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   Number 1: Perfect Pocket Holes?, CAD Software, Epoxy Finish and MORE!!!

   This Episodes Questions Brians Questions: Hey Gents, As always love the podcast. I just upgrade from a bosch jobsite table saw to a general international 50-220 hybrud thats about 20 years old. It is in great shape and I want to keep it that way. What are some general maintenance things you would initially do with an older saw such as this and what would you do going forward to keep it in tip top shape? Thanks again! Tyler You guys often talk about pocket hole screws being an easy way to fasten boards together. I find I often have the boards move on me and misalign the joints when I use pocket hole screws. Do you experience this / how do you prevent it? Especially when one of the boards is too long to feasibly clamp it well. Tyler Guys Questions: Hey guys… Indianapolis native woodworker/DIYer here. Second time to ask a question and unfortunately is one you have probably answered before, but hopefully there is a slight twist to this one. I’m looking to refinish a dinning table that is currently made of oak with a light yellower stain with a clear coat that is knicked up and scratched. The wife would like for the table to be black. I’m interested in using Target Coatings EM6600 - Raven black pigmented laquer. I’ve never used the pigmented laquer and hopefully it’s easy enough for a DIY guy to do a decent job. Couple questions about this: 1. Do I need to sand the old finish off or use a chemical to soften the finish and then sand it off, or can a pigmented laquer go on over and the finish since it is covering over the old colors completely? Or instead of sanding can you use Target coatings HSF5000 primer, surfaced, and grain filler over the top of the old finish? 2. If I do need to sand it at least to scuff it up for the primer to adhere how far back do I need to sand it back? Is it just enough to rough it up, or do I need to be all the way back to bare wood? 3. Lastly has anyone ever used the grain filler primer from Target Coatings? Am I wasting my money on this product? Wood grain showing through the black finish isn’t the end of the world, but if we could have a completely smooth finish and little to know grain causing a “feeling” on the table that would be preferable. And maybe we would get that from the laquer building up already. Thanks for the awesome podcast. I’ve learned a ton from you all! Thanks Jason Im 62 years old been woodworking for years and would love to use sketch up to help design and build projects. I know that there are versions dedicated to woodworking. My question is do you guys use sketch up? What version do you use? I know there are subscription fees. Im concerned about the learning curve. Ive watched some YouTube videos Im a small hobbyist shop doing small projects, built ins and i do a lot of design just in my head. Would love to be able to design and refine projects on the computer before i start building. Appreciate any advice on beginning this. Thank you, Phil Huys Questions: G'day guys , from Australia. long time listener and I finally have a question. An auction for a closing business appeared on my Instagram feed and it was nearby so I bid and won around 3000 square metres of veneer (roughly 32,000 square feet or 3/4 of an acre.)for the princely sum of $56 AUD or $39 USD. The veneers were shopsawn in house and are 1.8mm - 2.4mm with some of the walnut 5000mm long and 600mm wide the species also include. - Walnut burl. - Yellow poplar burl. -Maple - Pacific maple. - European Walnut - European oak - Silky Oak - QLD Pepperwood - Palisander Rosewood - Tasmanian blackwood - Fiddleback Tasmanian Blackwood - Blackbutt It's a lifetime supply for me and I have already started to flatten and sort some of the stock , which brings me to my first question. The poplar burl is extremely dry, crinkled, and bubbly. I sprayed it with a homemade veneer flattening solution( alcohol, glycerine and water) and pressed it in cauls and clamps. The veneer definitely flattened out and became pliable and flexible, however. As it has flattened over in the press, it has folded over itself in places, picture ironing over a crinkle in a Shirt i guess. I can send a photo if you want. This is all over the veneer , unlike a shirt I can't just stretch it out and go over it, so my question to you three is, how do I "stretch out" my veneer to get it flat, or is this veneer gone? The rest of the veneer is great, thankfully it's just the poplar burl. Dylan I enjoy your show and have a question to submit. I am building a cherry slab river table with a black epoxy center. My question is regarding the final finish coat. I have done two similar projects on one I used epoxy and didn’t care for the plastic look of the finish. On the second I used Rubio but came out dull and wasn’t very durable which is important because my family doesn’t always treat wood finishes with the care I would like. What finish would you recommend that has a sheen in the satin to semi gloss range with good durability?I have a lvlp spray gun if that helps with options. Spencer

   August 21, 2026·54min
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   Number 2: Saw Kick Back, Shop Made Veneer, HVLP Sprayer and MORE!!!

   This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: I was wondering if you guys had recommendations for a first time router purchase. I plan to use it mostly for dados/grooves and probably some edge work. I’d rather buy something I can grow into rather than need to purchase an upgrade. Also, are there any must have accessories (edge guide, etc) Thanks for your time, Ryan Ive sent a bunch of questions lately but thought this one might be good for the audience. I just made a multitude of stupid mistakes which ended up with a board kicked back, going through my window, and hitting my house. I removed my splitter on my table saw because the anti kickback spawls have alot of resistance with larger wood (2" plus). I ripped a piece of wood through. I dont have an outfeed table and didnt want the board to hit the ground, so after the board cleared the front of the blade I went to the back and pulled on the cut piece. The blade caught and launched through my garage window and hit my house. Im lucky my grip was light and I didnt lose a hand. All stupid complacent mistakes. But I know many people who remove the guard, will grab one little piece at the back of the saw, etc. Im okay, but shaken and frankly embarrassed. What are some of the biggest / complacent safety incidents you have had in the shop and how did you get back into woodworking after? I dont feel like people like to talk about the mistakes they have made when it comes to safety. But I feel we can learn from them. Thanks,,Tyler Guys Questions: I am working on a large kitchen cabinet project and have come across a few questions I thought would make good discussion. Project includes 16 base cabinets, 14 uppers, range hood and a couple of custom spice racks, open shelves etc. Upper will have 14" upper uppers stacked on them with glass fronts. Lowers are almost entirely drawers. Carcasses are about done heading into face frames and drawers. -Ever use a shaper to add dado on 8' strips of wood for drawer box parts? Wondering if there is a good way to setup the shaper with power feeder to run through all the strips then cut to length. Essentially making my own drawer blanks. Any other thoughts or recommendations when batching out large cabinet projects. Matt Hi Crew, I am a woodworker based in western Arizona, where I primarily build furniture in a very low-humidity environment. I am planning a move to the East Coast next year and would appreciate your advice on how to account for the significant increase in humidity when designing and building future pieces. I frequently use techniques like glue-ups for panels, breadboard ends table tops, many solid wood table tops and veneering, I've not experienced any age-related issues with any of the pieces that I've made in my current climate. Specifically, do you have any advice on laminating resawn hardwood over plywood? Are there certain plywood cores (such as MDF) or specific types of adhesives that perform better in high-humidity areas? I am also interested in finishing techniques for these conditions, though I will search your previous episodes to see if you have already covered that topic. Best, Ken Huys Questions: A few months ago I wrote in about veneering a plywood box to make a treasure chest for cards and notes for my oldest daughter’s wedding. As a reminder, I had some wood, morado at about 3/8 thick, that I planned to re-saw for the veneer only because I had it and liked how it looked. The final chest looks pretty cool (pictures attached and on my Instagram at @mr.downing.leatherandwood ) and was very appreciated at the wedding, but it was a fight along the way. So I thought a bit of a postmortem on 2 of the big problems I had might make for an interesting conversation. Problem 1-the wood itself. In hindsight, wrong wood choice because it fought me at every turn. It chipped and splintered while jointing and planing, and the saw dust got me very sick, like I had the flu. But for the specific question, when I re-sawed, I tuned my bandsaw, got a fresh blade, and was able to cut roughly 1mm veneer. The problem was that veneer then cracked with any bend. As the top of the box was curved, this was a huge fight. I tried to go a bit thinner, and I had the opposite issue-it rolled up like a cinnamon stick and wouldn’t go flat. The flat parts of the box were fine, but the top did crack when I bent the veneer over in a few spots even with picking out the best pieces with the straightest grain, but I was able to fill the cracks and hide it pretty well. I don’t have a vacuum bag so I installed the top veneer panel with wide ratchet straps over a matching curved caul and used polyurethane glue. Is there anything to be done with “problem” wood species when re-sawing for veneer, either to make it bend more easily or flatten it when it curls? Peter I was wondering what you'd recommend for a first-time HVLP spray system. I'd like something that runs relatively quietly. I've used a 30-gallon air compressor with a cheap Harbor Freight gravity-feed spray gun before, and while it worked, the compressor was louder than my spouse would like. I'll primarily be spraying acrylic primer and paint for cabinets and other casework, but I'm also curious whether the same system could be used for walls and other household painting projects. I've been looking at the Wagner Flexio 3500 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wagner-Flexio-3500-Electric-Handheld-HVLP-Paint-Sprayer-2419306/316886238) but I'm not sure if a handheld unit like that is the right tool for cabinet work or if I'd be better off with a dedicated HVLP turbine system. What are your thoughts on the functionality, finish quality, and versatility of something like this? Andrew

   September 04, 2026·1h 3min
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   Number 3: Episode 20 - Baileigh Tools, Should I Get A SawStop, Dream Shop Features, and MUCH More!

   Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife Guys Questions: 1) A follow-up question that may get Guy going: I’m currently upgrading my 3hp sawstop pcs 52 inch because I’m moving states and gifting it to my father. Originally, my thoughts were to go right to the 5HP Sawstop ICS without much consideration for other saws. I do like the safety feature just as an insurance Policy because you never know - we all do stupid things from time to time. Can you speak on times where the sawstop does not operate as intended and fails to save the injury and other saws that may be better but do not include the technology? I am typically pretty careful.-Ray 2) I emailed a little while ago to ask about MFT tops and all I have found premade so far are MDF tops for the MFT. BUT I found these tops and benches by Armor tools. https://armor-tool.com/products/woodworking/workstations/benches/ It is a butcher block top and has 3/4 inch holes. I do use Festool sanders, a router, and track saw but is there any reason that using a 3/4 inch dog hole top would be inferior to the 20mm top Festool uses? I know the Festool dog hole devices will not work but there are lots of 3/4 inch accessories. If the dog holes are aligned correctly I can bump the Festool track against the dogs to line up cuts. Am I missing a downside? The armor tool top is $200-250 but seems more sturdy than the MDF. Lamar Sean's Questions: 1) Hey guys. Love the podcast as always. Please keep it up! I have a quick question about finishing. I know you covered this topic but I’m curious about protection from water marks. I had a client recently that wanted a long desk for her children out of walnut. I explained that water in wood or wood finish is never a good idea. (Leaving standing water, cups rings, etc) is there a finish out there( besides epoxy) that will withstand this water. I am also wondering about hot items. I’ve noticed some finishes(lacquer) will leave a ring if you put a hot cup on it. Are there finishes that won’t fail with either of these issues? Thanks so much. Ryan Wilging 2) Hey guys, Love the show, definitely one of the best Woodworking podcasts out there. I’m going to build a 2 car garage (approx. 24’x30’) for use as my new shop. I’m a hobbyist woodworker, mostly a couple of hours here and there nights and weekends. If you were building a new shop from the ground up, what features and considerations would you recommend? Thanks, Ron Huys Questions: 1) My question is regarding Baileigh Industrial tools. I currently own an 8" Baileigh jointer (IJ-875) and really like it. I've been contemplating purchasing a free standing router table and possibly a cyclone style dust collector. My current shop is outfitted nicely with good tools i.e. Powermatic planer, drum sander and mortiser, Sawstop TS, Laguna bandsaw, etc but I'm wondering if any of you have experience with Baileigh and what your opinion is of them. I find their prices are slightly less than say Powermatic and other top brands so it makes sense to consider them only if they're a trusted brand. I don't see or hear much about them and all I have to go on is the jointer I have. I will say their manuals leave a lot to be desired. Thanks for any input! Michael 2) Huy, how is the baby? My wife and I had our first not long after you, he is a 4-month-old little boy now - The work life/home life balance came relatively easy, but I’m having trouble adding in shop time especially during the week - if I only have between 5 and 9 with the family how do I justify spending a quarter of that time fooling around in the shop? Or am I now destined to be a weekend warrior? Oh, actual question, how is Huy handling it? Matterhorn woodworks Our Social Picks: Sean: @CTFineFurniture Guy: @prusawoodworks Huy: Kevin0611

   May 24, 2019·47min
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   Number 4: Episode 19 - Least Favorite Wood Species, Refinishing Cabinets, Productivity Techniques, and MUCH More!

   Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife Guys Questions: 1) What's your least favorite wood species to work with and why? Eric 2) Thank you for all the great content and for coming together to create this podcast. I've learned a lot from all three of you over the last few years. Here's my question: I live near the coast in North Florida which is a very warm and humid climate. Huy, I know you live in Alabama, so maybe you can relate to this. My shop is climate controlled in that it has central A/C, but it's an old building and the humidity level varies greatly throughout the year. I don't have local access to a lot of hardwood lumber, but what I can get is typically kiln dried and stored in non climate controlled environments before I get my hands on it. It seems like invariably the lumber I get warps in some way, almost regardless of how long I let it sit before milling it and the moves again after I mill it. I know this is common, but I think the amount of movement I'm seeing is not what you'd see in a climate with more moderate humidity, but maybe I'm wrong. The exception to this is a batch of air dried cherry that I picked up from someone that had been drying for about 20 years. Given that I don't want to wait 20 years before starting each project, is there anything I can do to reduce the amount of movement I'm seeing in my lumber and can you talk a little bit about techniques you might employ if the wood does move so that it's not just all wasted. For example; alternating cups and bows when gluing a panel together so that they kind of cancel each other out. Thanks again for your willingness to share your experiences with the community. Dave Seans Questions: 1) Seeing other woodworkers invest into the community is awesome, I appreciate that you guys are doing your part to keep our craft alive. I have a question for you guys. I have found in many cases its easier to break out a hand tool, than to set up an operation using power tools. In what cases will you choose a hand tool over a power tool, and why? Would love to hear your thoughts on this. regards,Mike MillerMillerWoodcraft 2) My wife and I recently bought our first house and are looking to freshen up the kitchen. Looking to do a painted finish but I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of refinishing what we have or purchasing new cabinets. The current cabinets are solid oak boxes with MDF doors with veneered front, original to the house. Originally I was going to build new shaker style doors and then paint everything to match. However, after doing some test doors on the router table with tongue and groove bit, I am not feeling so confident(novice woodworker) with that and also the amount of work involved to remove the finish and repaint all the boxes as well. Given all that, it seems easier or more cost and time effective to buy new cabinets that I can finish myself or possibly pre-finished in the color we want. Any insight or advice you guys could provide would be very beneficial. Thank you in advance and absolutely love the podcast! Andy Huys Questions: 1) Question - I have a Delta 28-243 14" bandsaw with a riser block kit that I've been slowly upgrading. I've put new wheel bearings and urethane tires on. Next step I'm thinking about is ordering the Carter wheel guides instead of using cooling blocks. They are spendy, so do you think it's worth the upgrade? Thanks, love the show! -Larry 2) Hey gents, love the podcast here is a question/show topic for you. What are your top 5 productivity techniques when building furniture? I'm sure there a ton of juicy nuggets in there that can help a ton of people including myself. I'm running a furniture business on the side and I'm trying to get faster while increasing/maintaining my quality. Thanks guys, Brad Our Social Picks: Sean YouTube pick: Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration Huy: @willowswoodworks Guy: @tektonguild

   May 10, 2019·46min
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   Number 5: Episode 18 - Table Saw Placement, Web Frames, Dye or Stain, and MUCH More!

   Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife Guys Questions: 1) Hello Guy, Sean, and Huy - I am about to begin making two solid walnut dressers and I would love to hear your input on web frames. I’ve seen a few methods for attaching them to the casework, such as sliding dovetails, shallow dado grooves with the frames glued at the front of the case and floating in the back, and screws with elongated slots to allow for the casework to expand independently of the web frames. One of the dressers will have two columns of three drawers with a vertical center divider in the middle, and the other is five drawers high. Each case will be 18” deep with dovetails as the joinery. How would you guys go about attaching the web frames? Thank you for all of the invaluable work and education you continue to put into the woodworking community! Gregory Raiewski 2) What is the piece you've built that you are most proud of? Eric Seans Questions: 1) I’ve actually had several questions over the last few weeks but never got around to sending them. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on using 1 runner vs 2 on a table saw sled. Thanks, Brian 2) Can you talk about the potential disadvantages of putting the right side of your table saw up against a wall? I have a 52” sawstop and want to maximize shop space, as I work out of a 2 car garage that is about 500 square feet. - Ray Huys Questions: 1) Absolutely love the podcast! Y’all have some great information and I’d like to thank you for taking time out of your lives to share your knowledge with others! I had a question about how you go about choosing a finish for a piece you’re going to build. At what point do you figure out exactly what finish you’re going to use? A side question to this would be how would you know when to use a dye or pigment rather than a stain or a particular type of oil on that project? I have seemed to “struggle” in a sense on narrowing down exactly what route to take for a finish to give my builds the best finish for color and longevity. Just would like to hear what your input would be on this topic. Thank you again for the wonderful shop talk podcast. Keep up the great work! Clean cut woodworking 2) Hey Guys, I’ve got a question for the podcast that I’ve never heard anyone address. Is it worth it to invest in high-dollar drill bits? As a hobbyist on a tight budget, I generally get new bits at the box store, but sometimes I can look at them while they are spinning, and tell that they are not spinning straight. They seem to do the job, but I always wondered if having better bits (or possibly a better drill, I guess) is worth the money? Thanks, and love the great show format. Sincerely, Scott A.Jackson, TN Our Instagram Picks Sean: @Kyllesebree Guy: @crosscutvintagedesigns Huy: @w_squared2

   April 26, 2019·42min
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