The Next Generation, Ripping Angles, Piston Fit Drawers and MORE!

This episodes Questions

Guy’s Questions:

Hi guys, I’m current up to episode 43 of the podcast and can’t get enough. During this episode you discussed the merits of having a radial arm saw in your shop, or lack thereof in todays workflow. This got me thinking and I wanted to ask: what other tools are you aware of that were once used in woodshops that are no longer in general practice? I’m not talking about rocks and flints from the Stone Age, but rather anything in the past 60 or so years that have gone out of vogue. I can’t wait to hear Guys comments on my use of the word “vogue”. Hope you are well, and thanks again! Jarrett

Gentlemen,
Thanks for your thoughtful responses to my questions and observations.
This might be a potential topic: Do you think youtube and maker communities have created a renaissance for encouraging young people to get into wood working as a hobby or a profession?
I watched some amazing videos of young people making incredibly complicated turnings (among other things).
Thanks again. Chuck Have a great day.

Hi guys,
I love your podcast and have listened to every episode. I spend a lot of time on the road and have listened to many woodworking podcasts, yours is by far the best. I especially admire the work you do at “Purposeful Design “
I’m from Montreal and started woodworking as a hobby 5 years ago. I have 3 kids (9 & 2×6) and I only have limited hours/week of shop time. Additionally, I’m quite sensitive to sawdust…
I have a wall mounted 1hp dust collector with a dust separator and a 1 micron filter bag.
What is your opinion on bypassing the filter bag and venting outside?
Thank you for your contribution to the woodworking community,
Many blessings. Mike

Huy’s Questions:

I think that my next tool purchase might be for a tracksaw-like guide for a circular saw or something similar. We sometimes run into situations where we need to rip a straight line. This would actually be more for ‘carpentry’ applications than fine ‘woodworking’. Things like ripping a long 2×6 or 2×8 at an angle, or rip a sheet of plywood in the field (so portability and reasonable durability would be important).
Whatever we buy would be used by a lot of different guys and we’d keep it in our shared workshop. Most of the guys have Dewalt circular saws but several guys have other brands (Milwaukee, Ridgid, etc.). So the track would have to be adjustable for the bases of the various saws. I’ve spent zero time investigating this. Thought I’d start here. Any recommendations?

  • Mark

Hello everyone, I was wondering if you could help me with figuring out a process for flattening double angled barstool legs in my shop. Last fall I was commissioned to build a set of saddle barstools for a client. The legs from front and back have a 5 degree angle on them, while the view from the sides had a 6.5 degree angle. I tried running them through my table saw (on the front and back sides) on a cross cut sled but this still produced some wobble from the 6.5 degree sides. I wound up just taking some adhesive backed sandpaper and sticking it on the flattest spot in my shop (my tablesaw) and sanding down for multiple hours. Do you know of anything that I can build or use that wont take the hours of sanding like I did for any future commissions.
Thanks, Paul Genereux (Twin Lake Woodshop)

Hey guys, I have a question around piston fit drawers and their longevity and overall use. I know they are a sign of the highest craftsmanship but how well do they hold up? In the summer will everything swell and the drawers will stick? If you ever moved how would that affect the piece? I don’t have an exact project in mind but debating the idea of trying my hand at this in my next build.
So when would you use piston fit for drawers over soft close mechanism, wooden runners ect? Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Thanks, Jesse

Perfect Miters, Bar Top Finish, Next Tool Purchase and MORE!!

This Episodes Questions:

Brian’s Questions:

I’m hoping to enhance my beginner(ish) skills by going back to the basics and making boxes. Any advice on getting perfect miters for small parts? I’ve got a table saw sled but my small DEWALT job site saw gives me issues finding 45. Any advice on reasonably priced dovetail saws or alternatives? Where do you source small parts like hinges and drawer pulls for a fair price? Many Thanks, Dave

Hi guys, Your podcast is excellent and I have been able to put your advice to use on multiple occasions. I know you have talked edge banding before but I still need a little help. I do quite a bit of plywood with a roughly 3/4 to half inch thick edge band trimmed with a flush cut bit with a vee groove to give it a little decorative look as well as make it easier to sand flush. The problem I’m having is I seem to struggle with getting my edge banding perfectly tight to the plywood so the seem is visible some of the time. I’ve tried jointing the edge banding but not the plywood because plywood through a jointer seems like a bad idea and that didn’t seem to help. When only doing a few pieces I’ve clamped it to the shelf with slightly better results but often do between 8 and 15 8 foot long boards at a time so I don’t have the clamps or space to clamp everything. Currently I glue then pin nail with my 23 ga nailer. What am I doing wrong? I’m hoping guy has some good insight here since he works in a more commercial/ production environment and that’s more along the lines of what I do. Thanks, Mike Arntz

Guy’s Questions:

Hello all, I recently stumbled on you podcast and greatly enjoy the format. I am recently new to woodworking partly out of boredom during Covid. My initial projects were too ambitious for my skill set, yet I forged ahead and learned more from my mistakes than what I did right. Since I live in Asia, hardwoods are easy to come by and recently someone gave me a 4″ thick slab of Padauk. About 6 ft long. I can’t imagine how much this would cost in NorthAmerica. I am making a breakfast table out it. Wood looks stunning but I understand it will darken with age. I will eventually move back home and would like to make an old style butcher block. The massive one butchers actually used to cut meat. However, plans or information on how to go about it is very sparse. I was thinking milling logs into 4×4 and fastening them end grain up somehow. I see some use long carriage bolts to hold the thing together. Any words of advice is much appreciated. I imagine this might not be a project you have done in the past, but how would you go about it? Thanks in advance, love your show and listen to your podcast when I go biking. Bert Plourde

I am building a floating shelf bar for my son. It’s a 3 1/2″ torsion box with red oak ply top and 3/4″ redwood edging. It will be stained / dyed dark brown. I am trying to decide on a top coat. Shellac is easy and easily repaired. Oil will look good but provides minimal protection. “Shop” finish (oil/varnish/solvent) would probably work well. Maybe something else? Thoughts? Ron Guritzky

Huy’s Questions:

Hey guys, I love your podcast and listen to it all day at work. While I don’t do fine furniture work like you do I’m really trying to get better and do more. For a background I was a commercial carpenter turned finish carpenter and am trying to work my way up to fine finish work. I’m doing more built ins and that kind of work and am just curious as to what you recommend for tools. Right now I have a grizzly planer, benchtop jointer, mitersaw, jobsite saw, dovetail jig, and a decent collection of hand tools. I’m going to pick up an older craftsman 113 table saw and am looking for recommendations on an affordable fence. Current I work in both my shop and on site so I need to be fairly mobile but am also working on gearing up to do more shop work. Any additional advice is welcome. I also forgot to add I have mobile dust collection, and a grizzly mobile router table. Check out my profile for some of the work I’ve done. Thanks for the great podcast. -Mike Arntz

Hey fellas. I’m loving the podcast as usual! Keep up the great content. Here’s my question: one of the best parts of living near Silicon Valley, is the availability of old work benches from defunct tech companies. I got the one in the picture for $40 with the solid metal frame and solid maple butcher block style top. I added the plywood drawers in the bottom and I’ve been using this as a outfeed table and assembly table. However, I’ve noticed that the top is not perfectly flat, and that it is especially lower around the edges. I was considering taking the top off, ripping it into three pieces, so that it will fit through my 13 inch planer, and then using dominoes to glue it back together to try to get it flat. Do you think this is a good method or is there some better way to accomplish the same thing? I was also planning to drill dog holes into the top. However, on a recent episode, you talked about the limitations of many of the dogs on thicker tops. The current thickness is about 1 1/2 inches. Even after planing it down as previously described, I think the top will end up being at least an inch and a quarter thick. Are there dogs available that would work with a top that thick that you can recommend? @firelightwoodworks

Edge Routing, Outdoor Finishes, Cordless Tracksaw? and MORE!!!

This Weeks Questions

Brian:
Hey guys, I just discovered this podcast and have been thoroughly enjoying the episodes so far! I am a guitar technician by trade and recently started to build my own solid body electric guitar. I have been studying up on tool safety and learning proper technique, as a beginner I don’t want to develop any bad habits or unsafe practices. I used a router table when creating the guitar neck from a template, but if i’m being honest I am a bit intimidated by it and would prefer to start routing with a hand held router instead. As a guitar player and thumb wrestling aficionado, I would like to keep all of my digits where they belong! With that being said, I have a few questions I’d like to ask specific to hand routers:
      1.    When edge routing hardwood, is there anything I need to be aware of that would cause the router to suddenly jump or kickback? Can I do this with a trim router, or do I need a 2+HP router? I am using figured curly maple for the neck and alder for the body. Does that make a difference?
      2.    How much wood can I safety remove per pass? (The neck thickness is around 1” and the body thickness is around 1.75”)
      3.    Any techniques or advice on how to minimize chipping, tear out and router burn? i.e. speed of push, router bit speed
Jordan

What is all the fuss about french cleats? Have you guys used them in your shop? Are they the organizational panacea they are made out to be or is there a better way to use wall space to keep your shop neat and your tools accessible?
Evan

Guys Questions:

Hey guys, I have a question about finishing.
I am about to purchase a solid Mahogany entry door and I’d like to finish it myself. (Not so much “like” inasmuch save a grand) But I’m not quite sure what to use. I’ve asked professional painters and looked online but get a ton of different responses. I don’t really want to stain it but rather get a color from an oil finish like you’d get from waterlox or Odie’s. From all my research I’m leaning towards Total boat marine wood finish.
I live in the south suburbs of chicago and my door faces directly west. It is covered by about a 4’ over hang and I have a 30 year old oak in front so it wouldn’t see much direct Sun, rain or snow.
Hopefully you get to this in the next couple episodes as I think it’s about a 4 week lead time and we’re ordering it this week.
Thanks!
Kurt

Hi gentlemen,

I love your podcast! It really gets me through tough hump days at work and gets me excited to get back into the shop each weekend.
I typically create midcentury modern furniture or pieces that are unique and allow some creativity, but I’ve developed a side-side gig of cutting boards and such by request for business to business type orders. Recently, my day job (I’m in biomedical research) requested Missouri shaped plaques with logos and script for visiting keynote speakers. I’ve avoided the CNC and laser world as I prefer hand tool woodworking, but one or the other would be necessary for this project and presumably a great feature in the shop. I’ve done my research and still can’t decide.
This will be an ongoing order so I don’t want to be too cheap, but clearly not industrial due to space. What would you suggest? Diode seems limiting, but it would quickly pay off. CO2 sounds ideal, but pricey. CNC (Shark?) sounds more useful to my main hobby and I could cut out the state shape too. I usually believe in “pay once, cry once”, but this is a significant decision.
Deana from Pomegranate Studios

Huys Questions:

Hi. You have a great show. I’m ready to buy my first track saw and am looking at the Festool TS55. I’m looking for opinions on whether the cordless model is worth an extra $170 over the corded. In the shop with a dust extractor it seems like the cord is not much additional encumbrance. Outside the cordless with just the dust bag would be advantageous. Thanks, John

Hey guys, as always, I love the show and how you guys are able to provide excellent information from various perspectives. Today I would like to pick your brains about food safe finishes for a couple different situations. My wife bought me an outdoor pizza oven for my birthday, and because I’m a woodworker, I promptly threw out the wooden pizza peel that I’ve been using for years so that I could make one. My first attempt was with cherry and spalted maple. The maple ended up being much more punky than I had expected so I made a second one with cherry, hickory, and bubinga. What would you guys suggest for finishes? The peel will be going into a 700 degree oven, and I plan on repurposing the one with spalted maple to a charcuterie or serving platter, so it might have hot pizza on it, but I would like it to be sealed. Keep up the awesome podcast!
Josh from the Blackdog Woodworks

Where to start?, Bent laminations, How many pocket screws and MORE!

Brians questions:

Gentlemen,

Thank you all for the time, effort, and expertise you put into the show.  As many listeners have said before, it really is the best woodworking podcast out there!
As a beginning woodworker, I am curious about what projects you have done that helped you learn new skills or refine key foundational skills to progress along your woodworking journey?  Perhaps there are some “benchmark projects” that take a woodworker from sloppy beginner to capable amateur and beyond towards fine craftsmen?  Where do the common projects like a cutting board, a cabinet, a dining table or something else fall along that spectrum?
Thanks again for all you do in support of the woodworking community.
Kind regards,Evan

One of my close friends just had a baby. I wanted to make the new baby something, but I wasn’t sure what. I don’t have the time to make any piece of furniture, but I would like to make a little gift or two. Do any of you have ideas for small gifts that the baby could either use/play with, or something they could keep for a long time?Thanks Matthew

Hi all,
Hobbyist woodworker working out of his 1 1/2 car garage (it doesn’t quite fit two cars and I share it with house storage stuff). Mobility has been key for me when working. One thing I struggle with is that my garage floor is not level. There’s two different angles and it can be an issue at times. For example my small outfeed table can’t be level with my worksite table saw because at times they may not line up. My work bench is in a fixed location but can’t hold anything round as it might roll off if I have to use it.
Any advice for my workshop woes or any sort of leveling feet you might recommend? Since I move things around, leveling a tool or table each time I use it can be a pain. Lifting the end of the workbench doesn’t seem to create stability when I am hand planing wood or chiseling.
Thanks, Jose

Huy’s questions:

Hey all, love the podcast. Been listening for quite a while and always ready to take notes. 
 I have a bent lamination/ vaccum bag question. How do you handle epoxy squeeze out? Or any Glue for that matter? My last question is how long do I leave a bent lamination in the bag? Is there a rule of thumb? 
 I need a really rigid glue line for the tight 3in inside radius I am trying to achieve and think epoxy is my best bet. I’d rather not use urea resin. 
 I really appreciate the help. Casey the maker

Hey guys: I’m a loyal listener and am very grateful for all the great info you share. I have a finishing question for you. I make wood fishing nets for family and friends and might want to make a business of it. I have been using spar varnish as a finish which looks great but is a pain to apply (I brush it on), takes forever to dry and always seems to be a bit soft even when fully dry. Is there an alternate finish I could consider that would be easy to apply. I am willing to invest in a spray system to up my finish game so that’s not a limitation. Important to note is that I use walnut in all my nets. In episode 115 I learned that walnut will turn orange in the sun- something I didn’t know. So will the suggested finish have UV protection or will I need to dye the walnut to ensure it maintains it’s brown color after sitting on the bottom of a boat for many seasons. Thanks again for spending your precious time educating the less knowledgeable.
 Liam, Indianapolis

Hey Guy, and other guys. 
 How many pocket holes/Screws do you actually need? 
 I watch people on youtube building stuff with pocket holes and 9 times out of 10 I think to myself, “Surely that doesn’t need that many pocket holes.” I see guys building something like an end table or maybe a small piece of shop furniture and inevitably they use about 17 to 239 in this relatively small piece of wood and I just don’t understand it. Would love to hear the logic or what the general recommendation is. Jacob

Tool Purchase Regrets, Most Useful Tool, CAD Software

Brian’s Questions:

Hey guys,

First of all, thanks for the most helpful woodworking podcast around! My question(s) revolve around a home library project. I’m planning on bookcases on all four walls of a small room and wondering how you’d approach that, specifically:
(1) what would you do about the inside corners of the room where two sets of bookcases come together? Just blank them off? Something else?
(2) as far as the cases themselves, for cost reasons, I’m planning to do 3/4 plywood carcasses close to 8’ high with one fixed shelf in the middle (Domino construction) and shelf pins for the rest of the shelves. How wide can I reasonably go without sag in the shelves? Is one fixed shelf enough for stability or do I need two, say? Do I need a plywood back on each case?
Any other general tips on a library project or this type?
Thanks! Mat

What tools you guys do regret to buy?
Marcello

Alright fellas first question from me. I finally got a Makita track saw and went for the full 110″. I’m going to tear down my old 2×4 oversized work bench and start over with a nice miter saw / work area cabinet wall.
My plan is to go about 30″ deep to accommodate my DeWalt sliding dual bevel giant miter saw while also giving me ample assembly area. Maybe an mft style work area on one side, maybe t tracks here and there.
I’m going to leave it a little open ended for you guys to play around with the idea. What would your dream work area like this include? No limits, all the bells and whistles. No one to tell you no.
Thanks for taking my question. Jim G.

Huy’s Questions:

Hi Guys,
Really enjoy the podcast and all the useful information. I wrote before about a walnut table I am making. I have a couple of questions. I looked at the walnut at the local lumber yard. Great selection but lumber is pretty expensive. Question 1: The lumber distributor has a great selection. For the table top should I spring for quarter sawn at roughly 1/3 more per board foot? Question 2: I am trying to bring some order to chaos in my shop and am considering some shop cabinets. a) should I consider casters? b) should I spend the extra to install side mount drawer slides or will homemade runners be good enough?
Thanks for your help and the great podcast.
-Scott

Good day guys..My question is probably primarily for Huy.
I am getting back into woodworking after a lengthy hiatus to a career that did not allow me the time. Now that I do have the time, I am diving right back in. I am a lifelong contract mechanical designer, and have been a SolidWorks user/license holder since 1999, dont do the math on how much that has depleted my bank account in the past 24 years, and I am no rocket scientist like Huy, I have only done work on 70 ton vehicles designed outside detroit.
SolidWorks is amazing, and I have designed many projects for my woodworking with it. However I feel it is a bit heavyweight on the design side for the projects I want to do. I want to be working in my shop, and not spending hours designing parts, making assemblies etc. Dont get me wrong, the end results are incredible on the design side, but design for my woodworking shoudlnt be 60% on SolidWorks and 40% on tools. Any suggestions for the best solution for this? I have not spent alot of time researching, but have looked into Fusion360 and other solutions but not greatly as I know there will a thought process change required.
I am just looking for something simple, quick and of course accurate. We live in a 3d world, and that is an important aspect for me.Thank you so much.
Kurtis, DutchMillWorks

Hey guys, Josh here, hope this is the right way to contact you all. My question is, what machine do you think you can get away with in order to produce the most projects? I was thinking a lathe for drinkware, baseball bats and so on depending on a mini, midi or full size lathe. But I’m no expert by any means, I only had a couple years of shop experience in school and most of the terminology has escaped me since, but all the hands on experience is still fresh in my mind and I’m hoping to get this hobby started up again. Thank you. Joshua