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This Episodes Questions: Brian's Questions: Hi guys.Long term listener. Great pod cast.I recent have a gotten my first 220 table saw. Grizzly 690. It works great and my router table, wood pecker P2.I have a small shop and space always is tight.I am thinking about buying an infra table fence with the router attachment as I can put it off to one side as my cut requirements are less than 24 inches. Mainly 12-18 inches wide as my happy space is projects within 2 ft by 4 ft.Anything larger is handled on my Yeti Smart bench, 4x8 cutting capacity.Guy is a big fan of incra tools and I just wonder if his opinion on what is best . Replace a good table saw fence with the incra one that was mentioned before and an added router table attachment or keep things separate?What is your opinions?Thanks for helping out and making 8 quarter effort to help.  Or 200% Paul Mitchell First off, I really enjoy the podcast. I am a hobbyist woodworker who loves to build custom cornhole boards.I have built some simple furniture like a coffee table using custom metal legs. I would like to make some simple wooden boxes for my adult daughters. I am think about trying box joints for my first attempt.I have most of what I need to do this project but I don't own any chisels to clean up my work. Can you suggest a brand or set that would be affordable yet good quality that could last for future projects? Also, how easy is it to maintain the edges? Should I plan on sharpening them myself or send them out to a pro?ThanksJohn in Ohio Guy's Questions: Great show, I’ve asked a few questions over the years and you always have great advice.I’m having problems when I glue up frame and panels for doors on cabinets and keeping the frame flat. This problem is exacerbated when there are two doors and they are both not flat. My joinery is square, the styles and rails and panel are all square and flat, so I know that’s not my problem.  I’m am guessing that it’s the way I’m clamping it during glue up.  I would appreciate any thought on what I may be doing wrong, or tips and techniques you use when gluing up panels.Thanks for the help and keep up the great work!! Mike Gitberg Could you give an explanation of your general setup and process for finishing regarding the consumables.  I feel like I am not very efficient and am wasteful during this process. For example, I just finished a shaker end table that I put a sealcoat of shellac on, and followed that with a hard wax oil. It came out looking great but I feel like there is a huge mess to cleanup after. Because of the risk of the oil self-igniting, I laid everything on my garage floor after I was done, so it could to dry.  I see that I used 8 rubber gloves, a dozen shop towels, scotch brite pads, several sheets of butcher paper and the mixing cup for the oil. Also, can I reuse the mixing cup from the hard wax oil? How would you clean out the leftover mix? Thanks for the great podcast! Jeff Hughes Huy's Questions: Hey guys, I’ve sent in questions before and always got great responses, but I have a strange one for you today.I’m a teacher, and a bit of an eclectic one. I like to keep my kids on their toes wondering about me. I’ve always wanted to make a throne to keep in the room for me to lecture from, or to let kids sit on. I teach high school, so the kids are full human sized mostly and never careful, so well built is a necessity. Again, I’m a teacher, so budget friendly design is also a consideration. I have some recycled 3” square cedar posts, and other scrap, but I definitely can’t afford to go out and get 4” thick white oak or walnut. I am also a leather worker, so incorporating leather seats or whatnot is within my skills. Not afraid of carving or painting for details.I’ve done some looking for inspiration and it just doesn’t seem folks are building thrones all that often. The only chair I’ve built is an Adirondack from plans. Any ideas, thoughts, recommendations, resources, donations?

This Episodes Questions: Brian's Questions: Ashtin here Hey guys love the podcast thank you for putting out good content for all of us to hear My question is I’m very new to the woodworking community I don’t have a shop or a space I work in I use all mobile equipment I do all my work outside I want to know what projects I can do that will help build my skills in and my confidenceI have a DEWALT Dw7491rs Table saw A Bosch router table Ra1181A craftsman jointer Cmew020A wen 6524 spindle and belt sander comboA dewalt Dws 780 miter sawI do have a Incra 1000seAlso what blade would you recommend for my table saw for an all around use? I have been using Diablo blades sense I have had it. Ashtin Brian also gives a nice PSA on shop safety and how thiungs can go wrong quickly Guy's Questions: I've been doing some veneering using a vaccum bag.  Mostly just panels for doors and box lids. When I join two pieces of veneer together at a seam I'll use blue painters tape to hold the seem together. My.problem is when I get it out and start taking the tape off I'll get some of the veneer fibers coming off with the tape.  How can I prevent it from happening? ThanksJohn Hi guys.  Love the podcast.  I've learned a bunch from you all.  My question is about end grain.  I'm building a cherry night stand that has a shelf that will be 20" long and about 17" wide.  I'm making the shelf from solid cherry as well.  The 17" dimension end grain will show on the left and right sides of the night stand.  I made my own cherry veneer from the stock I have (it's about 1/32" thick) and was thinking I could edge band it to the ends.  But if I do that, the glue holding the veneer will prevent the  wood from moving, right?  I was even thinking about using the banding so that the grain follows the top (like a waterfall).  But it doesn't solve the glue issue.  Am I correct in this thinking?  How can I dress up the ends so that it doesn't look like amateurish?  Or should I just sand the end grain to a very fine grit and/or seal the end grain before finishing so that it doesn't get darker than the shelf itself?Thanks so much.Anthony Huy's Questions: Hello Gentlemen, I’m planning on replacing the cheap hollow-core door that leads from my conditioned basement to my workshop garage. Any advise on materials? I know MDP is  flat but edges are brittle. Can I use an mdf or plywood core and dress it up with thinner material? How should I go about this while accounting for wood movement? My jointer is the limiting factor, bench-top with only a couple feet in totable bed lengths combined. Thanks Again, Dave I’m an “aspiring” woodworker in Harvest Alabama. I have a 1 car garage with a 5x8x6 tornado bunker in the middle of the floor. If you had that, is there any way that you would reuse that space to your advantage? Not just storage space, but actively- like dust collection, or an extra long panel saw.Tom

This Episodes Listener Questions: Guys Questions: Hello Guy, Huy, and Brian,Loving the content you guys are dishing out. Keep up the good work! I have my sights set on a jointer in the near future as I would like to save time and energy squaring lumber. My preference up until now has generally been to buy new tools and the thought of refurbishing/repairing anything used has not appealed to me. However, the cost difference between a new/used jointer has me thinking differently. Also, the jointer seems to be one of, if not the easiest, of the big woodworking machines to refurbish given its simplicity. Correct me if I am wrong in this thinking. Curious to hear your thoughts if you think it is worth my time and effort to buy a used jointer or should I go new? What should I look for if I were to go used? I realize that moving a big machine like an 8" jointer will be challenging, but I can easily get some friends together and rent a trailer to get the job done if the cost savings are great enough. Plus some beers and pizza for the helpers will help. Thanks! -John Hey Folks,Thank you for for the podcast. I love how quickly you jump right into the questions! Here’s mine: I’m building a set of screen doors for a cottage. The doors will be exposed directly to the weather in  Quebec.The doors will get a lot of abuse. They will close with a spring and slam frequently. The screen will run the full length of the door. I’m hoping to use a domino for the joinery.3 questions: 1) what glue should I use? 2) what wood should I use? 3) How should I finish the doors?Thanks ! Larry Gentlemen,First let me thank you for the podcast.  I recently stumbled upon it and you three are now my regular company on my daily commute.  Thank you!  I consider myself a beginner hobbyist woodworker. My shop is the third bay of a 3 bay garage.  My question is about when it is appropriate to use 3/4 inch vs 1/2 inch  plywood. 3/4 inch plywood is so common, I wonder if it is needed as often as it is used?  What kinds of applications need 3/4 inch plywood and what are some examples of when 1/2 inch plywood would be sufficient?  I know that I am often guilty of over building projects and I suspect many woodworkers are. :-)  Thanks for any information you can provide.James Aydelotte Huy's Questions: One more quick question, I'm working on getting into proper jointery. Is a nice hand saw worth investing in or is there an affordable option I can go with. I do mostly custom trim work but getting into more furniture grade work so it's not something I will be using all day every day. Arntz Construction Huy, I am considering a clearvue and Oneida cyclone dust collector. I know you have the clearvue. What is your opinion of its  performance?  I have heard that it is very loud, what do you think?  Thanks! Don I've been doing more and more hand tool woodworking, so less and less dust-producing activities, but I still have occasion to use regular power tools for certain things.  I've been striving to get better performance from my roll-around single stage D/C (with add-on cyclone pre-separator) and upgrading my hand-held power tools to ones with better built-in dust extraction... but there are still operations (edge cuts on the TS or with the router) that just spew crap everywhere.  One area I need to probably do better on is wearing some sort of dust mask and/or respirator.  I've avoided wearing them in the past, due to having a beard and knowing that masks get a very poor if any seal as a result.  I'm considering getting something like a Trend AirShield (powered respirator / face shield), and was wondering if you have any other suggestions? Monte

This Episodes Question: Guy's Questions: Why hello gentlemen. I have a crazy question for you all. I am about to build a vanity for my bathroom out of poplar. I am leaning towards staining the vanity, but I don’t know what to put on the vanity to protect it from moisture. Do you guys have any suggestions? If so, it would be very helpful.P.S. I am always looking forward to listening to show keep up the amazing advice Thanks, Ethan Thompson ! Hi guys!Alissa’s question from the your last episode spurred a question if my own.  Alissa asked about homemade box joint  jigs and the consensus seemed to be that making your own box joint jig is more trouble than it’s worth because of the precision required (down to a few thousandths if an inch) and because of wood movement. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on using 3d printers for jig construction.  My only experience with 3d printing was about 15 years ago when we got to use a primitive 3d printer in middle school woodshop class, so I don’t really know the capabilities of 3d printers today. Do you guys think it would be beneficial or even possible to 3d print components to homemade jigs (anything from a miter bar to a complete jig)? It seems like 3d printing would give you more precision and no movement, unlike wood. If it is possible, What jigs do you think would lend themselves best to bring 3d printed? Andrew After hearing Guy mention Target coatings and Emtech finishes I signed up for their email.  They had a nice year-end sale and I ended up ordering their Emtech spray kit which is the Fuji LX-20 and some accessories.  I'm new to spray finishing.  I'm lucky enough to have a large 80 gallon 5 HP compressor, so I have plenty of air. I'd like to know Guy's procedure for spraying small shellac projects. I've heard him mention he just whips out his spray gun and it's a quick process.  Do you lay down drop cloths?  Do you do anything for ventilation - I know with solvent and oil finishes you're supposed to, but I'm wondering if you bother if it's a small piece.  Do you have a fan setup to blow overspray away?  I will, of course, wear an organic filter respirator for any spray finishing I do, whether water based or not.  I haven't purchased a respirator yet, any recommendations? Scott Goldthwaite Huy's Questions: Hey guys, I've finally got caught up on all the podcasts and look forward to hearing the next one. I have a multiple part question here. I just got a commission on a 12 foot walnut bar and matching 8-10 foot table. My next purchase is going to be a jointer and I was wondering if a 74 or 76 inch bed jointer will be long enough or if I should just cut with my tracksaw and build a shooting board and joint everything with a hand plane? Also what would you use to dye and finish? Do you use pore filler to get a glass smooth surface or just let the finish take care of everything? Arntz Construction Hello guys, I found your podcast a couple months ago and I’m hooked and really enjoy all the knowledge you share. I appreciate you guys taking your time to produce the podcast. My question is for my Rikon Benchtop Radial Drill Press (Model 30-140). I purchased this drill press a couple of years ago but have rarely used it mostly because of time constraints. But when I do use it, I have an issue with chuck runout. I’ve spent more time working on it then using it at this point. I checked the chuck spindle runout, and it is about .001 and once the chuck is installed, the chuck has .003 to .005 runout, with a new Fisch drill bit installed the runout on the drill bit shank varies .005 to .007 runout. Given the runout I have, I can’t get a decent hole when drilling anything. I’ve followed the instructions closely and cleaned all grease from the spindle and chuck and have reinstalled several times. I’ve tried several techniques of tightening the bit in the chuck which changed nothing. Is this a problem that is common, and do you have a recommendation to fi

Guy's Questions: Guys,Recently I’ve been trying to expand my meager wood shop with budget friends older tools. (Most recently a delta x5 6” jointer to fix up and repaint for example).What would you look for when shopping for a used band saw you’re hoping to re-saw with? Where do you look for parts for older/discontinued tools? Any advice on tools that are best to just buy new?Many thanks, Dave Can you share about your design process? My biggest challenge is coming up with designs or finding plans (or redesigning plans) that are going to come out terrific without being too far above my skills, the tools I have, or my available time.  Do you ever make prototypes or miniatures first?  Do you do your planning in Illustrator, Sketchup, Rhino or ?  Or do you just make notes and sketches on paper?  And where do you keep your notes so you can recreate the same results?For context: I discovered woodworking during the pandemic and fell in love with it.  I'm a senior woman and it's a wonderful hobby for me (not a career or a side hustle).  I'll never make lots of the same item for selling, but making only one doesn't work because I don't get good at it until I make at least 3. Trish Thank you so much for covering my question about building a Butcher Block. I was shocked that Guy could speak French!!! I should not be surprised as Guy is a French name (pronounced Gkee). However, I am not familiar with the expression he used, but he is excused since he prefaced it with "Pardon my French". Guy, you are forgiven, but if you want to use some really good French salty words to punctuate a thought, I am here for you buddy. We frogs need to stick together. On a side note, I have another question. I would eventually like to purchase a drill press. I really like the Nova Voyager and its direct programmable drive. My question is, what is the advantage of a free standing vs a bench mount drill press. I can see the advantage of a bench mount as it can provide storage space below. But why would any wood worker prefer a free standing unit? I believe I saw in huy's video he does have the Nova drill press. From Thailand, Bert Plourde Huy's Questions: Hi guys!  Thank you for the great podcast.  I look forward to listening to half of your show on the coincidentally timed drive to our local Woodcraft, and the other half on the way home.  You put out great information, and humbly have the best show out there.I have a question about sanding mops, and don’t know if any of you have experience with them.  I’m currently making a large batch of ‘Contemporary Door & Drawer Pulls’ based on Larissa Huff & Robert Spieces’s article in FWW issue #289. Using Walnut.One of the last steps in the article says,  “To further refine the shape, and give the pull a nice soft quality, we finish up those hard to reach edges with a flap sander in the drill press.  This sanding tool gives the pull a wonderfully tactile feel…”After looking at the sanding mops in the Klingspor catalog, I’m a bit overwhelmed by the many options. I’m curious as to which grit (grits) you might suggest to get that oh so important ‘wonderfully tactile feel’.  I also wondered if there is a particular manufacturer you’ve had success with.Thank you for your help!Kevin Long Hey guys,As a hobbyist I like projects where I have to figure out something new (but not too extreme).Sometimes I will modify a plan to make it more functional, more interesting, or just so I don’t get bored. Most of the time I don’t regret it, but occasionally I do kick myself. As professional woodworkers how do you balance the need to be efficient and the desire to be creative?Thanks, Chuck Hello gentlemen,I am in the middle of a remodel that will finish with painting the outside. I am going to make shutters for the windows and would like suggestions on what wood to buy. They will be painted.I live in California and won’t have woods like alder or ash  or southern pine available. The

This Episode's Questions Guy's Questions Hey, fellas. Great show. I’ve been listening for a couple of years, and have really elevated my game based on tips from y’all. Guy, thanks for the Incra TS/LS videos. I got the combo version when I moved my router table to the wing of my Sawstop. I really love it. I have a follow up question from the Feb 24 edition: Guy, you were pretty emphatic on your answer regarding connecting 2 Festool rails. I’m curious to know if your opinion was formed on the original style or the new version? If the former, have you had a chance to play with the new ones. I replaced my old set with the self-adjusting version and they seem rock-solid to me. I leave a small gap between the rails in case the rails aren’t exactly 90 degrees. I’m also careful when moving the joined rail from one sheet to another that I don’t torque the joint. Just wondering which version your judgement was associate with? Pat Engel Hi guys! My name is Elisa and I’m new to woodworking. I have a few fairly straightforward projects under my belt including a crate topper to go on top of my dog’s crate, a few blanket ladders, and a mobile workbench with a spot for my Ryobi 8 1/4 table saw.I’m working on box joints right now. I’ve watched a ton of videos and made a lot of sawdust trying to make a jig and have been unsuccessful. I’m using a single blade with a kerf of .0665 in but I can measure the blade and make several cuts and not get the same measurement between them all, so there’s one problem. I’m trying to set the spacing up to be 1/2 inch but I can’t seem to get it right. The distance I’m off is small but bringing my pin closer or further from the blade seems to change the width of the pins and the slots and I can’t see a correlation between the changes that would help me figure out how to correct it.In addition to the Ryobi saw, I have been using a sled I made, digital calipers, clamps, a set of steel thickness gauges. I’m using a variety of test piece’s including 3/4 in plywood, 3/8 and 1/2 inch S4S poplar and pine. If it helps to know, I have a miter saw, jig saw, a trim router, a regular size router, cordless drill and driver and basic hand tools.I’d appreciate any help you can offer and if you can recommend some really good YouTube videos!Thanks! Elisa Gonzales Hello all. I have a veneering question. I want to wrap a elliptical cylinder with walnut veneer. It measures 18” inches long and 16” tall with end radiuses that are 4” round.  The cylinder is made with stacked mdf each layer is cut in the elliptical shape and stacked to my desired height. I don’t have a vacuum press.  mdf is notorious for absorbing solvents and water. I’ve ruled out PSA backed veneer since this will be adhered to the cut edges of mdf and most likely would peel away. I am thinking maybe 2 coats of solvent based contact cement on the mdf and one coat on the veneer.  I need an adhesive that will hold those radial ends. Do you think contact cement will be strong enough and if so good recomm ndations?  Also should I seal the mdf  before applying the adhesive?  Maybe with shellac or WB poly. I’d say lacquer but concerned the solvent in the cement would have a negative effect on the lacquer seal coat.  Veneer hammer? Jeff (Maker) Huy's Questions: Gentlemen- Sorry to not have rapped at ya in a while, winter is for snowboarding, and I tend to loose the plot in the shop. But whilst schussing down the slopes, I have been contemplating spring projects, namely, a bridge for my stream/river. The "slash" is because it is usually a stream, but two or three times a year gets very rowdy; the last time it washed the existing 16' long bridge off its moorings 90º, so it now sits parallel to the stream instead of across it. This bridge was made of pressure treated 2x12's, 4' wide, heavy, and chained to pins in boulders, so the water has some force when she's angry. Instead of trying to lever and pulley the bridge

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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 & 2x6) 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 2x6 or 2x8 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

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 4x4 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. C

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 speedJordan 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.

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

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 2x4 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 es