Woodshop Life Podcast

Woodshop Life Podcast
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  • Updated Biweekly

Bi-Weekly Podcast Focused on the Craft of Woodworking

  1. 6d ago

    Perfect Pocket Holes?, CAD Software, Epoxy Finish and MORE!!!

    This Episodes Questions Brians Questions: Hey Gents,  As always love the podcast. I just upgrade from a bosch jobsite table saw to a general international 50-220 hybrud thats about 20 years old. It is in great shape and I want to keep it that way. What are some general maintenance things you would initially do with an older saw such as this and what would you do going forward to keep it in tip top shape?  Thanks again! Tyler You guys often talk about pocket hole screws being an easy way to fasten boards together. I find I often have the boards move on me and misalign the joints when I use pocket hole screws. Do you experience this / how do you prevent it? Especially when one of the boards is too long to feasibly clamp it well. Tyler Guys Questions: Hey guys… Indianapolis native woodworker/DIYer here.  Second time to ask a question and unfortunately is one you have probably answered before, but hopefully there is a slight twist to this one. I’m looking to refinish a dinning table that is currently made of oak with a light yellower stain with a clear coat that is knicked up and scratched. The wife would like for the table to be black. I’m interested in using Target Coatings EM6600 - Raven black pigmented laquer. I’ve never used the pigmented laquer and hopefully it’s easy enough for a DIY guy to do a decent job. Couple questions about this: 1. Do I need to sand the old finish off or use a chemical to soften the finish and then sand it off, or can a pigmented laquer go on over and the finish since it is covering over the old colors completely? Or instead of sanding can you use Target coatings HSF5000 primer, surfaced, and grain filler over the top of the old finish? 2. If I do need to sand it at least to scuff it up for the primer to adhere how far back do I need to sand it back? Is it just enough to rough it up, or do I need to be all the way back to bare wood? 3. Lastly has anyone ever used the grain filler primer from Target Coatings? Am I wasting my money on this product? Wood grain showing through the black finish isn’t the end of the world, but if we could have a completely smooth finish and little to know grain causing a “feeling” on the table that would be preferable. And maybe we would get that from the laquer building up already. Thanks for the awesome podcast. I’ve learned a ton from you all! Thanks Jason Im 62 years old been  woodworking for years and would love to use sketch up to help design and build projects. I know that there are versions dedicated to woodworking. My question is do you guys use sketch up? What version do you use?  I know there are subscription fees. Im concerned about the learning curve. Ive watched some YouTube videos  Im a small hobbyist shop doing small projects, built ins and i do a lot of design just in my head. Would love to be able to design and refine projects on the computer before i start building.  Appreciate any advice on beginning this. Thank you, Phil Huys Questions: G'day guys , from Australia. long time listener and I finally have a question. An auction for a closing business appeared on my Instagram feed and it was nearby so I bid and won around 3000 square metres of veneer (roughly 32,000 square feet or 3/4 of an acre.)for the princely sum of $56 AUD or $39 USD. The veneers were shopsawn in house and are 1.8mm - 2.4mm  with some of the walnut 5000mm long and 600mm wide the species also include. - Walnut burl. - Yellow poplar burl. -Maple - Pacific maple. - European Walnut - European oak - Silky Oak - QLD Pepperwood - Palisander Rosewood - Tasmanian blackwood - Fiddleback Tasmanian Blackwood - Blackbutt It's a lifetime supply for me and I have already started to flatten and sort some of the stock , which brings me to my first question. The poplar burl is extremely dry, crinkled, and bubbly. I sprayed it with a homemade veneer flattening solution( alcohol, glycerine and water) and pressed it in cauls and clamps. The veneer definitely flattened out and became pliable and flexible, however. As it has flattened over in the press, it has folded over itself in places, picture ironing over a crinkle in a Shirt i guess. I can send a photo if you want. This is all over the veneer , unlike a shirt I can't just stretch it out and go over it, so my question to you three is, how do I "stretch out" my veneer to get it flat, or is this veneer gone? The rest of the veneer is great, thankfully it's just the poplar burl. Dylan I enjoy your show and have a question to submit.  I am building a cherry slab river table with a black epoxy center.  My question is regarding the final finish coat.  I have done two similar projects on one I used epoxy and didn’t care for the plastic look of the finish.  On the second I used Rubio but came out dull and wasn’t very durable which is important because my family doesn’t always treat wood finishes with the care I would like.  What finish would you recommend that has a sheen in the satin to semi gloss range with good durability?I have a lvlp spray gun if that helps with options. Spencer

  2. Aug 7

    How Much Glue?, Using Hickory, Veneer Projects, and MORE!!!

    Brians Questions: I have a question that i would like your input on. I have a double car garage that i use as my workshop. I want to build an outfeed table for my tablesaw. I was thinking of something that could be multi use. I was thinking of making two 2'x 4' workbenches that would be on hinges so i could open it as a 2x8 or close it so its 4x4. I was thinking of using castors as well as adjustable feet. Im not 100% sold on the idea and was just hoping to hear some suggestions from the pros! Hopefully this makes for a good question for your podcast. Once again, thank you for the AMAZING podcast and youtube videos. Matt Hi all, First, thanks for the podcast, by far the best format and the best information. It seems each podcast I almost always learn something.  I have a question about glue ups. When I glue up a joint,  I try to keep squeeze out to a minimum and by doing that I’m not sure if I’ll use enough glue. However, squeeze out is inevitable. Do you try to keep squeezing out to a minimum and if so what steps do you take. Also, when you do have squeeze out on a joint what do you do to get rid of the excess glue. I’m not talking about squeeze out on a panel, since it’s easy to either use a plane to get rid of the glue when it dries, or sand it away. Any advice that you could share would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Mike Guys Questions: Hello! My name is Eric.  I am a rather new/inexperienced woodworker. After hurricane Helene did so much damage in South Carolina, I decided I no longer wanted a large Hickory tree beside my house. I paid professionals to fell this 100 year-old tree. I paid my friend, a rookie, to mill it into 5/4 inch planks/boards. I’ve been air-drying this wood in my garage for over a year. It is time to do something with it. When I looked up, “What should you make out of Hickory?” The answers are baseball bats, ax handles, hardwood floors, and steps for staircases.  I am not going to make any of those. I have 750 board foot of this stuff… What should I make? What should I not make with this wood? What gotchas do I need to be prepared for? Any other advice? Eric in SC Hi guys, I’m building a large frame for a canvas artwork for a friend. I’d like to reinforce the miters using miter keys. Previously, I’ve cut the slots for miter keys on the table saw with a dedicated 45 degree jig when building small boxes. This frame is pretty big though, and I think the size would make it really awkward to do this way on the table saw. Any other methods besides the table saw you’ve had success with cutting miter keys? Do you have any general recommendations for thickness of the miter keys in relation to the miter itself? Or at what thickness of material you would consider multiple miter keys for added strength? The frame is all going to be stained the same color so I’m not worried about aesthetic of the keys or contrasting with different wood species, just purely doing it for added strength. The frame is 1.5” thick with 4/4 ash and about 3 feet by 5 feet for reference. Thanks! Evan Huys Questions: The veneers were shopsawn in house and are 1.8mm - 2.4mm  with some of the walnut 5000mm long and 600mm wide the species also include. - Walnut burl. - Yellow poplar burl. -Maple - Pacific maple. - European Walnut - European oak - Silky Oak - QLD Pepperwood - Palisander Rosewood - Tasmanian blackwood - Fiddleback Tasmanian Blackwood - Blackbutt My other question is, can the three of you suggest a project each of small to medium size I can do with this veneer . I find it easier to work towards something when I have been told what to do rather than racking my brain in the workshop trying to think of something to do whilst drowning in a sea of veneer. Dylan Hi folks First as always thanks for one of the most friendliest and informative woodworking podcasts. So here’s my dilemma. I’ve often heard about letting the wood acclimate to your shop environment before beginning a project. I understand that. My confusion comes in when starting to mill the wood. It’s often mentioned to mill the wood in graduated steps of a couple of days to allow it to release any built up tension. However I never hear of this being done in large production shops. Guy and Brian how do you do this where you work? Thanks, Doug

  3. Jul 24

    Skill Progression, CNC Hold Downs, "Feel" of a Finish and MORE!!!

    Brians Questions: Hello! I recently got into woodworking in part after being inspired by finding a local lumber yard and not being beholden to the big orange box. I’ve realized my next step is to figure out a planing method - the wood I buy is rough sawn, and I’m not in a position to buy a planer or jointer given the size of my garage shop/price constraints. I’ve done some research on hand planes and plan to start experimenting with some used/refurbished ones. Do you think this is a reasonable method for small/medium projects (bookshelves and tables would be largest I’d do), or should I jump right to other methods like a router or electric planer. Thanks! Ryan Zach from Minnesota here. I heard you're in need of questions, so I figured I'd come to the rescue. My question is regarding developing and learning new techniques and skills in the shop. You guys have previously made the suggestion that when trying to learn new skills, the best approach is to take on a project which incorporates one new skill (the one you would like to learn) versus diving into a project that's going to involve several unfamiliar skills.  While I think that's a great approach, my question is: how do I know when it is time to move on to another new skill? For example, if I decide I want to learn how to use dovetails, how many projects in a row should I spend focusing on that technique before progressing to learning another new one? Should I keep at it until I feel that I've mastered dovetails, or should I just practice it until I feel like I have a firm understanding of the process? Thanks again for all of your expertise and your dedication to the woodworking community at large. I eagerly anticipate each new episode. I hope all of your projects are doing well, and I hope you are doing even better. Guys Questions: Hello, I’m really enjoying the podcast—it’s become one of my favorites to listen to. I appreciate how genuine and down-to-earth you all are. I’m currently building a small part-time crafting business using a Onefinity CNC and an xTool laser. For software, I use LightBurn and Carveco Maker+. I recently heard Guy talking about using his laser, and I think I’ve also heard you discuss CNC work in past episodes. I was curious if either of you have any advice for laser engraving softwoods like pine. I often get blotchy or inconsistent results because of the varying grain density, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my finished products. On the CNC side, I’d love to hear your thoughts on workholding methods. My spoilboard has dovetail tracks, so I use homemade clamps quite a bit. I also use double-sided tape regularly. Surprisingly, the foam double-sided tape from Dollar Tree (three rolls for $1.25) has worked far better for me than some of the CNC-specific tapes I’ve tried, which didn’t seem to hold very well. For two-sided projects, I’ve also made a few fixture boards with dowel-pin locators, and those have been a huge help with alignment. I’ve learned that there’s always something new to learn in this hobby, and I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Thanks for the great content, and keep up the awesome work! Have a great day! Kevin I’m building a round table with an x-frame base.  The top 60” in diameter and 1 1/4” thick hickory.  The x-frame is 37” across.  I also plan on adding an apron about 3 1/2” tall to the table.  I have heard more cons than pros on c-channel but would like your guys opinion on this.  I definitely can’t have this thing droop.  Also, while I have your attention, how would you attach the apron to the top taking into account wood movement.  Thanks for having a great podcast.  You have helped me a number of times in the past with valuable advice. Tom Huys Questions: I have an old park bench that I rebuilt three years ago using white oak. I applied 3 coats of Minwax spar urethane over the wood, sanding with 240 grit sandpaper between coats. Now, after 3 years, the finish has failed and the wood has noticeable splintering, peeling, and bowing. While I think I can salvage the wood on the back with sanding and refinishing, the seat slats will need to be replaced. I wanted to use quarter sawn white oak, but my lumber supplier only had rift sawn white oak in stock at the time. I feel this will be adequate, but would appreciate your opinions regarding wood choice. My main question is about finishing: will I be further ahead to use a penetrating oil first, such as tung oil, before the spar urethane? Will this add to the longevity of the wood? I realize that the sun and the elements will degrade any finish over time.  Thanks for what I would consider to be the top woodworking podcast available! Kurt Thank you for all your good work. As in a previous question, I am the one who makes furniture for immigrants. In your last podcast you discussed the importance of color match and grain pattern when assembling a table top.  I am experimenting with a 3rd: "Feel", and would like to know your take on this. I am working with cherry so it easy to manage. I find that commercial furniture finishes, particularly on table tops are so smooth that if you close your eyes and pass your fingers over them, you can't tell it was made of wood. I have felt that the "texture" and feel of a finished top should reflect the purpose of the piece. A  "boot bench" ( I live in Maine) was prepped to have a deliberate grainy feel, a hallway table was hand planed with an LN 5  set to produce medium shavings to  smooth it somewhat, and finally a coffee top was hand planed to fine shavings and then  finished with 1000 grit sandpaper that left a top almost glass like.  The first two were finished with shellac and some wax.  The last was finished with shellac and "Tried and True". Question: do you vary the prep before finishing a piece in order to convey a different "feel" to the top based on customer preference, or purpose of the piece? Do you think "feel' has a role as do "color match" and "grain"? Do you take this into consideration when doing your preps? thanks for reading this far, John Vogt Falmouth ME

  4. Jun 26

    Making Jigs, Color or Grain Match, Angle Madness, and MORE!!!

    Brians Questions: Love the show. Thanks for getting right to the questions. I have a project where I've made hundreds of the same item. Over that time, I've come up with a bunch of different jigs and processes that I've iterated over time to make things go faster and work better. I wonder if you have experience with and thoughts about how to approach this kind of woodworking-at-scale and if Huy in particular has any take-aways from making all those drawer knobs recently. Thanks! Mike Hey guys, my name is Van Whitmire and I recently started listening to your podcast. I’ve really been enjoying it and had a couple questions for you. I’m 17 years old and super involved in my high school club, SkillsUSA. I placed 6th in the state of Nebraska in cabinetmaking this year. When I get out of high school, what do you think would be the better route: getting on with a construction crew or trying to find a job in a cabinet shop? I’m not a super experienced woodworker yet, but I know my way around a shop pretty well. I’m currently finishing up my junior year of high school, and over the last few weeks I decided I want to start making and selling custom cutting boards. Right now I’m completely running everything out of my high school woodshop, and I’ve also started buying tools to slowly build up my own small shop. How would you recommend pricing my boards? I don’t want to make them so expensive that nobody buys them, but I’d also like to actually make some money from them. Thanks again, and keep up the great work. You guys are doing an awesome job with the podcast and I’m looking forward to listening to more episodes. Van Guys Questions G'day fellas, A quick question that might not have such a quick answer: when matching planks for a tabletop or panel, which do you prioritise - Grain matching or colour matching? Thanks for all you do! Jim from Perth Good morning gentlemen! As always, I love the show and value your perspectives. Keep up the great work. I have been woodworking as a hobbyist worth the occasional commission piece for 30 or so years, and I'm always looking to improve, learn, and grow as a woodworker. For the past few years I've also had the pleasure (and torture...lol) of working at a lumber yard/hardware selling lumber and tools. I've finally come to the point where I'm seriously considering getting a track saw. My question is, which one to get? I'm looking for one that will give really good cuts, have some versatility with accessories, but not break the bank. I know that Festool, Milwaukee, and Makita are, for the most part, interchangeable with the tracks, and DeWalt and Kreg have their own proprietary track designs. Aside from straight cuts with the saw, how have you guys used the guide rail system in your woodworking? Thank you,  Joshua.  The Blackdog Woodworks Huys Questions Greetings all; setting up new shop; gotta ductwork question. First main equipment: 5hp sawstop; 20” planer; 16” jointer; floor spindle and belt sanders; 20” bandsaw and such. Gotta 3hp Oneida cyclone dust collector. Question; I’ve been using hvac ductwork for years and manual blast gates; advantages of upgrading on norfab ducts?  Are there better options?  Guessing $2k-ish investment. Cheers guys! Chris Hi fellas, I'm making a coffin shaped bookshelf for a friend of mine using 3/4" plywood. I wanted to make dados for the shelves but my router base doesn't have an adjustable angle. So i made a jig to achieve the angle but when I made 2 passes with my 1/2" straight bit to get to the exact thickness of the shelf, there was a noticeable "step" in the dado. What I ended up doing was simply cutting an angle on the sides of the shelves to match the angle of the case and then glued and screwed straight through the case and plugged the holes, no dados. I'd like to know how you would handle attaching shelves at peculiar angles and if theres a better way to make angled dados, Thanks! -Matt

  5. Jun 12

    Fixing Boo Boos, Why Use Veneer?, Wood Movement and MORE!!!

    Brians Questions: Hey guys, thanks for answering all of my questions in the past. I have something a little different this time. While cutting a mortise on the router table into a leg, I accidentally touched the outside of the leg to the router bit and did some damage. I happen to have the offcut and the grain is a perfect match (see photo). What would be your process to go about repairing this so it is near invisible? My thought was to use a wheel marking guage and chisels to remove a sliver of the leg. I have no idea how to cut a perfectly matching piece from the offcut to fit into that removed material. In order for the grain to match, the repair piece can't be oversized and would have to fit perfectly. This is on the outside of the leg and will be seen. Or is that a little unreasonable and would you not match the grain perfectly? Thanks, Jeff Howdy fellas, Love the podcast, thanks for what you do.  For the sake of space and cleanliness, I've decided to get rid of my table saw.  It's an 80's era Delta Unisaw that runs great, but doesn't have any safety features and the dust collection is wanting.  Rather than upgrading, I plan to use my bandsaw + planer/jointer for ripping, tracksaw + MFT for cross cutting and router table for joinery.  The only thing I haven't quite figured out is cross cutting short pieces, anything 8 inches is too short for my MFT + track saw.  So far I use the bandsaw + shooting board if I have a lot to do, or handsaw + shooting board if it's a one off.  It works, but I feel like there's an easier way I'm just not seeing.  Y'all have talked before about workflows without table saws so I'm wondering what you would do.  And no, I don't have a miter saw.  Is it worth getting a small miter saw or contractor table saw just for short crosscuts?  Thanks again for your insights. -Bryan Guys Questions: You guys have the best woodworking podcast on the web, and I think you are fans of shellac like I am.    Just about any finish for me starts with a few layers of shellac. Every once in a while, I will notice a defect in the wood, like sanding scratch marks, under the shellac while applying it. So, of course I sand out the bad spot and apply a bit of shellac over the repair. But the act of sanding through the shellac to the wood has effected the surface.    The wood doesn't want to accept the shellac. I put coat after coat on the spot that I sanded, but its not building up.    Sometimes I sand the surface between coats and I can see the repair shellac I have been putting down has been migrating to the periphery of the repair spot.   Like a little berm around the effected area.    I know the spot where I sanded will be a few thousanths lower than the rest, but the shellac just doesn't want to be there.  Like the surface where where I sanded down to wood has become shellac-phobic. I did a test on African Mahogony and after 8 coats, I got the surface of the board uniform. Have you ever seen this ? Is there a name for this problem? Do you have a better solution than just keep putting down more coats of shellac ? I would include an image if I can figure out how to on this Chat. Steve in Windsor        sps1@cogeco.ca Eventually I can get the surface uniform. Where do you see veneering having the greatest impact, such as bent lamination, solid pattern the top of furniture, inlays, marquetry, etc? George Huys Questions: Hello, Like everyone else, I enjoy listening to your podcast while working in shop. I make shadow boxes with my CNC and have a question about my assembly methods. I start by making an 8/4 panel and a 4/4 panel to cut the shapes out on my CNC. I use the 8/4 piece for the body of the box and the 4/4 for the top face. I cut a rabbet on the 8/4 to set a piece of acrylic glass in leaving about a 1/16" gap for movement. I then glue the top 4/4 face to the body using small dowels for alignment. I'm using flat sawn lumber and the grain of the body and the face run the same direction.  I make a removable plywood back to gain access to the box. The width of the body and face is only 2" and the overall size of the box is generally 25"x30".  I'm concerned about wood movement and the top face splitting due to movement at a different rate than the bottom piece.  Any thoughts on this and do you have any suggestions on other assembly methods? ALSO - Would you have different thoughts if the grain of the 8/4 body ran perpendicular to the grain of the 4/4 top face piece? Hope all that makes sense, you can see examples of what I'm doing on my facebook - seven cities woodworks https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GM2wxMGiR/ Please remove the face book link if you share my question on the webpage. I'm not looking for advertisement here. Thank you for all the valuable information you share and hope to hear your feedback! Chad I recently acquired a Fuji Minimite 5 stage Platinum hvlp spray system with T75G gravity gun. I also purchased 1.0mm and 1.8mm aircap sets and 3M PPS 2.0 lids and liners.  I seek your advice on how / when I need to clean my spray gun. Let’s say I’m spraying multiple coats every 6 hours over a period of 2 days. Do I clean the gun fully (disassemble and fully clean out) between each coat or only after I apply the last coat? If not full gun cleaning between coats, what’s the minimum cleaning I need to do between coat? Does the type of finish I use change this? I will be spraying shellac, solvent and waterborne poly, waterborne primer, waterborne latex paint, etc.   Bonus related question, what additional accessories would you recommend I buy for this spray system? For example I already bought the remote control for power. What else could improve my spraying? Thank you for a great podcast! Max  Greddie Woodworks

  6. May 29

    Mouse Poop?, Dark wood Marking, Veneer Glue and MORE!!!

    Brians Questions: I frequently work with dark wood, and need to mark the cuts.  Do you have a recommendation for a white pencil or pen that is fine tipped? Thank you for the great show and your time to produce it. -George What has been your favorite veneering project (or what project would you like to do with veneer) George Guys Questions: Hey guys, your recent talk about bandsaws made wonder if anyone is using anything cool for bandsaw infeed and out feed, im using roller stands and doing resaw cuts that are about 10’ long. I also was curious how you guys would go about making a cabinet over a toilet not require filler strips? Maybe a scribed face frame? Great podcast lately, i really enjoy it. Tyler I’m making a bow front dresser and the bow will be made by gluing up 1/8th” bending play. The front of the drawers will be 1/16th” shop sawn cherry veneer. I’m planning on putting  1/32” backing veneer on the inside of the bow.  To make up the bow i will have a couple glue ups. The first glue up will be the 1/8th” bending ply and the 1/32” backing veneer. For ease of use, I plan to use unibond one for this glue up. The second glue up for the front piece of 1/16” cherry veneer I plan to use Unibond 800 to ensure there is no wood movement later, since the height of some of the drawers will be 10”.  My questions are: is 1/32 backing veneer ok seeing the front piece of veneer is 1/16”? And second: is using Unibond 800 a bad idea because it will only be for the front piece of veneer. Mike Huys Questions: Hi,  Love the show. I recently got into woodworking as part of my stress relief from my W2 job (ICU work) and have fallen in love with it. I have expanded my tool chest and have a makita track saw and recently noted there was a variable speed setting on it. What guide do you utilize to change that setting? I have had it on 6 since I got the saw and never even thought to change it. I did finally follow your advice and upgrade my blade with a CMT finish 36 tooth carbide blade and what a difference cutting through hardwoods. Thanks, Viyeka Anyway, i wanted to ask how you would go about cleaning mouse droppings on your wood. The cdc (because of the hantavirus scare) suggests using bleach and then wiping but it seems harsh on raw wood stock. I don’t want the bleach to penetrate too deep. I was thinking of spraying with a soapy solution and then gently wiping it off all my wood. What do you think? —vaibhav from chicago

  7. May 15

    Design Software, First Veneer Projects, Extinct Tools and MORE!!!

    Brians Questions: Hi guys! Long time listener, first time question-asker! Thanks very much for the show. I've been listening for a few years now and love the no-nonsense, down to business approach of your show. I am a hobby woodworker, but have begun to get a few paying projects, which have been really fun and rewarding. One of the things that has forced me to do, as opposed to  things I make for fun, for myself, or for gifts, is to do more design and modeling up front. I've gotten proficient enough with Fusion 360 to be able to create a 3D model that I can use to visualize for myself or show a client, and have most of what I need to build. What I've discovered about Fusion is that you can model a HUGE amount of detail. I've found that modeling detail down to the rabbits, dados and understanding and determing the detail of each joint to be very helpful. I recently built a few large cabinets out of plywood using rabbet and dado joinery. I did not go to the trouble of actually modeling each rabbit and dado. When I was buidling it, I wished I had. A while back I built a cabinet from plans and they modeled ever rabbit, dado, hole... and I found it to be very helpful. I was also thinking that modeling all that might take alot of time and not be worth the effort. All of that is just an example for context. My question actually is, How much detail do you go into when you model/design your own pieces and what are some of the reasons you do the level of detail you do? Thanks again for the great podcast an I'm excited to hear your answers! Jeff I just got into a shop with power for more than lights for the first time in several years, and I dug out several routers that I couldnt say no to, even though I was exiled to hand tools at the time. Between those and the ones I had before, I've probably got a half-dozen of various sizes; enough, I think, to leave a couple in permanent setups. Just wondering, how many routers do you guys have, and how do to maximize their utility in your own work flows (with permanent setups, favorite jigs, etc)? Scott Guys Questions: Hello from Alabama, I am in the planning stages of building a dispenser for boxed wine. I have some highly figured walnut that I would like to use for the side panels.  However, the pieces I have are fairly thin. I am considering using 1/4 inch plywood as a core between 2 pieces of the thin walnut for each panel to prevent warping in the future. The plywood that I have on hand is currently somewhat warped itself. My question is: If I use this plywood as a core and apply sufficient clamping pressure during the glue up, should this panel remain flat? Or would you use MDF or HDF instead? Also, would you recommend any other glue rather than water resistant PVA? Thank you all for doing the Podcast. Woodshop Life is the BEST woodworking podcast out there, and I appreciate each of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to provide this service to all of us. Juston (Wild Chicken Woodworks) 1) I just drove down to Mississippi and met an old friend for the first time (if he's listening, he'll know who he is) to buy a Vacupress and associated gear. In this stuff, there was a flitch if cherry veneer (it was curled like a plane shaving from wing rolled, but appears really smooth, as in not wrinkled) and several starter packs of 3 sq/ft of some exotics (specifically satinwood, zebrawood, and rosewood, if interested). I'm super excited to put my first pump to work and have grand aspirations of  masterpieces with figured exotics, but in the meantime, I don't know where to start. Do you guys have any recommendations? What were your first veneer projects? Scott Huy's Questions: Hi guys, thanks for your responses to my drum/belt sanding and tenon cutting questions a few months back. Here’s a hopefully fun one to think about: what is a tool that is no longer made or is no longer “in style” that you either can’t imagine working without or wish you had acquired when it was more readily available? Why? I always love hearing and learning about those “forgotten” tools and techniques that at some previous time were a normal part of the craft. Thanks! Michael Hello Gentlemen, I am a hobbyist woodworker, with a small shop nestled in the corner of my 2 car garage.  I've been using a DeWalt contractor table saw for the past 12 years, and have gotten good enough results with it that I've never bothered to upgrade to anything bigger.   However, the thing that bothers me most about this saw is the virtual lack of dust collection.  Even though there's a dust collection port on the back under the blade, most of the dust drops straight to the floor.  And I'm sick and tired of having to shop vac my entire garage after making even just a couple quick cuts.  I think it's time to invest in something that can manage dust a bit better.   My question is: what brand/model of table saw would you recommend that is  (1) easily mobile  (2) doesn't take up a large footprint, and  (3) has the best dust collection?   Because my shop is small, I do not have an actual dust collector.  I've been using a 6.5 horsepower shop vac with a dust separator for all these years, and would prefer to stick with this setup for now if possible.  Can you explain the pros and cons of using this setup with a table saw versus using an actual dust collector?  If I need an actual dust collector to get the results I'm looking for with the new saw, what kind would you recommend to keep the cost and footprint low? Oh, and hopefully the saw would be under $1500, but could possibly stretch to $2000 as long as all the requirements are met. Thanks for your help, and thanks for providing the best woodworking podcast on the planet! Best, Matt

  8. May 1

    Face Frames, Rubio Monocoat, Accurate Marking and MORE!!!

    Brians Questions: Hello and greetings from Texas, I’m an amateur woodworker who may have bitten off a little more than I could chew. I started building full closet cabinets for my walk-in master closet, and at this point I’m too far in to turn back, so I’m learning as I go. All of the cabinet boxes are installed, and I’m now working on shelves and drawer fronts. My question is about face frames. I’ve seen a lot of people recommend assembling the full face frame first and then installing it as a unit, rather than attaching each rail and stile individually. What are the real advantages of building and installing the face frame as one piece versus installing it piece by piece? One complication in my situation is that my walls weren’t perfectly square when I started, and as a result some of my cabinets aren’t perfectly square either. I’m trying to figure out which approach will give me the best final result given those imperfections. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for all the knowledge you put out there—it’s been a huge help on this project. Thank you, Casey Wood You Rather 1. The first question is about accuracy. What is your own degree of tolerance when it comes to measurements, without going crazy? I guess it depends on the project, but for example, when cutting panels to specific dimensions with a track saw, do you try to get the measurements down to the nearest 1/16th? nearest 1/32nd? 1/64th?  2. On a related note, the measuring marks on the ruler or parallel guides of course have a width themselves… Do you place your pencil or stop pointer just before the line/mark, in the middle of the line, or just after the line?  Does it not matter as long as you’re consistent?  I know this isn’t NASA, but I don’t want the project to ultimately look amateurish. Josh Guys Questions: First, thank you for answering my other questions.  Guy points out that Rubio Monocoat is made for wood floors when others talk about using it on wood furniture. Is there an actual disadvantage or problem with using Rubio on fine furniture when you want a finish that can withstand the abuse that a floor gets? Thanks again for the great show! George 3. Any advice for staining blotchy baltic birch plywood with Gel stain and tips for finishing with water-based urethane topcoat?  I have heard so many different opinions, from putting a slip coat of mineral spirits, to using preconditioner, to applying gel stain directly on the wood, etc. Josh Huys Questions: I am working on a large kitchen cabinet project and have come across a few questions I thought would make good discussion. Project includes 16 base cabinets, 14 uppers, range hood and a couple of custom spice racks, open shelves etc. Upper will have 14" upper uppers stacked on them with glass fronts. Lowers are almost entirely drawers. Carcasses are about done heading into face frames and drawers. -Ripping down face frame lumber. When batching out large amounts of 1 1/2" strips what is your preferred method. Table saw then sand? Table saw proud then plane? Table saw then drum sand? Will a bandsaw with ripping blade provide a nicer edge? Major concerns are efficiency and accuracy while avoiding saw marks that have to be hand sanded off. -Ever use a shaper to add dado on 8' strips of wood for drawer box parts? Wondering if there is a good way to setup the shaper with power feeder to run through all the strips then cut to length. Essentially making my own drawer blanks. Any other thoughts or recommendations when batching out large cabinet projects. Matt I have the Grizzly benchtop oscillating edge and spindle sander that I believe a couple of you have mentioned owning currently or in the past. I’m working on some oak glue-ups that are using some odd angles that will be template routed later. The problem I’m having is that when I use the edge sander to dial in these pieces my edges are getting slightly rounded over and becoming convex. I’d love to have a large disk sander but this is what I’m working with and I can’t figure out if it’s a tension or pressure issue or the oscillation is causing it… any help is greatly appreciated! Keep up the great work! Shawn

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About

Bi-Weekly Podcast Focused on the Craft of Woodworking

Information

  • Creator
    Woodshop Life Podcast
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    Woodshop Life Podcast