Woodshop Life Podcast

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Guys Questions:

1) Really enjoying your podcasts. I am new to podcasts, and it’s a new avenue of learning for me. I have shied away from instructions, not on purpose, just too busy doing it, I guess.

I have had the same sears 12” RAS since 1970, 4th motor. I make boxes and toys in my small under the garage shop, where the RAS is my main tool. On one side of my shop I have the RAS on the rear of a 3.5’ x 7.5’ table. In the middle of my shop , I have a rolling table of the same height. I can process 4×8 sheets with this set up. Pictures at https://www.treetobox.com/TreeToBox-Shop-pictures All of my projects are small to large. Business card boxes to rifle cases.

I am interested in your views of RAS vs table saws.

Thanks,

Glenn Nief

2)  I just built a table for myself, 8×4 red oak.  I used titebond 3 and once again, I have glue creep.  In one spot, it actually pushed the polyurethane finish up and caused the finish to chip.  So incredibly annoying! Background on the milling, I have a helical head grizzly jointer that I joined the all boards with.  The seams were essentially perfect with zero gap whatsoever. I’m starting to think that it’s the titebond 3, but I’m looking for your advice.  Thank you. Logan.

Sean’s Questions:

1) Hey guys! This is Josh Uy from the Philippines. Love the show and podcast, I appreciate the way you three tackle questions from different perspectives. 

My question is on wood movement: if you finish wood with a film finish, say polyurethane, does that mean that there is less of a chance that moisture from the environment could enter the piece and cause the wood to expand? Here in the Philippines we don’t have a big swing in temperature/humidity throughout the year so we don’t need to worry as much but I’m just curious. Thanks again! Joshua

2) Hey guys, question about stickering. How important is stickering through the later stages of a build process? I know it’s important as you’re killing material but should I be doing it while cutting joinery? I see some folks sticker even the smallest pieces of a build which doesn’t seem to make much sense. I guess I’m asking if and when you can just stack boards without concern with uneven evaporation. Thanks! Ben

Huy’s Questions:

1) In episode 24, you talked about not using the dominoes fence for alignment but instead using your flat work surface. This makes sense to me, except for when you’re joining two pieces that aren’t the same thickness. How would you address that? Chad

2) Hi Sean, Huy, and Guy. As always, I love the show. Answering a bunch of questions while keeping it light and fun makes for a perfect woodworking Podcast. Though I disagree with the other listener who described Guy as “beautiful”. He’s more ruggedly handsome like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Christian Becksvoort. Question: what sort of warranty do you offer a client when you build a custom piece? What do you think are reasonable customer issues and where would you draw the line? Should custom furniture always be final sale? This can be a delicate subject so I’d love to hear your different takes on it. Thanks! Kevin at Quill Woodworks.

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Guy’s Questions

1: I am making a table top that is 7feet long and I needed to joint the edge of the boards. I have a 6 inch jointer and the total bed length is 46 inches long. After jointing the edge of the boards and placing them next to each other I noticed that some of the jointed edges were concave over the 7 feet and the concave was much too large for a spring joint. To solve for this problem I put the boards together (face to face) then using my #6 flattens the sides. Although this worked, I would have preferred that the joints were not concave off of the jointer. Do you think the concave boards was caused by my technique or is my jointer just too small. If it’s the jointer, what size jointer would have eliminated this problem. I know an aircraft carrier would take care of the problem, but given I am a hobbies and have a budget what would you recommend? Mike

2: I would like to hear your thoughts on sliding table saws vs traditional cabinet saws and if any of you have experience with one. Most online posts (in the US) consider these saws as industrial and/or for production shops working with sheet goods only and not for making furniture. 

I have been comparing the PM2000B and the Hammer K3 Winner. I’m aware there is a huge price difference between the two saws $3400 vs $5800 and that a slider needs more floor space to accommodate the outrigger. Neither of them is a Saw Stop so I will probably die shortly after cutting my first board #YOLO

In short, if you had the money and space would this be a saw you would consider? Oscar

Sean’s Questions

1: Hey guys! I have a question regarding dust collection. Ever since I started getting serious about it, it feels like a never ending spiral for the quest of a “dust-free” shop. Is such a thing possible? Where is the line that you mark as “good enough”? Do you have a daily clean up routine that helps with this? My shop is an attached two car garage, and my wife would love for me to stop dragging sawdust into the house! Thanks guys, love the show and keep up the great content! Antoine

2: I have been practicing with shellac on shop furniture. I have been using premixed off the shelf stuff. I am not getting a smooth finish. I have used both a cloth and a foam brush.  I am thinking that it is the wrong viscosity and I would be better off mixing my own. Can you talk about how you mix shellac? Rick

Huy’s Questions

1: I have a 3hp 15″ planer. The question is when should I be concerned about changing the gearbox oil and other deep maintenance (besides waxing and blade changes)? I just purchased a Grizzly knockoff that was manufactured in 2003 and never plugged in. I’ve ran about a hundred board feet through it so far. Besides some rust, it runs perfectly. I think it needs new belts, but wondered if I should go deeper with the maintenance? Thanks, Dave with Matter of Fractions

2: How much glue should you use on glue ups? I typically put too much I think and have a lot of squeeze out. I worry about a strong joint though. What amount is strong enough? A light film of glue, a little puddling, or flooded? Thanks Matt

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Guys Questions:

1: Hey guys, this podcast has quickly become my favorite – appreciate the time put in.

Can you speak a bit on wide belt sanders (with a platen head) versus drum sanders? How important are they versus convenient?

I currently own the Powermatic 5HP Open End Belt Sander. I like it a lot, but often run into issues dialing it in and recently have discovered the feed table is not totally coplaner with the platen.

Was thinking about selling and either (a) buying a different machine or (b) exchanging if a widebelt is that advantageous – maybe I just got a bad machine. -Ray

2: I am researching efficient methods for breaking down sheets of plywood for shop cabinets, and I am trying to avoid splintering the outer layer and achieving square cuts. I do not own a tracksaw but do own a tablesaw, miter saw, and circular saw with combination blades. What do you guys recommend for most effective methods at a decent cost point? What style of saw blade, TPI, and brand of blade do you recommend? Or do I run out and get a tracksaw or keep it as simple as blue painters tape to hold the layer? And what variables should I think about regarding the plywood selection itself? Thank you much for the input! Keep up the great podcast. James

Sean’s Questions

1:I am designing a small cabinet with frame and panel doors. I want there to be a small chamfer (less than 1/8″) on the inside edge of the frame. How do I cut it? On the rail I can just use my block plane or run it along a chamfer bit on the router table but on the stile? The chamfer would have to stop exactly where it meets the rail. Do I cut it partially with the router and finish it off with a chisel after assembly? Or should I cut it after assembly with a bearing guided chamfer bit? That would still leave the inside corners unfinished, though..

Any input would be appreciated. Keep up the great work!
Jarmo from Germany

2:Hey guys, great podcast. I have a question about how to determine what wood thickness to use for a project. I’m making a console table out of soft maple. I was planning for the shelves to be 1-inch after milling, but couldn’t find any 5/4 or 6/4 maple boards, so I ended up getting some nice 8/4 boards. If I mill these 8/4 boards down to 1-inch thick though, it seems like a waste of wood (I don’t have a bandsaw so can’t re-saw them into thinner boards). So I was thinking maybe I’d make the shelves 1.5 inches thick, but that would make the table a lot heavier. What are the pros and cons to using thicker versus thinner woods (thinking about weight, wasted wood, joinery, etc)? For reference, I’m going to use tongue and groove joinery to joint the boards and dados to attach the shelves to the legs.

Thanks and keep up the good work! -Billy

Huy’s Questions:

1: Hey Guys! Great job with the podcast, learning so much! Wanted to get Huy’s feedback on the new table saw blade he got, the woodworker 2 clone. Keep crushing it! -Wood.by.nate

2: Here’s my question, I woodwork out of my two car garage and I’m looking to get more serious and take my woodworking to the next level, but living in mid-Michigan, I run into high humidity and temps in the summer that make working in the garage unbearable. The garage has no windows but does share a wall with the house and my master bedroom is over the garage. I’ve considered installing a dehumidifier and swapping out the two basic lights in the garage for ceiling fans. What are your thoughts on this solution? How do you guys keep your shop comfortable when your working in the hot summer? Thanks in advance for the help. -Jason

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Guys:

1) What do you guys use for air filtration and what are the aspects you considered when picking the system you use? Can a box fan with an air filter be a reasonable option?

2) I want to make a white oak chess table but have never done veneer work before. At first I thought I could make it out of solid wood but I now realise that won’t be possible due to wood movement. 

I don’t own a re-saw capacity bandsaw, a vacuum press or drum sander so not sure where to start. I assume store bought veneer. No idea where to go from there. 

Thanks so much. Love the podcast! -Tanc

Sean’s:

1)Wanted to see about how y’all manage your machines maintenance wise. Do you have a schedule for doing certain maintenance or just do it as needed? This includes things like rigging them, cleaning them, and lubing the moving parts. Second part is what type of dry lubricant would you recommend for the moving parts like the table saw lift and tilt mechanism? 

Thanks,

Brent Jarvis

Clean Cut Woodworking

2) Hey Guys, love the podcast. My question is about completing smaller projects versus bigger, more time consuming projects. As I’ve progressed in this hobby I am enjoying the nicer longer more involved projects but was curious how you balance this in your own shop. -Brad

Huy’s:

1)I plan to redo my kitchen cabinets and make shop cabinets so the shaper will be useful but I find it’s not as user friendly as a router table seems to be. Which do you prefer assuming you can only have 1 in the shop. -Ryan

2) Hi guys. I love the podcast. I strangely found out about you all through Dan Harmon’s (creator of Rick and Morty) instagram. He’s recently started woodworking and was listening to you all in one of his stories. Getting back to my question. I want to start veneering a bit more and need a vacuum bag system. What should I get? I have no set budget for this. I just want something that works. Thanks for the advise! Jonathan Stier

Links mentioned during podcast:

Jay Bates Air Cleaner Cart: https://jayscustomcreations.com/2016/05/mobile-air-cleaner-cart/