Woodshop Life Podcast

Brians Questions: Hello and greetings from Texas,I’m an amateur woodworker who may have bitten off a little more than I could chew. I started building full closet cabinets for my walk-in master closet, and at this point I’m too far in to turn back, so I’m learning as I go.All of the cabinet boxes are installed, and I’m now working on shelves and drawer fronts. My question is about face frames. I’ve seen a lot of people recommend assembling the full face frame first and then installing it as a unit, rather than attaching each rail and stile individually.What are the real advantages of building and installing the face frame as one piece versus installing it piece by piece?One complication in my situation is that my walls weren’t perfectly square when I started, and as a result some of my cabinets aren’t perfectly square either. I’m trying to figure out which approach will give me the best final result given those imperfections.Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for all the knowledge you put out there—it’s been a huge help on this project.Thank you,CaseyWood You Rather 1. The first question is about accuracy. What is your own degree of tolerance when it comes to measurements, without going crazy? I guess it depends on the project, but for example, when cutting panels to specific dimensions with a track saw, do you try to get the measurements down to the nearest 1/16th? nearest 1/32nd? 1/64th? 2. On a related note, the measuring marks on the ruler or parallel guides of course have a width themselves… Do you place your pencil or stop pointer just before the line/mark, in the middle of the line, or just after the line? Does it not matter as long as you’re consistent? I know this isn’t NASA, but I don’t want the project to ultimately look amateurish. Josh Guys Questions: First, thank you for answering my other questions. Guy points out that Rubio Monocoat is made for wood floors when others talk about using it on wood furniture. Is there an actual disadvantage or problem with using Rubio on fine furniture when you want a finish that can withstand the abuse that a floor gets?Thanks again for the great show!George 3. Any advice for staining blotchy baltic birch plywood with Gel stain and tips for finishing with water-based urethane topcoat? I have heard so many different opinions, from putting a slip coat of mineral spirits, to using preconditioner, to applying gel stain directly on the wood, etc. Josh Huys 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.-Ripping down face frame lumber. When batching out large amounts of 1 1/2" strips what is your preferred method. Table saw then sand? Table saw proud then plane? Table saw then drum sand? Will a bandsaw with ripping blade provide a nicer edge? Major concerns are efficiency and accuracy while avoiding saw marks that have to be hand sanded off.-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 I have the Grizzly benchtop oscillating edge and spindle sander that I believe a couple of you have mentioned owning currently or in the past. I’m working on some oak glue-ups that are using some odd angles that will be template routed later. The problem I’m having is that when I use the edge sander to dial in these pieces my edges are getting slightly rounded over and becoming convex. I’d love to have a large disk sander but this is what I’m working with

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This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: I recently bought a good amount of S3S ambrosia Maple from Rockler. I bought it at a crazy discount. The first time I picked some up they were selling it for $3 per board foot, and when I came in a few weeks later it had dropped to $1 per board foot. I asked multiple employees why the price was so low. They all said that they simply just didn't have room for the material. Looking around this seemed to be the case. I have been storing the wood in the loft of my shed/shop for several weeks now, which is cool and dry this time of year. I finally decided to begin a project using some of this material, but to my dismay I have discovered that most of the boards have a twist in them. I've been able to minimize this problem by strategically cutting the boards into smaller pieces, but when I put them in my crosscut sled, I've noticed that a few of the boards aren't even flat on the edge that is supposed to be jointed. Is this something I should expect after moving lumber that had been stored somewhere with moderate temperature and humidity to a cooler and dryer location? Or is it possible the store was selling this wood for so cheap because people had had issues with this material already? I try not to be overly fussy, especially when I've I've gotten a good deal on something, but this is one of the first times that I've purchased a significant amount of hardwood from a higher quality store and what I'm looking at is about the same quality I'd expect after picking out hardwood boards at random from a big box store. Lastly, considering that I don't have a joiner or a planer, is there any way for me to try to correct the twist in these boards? For now I just have worst of the boards clamped down to a flat surface. Thanks in advance for your time and your feedback. Sincerely, Zach Owens Hi guys, I have a question about how long does it takes, when working on a project, before "project fatigue" sets in? I woodwork for at least an hour or more everyday (much more on the weekends) and I have built book cases, a fancy cat tree, a hallway table, small boxes, solid oak doors, and shop furniture in the past year. Sometimes I get to the point where I just want to finish up the current project so I can start something new. It seems to happen around the 4 to 6 week mark. Do you ever get project fatigue? Just curious if I'm not alone. Also, thank you to Guy for discussing hide glue and shellac in previous podcasts. I'm now making my own glue and dissolving my own shellac flakes. I like the traditional aspect and easy of use. CheersChris from North Mankato, MN Guys Questions: I would like to build my kids a set of montessori style bookshelves out of solid maple, and I can see myself making more of these in the future for others. So, I am trying to figure out how to make the joinery fast, accurate and repeatable. Also, I would like to avoid using screws and I do not own a domino, so I think that probably makes dowels the best option? How would you make the 2 sides to this bookshelf? My thoughts are to make a template for the sides so I can route the shape. I am struggling with the dowels... Due to wood movement in the vertical shelf pieces, I was thinking about using 2 dowels, where one will be fixed and the other will have a slot cut into the side panel. See attached photos. Each horizontal shelf piece will be dadoed to the vertical shelf piece and the 4 shelves will not be connected to each other to help account for wood movement. If I use an mdf template for the sides and also put the dowel holes and slots in it, how would you cut the holes and slots? Router, router with bearing, drill press, hand drill? Is there a better way that could be easier or faster than I am missing? Thank you for all you help! Jeff Hello all! Thank you for a great show! About a year ago I built a cabinet with a cherry top. It was finished with a single coat Zinser Bulls Eye Seal Coat, followed by

This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Thank you for your awesome podcast!I recently started listening and am still working through older podcasts while staying up on your bi-weekly episodes. I would describe myself as a longtime hobbyist who has built some basic furniture but who still has much to learn.My current project is setting up my workshop in one car space of a 3 car garage after having moved back to California from Colorado. We’ve been back for over 3 years, but holding down a demanding full-time job and getting 2 kids through grad school has kept my wife and I pretty busy and has left little time for hobbies.Since I don’t have any specific projects in the works besides setting up my shop, my question is a little broader. Curious to learn more about your thoughts on hand planes. How much of your woodworking repertoire includes the use of hand planes, what types of hand planes do you use the most and for what types of jobs do you use them? Or, do you completely omit hand planes from your woodworking arsenal?Thanks again for the great podcast.Best regards,Darryl Noda (Wildfield Woodshop) Thanks once again for putting out the most helpful woodworking podcast I listen to! I'm making a lot of small boxes, many of which I make as one piece and then cut the lid off with a table saw or bandsaw. How do you deal with glue squeeze-out on the interior corners of such boxes, when you can't access it until after you cut off the lid? My current methods are to pre-finish the interior sides of the box, so the squeeze out doesn't affect the finish, or else to use painter's tape at the corners. The pre-finishing works decently but requires a lot of forethought and has some limitations; the painter's tape is a pain and doesn't work all that well. Another method I've tried is not caring about the squeeze-out and installing box inserts to cover it up. Do you all have a preferred method for dealing with gluing up closed boxes? Thanks again in advance for your good advice. Kyle can you live without a pedestal drill press? It’s handy, with relatively small footprint. But it seems like I use it exclusively perpendicular holes with Brad point or forstner bits., I could probably replace it with a drill guide like this UJK one. https://www.axminstertools.com/global/ujk-technology-drill-guide-with-10mm-chuck-106072 Thanks again for the pod, and for considering my question! Johnny Huy's Questions: My wife and I were on vacation earlier this summer driving from Iowa to Florida and I was board listening to the radio and she suggested I look for a podcast on woodworking. Boy was she sorry she suggested that! I found your podcast and what an informative and fun podcast! I’ve listen to a lot of them but have not got to them all. I am getting back to woodworking and have started a side gig and have completed a few projects for a few people and have several more to do. I’m doing tables, shelves, cabinets, bookshelves, benches, and some other smaller things. I have a pretty good shop with a pretty good tool selection. Just purchased a Sawstop PCS 175, 36” fence and I can’t believe the quality from my old Delta contractor saw. It will certainly help me up my game on a lot of things. I have a couple of questions that I hope you can help. Some of these projects are stained and others are painted. Up to this point I have just used brushes and rollers to paint and use mostly Sherwin Williams paint. The project turns out ok and my clients are satisfied but I’m ready to kick it up a notch by spraying. I’ve used a sprayer called a Criiter and while it works ok it very difficult to use on anything of size. I’m lo I recently had the misfortune of losing my shop to a windstorm/tornado. So, I now 'get' to rebuild. I plan on having a footprint of about 30 x 40 with a 10' rollup door and one man door. I have several questions so appreciate that you may not be able to answer them all. 1. What would you suggest for the interion walls? OSB

This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions Hey guys, appreciate you answering several of my questions in the past, so I thought of a few more. Feel free to separate as they are not related:1: What do you do, if anything, to maintain furniture you have built? What would you tell a client if they were to ask you. I have always heard Murphy’s oil is a good restorative, but when I looked at a bottle at the store I discovered it’s just mineral oil. I would never recommend that. Or should I? Lemon Pledge Furniture Polish. Joking, but seriously, what is a good answer? Paste wax? Or just wipe the dust off and let it be? Peter Downing I’m building a dresser and have built the carcass out of cherry plywood. I’ve glued up a panel out of solid cherry that I want to use as the top. I want to attach the solid panel to the top of the carcass. Would you recommend using screws from the inside/underside of the plywood top and allowing for wood movement or is it ok to glue the solid wood top to the plywood carcass top? Eric Guys Questions Domino vs beadlock set up from rockler? Same principle...and , in my experience...same outcome. Thoughts? Crafted Carpentry Tampa When I wanted to learn how to apply shellac, I did a search and found a Youtube video of Guy from the late 70's when Youtube first came out demonstrating his technique involving a balled up rag and a mason jar with a lid to keep it in so it doesn't dry out between coats. That video is fantastic and I learned a lot than just the rag and jar business.Inevitably, when I'm done shellacking for the day, I leave the rag Guy's Jar. Because you never really know when you are done applying shellac to something until you arrive at that destination, I end up leaving that rag in the jar for a few weeks. It's amazing how well it keeps even weeks later. HOWEVER, on more than one occasion, when I pull Guy's Rag from the jar, it is moldy. This surprised me the first time because I assumed that the amount of alcohol in the shellac would prevent anything from growing.Does this happen to y'all or is indicative of something amiss. I just toss it and get a new rag.Additional data points:Shallac is < 2 months old, made from flakes, sourced from Oregon's shellacshack.comI'm using Platina colored shellac usuallyI'm using "Finishers Edge Shellac Reducer" instead of denatured alcohol because is way more expensive so it must be better right?Jar is a resealable mason jar with a rubber gasketCloth is from the "bag of t shirts" you can buy at your local woodworking storeShellac still has a strong odor of fresh shellacI reuse the same jar to store my ragBecause I'm not a proctologist, there is a chance I've misdiagnosed the mold so I attached an image of the rag. Robert Huys Questions Gents,there is a question here, but I wanted to share some info with you first.In a recent episode there was a bit of a discussion of using Tung oil and how to thin it, etc. I recently made a walnut desk inspired by the Nakashima style. I've had the good fortune to get my eyes and hands on some of his pieces for inspiration - they are amazing. Anyway, on the Nakashima website they discuss the care of their furniture, mentioning how they use Southerland Welles Tung Oil Wiping Varnish. https://sutherlandwelles.com/product-category/wipingvarnish/It is really easy to apply and looks fantastic, especially on walnut. I used the Sealer and High Lustre Polymerized Tung Oil finishes. I highly recommend them. (this is not a paid ad!)Finally, here is my question: Have you ever taken a technique, tool, or finish that is used in another craft for your use in furniture making? An example might be Tru Oil used on gunstocks as a furniture finish? Or a technique used by luthiers that helped you in furniture making?Thanks again for a great podcast!Regards, David V. Hi guy I have a question or re3ally looking for advice. I noticed the tension on the v-belt of my delat 14 inch band saw was lose. It looked like freely wabblyin

This Episodes Questions Brians Questions Hi guys. I've listened to every episode of the podcast and some of them more than once. Really appreciate all of the insights you give. It makes my commute much more fun and I've learned a ton! This question is primarily for Brian. I've heard you all poke fun at him for using Excel to plan his projects on multiple occasions. I'm very curious to learn more about how he accomplishes this. I understand that he makes each cell square and draws, but maybe he could give us a little tutorial. What cell height and width does he use? What does each cell represent (an inch, six inches, a foot?). Any other of the steps you use would be super helpful. I'm planning on a built-in set of cabinets coming up and I thought I'd give your method a shot. Pete Hello GuysI am looking into getting a router table. Based on your experience which would be a better option. A full size stand alone router table or a router table insert for my table saw. I have plenty of space and I am looking to spend around $600 to $700. Is a router lift an important add on. Thanks for all the knowledge you all give and keep that PMA (positive mental attitude) going.Thanks Korey from Independence, KY Guys Questions GentlemenI listen to every podcast and invariably learn something from your answers to the questions. Keep up the great work. I have a Canadian made 14 inch General thickness planer that is about 40 years old and it has been working well and reliably over the years. Lately I noticed that one edge of a full width (14 inch) board is about .7 mm (28/1000 inch)thicker when compared to the other. It may have always done this but I am edge jointing some wide boards into panels and the variation in thickness means I have to hand plane the joints. There is no way to adjust the base to make it parallel to the cutter head. I almost always use a sled so I could adjust it to offset the inequality. My question is am I being a bit too fussy with the small difference? Would you accept this level of planing inaccuracy when working in your own shop? Bob Vergette, Pender Island BC, Canada Here is my next question. I am making a shadowbox out of walnut. I want to put brass splines on the corners. I built a spline jig and I purchased a new CMT 201.024.10 Industrial Ripping Saw Blade, 10-Inch. x 24 Teeth FTG Grind with 5/8-Inch. Bore, PTFE Coating. This blade measures 1/8 with calipers across two of the carbide tips. However the cut comes in at 5/32. The brass I purchased is exactly 1/8” This leaves very small but noticeable gap. I've also tried with another blade and got the same results. What suggestions or tips you may have to get that saw kerf to 1/8 inch? I may next try a slightly larger thickness of brass and file/sand it down but that will be more work. I hate to say this but guys on Youtube make it look easy and have no gaps, but don't provide the tips and how they got such tight fits. Thanks in advance! Dudley @ Pappys Hangar Huys Questions Gents, what a great podcast! I love the format, the focus on answering questions, and the valuable information. I especially like hearing Guy's perspectives who's both a pro and a hobbyist. Thanks and keep it up. I've been woodworking as a hobbyist for about 50 years - yes I'm older than Guy but not dying anytime soon thanks to my Sawstop - but just now getting into spray finishing. I have heard Guy talk numerous times about using pigmented water based conversion varnish. I have an upcoming project involving kitchen cabinet door panels that need to be finished to match the existing which is conversion varnish tinted to match Benjamin Moore Linen White. Because I have also heard Guy saying he gets his finishes from Target Coatings, I contacted them but was told they do not tint their conversion varnish and I would need to tint it myself. Their suggestion though is to apply their pigmented water based lacquer for the color match, and then coat that with their polycarbonat

This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: What are the the most useful 3d prints for a woodworking shop. I often print out small pattern templates and fixtures for hole placement. Even storage solutions for various tools etc... what are your top suggestions? Josh Hi, let’s talk about working with laminated plywood. I just picked up about 25 sheets of 3/4”x 22”x6’ birch plywood that has Formica laminated on both sides from the free pile of a high volume cabinet shop. I want to encourage everyone to find local cabinet or mill work shops in your area and drive by them often! I do on my commute to and from work. What kind of design/construction considerations would you make when building cabinets with drawers for my garage using only this 3/4” plywood? It will be for my garage. I know it’s common to make drawers using thinner plywood but I’m not trying to spend money if I have to. how would you finish the edges? I’m going to make a blanket chest next, The laminate is a fancy textured walnut wood grain that actually looks pretty good. I currently don’t have a shop but have some hand tools and hand power tools like a router, circular saw with track, and a lot of imagination! With the help from your podcast I just recently purchased a biscuit jointer and a large (rather intimidating) 45 degree chamfer router bit. Haywood Guys Questions: Hi Guys, I’ve been listening to your podcast since the beginning and it’s by far the best. There’s not even a close second.My question is: I want to make shop sawn veneer. I have a band saw with 11” cut capacity, grizzly 8” jointer, a dewalt 735 thickness planner with a Byrd Shelix helical cutter head, but I don’t have a drum sander. I would like to end up with 1/16” cherry veneer that is 10” wide, but I’m not sure about the process to make it. Would the thickness planer be too aggressive to remove the bandsaw marks or would I need to purchase a drum sander? Also, after cutting a piece of veneer from the stock, do I need to reflatten the stock before cutting another piece of veneer. In general, I guess what I’m asking is given the set of tools above, how would you go about making veneer? Mike I am building a trestle table out of African Mahogany, more specificallyKhaya. I am using 8/4 for the top and 12/4 for the legs. It is going to live on a jalousy window sun room that is not climate controlled in the state of Florida. What finishes do you guys recommend to use to help preventwood movement or warping over time, or is that just going to happen. David Huy's Questions: Hello Gents,This is a bit of a long winded question regarding aftermarket sliders for the table saw and how to best use them.I recently purchased an old Excalibur sliding table from my saw. This is an older model but from my understanding is almost identical to the current SawStop sliders, as SawStop took over the old Excalibur models (maybe this is incorrect or you have more insight?). I mounted the slider to the extension table on the left so I get the full size of the TS top and the slider fence is long enough to reach all the way to the blade. I figured that this way I get the best of both worlds, and I do have the space for it.My purpose for the slider was to help break down sheet goods, manage angled cuts on larger pieces, and to help cut miters on larger case panels. I've made a few cases in the past with mitered corners and running a long case panel on the TS to cut the miters is a bit of a pain. I was hoping that the slider would simplify that process as it would allow the long panel to move over the table smoothly while held square to the blade.Here is the kicker, the slider mounts on the left of the saw which is the direction that the blade tilts. In my mind, this creates a problem as I have to run the panel up-side-down, under the tilted blade, and the offcut would now be dropping on top of the blade where it will create a kickback situation. In general, I wouldn't run the piece "under" the blad

This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions When making trivets, how to cut the grooves - when I cut mine I hogged out half the thickness of the wood in one pass. That led to some pretty rough cuts and gouges (i.e. scrap). I assume the answer is a router table with a lift, but of course I don’t have one YET. :) Also, what finish to put on a trivet (which is used for hot pans)? - different finish than a cutting board? Tung oil? Danish oil? I assume ’not’ ArmRSeal. Mark I’m preparing to build a set of kitchen cupboards from white oak. The style will be Mission, with some Frank Lloyd Wright Prairies Style touches. I have several questions. I have a SuperMax style cantilever 25-50 drum sander. Do you think that this is a feasible tool to level out the boards to remove the planer snipe? …and avoid having to cut 3” of the end of each piece? Darrin Guys Questions: Been enjoying your podcast through several projects. My background is homebuilding, but through my sawmill hobby and unwillingness to pay for overpriced garbage…I have found myself learning about woodworking. My question is about making doors. I have made one door so far using only groove cuts into the stiles’s and gluing the tenons of the rails and panels into these cuts. I don’t have much faith in the longevity of this door, but it’s been a year now. What is the traditional methodology for attaching the individual parts of a simple 3 panel door Should I just buy a domino and get it done… Also per your latest podcast episode, what is the best way to midi gate the wood movement at the joint of the rails/ stiles. As these joints are not small nor parallel. Sorry for the low brow question. Appreciate the knowledge. Lucas Hello esteemed woodworking gentlemen! Thanks for the amazing podcast and the contribution to the woodworking community. I’m seeking some general advice and hope you can help.I was recently watched a YouTube video where someone stated that a track saw blade should always be buried for the straightest possible cut. That made me wonder if I can be causing unnecessary blade deflection on my jobsite table saw and Dewalt miter saw. I often struggle achieving perfect 90 on those machines when crosscutting.As a hobbyist with limited shop time, setting up machines is pain but I understand its necessity. Can you speak on this blade deflection and are there any go to tricks that you have for ensuring your machines are set up properly?Thanks for any help you can provide.-Jose Huys Questions: A while back my wife and I bought and moved into a house with no dishwasher, then later purchased one after realizing how much not having one sucked. We made the mistake of assuming that we would be fine putting the dishwasher at the end of the counter, because we figured the top of the machine would look like a run-of-the-mill home appliance like a washer or dryer, rather than the monstrosity that it actually is.It is ugly. I think I actually recall my wife crying when she saw it, and not in a good way. Since then my loosely held plan has been finding a way to move or dispose of the contents of one section of our cabinets, then cut a section out of said cabinets big enough for the dishwasher to fit underneath. Recently, however, thanks in large part to your podcast, I have developed enough confidence in my woodworking skills to attempt a different idea. My thought is to make what is essentially an end cap or sidewall, which will match the existing cabinetry, anchor it somehow, and then place a new section of countertop between this end cap and the existing end cap of the cabinets. I would essentially be "extending" the countertop, thereby concealing top and visible side of the dishwasher. From what I can tell, all I would have to make, stain, and finish would be a cabinet side panel, a piece of trim to run along the bottom, and a partial face frame.So here come the questions: do you think this is doable, either generally or the way I am thin