
STL366: No Mallet is Safe
From Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworking by FineWoodworking.com
May 15, 2026 · 1h 8m
About this episode
Shea Alexander discusses the importance of context when buying wood materials for furniture making.
Shea Alexander is a custom furniture maker and the owner of Alexander Brother's lumberyard in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. He has years of experience guiding customers through the process of buying wood, and in this episode Shea and Vic discuss the importance of context when buying materials. What will this walnut table look like in 10 years? Are you sure you want rift sawn oak? You can see more of Shea's work on Instagram and Substack , or visit the Alexander Brothers Website. Sign up for Woodworking Travel Tours - https://www.finewoodworking.com/tours For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.com/elearning Join us on our new Discord server! - https://discord.gg/8hyuwqu4JH Links from this episode can be found here - http://www.shoptalklive.com Sign up for the Fine Woodworking weekly eLetter - https://www.finewoodworking.com/newsletter Sign up for a Fine Woodworking Unlimited membership - https://www.finewoodworking.com/unlimited Every two weeks, a team of Fine Woodworking staffers answers questions from readers on Shop Talk Live, Fine Woodworking's biweekly podcast. Send your woodworking questions to shoptalk@finewoodworking.com for…
People in this episode
Host: Vic
Guest: Shea Alexander
Topics covered
- wood buying
- furniture making
- material context
- wood types
- custom furniture
Keywords
- walnut table
- rift sawn oak
- woodworking
- custom furniture
- material selection
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Alexander Brother's lumberyard, Instagram, Substack, Woodworking Travel Tours, Discord
Places: Virginia's Shenandoah Valley
More episodes of Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworking
- STL368: It Appeared to Me in a Dream · June 12, 2026 · 56 min
- STL367: Mike Didn't Get The Memo · May 29, 2026 · 1h 16m
- STL365: The Thrifty Trio Convenes · May 1, 2026 · 1h 0m
- STL364: Good Design Goes Unnoticed · April 17, 2026 · 1h 20m
- STL363: More Than One Way to Cut a Dovetail · April 3, 2026 · 1h 8m
- STL362: Hold the Saw like a Baby Bird · March 20, 2026 · 1h 8m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworking podcast page.