Woodshop Life Podcast

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I have a question on wood storage I have a smaller shop and lots of tools so wood storage space is tight.  I purchase my wood based on what I have planned for the next 2-3 projects and try not to stock many extra boards.  I store them on end leaning against an outside wall.  I often clamp several boards together to help avoid bowing.  So far no problems but I am fairly new to full time woodworking as I retired 2 years ago. 

I’m just finishing up building all the cabinetry for my Seattle home and decided to take on the interior doors as a new challenge. I’d like the doors to appear as if they’re made from 5-6 vertical wood boards, with a small 1/8” kerf between each board (I’ve attached an inspiration image). I know that a large glue-up of solid wood would expand and contract undesirably for a door, so here’s my current plan to keep things stable:

 I would like your thoughts on the depth/ratio you prefer for cabinet or bookcase dado's for shelves - for example if using 3/4" plywood for a cabinet, or 3/4" hardwood a bookcase. It is my understanding that 1/4" is a good depth overall. I am planning on building both some cabinets this fall, but my current project that I am preparing for is a hardwood Scandinavian bookcase. I am considering fixed shelves installed via dado. Each shelf will have an offset vertical shelf divider, also installed via dado. John Sanchez

I am contemplating a (non-epoxy) dining table build using some soft maple slabs I have acquired. I will mill the slabs into as wide of boards as I can and glue them up and get them surfaced so that my final dimensions will be about 84”x35”x2.5”. I want to add a fairly significant under bevel, leaving about 3/4” on the edge and cutting at a 16 degree (or 74 degree, depending on how you measure it) angle, so that the bevel ends about six inches from the edge on the bottom of the table. My question is: How the heck do I do that? I have a table saw, but I don’t think I’m lifting this whole tabletop and running it through my table saw (the blade isn’t long enough anyways). I thought about getting a track saw, but it turns out they use dinky little blades. Do I make an angled sled for my router? Do I use my 4” handheld power plane? Is there another solution I am not imagining? Thanks! Jon

I'm building a couple of nightstands for my daughter based on an image she gave me.   She needs the diameter of the round top to be between 15 and 17 inches. The legs are 2 panels, one is 13 inches wide and one is 10 inches wide, the 10 inch wide panel will be cut at an angle and attached at 90 degrees to the 13 inch panel.  I made a template with MDF, and the table works fine with the top width of 16 inches.

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hello Guys,

I am looking to build a shop building on my property. What is the minimum square footage you would recommend for a home hobbyist? I will have a miter saw, router table, table saw, and eventually a planer and dust collector. And of course a work bench with a saw vise.

Guys Questions:

I know you guys have referenced putting shellac under water based finish so you can have the richer look in the wood but ease/quick timeline of water based. I typically use an airless sprayer to apply General Finishes High Performance. I have some projects with walnut that I would normally finish with Arm-R-Seal to get the rich walnut tone. Id like to try the shellac coat first and then High Performance on top. I was wondering what is your standard application practice when you do this. Do you apply shellac (by hand or spray) and then wait a few hours/a few days/a week? Thanks for the advice and looking to avoid any pitfalls in the process being that Ive never done it before. 

Do you have any tips for glueing up mitered-corner boxes to ensure they are square/plumb, etc.?  I've had a hard time with this. Thanks David Vespoint

Huys Questions:

My local Rockler shut down and I found myself purchasing the Dark Half Tung oil from the real milk paint company at a steep discount. Never used the stuff but I’ve heard that dark tung oil can help give cherry a patina look without aging. I’m wondering if it can help walnut preserve its dark color over time?

All of my furniture pieces seem to have glue creep on all the table tops and panels. I switched from using titebond pva to titebond hide glue thinking this would solve the problem. On some newer pieces I built with the hide glue, I can now slightly feel the glue seams after a few weeks. The tops all have biscuits for alignment as well. Could this be a matter of temperature and humidity change from my shop to my house? About 40% humidity in my shop through the use of a dehumidifier. Temperature ranged from in the 50s this past winter to now it's in the 80s. Would you sand the seam lightly with 0000 steel wool or very high grit sandpaper? And any tips for future builds to avoid this again? Thanks guys! Jeff

This Episodes Questions:

Guys Questions:

Gentleman, Chris here @custom_by_chris on Instagram. My shop is a single car garage roughly 11.5’ wide by 22’ long. I’d like to build a miter station along the front wall for my Kapex. Will I regret confining myself to that 11.5’ width? I would position the saw so I have at least 8’ of cutting capacity to one side. I am not doing regular trim work  so don’t frequently deal with long stock.  Lastly, when designing and building the miter station what features would you  consider must-haves or things that aren’t necessary? It’s easy to get sucked into the YouTube rabbit hole of miter stations so please guide me back to the light. Chris

Zach from Minnesota here. I recently constructed a box using box joints for the first time (thank you, I hold the applause.) As the tutorial by wood magazine suggested, I cut the fingers a little long with the intention of trimming them later rather than risking them being slightly too short. I have come across numerous suggestions regarding the best way to trim flush these protruding fingers, and as with most things to do with woodworking every suggested method also includes a comment claiming that following any of the other suggestions will ruin my work piece. What method do each of you prefer to use when flush trimming your box joints? Thanks in advance.

Hi Guy and other guys,

Huys Questions:

Hey guys, longtime follower and still enjoy listening to the podcast. Guy, it seems like you’ve fallen out of love with woodworking a bit and moved onto 3d printing? Is that just because you’ve been doing it forever haha? Always good to have a change. 

Hey guys thank you for all the information in the podcast and your previous answers to questions.  For the most part I make sawdust.  I build some furniture pieces, picture frames, boxes, etc.  I also build some shipping crates for my real job which helps offset some of the cost of this hobby.  The crates use 4x4, 2x8, 2x10 & 2x4 construction lumber and plywood.  I've been using a sliding compound miter saw to cut up the boards.  I'm reorganizing my garage and was thinking of selling the miter saw and going back to a Radial Arm Saw.  I do not do any type of trim work or anything like that.  Am I making a mistake wanting to go to the radial?  It would just be for breaking down the boards to length. Thanks, Doug

Hi everyone,

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

What are some tool under $50 that you (or listeners) love. My examples:

Guys Questions:

Good day gentlemen

Huys Questions:

Hey guys. As always, appreciate the podcast and the information shared.

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hello guys,

I’m building a very large display case for a museum, about 15 feet long and 4 feet high and 6 inches deep. Kind of like a giant shadow box. It will contain a canvas replica of the Shroud of Turin, with LED backlighting behind the shroud canvas and a ¼” glass front (2 sheets of glass with a seam in the middle). The back panel will be either 1/4" or 1/2" plywood. We will have legs under it to support the weight across the 15 foot length, as it will be very heavy once fully assembled on-site. Here’s my question; is it realistic to plane, cut, and sand a 15 foot long 6/4 board, about 6 inches wide?   Am wondering if I could realistically handle such a board, and if so, would it remain flat and straight over time.   Or, would I be better off making two 7-1/2 foot long boards and somehow joining them together to make one 15 foot long board. If two boards, what’s the best method for end-to-end joining of these boards to get a barely-visible joint and a perfectly straight assembly. Do I need to be concerned with sag in the middle if I have a plywood back panel? Mark

Guys Questions:

I have recently started using Arm-R-Seal and I am new to using finishes with long curing times. I have been prefinishing all my parts because I assume it's near impossible to get a nice finish after glue up. Is this correct? How long should I wait after applying the finish before glueing? Also, if the piece of furniture was for a customer, would you wait the full 30 days of cure time before delivery? Jeffrey Hughes

I teach a beginning woodworking class at a High School. I will be receiving two Bambu Lab X1 3D printers for one of the Engineering classes that I teach as well. I know that 3D printers can be very useful for woodworking and was wondering what ideas you would have to share for helpful tools or accessories that could be made using the 3D printer? Also do you have a specific website where you go to find premade tools and accessories that is trustworthy? Thanks in advance for any information that you could provide. Scott Kirkman

Huys Questions:

Hey it’s me again,

Hello,

Brians Questions:

I craft Shaker Furniture and then donate it.  I am often gluing up tabletops.  I have seen many discussions around "how to properly joint" the edges of a-joining boards. Am typically using plain sawn cherry.

Hi,

Guys Questions:

Hi,

Also a dummy, thank you Bob for opening the can of worms. Who cares if it is 1/4 sawn or 1/64th sawn?

Huys Questions

I use Kreg work bench system so my benches are mostly straight and strong with the factors I stated above. I also am lazy or forgetful about putting down paper before glue ups. replacing the top of the work bench I have considered finishing it with thin layer or epoxy to allow a non-sticky surface for the wood glue or finishes I use.  I am also going to make match fit dove tail clamp system ( would finish with epoxy then have the cnc redue the job to clean the channels ) maybe also with dog hole.

Hi, thanks for answering a couple of my questions in the past. I have another one now about using loose tenon joinery to glue up boards to make a panel, such as a tabletop.

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

As a hobbyist who buys wood occasionally, I have never developed the skill of correctly identifying the grain pattern or even the cut type (plain, rift, quarter) in rough cut lumber at lumber yards. It’s all fuzzy and impossible for me to discern. Any tips for a dumb dumb like me? American Bob

Hey guys! I started listening to your podcast a couple months ago, and began dabbling in woodworking only a couple months before that. I can't tell you how helpful your podcasts has been to me, as I don't really have anyone to show me the ropes. I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out via YouTube and Google, but a lot of use concepts are so new to me that I'm not sure what to search for. I don't know what I don't know.

Guys Questions:

Hello, this is Zach from Minnesota again. I have a question that has been bugging me for quite some time now. Ever since I learned about water-based polyurethane, it's almost exclusively what I have used to finish my projects. I almost always apply this with my Wagner or HVLP sprayer with a detail nozzle and it has worked great for me. There are a lot of topics in woodworking where people have opposing views. One practice, however, that seems to be universally supported, and strongly so, is sanding between codes of polyurethane.

Good morning Woodshop Life Podcast Folks!

Huys Questions:

I just built a router table with a lift.  Was going to upgrade to a 3+ hp router as I have been told “the large bits need 3 or more hp”.

Thanks and love the show. John-Michael

Do you have any tips for drilling the holes in legs to insert leg levelers? I have practiced a few times and I can't consistently get the holes straight. I have avoided using the leg levelers because of this. Thanks Jeff

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I really enjoy your podcast.  The information you provide is very informative and helpful.  I am beginning to build more furniture items and considering purchasing a Festool Domino tool for both strength and convenience.  I am having a difficult time, as I'm sure many do, justifying the cost.  My question is: is it that much better and/or stronger than bisquits, dowels, pocket hole screws, fixed tenon, etc., or is this just a "status symbol" tool?  Your opinion will help immensely.  I do already own their CT Midi dust collector and a couple of sanders. Rick

Gentlemen:  I’m a long time listener and can’t thank you enough for all the info you have shared through this podcast.  I am a hobbyist woodworker who is moderately successful with my projects the majority of the time.  I am being requested to make keepsake/ jewelry boxes for my grandkids.  I have not made small boxes before so my questions are:

Guys Questions:

Hi gentleman.

Hello Woodshop Life Crew,

Thanks for the content yall have been bringing the woodworking community. I’m new to the podcast, but have found the few episodes I’ve listened to extremely helpful. I’m living in New Hampshire, and recently moved my shop into a large barn. I have a section for wood storage on the second floor. The barn is open and in an uncontrolled climate. As of right now, I have a lot of pine and white oak, but would like to expand my selection as more projects become available. Do you have any suggestions on how to better control humidity/temperature  to allow for  better moisture regulation? Also, I am looking to upgrade my planer. I’m trying to decide between a 13 inch Grizzly bench top planer (G0940) and a 13 inch Jet bench top planer (JWP-13BT). Please let me know your thoughts on these or suggestions on another option in that price range. Thanks! Caleb

Hi gentlemen.  This is my second question.  I'm still catching up on past episodes and am now in 2024.  I have learned so much from each of you.

This Episodes Questions:

Brians Questions:

I am a hobbyist that wants to start making more polished pieces but am stuck making most of my furniture out of Douglas Fir or cedar. While these are fine options, I want to get into other species like walnut, ash, etc. but am usually priced out when buying one or two boards.

Hi,I'm currently working on a cable railing for my stairs and have been laminating four 1-inch boards together to create 3⅝" x 3⅝" x 48" posts. However, I've encountered challenges achieving the final squared dimensions. My contractor's Bosch table saw is not capable to cut 3⅝" in one pass and doesn't provide a clean cut due to some broken teeth on the original carbide blade. Despite extensive searching, I haven't found a solution that doesn't require using a table saw. My current approach involves jointing and squaring two faces on the jointer, then flattening the remaining two faces on the planer. Initially uncertain about this method, I examined the posts and found all edges to be within an acceptable 90-degree tolerance, attributed to the accuracy of my approximately 70-year-old jointer fence.I'm curious why this method isn't more widely discussed. Could it be because most people don't typically work with this thickness, thus making the table saw seem unavoidable?

Guys Questions:

I am really enjoying listening to your podcast and, although I have been woodworking for over 50 years, I invariably learn something new from you.  An example is your discussion about the proper way to allow for wood movement on an inside shelf.  I am currently working on just such a configuration and will now look at bread board ends for the shelf.

In the midst of reorganizing my shop. My question is about dust collection. I have about 500sqft of 1000sqft garage dedicated to my woodworking projects. Every time I cut something or sand, I coat the bikes, and all the other things stored there. Not focusing on the vacuums, what do you do about cleaning up the air? I am thinking about one of those Grizzly air filters but not sure it will do the trick. Thanks! Ian

Huys Questions:

Curious to hear your experiences with mentorship. Do you think it’s important to have mentors in the shop? (Someone who you can learn from who’s also invested in your progress) Grateful to have your podcast and love to hear the different perspectives from the 3 of you. Such a valuable resource for the woodworking community. Ari

Hi guys,

This Episode's Questions:

Brians Questions:

Hey guys, I am building an arts and crafts style entryway table that is roughly modeled after a Stickley magazine stand. It will have an upper “shelf” that is surrounded on three side by the rails or stretchers on the side and back and is open on the front. The bottom “shelf” is identical. These two shelves are seated into the four legs. The front legs have a full depth groove cut into them that the shelf seats into and the rear legs have a cutout on the inside corner for the rear shelf support. I will include a link at the bottom showing the piece that I modeled my table after. The original is smaller and has three shelves, mine will only have two and will have spindles between the rear top and bottom stretchers as well. However, the way the shelves are attached will be the same.

My question is this: How can I attach the shelves to the front and rear legs without causing issues with wood movement? The shelves will be somewhere in the 13-14” deep range. Gluing the shelf to the rear legs and letting the shelf slide in the groove in the front legs would work but there is no front rail or stretcher connecting the two front legs so I don’t think that works. Can I glue the shelf to all four legs? Alternatively I suppose I could put a small low profile stretcher under the shelf connecting the two front legs, but I don’t think it exists on the original and I’d prefer not to if I don’t have to. Please feel free to contact me to clarify anything if I didn’t explain well enough. Kellen

I think the thing I struggle with the most in building furniture is laying out where each part is going to come from on the rough boards. All the wood I've bought so far was air dryed from Facebook marketplace, so maybe that has made it harder since the boards are never perfectly straight. I always use straight grain sections for the legs and I try to also use straight grain for any aprons, rails and stiles. This leaves alot of waste. If I have a 8" board and I use say 2.5" from each edge of straight grain, what do you do with the leftover center section that is just cathedrals? When do you not use straight grain on these types of parts? Any other advise on laying out parts on the rough boards? Thanks again for answering my questions and the best podcast. Jeff

Guys Questions:

Hey Guys,

Thank you for your fantastic podcast! I really appreciate how accessible and practical you make woodworking for both beginners and experts alike.

Huys Questions:

Hey gents,

Hello guys,