Category: Podcast Episodes

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

Brians Questions:

Hey guys, Got another one for ya. I have never used real hardwood for a project. Everything I have done so far has been with random scraps, pine or plywood. I was wondering what you guys would suggest as a good first project using hardwood. I do have a small variety pack of 3 species I picked up from woodcraft a while back that was on sale. 3 small boards that are essentially 2′ 1×4’s. Couldn’t tell you what species they are at this point. I had thought about starting out by making a simple wood mallet using these. As a companion question. What general advice would you give someone just starting out. I don’t have a planer or joiner so where should I get my hardwood? Do typical wood suppliers have an option to purchase already dimensioned lumber? I know a big box store is always an option. What species would you recommend getting started with? Any other helpful tips for this rookie? Thanks again, Jon

Guys Questions:

Hello gents, My wife creates some really detailed pyrography on offcuts from my woodworking projects. Usually I give them a light coating of linseed oil or tung oil but We’ve found over time, and in particular when in direct sunlight, that the burnt image fades quite a lot. Any ideas on a finish that would help prevent or reduce this fading? Thanks Adam (listener from the UK)

Hey all this is Mason with Blairswoodshop again. I’ve been thinking of more questions to ask and I have a couple. I’ll start with this one and send the others later. I’ve been seeing a lot of advertising from finewoodworking magazine about some online courses. I’m actually quite interested. I live in a rual area of Missouri and before that I was in a rural area of Southern California. So any kind of in-person class is always a 2-3 hour drive away. I know there is a lot of experience lost with the lack of hands on and in person instruction, but do you all still think there is something to be gained through online live instruction? Most of my experience is through hours of research, reading, listening to this podcast, YouTube, and hands on experience. I feel I could learn some processes faster even through a camera, where my questions can be answered directly at that moment. Sorry about the long winded question, but I am curious of what you guys think?

Huys Questions:

Huy, Guy, Newbie Brian – First off let me apologize for taking a month off from my regular queries. I had to go ahead and dodge a process server after my 7 year old made me get my wife a toilet seat heater for Christmas. Second, Happy New Year to you and yours. May your 2023 be filled with etcetera. Third, I got a hot one for you. Had a 30″ diameter beech tree taken down out of my deck (it was growing through it), and saved the bottom 10′. Borrowed my buddy’s chainsaw and Alaskan mill and slabbed it up into 8/4. Here is my conundrum. I am 95% sure I will use all but two slabs as milled lumber to make a big dresser. Would you, if you were in my size 13’s, mill the lumber to rough size green/now, and then air dry it, or dry it as stacked slabs and then mill it? I can see advantages and disadvantages to both approaches, I’m leaning towards leaving it as slabs only because beech is notorious for twisting as it dries, and I feel like less mass moves easier. But then I consider that if it has innate tension, it’s going to move when I mill it, no matter what. I have a whole bunch of other questions but I like a nice lead-in to warm up the audience, so I’ll send them individually. You guys breaking trying to break up a multi-parter would just throw off my flow. Love you miss you. Tom @figurawoodwork

I use Odie’s oil. I don’t like it for furniture at all though. I think it looks nice, but I question the durability. That said, I do use it on pens that I sell. You do not get a high shine, but it does leave a nice, natural looking finish with a moderate shine. Plus it applies super easily and seems durable enough for my pens. I was wondering if you guys had a take on hard wax oils for wood turnings. We don’t talk about lathe work a lot. Dillon

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife

Guys Questions:

Hello fellas. I greatly appreciate your show, as its the only one that I haven’t gotten tired of over the years. I’m making a chimney cupboard for the most difficult of clients – my wife. She really dislikes, frame and panel doors and wanted solid doors. So there will be two 40 inch high by 20 inch wide – full overlay doors. I’m using beautiful air dryer sinker Cypress for the entire piece. I’ve convinced her that big slabs of solid wood doors would potentially bow or twist overtime, so I have developed an idea of making each door like this – I’ve sourced a 26 inch wide 8 foot board. after milling and cutting to 44 inch pieces, I cut the middle out to be the panel and will use the adjoining pieces for the rail and styles. The panel will be tongue and grooved to sit flush with the front with the styles – with an 1/8 inch gap. Therefore, it will be a frame and panel door, but out of one piece of wood that looks solid. My question is relating to the inside panel and its thickness. It seems if I leave it thicker (currently 5/8”) it will be more prone to twisting the frame, where if I bring it down thinner like 3/8”, it may be more prone to splitting. Please let me know your thoughts . Thank you so much. Mike Sibley

Hi Gents. Love the show. I’ve invested in a 3 stage sprayer and have been trying it out, getting the hang of it. Any General advice to a new sprayer user? Also, while a perfect coat is the goal, would it be better to put down too much, or too little of ‘sprayables’? It seems too little is much easier to fix. Usually just add another coat after it’s dried. Thanks for the great show! Mark Bett

Brian’s Questions:

Guy’s, I love the podcast and listen often but haven’t caught completely up yet. What is a good method of making mortise and tenon jointery with a router only? I’ve got a Bosch 1/2” router and intent to buy a router table too. I’ve seen various jigs on the market but was wondering what the best option is for the money having only a router, and small DEWALT 8.5” lunchbox table saw. I intend to build smaller household furniture such as side tables, nightstands and a dresser. Thanks for the advice, love the show, Dave Huffman

I would love to get a subscription to a woodworking magazine for my fiance for Christmas. He’s a big fan of your podcast. You have mentioned one before but now I can’t find it. What are your suggestions? – Lauren Zontini

Huy’s Questions

I have a Dewalt 733 planer and the blades are starting to go dull. I saw online where I could build a jig out of a 2×4 by cutting 2 slots at 42 degrees angles and placing my blades inside the slots. You would then run the blades over a sharpening stone to give it a new edge. Is this a good method for sharpening my blade or should I be looking for another method. Keep making this podcast and I am sure that all of us out here listening will continue to tune in and keep asking questions. Happy Holidays to all of you Cory

Sorry if this is a repeat only mostly caught up. The wife wants a painted double dresser. I dislike painted furniture and prefer to work with maple or walnut but we compromised… so the wife’s getting a painted double dresser. I intend to use plywood since it’s a paint grade project but don’t have much experience with it. What’s a good construction method for plywood? I’ve got a small table saw, 1/2” router, kreg jig and hand tools. Can I get way with using the kreg jig and but joints for carcass construction? How about plywood drawers? I intend to use latex paint, should I add a top coat over it? Many Thanks, love the podcast Dave Huffman

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife

Guys Questions:

Hello fellow wood shop enthusiasts! I was recently watching Guys YouTube videos of the secretary with tambour doors. He made a comment about sanding the door to I think 350, but also made a comment about treating the end grain differently so that it would not take on more oil and I assume darken it more then the face. He did not really elaborate on the technique. How is end grain treated differently when applying oil finishes and when staining? – Unkown

Hey guys this is Mason from Blairswoodshop again. A follow up from the first question I asked about the jet 16-32 conveyor belt, I did what you said and now there is no more constant adjustments and it seems to work great now thank you for the help! Now for the next question. I have some really nice looking spaulted maple, as you know it’s not structurally the most sound. I was thinking about maybe making it into thin veneer for box lids and things like that. I have no veneering experience or a vacuum pump, what is a cheap way to start veneering with out breaking the bank? I’ve been spending so much on tools last thing I need to do is go to the wife saying I need more tools haha, Thank you all for what you guys do! Look for to hear what you guys suggest. P.S. I do have everything to make the veneers just looking for diffrent ways to attach it to my work pieces. Mason Blair

Brian’s Questions:

1- I have a Dewalt dw735 planer and so far so good, But I noticed that if I try with a wide plank the planer makes a noise that sounds like it’s too much for him to handle, how do you guys use a planer? One dimension several passes with 32s increments? – Karel

Any advice for someone trying to start their own woodworking buisness? I do small crafts currently, but I plan to start selling furniture in the near future . Feel free to check out what I’m doing at the moment. – Dillon

Huy’s Questions:

Hey guys, Do you know where I can find information on guidelines for building furniture? (i.e. website or books) For example, I’m looking to build a queen size platform bed frame with 20 inch legs and use castle joint joinery to connect the four sides to the legs. I’m trying to figure out what the minimum size the four sides, feet should be and how deep should the castle joints be? Deeper than my 10 inch table saw can cut? Thanks for all the great help. – Matt

I would like to monetize my woodworking as a side business, if possible, in the future. Honestly, I am not sure if that means cutting boards or commissions, but I am leaning towards some simple stuff and seeing where it goes. I’ve thought of adding some sort of CNC to the mix. I am on the fence if I should go the route of a Shaper Origin as I can use this to make patterns for furniture projects, aid in doing some repetitive work, and do some custom accents on small items to personalize items for people or do I go the route of getting a Onefinity or other similar sized DIY CNC machine? The Onefinity would obviously take up much more room and cannot be brought to the project but could work on its own so to speak so if I am going to try and make money it can be working on something while I am doing something else. So, the part two to this question is if I go this route do you think I should get an add on laser attachment again for decorative personalization of future items to be made?