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This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions

When making trivets, how to cut the grooves – when I cut mine I hogged out half the thickness of the wood in one pass. That led to some pretty rough cuts and gouges (i.e. scrap). I assume the answer is a router table with a lift, but of course I don’t have one YET. 🙂 Also, what finish to put on a trivet (which is used for hot pans)? – different finish than a cutting board? Tung oil? Danish oil? I assume ’not’ ArmRSeal. Mark

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 have a SuperMax style cantilever 25-50 drum sander. Do you think that this is a feasible tool to level out the boards to remove the planer snipe? …and avoid having to cut 3” of the end of each piece? Darrin

Guys Questions:

Been enjoying your podcast through several projects. My background is homebuilding, but through my sawmill hobby and unwillingness to pay for overpriced garbage…I have found myself learning about woodworking. My question is about making doors.
I have made one door so far using only groove cuts into the stiles’s and gluing the tenons of the rails and panels into these cuts. I don’t have much faith in the longevity of this door, but it’s been a year now.
What is the traditional methodology for attaching the individual parts of a simple 3 panel door
Should I just buy a domino and get it done…
Also per your latest podcast episode, what is the best way to midi gate the wood movement at the joint of the rails/ stiles. As these joints are not small nor parallel.
Sorry for the low brow question. Appreciate the knowledge. Lucas

Hello esteemed woodworking gentlemen! Thanks for the amazing podcast and the contribution to the woodworking community. I’m seeking some general advice and hope you can help.
I was recently watched a YouTube video where someone stated that a track saw blade should always be buried for the straightest possible cut. That made me wonder if I can be causing unnecessary blade deflection on my jobsite table saw and Dewalt miter saw. I often struggle achieving perfect 90 on those machines when crosscutting.
As a hobbyist with limited shop time, setting up machines is pain but I understand its necessity. Can you speak on this blade deflection and are there any go to tricks that you have for ensuring your machines are set up properly?
Thanks for any help you can provide.-Jose

Huys Questions:

A while back my wife and I bought and moved into a house with no dishwasher, then later purchased one after realizing how much not having one sucked. We made the mistake of assuming that we would be fine putting the dishwasher at the end of the counter, because we figured the top of the machine would look like a run-of-the-mill home appliance like a washer or dryer, rather than the monstrosity that it actually is.
It is ugly. I think I actually recall my wife crying when she saw it, and not in a good way. Since then my loosely held plan has been finding a way to move or dispose of the contents of one section of our cabinets, then cut a section out of said cabinets big enough for the dishwasher to fit underneath. Recently, however, thanks in large part to your podcast, I have developed enough confidence in my woodworking skills to attempt a different idea. My thought is to make what is essentially an end cap or sidewall, which will match the existing cabinetry, anchor it somehow, and then place a new section of countertop between this end cap and the existing end cap of the cabinets. I would essentially be “extending” the countertop, thereby concealing top and visible side of the dishwasher. From what I can tell, all I would have to make, stain, and finish would be a cabinet side panel, a piece of trim to run along the bottom, and a partial face frame.
So here come the questions: do you think this is doable, either generally or the way I am thinking? And what would be the easiest way to tackle this project? Note that I’m not particularly concerned over whether or not I use the same method of instruction as was used for the rest of the cabinetry. For example, I don’t particularly care to use particle board with a veneer as the rest of the cabinets may have done if it would actually be easier or cheaper in this instance to just make the side panel out of a solid piece of wood. So long as it looks close, its fine with me. The applicable tools I can think of that I have at my disposal are a table saw with a crosscut sled, a compound miter saw, a jigsaw, fixed base router, various types of Sanders, a pocket hole jig, 15, 16, and 23 gauge nailers, and of course all of the basic hand tools. I would describe my skill level as approaching novice.
Sincerely,Z achary T Owens

Howdy yall,
I’m wondering if you can recommend any smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors in the woodshop? I work out of a one car garage in Minnesota so have a gas heater to help me stay warm during our bitter winter months, but am also worried about oil rags possibly spontaneously combusting. When I first moved into the shop I tried installing a regular smoke detector however it kept on getting set off when I had excessive dust flying (thank you router). Is there anything that you know of on the market that won’t get set off by dust but that I can keep my home protected and have a little more peace of mind?
Thanks, Paul at Twin Lake Woodshop

This Episodes Questions:

Brian’s 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 have a question about milling lumber. There seems to be a trade-off: keep the boards long and you need to joint more off to get a flat face, hence the risk of falling below your desired thickness. But cut the boards to length first and you have to allow for more cut-offs on the ends to remove planer snipe. How should I think about this? In general, do the three of you cut longer boards to length for parts first and then plane and joint? Or do you joint and plane the boards whole (mine are 6’ to 8’) and take the perhaps larger losses to thickness but avoid multiple areas of planer snipe? I know that much depends on the boards, but I’d be interested in your general approaches. Darrin

Hey guys I absolutely love the podcast, amd have already learned a lot. I recently have decided to do this for more than a hobby. I have been doing small or easier projects like cutting boards and tongue and groove ceilings. I have been wanting to start building entry level tables and furniture but keep psyching myself out of it. How did you guys build up the confidence to move on to more advanced projects? And did you guys get discouraged or frustrated at the beginning?

Thank you David Caraway

Guy’s Questions:

Thank you all for such a great show! I’m an amateur woodworker working out of a 550 square foot two-car attached garage. We keep two cars in the garage, so all my equipment is on mobile bases.
My question has to do with shop climate control. I live in southern Indiana, with hot muggy summers and cool-to-cold winters. The garage is insulated, including the door, and sits under a conditioned bonus room, but the garage itself is not heated or cooled. Although it never freezes, for a few of the coldest winter weeks, it will be in upper 30s. Mostly it’s at least 45 degrees.
I’m contemplating installing a 1 ton/12,000BTU mini-split for heating and cooling, DIYing installing it for less than $1000. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it, basically for the few hottest and coldest weeks. I can also migrate easily to my unfinished basement in the coldest weeks for glue-ups and finishing. I wouldn’t want to run the mini-split all the time, and often I am only out in the shop for short bursts, so pre-heating or pre-cooling seems wasteful.
$1000, plus the energy to run the mini-split, could buy plenty of other woodworking equipment and supplies. If this were your shop, what would you do?
Thanks, Kyle Kramer

Always a pleasure listening to your podcast. Thank you for your knowledge and insight.
I am planning to rip the carpet off my Stairs treads and somehow get a relative match to my wood flooring either upstairs and downstairs. Assuming the exact color isnt important in my question.
The treads are likely just pine but I haven’t pulled the carpet yet to find out. My thought was to veneer the treads. Then I would most likely us a transtint dye to reach the color and finish off with shellac washout and water based poly for durable finish. Is this a good approach or destined for failure?
Thanks for your time. Josh

Huy’s Questions:

Thanks for the great podcast. I have learned a lot from all the great content you put out. I really appreciate your advice and perspective. I have a couple questions I was hoping you could answer.
My second question is about compositing saw dust. My wife likes to garden and keep a compost pile. We use saw dust and wood shaving to balance the moisture of the compost pile. I occasionally use MDF and plywood and I am wondering if all the bad stuff in those materials are bad to use in the compost. I guess I’m pretty sure they are not good. I’ve heard that most of those chemicals breakdown form the heat of the compost but I am skeptical of that. I use an oneida dust separator. Do you think it is worth trying to partition two dust bins, one for raw wood and one for everything else? Do you think a blast gate under the separator would accomplish that or would it mess with the air flow of the separator?
Thanks. Keep up the great work. Jon Moch

A lot of people talk about spraying water on wood when changing sanding grits, to raise the loose fibres and get a smoother finish.
I have taken to spraying isopropyl alcohol (I think you would call it rubbing alcohol) between grits. I can spray it quite heavily and have it evaporate within a minute so I can continue sanding without having to wait.
I doubt I’m the first person in the history of woodworking to think of this (I’m no rocket scientist, Huy), but I never hear of anyone else doing this. That makes me think there may be a good reason to not do this.
So what do you blokes reckon? Is there a reason why I shouldn’t be doing this, apart from water being free and alcohol being expensive?
FYI, I usually work in recycled jarrah (an ultra hard Western Australian wood) and finish with Tung oil when using the alcohol
Thanks fellas, love your work!
Jim

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hello Guy, Huy, and Sean,
I have two questions. 1) I’d like to hear your thoughts on your workshop maintenance routines. Are there yearly, monthly, project-ly routines to the maintenance and cleaning you do in your shops? Marc

What are your woodworking goals for 2025? Brian

Guys Questions:

Hey Guys,
First, thanks for the fantastic podcast. I always enjoy listening to you gents so much so that I’ve managed to get through the entirety of your past episodes. A little background: I work in a small space and am consider going with a combo jointer – planer can leave me some room for something else. I am not a a professional woodworker but an enthusiastic hobbyist. Right now I have a bench top 10″ jointer (I definitely understand why Guy pretty much hates these things) and a DeWalt 735 planer. I’m happy with the DeWalt, but the jointer can get finicky if it’s moved or looked at. I believe I heard in a past episode that Huy is using a Hammer A3-31 jointer-planer combo. Huy – are you in fact using a Hammer combo machine? And if so, are you happy with it? Is the fence pretty solid? If you were to buy again, what else would you consider? My other option is maybe a non-combo mid-price point Powermatic or Grizzly jointer. Any other brands to consider? It’s a tough choice – spend more money but use less space or spend less money and use up more of that limited space. Would appreciate hearing from each of you on this topic. Apologies for my long winded questions, but this feels like a big decision.
Thanks again for the excellent show.
Ron

As always thank you for the podcast and sharing your knowledge. This one may be mainly for Guy as I know he’s a proponent of the Lamello Zeta P2. Like Huy I’m a bit of a tool junkie, and can’t pass up a new one. I was never happy with my old Porter Cable biscuit Joiner, so I gravitated to the Domino DF500 which has been a great tool. I came across a deal where someone was selling a complete Zeta P2 system so I picked it up. I’ve watched a number of the videos guy posted using the Zeta P2 and so far she seems like a great machine, but now I have some questions that I was hoping you could point me in the right direction:
1) Is there any reason to keep my old Porter Cable Biscuit joiner?
2) I have the knock down domino accessories that I’ve used on some builds in the past. Do you have a guide line or any thoughts on when you would use the Domino vs. the Lamello?
Thanks again, Doug

Huy’s Questions:

Hello gentlemen, since you have been asking for questions, here are some for you regarding tools for projects, projects for tools, and tools AS projects.
First, tools for projects. Thinking back my early days in woodworking, there were many times when I would have an idea for a project that exceeded the capabilities of my limited tool collection. Some of these were a basic as ripping a board or making an accurate cross cut. I managed to get by with the most basic table saw that I could afford and an old circular saw. Since a lot has changed in the 30 years since I started, like track saws and set-ups like MFT and Kreg’s table setups, what would you guys recommend for the basic tools for someone starting out?

Second, projects for tools. As I started to improve my skills as a woodworker and more tools became available, I felt the need to add tools to my shop. To help justify the purchases, I found myself coming up with projects that would be easier if I had that “special tool/bit/blade.” Have you every made a project specifically designed to justify a tool purchase, or is it just me? If so, what was the project and what was the tool?

Third, tools AS projects. A few years ago I started to get more into hand tool woodworking after inheriting some of my grandfather’s collection. I also began frequenting a couple of used tool stores in Maine while on vacation where I picked up some vintage panel saws and most of a Stanley 78 rabbet plane. With some cleaning and sharpening I began to really appreciate the use of hand tools and began looking for a used router plane. I don’t know if it was just the area that I live in (New England), but there are very few used router planes to be found, and the few that I did find were almost as much as a new one.
Determined to add a router plane to my arsenal I went online, found multiple different options for making my own, and then settled on the Paul Sellers’ kit for the hardware and using hickory and cherry for the base. I found out to be a very fun project that taught me some new skills, and I use the tool very frequently. Have you guys done similar projects to make a useful tool that also improved your skills?
Thank you for you time. Joshua
The Black Dog Woodworks

Hello again gentlemen. You guys are the best at answering questions. My third question involves making two 11″ by 11 3/4″ panel doors that slide left and right in a groove cut into the top and bottom of the frame. The door panels are made of 1/2″ MDF but with a 3″ wide piece of Poplar that is glued to the top and bottom ends of the MDF. This is to allow for cutting the rabbet into wood instead of MDF. The rabbet will slide in upper and lower grooves in the frame.

I created my own veneer of Walnut in the front face and Poplar in the back face because I’m cheap and the back won’t show. Both veneers are 7/64″ thick and the long grain runs left to right (same direction of the door travel). I used Titebond Veneer glue and glued both faces at once. I sandwiched the assembly between two pieces of plywood and clamped and weighted the whole thing.

After 24 hours, I removed the clamps and saw that the panel had cupped in the direction across the grain (the same as a 12″ wide board would cup). I don’t understand why it cupped as I thought MDF wouldn’t allow that to happen. I did use too much glue on the walnut side as there was a lot of squeeze-out. I backed off the amount of glue on the Poplar side. Was the veneer too thick? Should I have ran the back face veneer perpendicular to the front face instead of in the same direction? Did the two 3″ wide Poplar pieces somehow contribute to the cupping? I am waiting on doing the second door panel until I hear your opinions on this.
Thank you for a great podcast. I hope you all keep it going.
Anthony

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I’m in the market to upgrade to a cabinet saw that I want to last for a long time. I’ve been using a Powermatic 64A contractors saw for the past two years that I bought used and have done my best to tune up. That saw still has its flaws though, and it’s time to move on. I’m setting a budget of roughly $4000. I want a new saw with a 3 HP motor. 30″ rip capacity is enough for me, as I can break down sheet goods using other methods, it will also fit better in my shop. I’m currently considering the Powermatic 2000B or the Sawstop 3 HP cabinet saw. Which one would you choose, and why? What other models would you consider? Love the podcast! Thanks for your advice! Mike K.

Hey guys!
I’ve recently started scroll saw portraits (ex. Newton Makes Art or Scrollsaw Scribbler). So far I’ve stuck mainly to using pre-milled 1/4” stock, but I would like to add some dimension to the pieces and get even thinner stock, down to 3/16” or 1/8”. I recently added a planer to the shop and was thinking of taping stock to an MDF board to thickness the stock further.
So my questions, first do you think this is safe? I have fears going this thin may lead to things getting ripped apart on the planer. Second, is there any other ways you’d recommend getting boards this thin? PS I do not have a drum sander to help with that last bit of flattening.
-Trevor

Guys Questions:

I am a relatively new woodworker. Still learning skills, techniques, and patience with woodworking.
Last year I made a pair of bar stools using cherry wood. It was my first real project of any significance, and overall I am really proud of how they turned out and how they have been holding up to daily use.
This is a two part question because these are the two issues I struggled with the most during the build.

1. I made the legs of the stools splayed, and raked. I used blind mortise and tenon joinery to attach the rails to the legs. Since the legs were splayed and raked, I had to cut my mortise and tenons joint on an angle to accommodate the legs not being vertical. I used a forsner bit on the drill press and angled the table to roughly the proper angle, then used a chisel to square the holes. But I really struggled to do this accurately, especially when using the chisel to square the angled hole. What advice would you give to get precise angles, and to keep that angle while chiseling the holes square?
   Part 2. What would you suggest for attaching the seat to the base of the stool? I pre drilled holes into the bottom on the seat and used screws from underneath. You can’t see them unless you foil the stool upside down. but I felt like a bit of a hack doing that and would have preferred to use some sort of joinery instead of screws.
   Thanks again for providing the woodworking community with your knowledge and for the great entertainment. Braden

Hey Gents! Canadian listener here, I found your podcast about a week ago and i have been listening every day now. Thanks for the content.
I love the look of pure oil finishes like tung oil but I can’t handle how long it takes to dry. I have heard you can thin it to help. Is this something you guys do from time to time and if so what do you thin with / what ratio? Tyler

Huys Questions:

Hey Guys,
As I’m working on building a new shop this summer. I’m getting a little closer to figuring out dust collection for the big machines. I ended up putting two 6” runs in the slab. But I’m stuck on which DC types work best.
I built a large storage shed off the back of the shop that is walled off and the plan is to store the DC, lumber , air compressor, etc.
I know a cyclone with a hepa filter is the gold standard in removing fine dust, which makes sense if the DC is inside the conditioned shop.
But I already have a dual bag setup from Shop fox W1687 (3hp DC with separater and bag filters). I think this setup may get better air movement than the cyclone. And since it’s housed “outside” of the shop I think the filter requirements could be reduced.
Shop specs: 470 sq, all the normal machines to process rough lumber. Jesse

Hello from Australia!
I’ve been an enthusiastic hobbyist woodworker for about 18 months. I use mostly hand tools except a budget circular saw, which I hate, and I just got a 12 inch bandsaw, which I love.
So far I’ve build a joiners bench, several planes, including a 52 degree smoother from a broken Stanley no.3. And I’m most of the way through a small bookshelf made from Tasmanian oak.
As you know a lot of Australian wood is hard and can be challenging to work with. My next wood will be Austrian blackwood, which is moderately hard and has a high silica content. But it is also filled with glow and once oiled looks amazing.
I also have some reclaimed floorboards which are some kind of gum tree. I would like to use them at some point but the boards are determined to remain in their current form. They are difficult to work with and if my no.5 plane is not super sharp it will just skip over the wood.
Can you share any tips and knowledge on working with hard woods?
Thanks for the show, I’ve learnt a lot from it
Kind regards
Jeremy

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hola fellas,
Been a minute since I’ve bothered you, I’ve been busy with rebuilding my 1000 sqft deck with black locust I am milling from logs. It’s taking a while, and most of my families patience with me. I took a detour to rebuild my music studio, so now all my neighbors get to listen to death core metal. I need to mill up this beech tree for a giant dresser but that’s a topic for another time. Lot going on around here.
I got a hot one for today:
Some unbridled genius at my kids’ day camp decided it would be a good idea for me to teach young children woodworking. I tried to explain that I have a company to run, am really irresponsible with other people’s kids, don’t know how to keep myself safe, etc. but they’re pretty insistent. I talked them down from me being an actual camp counselor, to doing one or two workshops a week with different age groups from 6 up to 12 years old.
I have a ton of scrap that can be used, a box of screwdrivers and crab mallets, 20 little glue bottles, and a bunch of sandpaper. Now I need some projects.
Any ideas? I have the standard bird house / solid wood cutting board / pencil holder type stuff you can find online but I want something more exciting. What else can I do with young kids, that can be glued, nailed, tied, or screwed together from pre-fabricated parts? I want to get them to decorating whatever we make as quickly as possible, I’ve found with my kids that’s when they get really excited.
I should mention the camp has offered to purchase some tools for the kids, and materials, so I’m not limited there, but I think i want to keep power tools out of it. Make me a hero here gentlemen and I will be certain to share the accolades with WSLPC (WLP?). Happy Thanksgiving / Holidays / New Year’s. Big Tom

Hello guys,
Is there a material / construction method that I should be preferring for making jigs if I want them to last a long time?
Max Greddie Woodworks

Guys Questions:

I am looking to build a dresser.
Tentatively, I am thinking zebrawood main structure, which I would stain to match a cinnamon-brown stained maple desk that will be sitting beside the dresser.
I am thinking about doing the drawer fronts in Bubinga, which also looks similar in color to the maple and zebrawood, when finished.
The top of the dresser, I was thinking of quartersawn Sapele. Sapele is relatively inexpensive and I love the ribbons and chatoyance of Sapele.
The mirror surround material I am still undecided on, but probably Sapele.
Is this too many wood types on one piece ?
I have a few more bedroom pieces to eventually make and it seems like I risk having every species in The Wood Database in my bedroom, but my last couple of pieces have been Sapele and Khaya, and although I like the look, it’s time for a change. Stephen

It’s rather simple or basic, actually. When I first entered this school shop, it had been a while since there was a dedicated teacher. As such, some of the equipment was in need of some maintenance attention. Specifically, the tops or working surfaces of various pieces of equipment (3 table saws, planer, jointer, sanders, band saws, etc. – hopefully you get the picture). I purchased a can of Johnson’s paste wax, a couple of wax applicators and went to town. Now, in the present, I can see the bottom of my can of wax – AND THERE IS NO JOHNSON’S PASTE WAX TO BE FOUND (except for certain websites that want an near fortune for the stuff). I know there are other products that companies have dedicated time and money to develop just for this purpose (various sprays and the like) but am wondering a couple of things. Should I, because according to the company, it isn’t coming back so I should just embrace the change and just use the new stuff – OR – is there a similar product that can accomplish the same objective and is a simple solution? Will any paste wax work? I have seen a product called Shop Wax made by Bumblechutes and am wondering if that will work. I understand that I want to provide work surface lubrication without imparting anything to the surface of the material that could later hinder the application of finish.
Speaking of finish, that will be my next question – I understand that you guys just LIVE for answering questions about finishing!
Warm regards and keep up the great work,
Rob Harrison

Huys Questions:

I’ve enjoyed your many insightful answers.
We are having our first grandchild in a couple weeks (yah!!!)
My main Fall project is to make a high chair for this little girl. She won’t be in it until early in 2025.
I have my in-laws old high chair that they used for their children and the first couple grandchildren.
I am going to use it as an inspiration for a new chair.
However, I think having a set of modern plans would also be helpful.
In my visiting the local Rockler and Woodcraft stores I have not found anything useful.
I’ve also search close to a dozen websites.
[Rockler.com, Woodcraft, NewYankee, fixthisbuildthat, wood, etsy, woodsmith, shopnotes, popularwoodworking, amazon, ebay, etc…
I have not found anything very useful.
Do you all have any suggestions to improve my search for useful plans?
Thank you, Chuck

Love the show and I really enjoy listening to you all give your unique perspectives to people’s questions. I’ve learned a great deal over the last year or so since I found your podcast and wanted to say thank you, so…thank you!
You asked for questions, so I thought I’d submit something and see what you all thought. It’s a strange one, so hang on!
I started woodworking during the pandemic and fell in love with it. I had zero experience but after watching some YouTube videos I made a few shelves, then some cabinets, then moved to building furniture.
Recently, I thought I’d try to elevate my skills and build more elaborate pieces using joinery like dovetails using hand tools, chisels, hand plane, dovetail saw, etc, and have been really enjoying the challenge. I have forced myself to use my hand tools almost exclusively to accelerate my skill building with some success, but I am looking to speed up the learning process. To that end, I was hoping that you guys could suggest any “drills” that I can use to improve the basics of hand sawing, chisel work, and hand planing.
I tend to break down a task into its sub-components and work on mastering each of those skills to improve as fast as possible. For example, hitting a baseball, you can break down into small sub skills like loading, stepping, indexing, swinging, follow through, etc. I’d spend hours on getting each piece perfect and then bring it all together for an excellent swing.
Anyway, I was looking to apply the same process to hand tool skills, but I don’t know what I don’t know, hence the (way too long) question.
For example, before I attempt to saw a tenon or dovetail, I’ll put a bunch of lines on a scrap board and practice staring a cut on a line a bunch of times, then make the cut down the lines, or next to the lines, etc, just to get warmed up before I cut my work pieces. Chisel work is brand new to me and where I really need help, so I’d love to start there, but welcome any sawing or planing drills as well. Any suggestions on skill building exercises I could use to level up?
Sorry this question is so long, and I hope that it makes sense. Feel free to edit this down if you do happen to use it on the podcast, I know it was long and rambling.
I appreciate any help you can offer as well as all you do for the community.
Cheers,
Tobias