lumber is pretty expensive. Question 1: The lumber distributor has a great selection. For the table top should I spring for quarter sawn at roughly 1/3 more per board foot? Question 2: I am trying to bring some order to chaos in my shop and am considering some shop cabinets. a) should I consider casters? b) should I spend the extra to install side mount drawer slides or will homemade runners be good enough?
Thanks for your help and the great podcast.
-Scott
Good day guys..My question is probably primarily for Huy.
I am getting back into woodworking after a lengthy hiatus to a career that did not allow me the time. Now that I do have the time, I am diving right back in. I am a lifelong contract mechanical designer, and have been a SolidWorks user/license holder since 1999, dont do the math on how much that has depleted my bank account in the past 24 years, and I am no rocket scientist like Huy, I have only done work on 70 ton vehicles designed outside detroit.
SolidWorks is amazing, and I have designed many projects for my woodworking with it. However I feel it is a bit heavyweight on the design side for the projects I want to do. I want to be working in my shop, and not spending hours designing parts, making assemblies etc. Dont get me wrong, the end results are incredible on the design side, but design for my woodworking shoudlnt be 60% on SolidWorks and 40% on tools. Any suggestions for the best solution for this? I have not spent alot of time researching, but have looked into Fusion360 and other solutions but not greatly as I know there will a thought process change required.
I am just looking for something simple, quick and of course accurate. We live in a 3d world, and that is an important aspect for me.Thank you so much.
Kurtis, DutchMillWorks
Hey guys, Josh here, hope this is the right way to contact you all. My question is, what machine do you think you can get away with in order to produce the most projects? I was thinking a lathe for drinkware, baseball bats and so on depending on a mini, midi or full size lathe. But I'm no expert by any means, I only had a couple years of shop experience in school and most of the terminology has escaped me since, but all the hands on experience is still fresh in my mind and I'm hoping to get this hobby started up again. Thank you. Joshua
Friday Sep 08, 2023
Friday Sep 08, 2023
Brians Questions:
Hi guys, thanks for such a great podcast. You recently got me through the journey back from a road trip to Montreal, although when my wife heard you guys, she was like, "What the -hell-are you listening to?!" But then she fell asleep so we had no problem (don't worry, she wasn't driving at the time).
My question is about evening out the sapwood and heartwood colour in walnut, so you can maximise the yield from boards and slabs. Do you have a particular process and/or product you'd recommend here? If your solution is to simply cut it off, it seems a shame to waste all that wood... have you found any good uses for it? Phil Evans
Hi - I am building a seating bench out of figured ash. I'd like to give it a gentle brown color and really accentuate the curly figure in the wood. I'm worried that stain won't do much to bring out the beauty in it; should i use dye instead? What steps should I go through to highlight the figure? I don't have a spray solution, so whatever finish will need to be wipe on or brush on. I prefer to avoid rattle cans of finish too, for what that's worth. Mark
Guys Questions:
I recently had the client that all woodworkers dream of. Came to me literally saying money didnt matter and they wanted a high quality coffee table. I loaded it with design features and in the end it became my highest priced commission to date at over $12k for this 42" square coffee table. I say that mainly to encourage others that there's still people who will pay for quality. Anyway my question is that one of the design ideas i pitched this customer was to do a herringbone pattern on the sides of the table using shop sawn veneer. This will be my first time ever making veneer and doing anything with it. What tips can you give me? I have a VERY high quality bandsaw, the Laguna LT18 equipped with a Resawking blade. I do not have a drum sander. I plan to now get a Vacupress 300 for the task. What else should I know about veneering a herringbone pattern? AZ Custom Furniture Bilder
Hi Guys, thanks for the helpful podcast. I’ve been building furniture for a few years now and as a newish woodworker I have tried many different finishes in the pursuit of finding the one and only one. My question is, do you keep a log of which pieces of furniture have which finish so that you can see how they age and for when/if repairs or refinishes are needed? Thanks, Patty
Huy's Questions:
Thanks for the podcast, guys!
My question: I'm building a sideboard for utilitarian storage when entering from the garage.
It is mostly cherry, will have a cherry top and is about 22" deep by 60" wide and 30" tall.
I'm planning to use 8/4 cherry for the top, with a resulting thickness of whatever results from jointing and planing the boards to be edge glued for the top. Would there be any advantage in building the top from 4/4 boards face glued to make up the 8/4 thickness? I will be chamfering the bottom of the top so that any glue line would not be visible.
Thanks so much,
Bob Clark
Hi fellas,
I first want to say thank you for developing and producing this podcast and sharing your experience with the rest of mere mortals of woodworking. I am a nights and weekend hobbyist woodworker, making small projects for friends and family or DIY projects around the house. I am fortunate to have a modest collection of tools and enjoy trying new things and learning how to up my game. My question is really more about the process of using steel wool and vinegar to ebonize some red oak I'm making into a small case with a couple of drawers. The way I understand the process is that the combination of the steel wool and vinegar ultimately reacts with the tannins in the red oak, turning it darker (I'm hoping black). I've also recently discovered Original Tried and True finish (polymerized linseed oil and beeswax) and really like the results I've got on a few projects I've used it on. Would ebonizing the red oak change how a finish like Tried and True works? Is there a better finish in your opinion? How would each of you finish this if black was the end result, and FYI I don't have spraying equipment. Thanks again for all you do for the woodworking community!
-Trevor
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Brians Questions:
Gentlemen,
Thank you so much for this podcast. I very much look forward to each episode. I primarily work with hand tools making traditional furniture. One of the few machines I own is a PowerMatic 15” bandsaw. Guy’s positive review of it sealed my decision and I’m very happy with it. Fantastic bandsaw. I mostly use it for long straight cuts and keep the Laguna 3/4” carbide tipped blade in it. On the occasions I need to make curve cuts I hate to change out blades. Call me lazy. I’d like to get another tool for this other than doing it by hand. It could be a smaller band saw with a thin blade, the DeWalt DW788 scroll saw, or something else. Mostly cuttin 4 quarter stock but on occasion eight quarter stock. What would you get and why? I also own a Makita corded jigsaw. Many thanks and keep up the great work.
Sincerely
Joe Leonetti.
Having two friends recently experience serious injuries while using their table saw, I am continuing to do more ripping using my bandsaw for safety sake. (I, like my two injured friends are in our 70’s- not as quick in our reactions, as good in our judgements or dexterous as when younger.) I’m fortunate to have two bandsaws, one of which I keep a 1/2” blade on for the purpose of resawing and ripping, so it works out quite well. The issue is the rough edge left by the bandsaw vs the smooth “gluable” edge that the table saw produces. What’s the best way to address this? I’ve heard mention of using a jointer after ripping - does this not introduce uncertainty as to the final width of the piece just ripped? For example, if I wanted a piece 10” wide and ripped it to 10 1/16”, I’d have to have my jointer set to remove exactly 1/16 which even if I accomplish that setting, may be hard to achieve and also get a perfect 90 degree edge. As an aside- I’m still considering selling my Powermatic and getting a Sawstop in the interest of increased safety. While some people might scoff at that idea, I don’t care-to each his own. Both of my two friends injuries were ugly, debilitating and expensive. Thanks for the best and most informative woodworking podcast! Tim Deal
Guys Questions:
Hello Huy and Guy, and welcome to the show Brian. My question today is about quoting pricing for inconvenience. What I mean by that is this: if a client comes to you with a request that you aren't really excited about does that affect how much you quote? Do you ever give them a high quote in the holes that they say no, but high enough that if they still say yes, it offsets any frustration you expect to have while building?
Thanks, and I'm still waiting for Brian's social media... and for Guy to say specificity again.
Joshua.
Huy's Questions:
Great podcast guys. I Really appreciate how you guys answer questions based on your individual experiences. I like hearing 3 or 4 different ways to perform a task using a variety of tools. My question: my current home has 1/2” particle drawer boxes and I’m replacing them. What would you recommend for drawer box construction concerning material, thickness, drawer bottom thickness, and finish. Thanks.
-Eric Brown
Greetings Gentlemen,
Thank you for continuing your podcast into 2023. It’s very informative, but in a relaxed and casual format. Also; a welcome to Brian. Sean was a long time co-host and will be missed but Brian has slipped into his slot with ease and is doing great.
My question today is about planing. I’m making a 4x6 ft table top out of true 1-1/8 inch thick x 6 inch wide, rough cut white oak. When dressing down the wood, I plan on jointing one surface then planing the other surface parallel. Finished thickness I think will be between ¾ and 7/8. Here is the question. How important is it to take equal amounts off of each side? Can I just joint one surface and plane the opposite down to my finished thickness or do I have to try to take an equal amount off of both sides. If it matters, the lumber is kiln dried down to 7%.
Terry W.
Friday Aug 11, 2023
Friday Aug 11, 2023
Brian's Questions:
I've recently walled off the third bay of my three car garage to give me a smaller space to heat and a wall to work with. I have started thinking about my ~270 sqft shop in three dimensions trimming all the fat and maximizing my functionality.What would you guys do with a nice healthy 11ft ceiling height considering I want pretty much my entire shop to exist is this space. What type of ideas would you have for multi functioning furniture? What would you put on the walls? Everything that can be is already on wheels. I've got most every major tool you guys do. Just curious on your take. How would you cram yourselves into this little space or do you already?
Thanks for continuing the podcast. -Jim G.
I am building an outdoor bench using steel legs and a currently rough cedar top. I plan on sanding the cedar smooth and finishing it. What would be the best grit to sand to, and what finish should I apply? It will get all-day full sunlight.
Jason H.
Guy's Questions:
Hi: As I have said before, this is the best woodworker podcast on the planet! I enjoy so much the focus on woodworkers questions. Your personalities shines through as well as your intellect and your skills as a woodworker. Thanks so much.
My question stems from a recent project I started. I tried to be more exacting. I designed the project on gridded paper, figured out each exact dimension and then started to calculate the wood requirements. I figured out the sheet goods by figuring out the rough layout of the parts on a scale grid diagram. Then I calculated the board feet of each of the solid wood parts using a board feet calculator app a selecting 10% for waste option. I then added them up and got ready to buy the necessary wood.
In the past I just winged it. I'd have a rough drawing on scrap paper and a guess at the wood requirements which often meant follow-up trips to the store. Projects often had a few rework, redesign elements on the fly and some issues that hopefully I could only see, hence the change to more exacting.
I have a few questions. How exact are you with your designs? Is this the process you go through before purchasing wood? Is there another way? Do you use any apps like:"BoardFeetEasy" or "SmartCut"? Do you use any other woodworking apps? If so which ones? Is 10% a good waste figure? Do you adjust the waste figure based on any criteria? What are the criteria?
Thanks again for you're time, focus and insite into the craft of woodworking.
Regards,Joe James
Hi, thanks for all the great work on this podcast. Yours is the only one that actually I even have a dedicated podcast app set up for, so that you guys are only a couple taps away for my sausage fingers whenever I have a free moment and want to learn something. Anyway, my question is about using a dryer plug for 220V machines. I'm planning a couple new tools for my basement shop, and whilst my first choice is to add a dedicated 220 line, I'd rather space things out financially if I can. One option seems potentially to use the dryer electrical socket until I have the cash flow to run dedicated electrics. I'm seeing mixed things in my research and wondering if you have any real world experience on using dryer plugs for tools with an adapter/extension, specifically if it's a hazard and the pros/cons? In my case the tools would be a Hammer A326 and Sawstop PCS 3HP. Thanks for any advice you can offer and keep up the great work. Phil Evans
Huy's Questions:
Hi guys, love the podcast! Thanks for all you do! I’m designing my first piece of larger furniture, an entry way table. I am planning 3 drawers across the top, and below that a cabinet in the center and open shelves to either side. I’m wondering how you guys decide on proportions for a build like this. Supposedly the 1.618 is some kind of magic formula that makes everything perfect, but how do you use it, or do you even bother? What if the piece has to fit a certain space, do you take that into account? Help me woodshop life, you’re my only hope! Matt
Hello all, how about another shop storage question? I’ve been primarily a power tool user for many years, but have started building a hand tool collection over the last 2 or 3 years. Im finding the “hybrid” approach more to my liking and feel it’s certainly improved the quality of my projects with the ability to fine tune fit and finish. Now being the proud owner of quality chisels, a few hand planes, scrapers and so on, most of the tools are in a tool box drawer.
I want to get these commonly used items out of the drawer and in reach, but I find myself starting to plan and build tool holders or storage solutions only to scrap it and move onto something else because I get lost in how simple or complex to make it.
I need to just shut up and do it, I know this. In your opinions, when you need a storage solution, do you just make whats basic and functional and after some use fine tune or remake it when needed? Or, do you spend time laying everything out and aiming for a one and done build?
-Mike
Friday Jul 28, 2023
Friday Jul 28, 2023
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
Friday Jul 14, 2023
Friday Jul 14, 2023
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