Author: woodshoplifepodcast

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Thank you for your awesome podcast!
I recently started listening and am still working through older podcasts while staying up on your bi-weekly episodes. I would describe myself as a longtime hobbyist who has built some basic furniture but who still has much to learn.
My current project is setting up my workshop in one car space of a 3 car garage after having moved back to California from Colorado. We’ve been back for over 3 years, but holding down a demanding full-time job and getting 2 kids through grad school has kept my wife and I pretty busy and has left little time for hobbies.
Since I don’t have any specific projects in the works besides setting up my shop, my question is a little broader. Curious to learn more about your thoughts on hand planes. How much of your woodworking repertoire includes the use of hand planes, what types of hand planes do you use the most and for what types of jobs do you use them? Or, do you completely omit hand planes from your woodworking arsenal?
Thanks again for the great podcast.
Best regards,
Darryl Noda (Wildfield Woodshop)

Thanks once again for putting out the most helpful woodworking podcast I listen to!
I’m making a lot of small boxes, many of which I make as one piece and then cut the lid off with a table saw or bandsaw. How do you deal with glue squeeze-out on the interior corners of such boxes, when you can’t access it until after you cut off the lid? My current methods are to pre-finish the interior sides of the box, so the squeeze out doesn’t affect the finish, or else to use painter’s tape at the corners. The pre-finishing works decently but requires a lot of forethought and has some limitations; the painter’s tape is a pain and doesn’t work all that well. Another method I’ve tried is not caring about the squeeze-out and installing box inserts to cover it up. Do you all have a preferred method for dealing with gluing up closed boxes? Thanks again in advance for your good advice. Kyle

can you live without a pedestal drill press? It’s handy, with relatively small footprint. But it seems like I use it exclusively perpendicular holes with Brad point or forstner bits., I could probably replace it with a drill guide like this UJK one. https://www.axminstertools.com/global/ujk-technology-drill-guide-with-10mm-chuck-106072
Thanks again for the pod, and for considering my question! Johnny

Huy’s Questions:

My wife and I were on vacation earlier this summer driving from Iowa to Florida and I was board listening to the radio and she suggested I look for a podcast on woodworking. Boy was she sorry she suggested that! I found your podcast and what an informative and fun podcast! I’ve listen to a lot of them but have not got to them all.

I am getting back to woodworking and have started a side gig and have completed a few projects for a few people and have several more to do. I’m doing tables, shelves, cabinets, bookshelves, benches, and some other smaller things. I have a pretty good shop with a pretty good tool selection. Just purchased a Sawstop PCS 175, 36” fence and I can’t believe the quality from my old Delta contractor saw. It will certainly help me up my game on a lot of things. I have a couple of questions that I hope you can help.

Some of these projects are stained and others are painted. Up to this point I have just used brushes and rollers to paint and use mostly Sherwin Williams paint. The project turns out ok and my clients are satisfied but I’m ready to kick it up a notch by spraying. I’ve used a sprayer called a Criiter and while it works ok it very difficult to use on anything of size. I’m lo

I recently had the misfortune of losing my shop to a windstorm/tornado. So, I now ‘get’ to rebuild. I plan on having a footprint of about 30 x 40 with a 10′ rollup door and one man door. I have several questions so appreciate that you may not be able to answer them all.

1. What would you suggest for the interion walls? OSB, plywood or ? 1/2″ or 3/4″?
2. I plan on putting my table saw and outfeed table in the middle of the shop with the other typical tools – bandsaw, drill press, router table, jointer, planer on or near the exterior walls. Do you have any suggestions as to the layout of the shop?
3. My tools were all rescued thought they undoubtedly suffered some water damage and I won’t really know the extent of the damage until the new shop is up and the tools are unloaded from the storage container. Any thoughts on how to deal with potentially water damaged tools?
4. I plan on getting a new dust collector as my old one didn’t make it; a wall fell on it and I don’t think it can be repaired. Any suggestions for a new one? I plan on plumbing in pvc piping to each of the tools so would like to have something pretty robust.
5. What would you suggest for shop height? My last shop was formerly used as a barn so had a 15′ or so height; I don’t think I need anything that high but am thinking about 10 or 11 feet here.
6. I plan on adding a cnc to the shop at some point in the future. What are your thoughts about placement of this machine? Should be against a wall or ?

Thanks very much for your outstanding Podcast. I really, really enjoy it and learn lots every time I listen. Ron

Hi guys! I love the podcast and have almost caught up to the current episode. You guys really keep it to the topics, which is great!! I am currently working in my garage shop that is 18ftx14ft. I currently have a 10 inch job site table saw and I’m ready to upgrade to a cabnent saw. I am liking the Alpha HW110LC-36Pro but don’t know much about them. I am also considering the Grizzly G0899. What are your thoughts on these saws. Thank you all and keep up the great work on the podcast!!! David Caraway

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Howdy fellas,
Love the podcast! I’m in the process of building a bench and misjudged how much wood I could get out of a board. The plans call for two stretchers of 3/4 maple about 65″ long and 4.5″ wide. After squaring and thicknessing, I’m down to 0.75-by-65-by-4.25 which is 1/4″ too narrow. I initially thought I’d start over with a new board, but have decided to forge ahead with the slightly narrower stretchers since it won’t impact the joiner, should still be plenty strong and will probably be imperceptible. In this example or others from your experience, how big of a boo-boo do you allow in your projects? Sorry if you’ve covered this before, I’m still catching up.
Thanks, Bryan

In a previous podcast, Brian mentioned he had used raking light after sanding and was impressed by how clearly sanding marks were visible. I have tried to deliberately use raking light to identify sanding issues. You can lift a small item at a angle towards an overhead light and sight along the surface which works but if it is larger surface this isn’t practical. I have taken an led trouble light and held it at an angle close to surface but rarely see the sanding marks stand out. At some point in the afternoon sunlight hits the top of a project and marks are clearly visible . Any suggestions on using raking lighting on larger surfaces? Thanks for the great program, look forward to each new podcast. Dave at Xcuse4tools Custom Woodwork

Guys Questions:

Appreciate you all and look forward to your podcast. I was making raised panel doors for the cabinets in my shop. The panels are cut on the tablesaw with a tall fence jig and the blade tilted. This works well but leaves a few saw marks on the beveled portion of the panel which need to be cleaned up. The best way i know to sand this area is to wrap sandpaper around a small flat piece of plywood and manually sand it. This is time consuming and you are sanding across grain on two of the four bevels. I was wondering if there are any powered options available. I still have a quarter sheet sander but you hit the outer edge of panel if you use this on the bevel. Have you used a mop or star sanding wheel? This appears to be good for contours. Hoping you might have some insights possibly with Huy’s recent furniture restoration efforts. Thanks, Dave@Xcuse4tools Custom Woodwork

Hi there,

As always, love the podcast and all of the insights and expertise you share. I’m preparing to do a built-in cabinetry project for our entertainment center. The full set of cabinets will be be about 11 1/2 feet wide. I’m planning to do shaker style doors, but with a beaded pdf panel with vertical beads going across the full width of the panel. I know Guy is probably going to say, “I’d just buy the panels and be done with it”, but let’s say that I really wanted to make them myself. How would you recommend cutting all of those beads. I have a Powermatic PM2000 and a nice cast iron router table and handheld routers, but no CNC. I recently saw a video where someone made these kinds of panels with a “Magic Molder” on the table saw. Would love to hear if you have any other methods. Pete

Huys Questions:

I have been woodworking for 6 years and have learned allot from your podcast. I recently took a finishing class and learned about the different finishes. Mineral spirits is the recommended thinner for oil based finishes. Why does Guy recommend Naphtha. What is the difference between Naphtha and Mineral Spirits. What advantage is there in using Naphtha. Thank you for all the great information you bring to the community. John

Gents – Apologies for the long story, but you asked for questions.
At the peak of the COVID pandemic I found myself watching far too many YouTube channels and came upon makers using European combination machines. Call it boredom or simply a need for a good excuse to travel during a traffic density period we hope to never see again, I researched a variety of brands and settled on a Robland X-31. This 1,100 pound beast is equipped with a sliding table saw, jointer, planer, shaper and mortiser. It replaced the Delta Unisaw with a 52” Unifence, a 6” Delta clone jointer sold as “Pit Bull,” and a DeWalt DW-735 that I paid $220 because HomeDepot decided to run a price match plus 10-odd percent discount the same week HomeBase was doing its going out of business liquidation. Price shopping for the best planner deal was just a walk-about as both stores shared a common parking lot.
So back to the Robland. I convinced myself that I need a change. I started milling logs and the Pit Bull wasn’t going to cut face jointing wide boards. I needed a 12” jointer. The 20 by 24 foot shop could not accommodate length of a dedicated 12” jointer, said the little voice in my head. I could sell the Unisaw and the Pit Bull, stuff the DeWalt in a cabinet, it said. The collective footprint of these three tools (the DeWalt was on a mobile base) would be about the same as the X-31, it declared. It will fit into a one-car garage if and when you downsize, it summarized. So off to new custodians these two reliable tools that faithfully served hundreds of tasks. I trekked from Sacramento, California to Yakima, Washington with my 85-year-old dad to pickup a rarely used (red flag as it turned out) green X-31 that had – as the second owner said – sat in the basement of a dentist.
Fast forward to today … can’t say, yet, if I like or dislike the Robland. It is a pain in the ass to set up. The jointer works great once one learns how to accommodate the relatively short wings. I had electrical problems for the first year. I appreciate the planer’s 9” capacity. I miss the efficiency of moving from one dedicated machine to another. There is little end snipe compared to the 735. I don’t know if I’ll ever use the mortiser, particularly after buying a Domino. I love the cross cut table. I hate the lack of micro adjustment to the blade height on the table saw. The shaper is a great addition to the shop. It pains me that woodworking with a micrometer was helpful with the Unisaw and is a frustration with the Robland.
As I deal deal with these tool grievances, the questions:

1. What would be your advice to a new woodworker to purchase dedicated vs. combination machines? What combination would you recommend and why?
2. We’re friends here, right? Did I make a mistake with the Robland?
   Finally, at risk of being accused of pandering: I agree with Guy’s sentiment that the SawStop is a good tool, but its safety feature isn’t a replacement for responsible use of power tools. There is a reason SawStop doesn’t warranty for injuries. Age for age, I wouldn’t trust a 10-year-old SawStop any more than I would a vintage Walker Turner table saw.

Hey guys,

First off, thanks for all the knowledge you share—I’ve been woodworking for a while, but I’m always learning from your podcast. During COVID, I sold my Delta Unisaw, jointer, and DeWalt planer to pick up a Robland X-31 combo machine with a sliding saw, jointer, planer, shaper, and mortiser. I loved the idea of saving space and getting a 12″ jointer, but now I have mixed feelings. I like the crosscut table and shaper, but I miss the efficiency and precision of dedicated machines, and the X-31 can be a hassle to set up.

So my questions are:

1) For someone just getting into woodworking, would you recommend dedicated machines over a combination unit? Why?

2) Be honest—did I make a mistake going with the Robland?

Thanks again for all the insight you share each week. Craig

This Episodes Questions

Brians Questions

Hi guys. I’ve listened to every episode of the podcast and some of them more than once. Really appreciate all of the insights you give. It makes my commute much more fun and I’ve learned a ton!

This question is primarily for Brian. I’ve heard you all poke fun at him for using Excel to plan his projects on multiple occasions. I’m very curious to learn more about how he accomplishes this. I understand that he makes each cell square and draws, but maybe he could give us a little tutorial. What cell height and width does he use? What does each cell represent (an inch, six inches, a foot?). Any other of the steps you use would be super helpful. I’m planning on a built-in set of cabinets coming up and I thought I’d give your method a shot. Pete

Hello Guys
I am looking into getting a router table. Based on your experience which would be a better option. A full size stand alone router table or a router table insert for my table saw. I have plenty of space and I am looking to spend around $600 to $700. Is a router lift an important add on. Thanks for all the knowledge you all give and keep that PMA (positive mental attitude) going.
Thanks Korey from Independence, KY

Guys Questions

Gentlemen
I listen to every podcast and invariably learn something from your answers to the questions. Keep up the great work.

I have a Canadian made 14 inch General thickness planer that is about 40 years old and it has been working well and reliably over the years. Lately I noticed that one edge of a full width (14 inch) board is about .7 mm (28/1000 inch)thicker when compared to the other. It may have always done this but I am edge jointing some wide boards into panels and the variation in thickness means I have to hand plane the joints. There is no way to adjust the base to make it parallel to the cutter head. I almost always use a sled so I could adjust it to offset the inequality.

My question is am I being a bit too fussy with the small difference? Would you accept this level of planing inaccuracy when working in your own shop?

Bob Vergette, Pender Island BC, Canada

Here is my next question. I am making a shadowbox out of walnut. I want to put brass splines on the corners. I built a spline jig and I purchased a new CMT 201.024.10 Industrial Ripping Saw Blade, 10-Inch. x 24 Teeth FTG Grind with 5/8-Inch. Bore, PTFE Coating. This blade measures 1/8 with calipers across two of the carbide tips. However the cut comes in at 5/32. The brass I purchased is exactly 1/8” This leaves very small but noticeable gap. I’ve also tried with another blade and got the same results. What suggestions or tips you may have to get that saw kerf to 1/8 inch? I may next try a slightly larger thickness of brass and file/sand it down but that will be more work. I hate to say this but guys on Youtube make it look easy and have no gaps, but don’t provide the tips and how they got such tight fits. Thanks in advance!

Dudley @ Pappys Hangar

Huys Questions

Gents, what a great podcast! I love the format, the focus on answering questions, and the valuable information. I especially like hearing Guy’s perspectives who’s both a pro and a hobbyist. Thanks and keep it up. I’ve been woodworking as a hobbyist for about 50 years – yes I’m older than Guy but not dying anytime soon thanks to my Sawstop – but just now getting into spray finishing. I have heard Guy talk numerous times about using pigmented water based conversion varnish. I have an upcoming project involving kitchen cabinet door panels that need to be finished to match the existing which is conversion varnish tinted to match Benjamin Moore Linen White. Because I have also heard Guy saying he gets his finishes from Target Coatings, I contacted them but was told they do not tint their conversion varnish and I would need to tint it myself. Their suggestion though is to apply their pigmented water based lacquer for the color match, and then coat that with their polycarbonate urethane for durability comparable to the conversion varnish. That two-step process sounds cumbersome compared to one step conversion varnish. So the question is do you get your pigmented conversion varnish elsewhere? Do you get it at Target coatings and have it tinted locally? Tint it yourself? Thanks for your advice. John

My grandparents had a marquetry landscape picture hanging on the wall of their house for years when I was kid. After they passed, one of my uncles received the picture as part of their inheritance. I decided to try to make my own version of this picture as the chalet had a few discrepancies in it. The picture was of a man walking down a winding path between a chalet and a couple of trees and mountains in the background. I have tried to use 1/16″ veneer but it seems prone to tearing/chipping when I use my Dewalt scroll saw. I have tried several different styles of blades with no success. I have also had some difficulties getting the jigsaw pieces, so to speak, to fit closely together. It seems if I remove a little from one side of a piece then it alters another side. I have let’s say gone through a bit of extra veneer. What suggestions would you make so that the veneer doesn’t tear/chip out? Is there a better way to cut the pieces? Would you use a different thickness or completely go away from the veneer to something else? Lastly, what techniques can you offer up to get the pieces to fit snugly given the sometimes difficult shapes? Jim

Brians Questions:

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and opinions – and answering my previous questions. It’s been a great help.
My shop is in my single car garage, which I share with household storage. It has a very high ceiling. I recently got a good deal on a new Jet AFS-1000B Air Filtration System. (note: I do not have a dust collection system, as I try to do mostly hand tool work, but I do use power tools as needed. So there is plenty of dust).
The question is: where to locate the device?
The options are:

1. I have a shelf that is suspended from the ceiling and could test to see if it will support the Jet unit.
2. There is a metal storage cabinet that I can set it on, and attach to the wall (per Jet instructions).
3. Place it on the lower shelf of my Moravian style workbench.
   Attaching it directly to the ceiling is out, as it is too high, and I don’t have ladders or scaffolding to get up there.
   The easiest is option 3 – on the lower shelf of the workbench. Will it be effective down there – about a foot off the ground? Or should I go for options 1 or 2?
   Thanks for any insight.
   David V. – Baltimore, MD

Gentlemen,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to share your knowledge through the podcast. I’ve recently caught up on all the previous episodes and really look forward to the bi-weekly insights you provide. It’s been a tremendous help as I navigate the early stages of woodworking and material sourcing.
I have a question regarding quality expectations when purchasing from regional hardwood suppliers. I’ve recently started buying from a distributor in the Texas/Oklahoma area that operates multiple warehouses. While I’m still relatively new to this type of procurement, I’ve noticed a gap between what I expected from a “select & better” grade product and what I actually received.
My recent order was for cherry lumber—select & better, RW&L, averaging 6 inches wide, 9 feet long, and 15/16″ thickness, graded 90/70+. The issue I encountered was significant end-checking and splitting—some boards had cracks extending 10 to 18 inches. Since the lumber (along with some maple and walnut) was bundled and strapped to a pallet, it wasn’t until I got home—over an hour away—that I realized the extent of the damage.
I understand that some waste is always part of the equation, but I’m trying to get a sense of what’s considered “normal” for a premium grade. Should I have contacted the supplier once I noticed the issue? Or is it standard practice to inspect the order before it leaves the yard? I’d appreciate any guidance or rules of thumb you might recommend for handling situations like this.
Thanks again for your time and for all the valuable information you share. It’s been a huge help.
Best regards, Mark

Guys Questions:

I’m preparing to build a set of kitchen cupboards from white oak. The style will be Mission, with some Frank Lloyd Wright Prairies Style touches. I have several questions.
I’m going to build some assembly tables. I don’t want hundreds of dog/hold-down holes in each, but I will probably drill a few. I’m wondering about 3/4” (the traditional North American standard) vs. 20 mm (a standard popularized by Festool, etc.). I know this isn’t a black and white choice, but could you share some thoughts on what one might consider before committing to one size vs. another. Darrin

I frequently seem to struggle with keeping the countersink concentric concentric with the screw clearance hole.
I have both the multi-flue countersink and the countersink with one diagonal hole but they both want to wander.
I also have a tapered drill bit with set-screwed countersink. Maybe I should be trying harder to use that type.
So my question is – do you have any suggestions for keeping the countersink centered on the clearance hole, and what is your preferred type of countersink.
Steve

Huys Questions:

Hello guys, my name is Jim Rose. I live in north central Kansas and have a couple of completely different topics for questions.
Before the questions, I wanted to say, thanks so much for an awesome podcast. I have been a listener since Brian came on board. In fact, the 1st episode I listened to was his 1st episode!!!
First off, I have a question about beetle kill pine. I am currently building a new house and have purchased beetle kill pine to put on the walls and ceiling of a sunroom. My question is what finish should I use if any so that the blues and reds of the beetle kill pine will show the best and not change colors in anyway. I have seen different opinions on the internet ranging from a clear poly to nothing at all. Some have even said that a finish will change to colors which I definitely dont want. Not sure if this is true so thought I would the experts. Thanks in advance. Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again, Jim

Hey Fellas’ as many say “love the podcast”, I’ve learned a ton and look forward to more as I work my way through previous shows and keep up with new ones. The ask … you’ve shared a fair amount regarding adhesive/glues including talking shelf life. How can we tell when an adhesive/glue has exceeded its shelf life and should be discarded and replaced? I mean knowing this is prior to using it and the project failing and pieces not sticking as needed. Thanks, Chris Hudson