Woodshop Life Podcast

Episodes

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  Resaw Tips, Dye or Stain?, Stripping Paint and MORE!!! 30.10.2026 50m

  Guys Questions: Good day gentlemen!I'm planning to make a new tabletop for my travel trailer. It will measure about 36x36". Because of the great swings in humidity and temperature that a travel trailer gets subjected to, I'm a little reluctant to make it out of solid wood. My current thought is to use veneered MDF instead (or, perhaps baltic birch plywood)... something along the lines of applying shop-made 1/8" (or so) veneer to 1/2" MDF (or HDF or plywood). In my mind at least, an MDF/plywood substrate would better resist movement & deformation from the aforementioned big swings in humidity and temperature.Thus, my questions:1. I know of the principle that says you should always veneer both sides of a substrate to keep things “balanced”, and I plan to abide by this. What I’m wondering is do I HAVE to use the same veneer on both sides? I plan to use a “nice” veneer on the top… could I use some other “less nice” wood for the veneer on the underside of the tabletop, to conserve the good stuff?2. What ideas or suggestions would you have for attaching solid edge banding to the tabletop? What are the pro & cons of applying the edge band before or after the veneer?Thanks a ton for taking my question and the helpful woodworking conversations every week!- Nelson in Iowa Great show guys.I occasionally need to resaw lumber, and I have made quite a bit of my own shop-made veneer.I usually set the distance of my blade to my tall bandsaw fence, and then put one featherboard on the table-top and another featherboard about 5 or 6 inches higher to keep the board against the fence. With a carbide tipped resaw blade, it usually works pretty well.   (Except maybe the time I didn't realize how hard Bubinga is, but that's another story)Today, I was resawing some Ash and decided to use the round steel bar that bolts to my fence, and I steered the board to follow a pencil line that I drew on the Ash.   That worked really, really well. The round bar came with my Rikon bandsaw.   I had to look it up, but it seems to be called a resaw bar.So I am wondering if you guys rewaw against a flat fence, or against a resaw bar, or if it depends on the size or type of material ? Stephen Hi Guys,I’m another new listener and like many others, I’m making my way through all of the back episodes. Your podcast has cost me a fairly significant amount of money because each time you mention something that I think I need, I go directly to Amazon, and click ‘buy now’.I have been getting serious about woodworking over the last 6 or 7 years. I have a pretty simple question, and I apologize to the listeners that have heard this before, or already know it. I hear you guys talk about both “dye stain” and “conversion varnish”. I am old school, (I’m even a little older than Guy), so I’m wondering if those are just different names for regular stain and varnish, or are these two things somehow different than the old-fashion stain and varnish that I grew up with? Thanks for a great show!PS: Like Brian, I too do my designing in Excel. I attached a copy of my plan for the outfeed table that I built.Tim ParkerFreedom Woodworking Huys Questions: I have a 6’ tall by 3-1/2’ wide display cabinet with a wood frame structure that holds glass panels. It has a solid back and an enclosed cabinet on the bottom with two frame and panel doors. The frames and structure are all nicely detailed with beads and grooves throughout.The cabinet is finished with light blue semi-gloss paint that was applied years ago. The finish has been well maintained and is in very good shape. However, we would like to change the cabinet from its current blue painted finish to a stained wood finish.Is it possible to strip a painted furniture piece down to bare wood well enough that it can be stained? If so, what products and/or techniques would you recommend in order to accomplish this task? How do you go about getting all of the paint out of the beads and grooves?Thank you for your wisdom.Greg Firstl
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  Riving Knives, Radial Arm Saw?, Drawer Production Run and MORE!!! 16.10.2026 52m

  Hey guys. Love the show. Been binge watching for a few months now and have learned a ton. Thanks for providing such great information.  I have a sears craftsman table saw I bought for a hundred bucks off an older gentleman who needed to free up more space in his shop. It works great but I would really like to install a riving knife for obvious safety reasons. Can it be done and how would I go about doing this? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks again for the great content.  Jonathon Long time listener but only second question Ive sent in. Received a great answer on my first so thought I would try again. What would be the best hand plane to use for edge jointing boards? None of my projects are super long the longest would be around five feet long. Thanks for a great podcast. Robert Guys Questions 1) Guy mentions Hide Glue as a good option due to ease of clean up.  There are several different hide glues commercially available.  Titebond liquid hide glue, Old Brown and the powdered mix that you make with a heat pot and water.  Which type do you use/recommend?Thanks, Dave @ Xcuse4tools Custom Woodwork I have a chance to get a free radial arm saw. I already have a compound miter saw. Why would I use one over the other? Julie Huys Questions I’m finishing a whole home remodel where I’ve built all our cabinets. I’m about to start door and drawer faces and would love some tips to make the production work go more smoothly. There’s a mix of paint grade (poplar and MDF) along with stain grade (rift sawn white oak).I bought a rail and stile shaker router bit set to help but what else will make this quicker and easier? Jake Thank you for your podcast. It is a great resource for woodworkers. I am at a point in my woodworking journey when I feel I am finally ready to build a set of dining room chairs. Nothing too fancy, but still comfortable. modern and stylish. I believe I have all the necessary big and small tools. Do you have a source that you would recommend that sells physical router templates? If not, any plans you would recommend? I do have a 3d printer, if I need to print them out, but I do not have a cnc. Max
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  AI Repairs?, Chemical Dye For Cherry, Chisel Tool Steel, and MORE!!! 02.10.2026 55m

  Brians Questions: I've been woodworking long enough that I've had problems with tools not working properly.Obvious decisions.I got 15 years out of a 2 1/4 horse router.  It seemed reasonable to replace it. There was something wrong internally beyond the normal.I bought a used Powermatic bench top mortiser. A piece fell off it (which i kept). I downloaded the manual and while it was not immediately helpful. It gave me the right name for the piece that fell off (gib) so I use AI and it told me how to reinstall and 10 minutes later it was working.I recently had trouble with the wedges that lock the Shopsmith head stock onto the way tubes. That was a harder fix, but Youtube and AI were helpful.  [sending in the head stock to be repaired would have cost more than I spent on the machine].How do you guys evaluate problems with tools, replacing them,  fixing them yourself, or trying to find a repair center that charges fair prices? Chuck I know proper procedure for milling lumber is generally to face joint, and edge joint using a jointer. But do you honestly face joint every board? Or is skip planing good enough? Also I bind when im edge jointing I end up after my first few runs at it with an end dapered and then it forces me to hog off a ton of material, im pretty certain my infeed / outfeed surfaces are setup parallel and its my technique, what do you think Im likely doing wrong? Tyler Guys Questions: Hey Guys love the show, my question is, i have a Supermax 16-32 drum sander that i would like to use more for sanding shaker doors to level and even them out, however i get a lot of cross grain on the rail part of the door. I usually keep 120 grit in my sander but do have 150 grit. I try to take very light passes but still end up with cross grain scratches. Any tips or suggestions to help elevate the cross grain issues would greatly be appreciated. Phil This is a question for Guy. A couple years ago I watched a video of one of your table builds where you used potassium dichromate on Cherry to age it without needing to wait for the natural darkening process to occur. I have tried this myself on a couple of pieces, but with different results. Sometimes the Cherry has almost an orange look to it, matching the color of the potassium dichromate mixture. I was able to correct this in the finishing process, using a little bit of dye. Other times it is a warm brown tone. I wonder if you can comment on the kind of mixture you put together, and also the color of those pieces that you have made with this mixture as the Cherry naturally ages over time. What do they look like today? Do they continue to deepen and tone and color, just like Cherry does naturally? I have another project I’m about to begin with Cherry, and I will need to decide if I would like to attempt this process again, or not. Thank you!Josh from Houston, TX Huys Questions: I have a question for the show. I am contemplating the purchase of a brad nail gun. I'm leaning towards getting a DeWalt battery cordless model, but I also like the flexibility that a pneumatic air gun would provide. I don't own an air compressor so that would have to also be part of the purchase if I went to pneumatic route. My thought is to go ahead and just pay the cost for the DeWalt cordless battery model. But I'm wondering if going to pneumatic way helps my shop by adding the air compressor. I have a small garage shop that I share with my wife's car so space is a premium. Love your thoughts on which way I should go? Also love your show, it's my go-to woodworking podcast! Dan G. Good morning!Thank you for your wonderful podcast!This is Shin from Korea but currently studying in Finland. I have been working with wood for some years.From using different chisels from East and West, now I think that I am ready to purchase some nice chisels.I am considering Veritas, because the PM-V11 sounds amazing.My question is, if any of you have used the chisel, or just heard about it from other woodworkers, I a
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  End Of Summer Break! 18.09.2026
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  Saw Kick Back, Shop Made Veneer, HVLP Sprayer and MORE!!! 04.09.2026 1h 2m

  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
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  Perfect Pocket Holes?, CAD Software, Epoxy Finish and MORE!!! 21.08.2026 53m

  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- BlackbuttIt'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
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  How Much Glue?, Using Hickory, Veneer Projects, and MORE!!! 07.08.2026 58m

  Brians Questions: I have a question that i would like your input on. I have a double car garage that i use as my workshop. I want to build an outfeed table for my tablesaw. I was thinking of something that could be multi use. I was thinking of making two 2'x 4' workbenches that would be on hinges so i could open it as a 2x8 or close it so its 4x4. I was thinking of using castors as well as adjustable feet. Im not 100% sold on the idea and was just hoping to hear some suggestions from the pros!Hopefully this makes for a good question for your podcast.Once again, thank you for the AMAZING podcast and youtube videos.Matt Hi all,First, thanks for the podcast, by far the best format and the best information. It seems each podcast I almost always learn something. I have a question about glue ups. When I glue up a joint,  I try to keep squeeze out to a minimum and by doing that I’m not sure if I’ll use enough glue. However, squeeze out is inevitable. Do you try to keep squeezing out to a minimum and if so what steps do you take. Also, when you do have squeeze out on a joint what do you do to get rid of the excess glue. I’m not talking about squeeze out on a panel, since it’s easy to either use a plane to get rid of the glue when it dries, or sand it away. Any advice that you could share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Mike Guys Questions: Hello! My name is Eric.  I am a rather new/inexperienced woodworker. After hurricane Helene did so much damage in South Carolina, I decided I no longer wanted a large Hickory tree beside my house.I paid professionals to fell this 100 year-old tree. I paid my friend, a rookie, to mill it into 5/4 inch planks/boards. I’ve been air-drying this wood in my garage for over a year. It is time to do something with it.When I looked up, “What should you make out of Hickory?” The answers are baseball bats, ax handles, hardwood floors, and steps for staircases.  I am not going to make any of those.I have 750 board foot of this stuff…What should I make?What should I not make with this wood?What gotchas do I need to be prepared for?Any other advice?Eric in SC Hi guys,I’m building a large frame for a canvas artwork for a friend. I’d like to reinforce the miters using miter keys.Previously, I’ve cut the slots for miter keys on the table saw with a dedicated 45 degree jig when building small boxes. This frame is pretty big though, and I think the size would make it really awkward to do this way on the table saw.Any other methods besides the table saw you’ve had success with cutting miter keys? Do you have any general recommendations for thickness of the miter keys in relation to the miter itself? Or at what thickness of material you would consider multiple miter keys for added strength? The frame is all going to be stained the same color so I’m not worried about aesthetic of the keys or contrasting with different wood species, just purely doing it for added strength. The frame is 1.5” thick with 4/4 ash and about 3 feet by 5 feet for reference.Thanks! Evan Huys Questions: 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- BlackbuttMy other question is, can the three of you suggest a project each of small to medium size I can do with this veneer . I find it easier to work towards something when I have been told what to do rather than racking my brain in the workshop trying to think of something to do whilst drowning in a sea of veneer.Dylan Hi folksFirst as always thanks for one of the most friendliest and informative woodworking podcasts.So here’s my dilemma. I’ve often heard about letting the wood acclimate to your shop environment before beginning a project. I understand that. My confusion comes in when starting to mill the woo
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  Skill Progression, CNC Hold Downs, "Feel" of a Finish and MORE!!! 24.07.2026 53m

  Brians Questions: Hello! I recently got into woodworking in part after being inspired by finding a local lumber yard and not being beholden to the big orange box. I’ve realized my next step is to figure out a planing method - the wood I buy is rough sawn, and I’m not in a position to buy a planer or jointer given the size of my garage shop/price constraints. I’ve done some research on hand planes and plan to start experimenting with some used/refurbished ones. Do you think this is a reasonable method for small/medium projects (bookshelves and tables would be largest I’d do), or should I jump right to other methods like a router or electric planer. Thanks! Ryan Zach from Minnesota here. I heard you're in need of questions, so I figured I'd come to the rescue.My question is regarding developing and learning new techniques and skills in the shop. You guys have previously made the suggestion that when trying to learn new skills, the best approach is to take on a project which incorporates one new skill (the one you would like to learn) versus diving into a project that's going to involve several unfamiliar skills. While I think that's a great approach, my question is: how do I know when it is time to move on to another new skill?For example, if I decide I want to learn how to use dovetails, how many projects in a row should I spend focusing on that technique before progressing to learning another new one? Should I keep at it until I feel that I've mastered dovetails, or should I just practice it until I feel like I have a firm understanding of the process?Thanks again for all of your expertise and your dedication to the woodworking community at large. I eagerly anticipate each new episode. I hope all of your projects are doing well, and I hope you are doing even better. Guys Questions: Hello,I’m really enjoying the podcast—it’s become one of my favorites to listen to. I appreciate how genuine and down-to-earth you all are.I’m currently building a small part-time crafting business using a Onefinity CNC and an xTool laser. For software, I use LightBurn and Carveco Maker+.I recently heard Guy talking about using his laser, and I think I’ve also heard you discuss CNC work in past episodes. I was curious if either of you have any advice for laser engraving softwoods like pine. I often get blotchy or inconsistent results because of the varying grain density, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my finished products.On the CNC side, I’d love to hear your thoughts on workholding methods. My spoilboard has dovetail tracks, so I use homemade clamps quite a bit. I also use double-sided tape regularly. Surprisingly, the foam double-sided tape from Dollar Tree (three rolls for $1.25) has worked far better for me than some of the CNC-specific tapes I’ve tried, which didn’t seem to hold very well.For two-sided projects, I’ve also made a few fixture boards with dowel-pin locators, and those have been a huge help with alignment.I’ve learned that there’s always something new to learn in this hobby, and I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Thanks for the great content, and keep up the awesome work!Have a great day! Kevin I’m building a round table with an x-frame base.  The top 60” in diameter and 1 1/4” thick hickory.  The x-frame is 37” across.  I also plan on adding an apron about 3 1/2” tall to the table.  I have heard more cons than pros on c-channel but would like your guys opinion on this.  I definitely can’t have this thing droop.  Also, while I have your attention, how would you attach the apron to the top taking into account wood movement.  Thanks for having a great podcast.  You have helped me a number of times in the past with valuable advice. Tom Huys Questions: I have an old park bench that I rebuilt three years ago using white oak. I applied 3 coats of Minwax spar urethane over the wood, sanding with 240 grit sandpaper between coats. Now, after 3 years, the finish has failed and the wood has noticeable spl
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  Making Jigs, Color or Grain Match, Angle Madness, and MORE!!! 26.06.2026 55m

  Brians Questions: Love the show. Thanks for getting right to the questions. I have a project where I've made hundreds of the same item. Over that time, I've come up with a bunch of different jigs and processes that I've iterated over time to make things go faster and work better. I wonder if you have experience with and thoughts about how to approach this kind of woodworking-at-scale and if Huy in particular has any take-aways from making all those drawer knobs recently. Thanks! Mike Hey guys, my name is Van Whitmire and I recently started listening to your podcast. I’ve really been enjoying it and had a couple questions for you.I’m 17 years old and super involved in my high school club, SkillsUSA. I placed 6th in the state of Nebraska in cabinetmaking this year. When I get out of high school, what do you think would be the better route: getting on with a construction crew or trying to find a job in a cabinet shop?I’m not a super experienced woodworker yet, but I know my way around a shop pretty well. I’m currently finishing up my junior year of high school, and over the last few weeks I decided I want to start making and selling custom cutting boards. Right now I’m completely running everything out of my high school woodshop, and I’ve also started buying tools to slowly build up my own small shop. How would you recommend pricing my boards? I don’t want to make them so expensive that nobody buys them, but I’d also like to actually make some money from them.Thanks again, and keep up the great work. You guys are doing an awesome job with the podcast and I’m looking forward to listening to more episodes. Van Guys Questions G'day fellas,A quick question that might not have such a quick answer: when matching planks for a tabletop or panel, which do you prioritise - Grain matching or colour matching?Thanks for all you do!Jim from Perth Good morning gentlemen! As always, I love the show and value your perspectives. Keep up the great work. I have been woodworking as a hobbyist worth the occasional commission piece for 30 or so years, and I'm always looking to improve, learn, and grow as a woodworker. For the past few years I've also had the pleasure (and torture...lol) of working at a lumber yard/hardware selling lumber and tools.I've finally come to the point where I'm seriously considering getting a track saw. My question is, which one to get? I'm looking for one that will give really good cuts, have some versatility with accessories, but not break the bank. I know that Festool, Milwaukee, and Makita are, for the most part, interchangeable with the tracks, and DeWalt and Kreg have their own proprietary track designs. Aside from straight cuts with the saw, how have you guys used the guide rail system in your woodworking? Thank you,  Joshua.  The Blackdog Woodworks Huys Questions Greetings all; setting up new shop; gotta ductwork question. First main equipment: 5hp sawstop; 20” planer; 16” jointer; floor spindle and belt sanders; 20” bandsaw and such. Gotta 3hp Oneida cyclone dust collector. Question; I’ve been using hvac ductwork for years and manual blast gates; advantages of upgrading on norfab ducts?  Are there better options?  Guessing $2k-ish investment. Cheers guys! Chris Hi fellas,I'm making a coffin shaped bookshelf for a friend of mine using 3/4" plywood. I wanted to make dados for the shelves but my router base doesn't have an adjustable angle. So i made a jig to achieve the angle but when I made 2 passes with my 1/2" straight bit to get to the exact thickness of the shelf, there was a noticeable "step" in the dado. What I ended up doing was simply cutting an angle on the sides of the shelves to match the angle of the case and then glued and screwed straight through the case and plugged the holes, no dados. I'd like to know how you would handle attaching shelves at peculiar angles and if theres a better way to make angled dados,Thanks! -Matt
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  Fixing Boo Boos, Why Use Veneer?, Wood Movement and MORE!!! 12.06.2026 55m

  Brians Questions: Hey guys, thanks for answering all of my questions in the past. I have something a little different this time. While cutting a mortise on the router table into a leg, I accidentally touched the outside of the leg to the router bit and did some damage. I happen to have the offcut and the grain is a perfect match (see photo). What would be your process to go about repairing this so it is near invisible? My thought was to use a wheel marking guage and chisels to remove a sliver of the leg. I have no idea how to cut a perfectly matching piece from the offcut to fit into that removed material. In order for the grain to match, the repair piece can't be oversized and would have to fit perfectly. This is on the outside of the leg and will be seen. Or is that a little unreasonable and would you not match the grain perfectly? Thanks, Jeff Howdy fellas,Love the podcast, thanks for what you do.  For the sake of space and cleanliness, I've decided to get rid of my table saw.  It's an 80's era Delta Unisaw that runs great, but doesn't have any safety features and the dust collection is wanting.  Rather than upgrading, I plan to use my bandsaw + planer/jointer for ripping, tracksaw + MFT for cross cutting and router table for joinery.  The only thing I haven't quite figured out is cross cutting short pieces, anything <8 inches is too short for my MFT + track saw.  So far I use the bandsaw + shooting board if I have a lot to do, or handsaw + shooting board if it's a one off.  It works, but I feel like there's an easier way I'm just not seeing.  Y'all have talked before about workflows without table saws so I'm wondering what you would do.  And no, I don't have a miter saw.  Is it worth getting a small miter saw or contractor table saw just for short crosscuts?  Thanks again for your insights.-Bryan Guys Questions: You guys have the best woodworking podcast on the web, and I think you are fans of shellac like I am.   Just about any finish for me starts with a few layers of shellac.Every once in a while, I will notice a defect in the wood, like sanding scratch marks, under the shellac while applying it.So, of course I sand out the bad spot and apply a bit of shellac over the repair.But the act of sanding through the shellac to the wood has effected the surface.    The wood doesn't want to accept the shellac.I put coat after coat on the spot that I sanded, but its not building up.   Sometimes I sand the surface between coats and I can see the repair shellac I have been putting down has been migrating to the periphery of the repair spot.   Like a little berm around the effected area.    I know the spot where I sanded will be a few thousanths lower than the rest, but the shellac just doesn't want to be there.  Like the surface where where I sanded down to wood has become shellac-phobic.I did a test on African Mahogony and after 8 coats, I got the surface of the board uniform.Have you ever seen this ?Is there a name for this problem?Do you have a better solution than just keep putting down more coats of shellac ?I would include an image if I can figure out how to on this Chat.Steve in Windsor        sps1@cogeco.caEventually I can get the surface uniform. Where do you see veneering having the greatest impact, such as bent lamination, solid pattern the top of furniture, inlays, marquetry, etc?George Huys Questions: Hello,Like everyone else, I enjoy listening to your podcast while working in shop. I make shadow boxes with my CNC and have a question about my assembly methods. I start by making an 8/4 panel and a 4/4 panel to cut the shapes out on my CNC. I use the 8/4 piece for the body of the box and the 4/4 for the top face. I cut a rabbet on the 8/4 to set a piece of acrylic glass in leaving about a 1/16" gap for movement. I then glue the top 4/4 face to the body using small dowels for alignment. I'm using flat sawn lumber and the grain of the body and the face run the same direction.  I make a removable plywood back
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  Mouse Poop?, Dark wood Marking, Veneer Glue and MORE!!! 29.05.2026 53m

  Brians Questions: I frequently work with dark wood, and need to mark the cuts.  Do you have a recommendation for a white pencil or pen that is fine tipped? Thank you for the great show and your time to produce it. -George What has been your favorite veneering project (or what project would you like to do with veneer) George Guys Questions: Hey guys, your recent talk about bandsaws made wonder if anyone is using anything cool for bandsaw infeed and out feed, im using roller stands and doing resaw cuts that are about 10’ long. I also was curious how you guys would go about making a cabinet over a toilet not require filler strips? Maybe a scribed face frame? Great podcast lately, i really enjoy it. Tyler I’m making a bow front dresser and the bow will be made by gluing up 1/8th” bending play. The front of the drawers will be 1/16th” shop sawn cherry veneer. I’m planning on putting  1/32” backing veneer on the inside of the bow.  To make up the bow i will have a couple glue ups. The first glue up will be the 1/8th” bending ply and the 1/32” backing veneer. For ease of use, I plan to use unibond one for this glue up. The second glue up for the front piece of 1/16” cherry veneer I plan to use Unibond 800 to ensure there is no wood movement later, since the height of some of the drawers will be 10”.  My questions are: is 1/32 backing veneer ok seeing the front piece of veneer is 1/16”? And second: is using Unibond 800 a bad idea because it will only be for the front piece of veneer. Mike Huys Questions: Hi,  Love the show. I recently got into woodworking as part of my stress relief from my W2 job (ICU work) and have fallen in love with it. I have expanded my tool chest and have a makita track saw and recently noted there was a variable speed setting on it. What guide do you utilize to change that setting? I have had it on 6 since I got the saw and never even thought to change it. I did finally follow your advice and upgrade my blade with a CMT finish 36 tooth carbide blade and what a difference cutting through hardwoods.Thanks, Viyeka Anyway, i wanted to ask how you would go about cleaning mouse droppings on your wood.The cdc (because of the hantavirus scare) suggests using bleach and then wiping but it seems harsh on raw wood stock. I don’t want the bleach to penetrate too deep. I was thinking of spraying with a soapy solution and then gently wiping it off all my wood.What do you think? —vaibhav from chicago
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  Design Software, First Veneer Projects, Extinct Tools and MORE!!! 15.05.2026 58m

  Brians Questions: Hi guys! Long time listener, first time question-asker! Thanks very much for the show. I've been listening for a few years now and love the no-nonsense, down to business approach of your show.I am a hobby woodworker, but have begun to get a few paying projects, which have been really fun and rewarding. One of the things that has forced me to do, as opposed to  things I make for fun, for myself, or for gifts, is to do more design and modeling up front. I've gotten proficient enough with Fusion 360 to be able to create a 3D model that I can use to visualize for myself or show a client, and have most of what I need to build.What I've discovered about Fusion is that you can model a HUGE amount of detail. I've found that modeling detail down to the rabbits, dados and understanding and determing the detail of each joint to be very helpful. I recently built a few large cabinets out of plywood using rabbet and dado joinery. I did not go to the trouble of actually modeling each rabbit and dado. When I was buidling it, I wished I had. A while back I built a cabinet from plans and they modeled ever rabbit, dado, hole... and I found it to be very helpful. I was also thinking that modeling all that might take alot of time and not be worth the effort.All of that is just an example for context. My question actually is, How much detail do you go into when you model/design your own pieces and what are some of the reasons you do the level of detail you do?Thanks again for the great podcast an I'm excited to hear your answers! Jeff I just got into a shop with power for more than lights for the first time in several years, and I dug out several routers that I couldnt say no to, even though I was exiled to hand tools at the time. Between those and the ones I had before, I've probably got a half-dozen of various sizes; enough, I think, to leave a couple in permanent setups. Just wondering, how many routers do you guys have, and how do to maximize their utility in your own work flows (with permanent setups, favorite jigs, etc)? Scott Guys Questions: Hello from Alabama,I am in the planning stages of building a dispenser for boxed wine. I have some highly figured walnut that I would like to use for the side panels.  However, the pieces I have are fairly thin.I am considering using 1/4 inch plywood as a core between 2 pieces of the thin walnut for each panel to prevent warping in the future.The plywood that I have on hand is currently somewhat warped itself.My question is: If I use this plywood as a core and apply sufficient clamping pressure during the glue up, should this panel remain flat? Or would you use MDF or HDF instead?Also, would you recommend any other glue rather than water resistant PVA?Thank you all for doing the Podcast. Woodshop Life is the BEST woodworking podcast out there, and I appreciate each of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to provide this service to all of us. Juston (Wild Chicken Woodworks) 1) I just drove down to Mississippi and met an old friend for the first time (if he's listening, he'll know who he is) to buy a Vacupress and associated gear. In this stuff, there was a flitch if cherry veneer (it was curled like a plane shaving from wing rolled, but appears really smooth, as in not wrinkled) and several starter packs of 3 sq/ft of some exotics (specifically satinwood, zebrawood, and rosewood, if interested). I'm super excited to put my first pump to work and have grand aspirations of  masterpieces with figured exotics, but in the meantime, I don't know where to start. Do you guys have any recommendations? What were your first veneer projects? Scott Huy's Questions: Hi guys, thanks for your responses to my drum/belt sanding and tenon cutting questions a few months back. Here’s a hopefully fun one to think about: what is a tool that is no longer made or is no longer “in style” that you either can’t imagine working without or wish you had acquired when it was more readily available
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  Face Frames, Rubio Monocoat, Accurate Marking and MORE!!! 01.05.2026 56m

  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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  Leg Glue Up, Kitchen Drawers, Radial Arm Saw? and MORE!!! 17.04.2026 59m

  Brians Questions: I am getting ready to build a mission style entertainment center.  This project will use what I'm told is arched pedestal legs which was used a lot by Gustav Stickley.  I will be gluing up three 5 3/4"x 28" quarter sawn white oak blanks to make the legs.  I will then route the curve using a compression bit and template which I made using the Shaper Origin.My question is what are some good methods to ensure there is a tight (almost invisible) line on the glue up of the blanks.  The legs are going to be a major feature on this piece and I would hate for the lines to be visible.  I've done glue ups for square legs before and have pretty good success although not perfect.  I know grain match is a big deal but wanted to pick your guys brains on clamping methods, glue type and anything else you can suggest to ensure success.Yours is the best podcast on the net.Tom Young I recently upgraded from a 9”  ryobi bench top bandsaw to a craftsman 10”   Floor standing. I’d like to build a mobile base for it. My question is, how tall should the table be? Should it be elbow high? Waste high? Higher ? Lower? For context, I’m mostly a hand tool guy and, although I have a dinky table saw, I don’t use it much, favoring the bandsaw.  I’ll do some light resawing and other more detailed work with it. Thanks guys and Guy. Love the show.Jason 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.-Drawer box preferences or use cases for solid wood vs plywood with edge banding. I am leaning towards plywood due to number I need (38), being simpler to use prefinished ply then mill down rough cut. But it seems like cheating.....Large Pots and pans drawers 3/4" sides or 5/8" sides?-Drawer box construction when using overlay fronts. I do not have a dovetail jig. I may end up just pocket screwing them which is what I have done in the past but I wanted to add an upscale touch. I tried my domino with Sipo dominoes, pin nailed the box together first and then put two 5x30 dominoes in. To me the hole created was not that tight with the domino, didn't look nice. I see some YouTube experts make it seem easy, any experience or thoughts? Also thought of using drawer lock bit on the new to me shaper I just picked up but no experience yet. (Grizzly 3hp) Thoughts or preferences?Any other thoughts or recommendations when batching out large cabinet projects.Matt Hola Y'all,I have been listening to y'all for a little over a year, and woodworking for two years. Best Podcast on the interwebs!I was recently gifted a used Grizzly Go555 14" 1HP. I have never owned a Bandsaw and I want to use it mainly for resawing. I was told it is working fine, but I prefer to "Trust, but Verify". My questions are:1. What tune-up/preventive maintenance should I do immediately?2. What upgrades should I do for resawing hardwood? Thanks so much!Peace, Love, and SawdustNorris SebastianGrandad's Workshop Huy's Questions: Hey guys! I am a full-time journeyman carpenter and I work in the commercial sector around the Indianapolis area. Currently working at the new IU Health Hospital downtown. I’ve been doing carpentry professionally for nearly 9 years. Almost half of a year ago, I decided to purchase a 4x4 shapeoko 5 pro and got involved with learning about cnc. As friends and family found out about my new acquired skill, I’ve been asked to make various types of wood related projects-some requiring cnc and some that don’t. I have a decent amount of handheld power tools and jobsite tools I’ve acquired through the years. Thankfully those tools have helped me in completing non-cnc related projects but my problem is the la
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  Which Drum Sander?, Drawer Slides, Door Repair and MORE!!! 04.04.2026 43m

  Guys Questions: I am going to be adding a 25/50 drum sander to my shop.  I can’t afford a powermatic so it is between the Jet and Laguna Supermax.  I went to AWFS this past year to see them in person and Jet was not at the show and Laguna only brought their large tools.  I called one of the nationwide woodworking stores that sells both brands and asked the employee which he thought was better and his response was “ they are both great tools, but if you have a problem with either one of them Jet will take care of the problem immediately, and Laguna will eventually take care of it but it will take a while”.  Laguna also charges a $199 shipping fee where as Jet does not. I would appreciate any advice on which one you would recommend.I always look forward to listening to the podcast.  Keep up the great work gentlemen! Tom Hello FellasOn my third round of listening to all your episodes. Thanks for all you contribute to the community. I am getting ready to move my shop from the garage to the basement. I want to keep the dust down to a minimum. I was looking at getting a Grizzly T10113 - Universal Overarm Blade Guard for Table Saws. Have you used or this or something similar. It is very pricey do you think it's worth the money. If not do you have any alternatives. Thank you and keep up the good workKorey Griffin, Independence KY When is a drawer too wide, specifically for under mount slides? I keep seeing these huge kitchen drawers that look to be almost 36-48" wide. How do they account for the large amount of weight that could potential be in these drawers. Do you guys have any experience using the blum tandem stabilization bars? They state they can be used up to 53" but that seems widely wide. How would you go about building drawers that are over 36" wide? Jesse Huys Question: Hi Woodshop Life Podcast Team,Thanks for all the great content—new woodworker here (not a cheap hobby by any means and I mostly blame you guys for this), I went in deep with about 50K in tools but so worth it as I love the idea of building things for people that they will have when I'm gone. I'm a Power Engineer by trade, and I learn a ton from the podcast.Quick question: I’m in Sylvan Lake, Alberta (-40C to +35C weather) and store a decent hardwood stockpile (Walnut, Wenge, Maple/Figured Maple, Zebrawood, Rose Woods—kiln-dried from a reputable Calgary seller) in a 14’ x 10’ room in the back of my heated oversized 3-car garage. Winter RH is usually ~22–25% and summer can swing much higher. I could add a small humidifier in the storage room but that's about it. Storage room has air flow, in floor heat and wood is sitting off the concrete stored vertical on ends. Whole home humidity control is hard to achieve in Alberta without creating a lot of condensation on the windows in winter months which is not good. So we just except the cracked bleeding skin during the winter months.Would you leave it alone and accept seasonal humidity movement, or try to hold the storage room around ~35% RH? If you would control it, what’s a practical target range? Part B - Is cutting wood stored at 22% RH a good idea - I assume it will swell so much in the summer months and assume 22% is way to low to store wood long term over a couple years.Thanks for the wicked podcast - I'd love to come on, I'd have so many questions during each show.Thanks!Trenton (Sylvan Lake, AB I started a stripping project of my redwood door. It’s old old old! So I am trying to be thoughtful of the contours and the soft wood. I need some guidance since the paint is fighting me and Ive kind of hit a wall. Ian  I have another closet door that my kids have forcebly pulled the screws from the hinge. Not sure how to approach fixing the holes for screws other than cutting a chunk out of the door and glueing and sanding a new piece in. Any thoughts would be helpful. Ian
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  Estimating Materials, Grain Selection, Maloof Chairs and MORE!!! 20.03.2026 1h

  Brians Questions: My sister and brother-in-law would like to recruit/hire me to install/build built-in bank of drawers and shelves for them for their new home. The only relatable experience I have with this type of woodworking is building a face frame cabinet and constructing some under the bed drawer storage, each of which I have done exactly one time. The remainder of my woodworking experience has involved making small knick-knacks such as cutting boards, boxes, etc.Considering your experience with built-in shelving and closets, I was hoping you could lend me your expertise in regards to the following questions: 1. What's the easiest way to go about coming up with accurate calculations for the amount of materials I'll need? I might need a very dumbed down explanation. 2. How do you price projects like this? Do you estimate the time it will take and give the customer a set price, or do you use a time + materials structure? I want to help my sister do this for significantly less than she would pay someone else, but I also don't want to be committing an undetermined amount of my time for free.Thanks in advance for all your help. Zach Owens I have a question about Sawstops and the brake cartridge. I recently tripped my brake last night after changing from a Forest Woodworker blade to a Diable blade. Not sure why it happened. They are both 10" blades. Any suggestions for how to prevent this from happening in the future? Mark Guys Questions: I've had this question in my mind for a few months now. How do I know when I'm qualified and ready to teach others how to woodwork? For context, I am a teacher by trade, and have only been woodworking for about 2 and a half years. I am single and have no family, so I do have a lot of time to myself. I primarily use hand tools though I occasionally break out my track saw for sheet goods. I don't have any experience with power tools like a table saw, bandsaw, jointer, planer. My dovetails range from "functional-but-ugly" to "decent", I can chop out mortises with chisels, I can joint my edges with my hand plane, and I can get my surfaces to be "flat enough".With all that said, is there a point where you know you can effectively teach others how to woodwork? Down the line, I wouldn't mind being able to teach some hand tool woodworking classes. I do want to hold myself to a high standard and to be able to teach everyone proper technique without seriously hurting themselves. Thanks in advance for your input, Jose 1. Over the past a couple years I have gotten spoiled by building with a bunch of rift sawn white oak veneer, large slabs of walnut where I can cut parts out as I see fit.  Now I can't go back to flat sawn boards!! All I see is the glue line, cathedrals that don't match, or kinda do and just a jumble of boards that just kinda go together. Am I doomed to only hunt for the straightest best grain board? How do you guys incorporate flat sawn (cathedrals) and other wildly grain boards into your work? Or are you only trying to select straight grain for table tops, and use flat sawn stuff for lesser seen parts? Jesse Huys Questions: My question is about moving my shop.  My wife and I are moving from California to Washington - about 800 miles north of us.  I'm going to upgrade from a 1 car garage shop to probably twice the space.  We're going to hire professional movers but I'm wondering how to prepare and ship certain machines.   The ones I think most about are the Sawstop, the Festool Kapex 120, the DeWalt 735 planer, and my Laguna 14" bandsaw also with wheels.  The Sawstop has an extension table.  Would you remove that or let the professional movers move the fully assembled saw?  I would remove the blade and cartridge.  How about the Kapex, planer, and Laguna bandsaw?  Any special precautions or recommendations there?   For my planes and handsaws am thinking lots of bubble wrap and packed into boxes. Would appreciate your thoughts.  Thanks for the great show guys!Ron Novato, CA   Hi
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  Shop Lighting, Router Table, Easy Veneering, and MORE!!! 06.03.2026 46m

  Brians Questions: ​Hello gentlemen, ​I love your podcast. I appreciate the care and detail you put into maintaining a consistent format and clean, listenable audio. Having been a radio production director in a former career, I loathe most podcast audio, so your effort to provide a professional listening experience is apparent.​In my brief time as a woodworker, I’ve found it difficult to source hardwood. I don't have any woodworking stores nearby—the closest is several hours away. Buying from private parties feels unreliable, and I strongly prefer kiln-dried wood. Furthermore, online ordering is expensive, even for small stock.​So far, the only hardwood I’ve been able to work with was purchased from big-box stores or salvaged from pallets.​Do you have any advice for sourcing hardwood in my Southern California area?​Thank you! ​Todd from Barking Beavers I’m curious your take on shop lighting. I’ve got 12’ ceilings in my garage and I’m on thinking the lights could be far away. Maybe I should focus on task lighting instead or possibly lowering lights on chain but that is a less appealing option. Tyler -What are your best strategies on negotiating time with the wife to be in the shop? Brian Guys Questions: I’ve been listening to your podcast on and off for a couple years now.  I know I haven’t listened to all the episodes but I’m trying to work my way through them on my commute to work.  I appreciate the podcast, I’ve learned a lot.  Thanks for doing it guys!I’m a weekend warrior, with an old craftsman contractor saw. Well maybe not that old, 20 years.  Not old enough to be really sturdy built but it’s been a good saw.  I would like to upgrade to a cabinet saw.   I’m interested in getting a Sawstop for the safety aspect as well as I’ve heard they are well built saws. One convenient feature on my Craftsman saw is it has a built in router table on the table saw wing.  I can get the same setup on the Sawstop. I’m not a professional wood worker but I do want a good quality table saw and router table set up. My questions are:1)  Will the Sawstop be a substantial upgrade to my Craftsman contractor saw or should I consider another brand?2) Do you know anything about the Sawstop router table accessories such as the router lift and downdraft box. Are they good quality components, anything I should be cautious about.3) What are the pros and cons to having the router table built into the table saw versus a stand alone router table? Would I be better off getting a stand alone router table?Thanks for the help!  Appreciate the Podcast! Marty I recently purchased a shaper and power feeder to run mostly door profiles and other trim as well.  It's been a huge upgrade from the router table, but I still get tear out if I try to mill for example a shaker style door in one pass (the long edge not the coping cut). I've seen videos of other guys running their shaper in reverse and cutting for profiles with a climb cut but ONLY WITH A POWER FEEDER.  Would this be a case where you would be comfortable breaking the "never climb cut" rule if you had a power feeder in order to produce a cleaner edge? Thanks! Jared I would like to begin my first foray into veneering.  I’m thinking a small table top for a side table or nightstand would be a good first project. How would you suggest a first time veneerer approach this—I don’t want to invest a lot into veneer specific tools (vacuum bags, etc), so any tips for using stuff already laying around the shop would be appreciated. Thanks for the great pod! Andrew
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  Router Bearings, Easy Finish, Loose Router Bits, and MORE!!! 20.02.2026 48m

  Brians Questions: I currently have a Sawstop PCS 1.75, an 8” Laguna spiral head jointer, a Jet two-stage dust collector, a Laguna 1412 bandsaw, a Bosch cabinet style router table, a Dewalt DW734 lunchbox planer, an entry-level CNC, a Festool ETS125, a Festool dust extractor and various smaller power tools. I’m not particularly happy with the stability, adjustability and fence on my Bosch router table and I feel like my planer isn’t giving my a consistent cut across its width. I’m thinking of upgrading either the router table to something with an Incra lift, or maybe a planer like the DW735 with helical head or similar. However, I’ve also been seriously considering a Festool Domino DF500. Lately I’ve been working on decorative boxes and small furniture like side tables and coffee tables. Who knows what’s next? What would you purchase next and what do you think would make the biggest difference in my woodworking?Thanks, Kevin Westbrooks Hey this is Brooks from BROOKS BOARDS in Utah, I really enjoy the podcast while I work on the shop, and a lot of my questions get answered, but I was hope maybe you could help me understand the best way to round over a board that is a curved shape like my longboards I make, when I use a bearing router bit the issue is that when you flip the board to route the other side where the bearing would ride along the wood it routed off so the roundover is un-even and usually a line is left over, would you guys have a potential solution to this? I would love your suggestion, thanks in advance you guys are awesome. Brooks Guys Questions: When making flat panel drawer fronts I keep running into drawer fronts that need to be just a little bigger than my 8" jointer. Say 9-10" tall. Most of the rough stock I buy is 8-8.5". In this case I have two options, use two boards of similar grain and try to hide the glue joint which becomes a straight grain only situation. Or make a veneer drawer front with some wider stock if i can find it. How do all these European cabinet makers do it with large flat drawer fronts. Do they all just have a 12-16" jointers? Jesse Hi y’all! I’m Chris. I love your podcast and listen to it while I  drive for work. I am on my second round of listening while I wait for the new episode to drop! I will be proposing to my fiance soon and I am making a ring box for her engagement ring. I am going to use White Oak and I have seen several videos of guys using a rub on finish that slightly darkens the wood and leaves a minimal sheen. I am wondering what finish you would use for durability, to darken the wood, and leave no sheen! Thanks and love the show! Chris Huys Questions: I have a Makita Track Saw which I purchased a couple of years ago.  I use it only for cutting full sheets of plywood and melamine, mostly plywood.  Although I haven't used it all that much the Makita brand saw blade is not making clean cuts and leaving burn marks on the sheet goods.  It's a 48 tooth blade measuring 165mm x 20mm. I cleaned the blade hoping that would solve the issue but it hasn't.  The cut quality is the same.  I've considered sending the blade out for sharpening but not sure if it's worth it.  I'm thinking my money might be better spent buying a new blade.  I could always buy a new blade and have the Makita blade resharpened and use it only for cutting melamine.  I'm sure track saw blades are not all made equal so I'm looking for your recommendation for a new blade based on your knowledge and experience.   I'm interested in saw blade brands as well as the type of blade such as the number of teeth for making clean cuts in plywood.  Looking forward to your comments and thanks for hosting such an informative podcast. Jack Francis Hey guys, I’m a long time listener and continue to learn with every episode. You’re one of only two podcasts I listen to cause there’s no stupidness and you just talk woodworking and don’t feel the need to waste the listeners time talking about what you had for lunch or whate
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  Skill Development, Stabilizing Wood Defects, Flat Assembly Table and MORE!!! 07.02.2026 53m

  Brians Questions: How do I take my woodworking skills to the next level, short of attending an expensive workshop? Up to this point most of what I've learned has been from either your podcast or YouTube videos (special thanks to Guy for all of his router table videos.) I have quite a few small projects under my belt, such as cutting boards, boxes, and a face frame cabinet. I'd like to move on to building small furniture pieces, but I don't feel that I have the skills to figure out how to design or build something of that scale without some sort of tutorial. I'm sure there are tons of videos on YouTube showing how to build coffee tables and the like, but I don't want to just copy and replicate someone else's design. Most of the videos I've come across have also been using pocket holes and big box store lumber, which isn't really the direction I want to go. What I want to learn are the skills and techniques that go into building furniture so that I can put my own spin on them. If I tried to build a coffee table right now I'm sure it would just be a flat panel with square straight legs. Thank you in advance for whatever suggestions and insights you are able to offer me. I appreciate all the time and effort you guys put into this show. I hope your projects are going well, and I hope that you're doing even better.. Zach Owens Throughout your time woodworking, have you ever hit a point where you lost your motivation for woodworking? If so, how did you reignite your passion and get back into it? Zach Owens Guys Questions: I appreciate the podcast and look forward to new episodes, keep up the great work. Here is the background: I have attached a picture of the front of my workshop. I have the Tablesaw/planer and jointer in a square with a poweratic 1 3/4 hp single stage dust collector with "turbo cone" separator:)  servicing all three using a 10 foot flexible hose with magnetic couplers on the flexible hose and at individual machine ports. This makes aligning dust collection very quick. I am very satisfied with performance at planer and jointer. I still wear an apron and safety glasses when using the tablesaw because of the dust coming off the top of the blade. I have sealed the cabinet of the saw as much as possible. I have used an over blade collector by shark guard which captures most if not all of this dust, however, I remove this most of the time because it interferes with so many operations. Here is the question:Do you belive there would be a noticable improvement in dust collection,at the tablesaw in particular, by upgrading the dust collector to a product like an Oneida Dust Gorilla or Supercell?  I would still like to use the flexible hoses vs. hard piping to support being able to reconfigure the shop in future.  Every piece of equipment is readily movable. Thanks, keep up the great podcast. Dave@ Xcuse4tools Custom Woodwork  I’m a hobbyist furniture maker working in a home shop. I have several kiln-dried ash boards that have visible insect tracks and wormholes — no active infestation, just the character left behind. I’m building a benchtop seat from this material and I want to lean into that look instead of hiding it. What finishing approach would you recommend to best highlight and preserve the insect damage — things like filling the voids, stabilizing the soft areas, and choosing a topcoat — so it looks intentional and high-end rather than defective?Thank you again for the content. Catching up on old shows though I cannot locate the older shows on Spotify! Have a great week.Greg Wolf's Den Homestead  Huys Questions: Hi guys,My house came with a work bench when I bought it. It's nice and sturdy but the Masonite top had seen better days so I'm replacing it with a piece of 3/4" plywood.I just took the top off, and realized that the structure underneath the top isn't totally flat, up to about a 1/8 inch dip in some places. (picture below for reference -- it's about this uneven for the full length).I have a couple o
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  Bench Dog Holes, Helical Head Issues, Heating The Shop, and MORE!!! 23.01.2026 1h

  Brian's Questions: Gentlemen,I thoroughly enjoy your podcast, so thank you for all that you do. What is you opinion on dog holes in the workbench? If you use them, how?  Include favorite accessories. Thank you again. Josh What is the best way to accurately put dog holes in your workbench without buying a $300 one time template tool? Josh Guy's Questions: Hi guys, Thanks for the awesome podcast, I learn new things with every show and for that I am so appreciative!I’m in the early stages of designing/building a dining table made from quarter sawn ash (just purchased a bunch of 4/4 lumber). I’ve designed the table based on a picture my wife showed me for inspiration.It is a trestle style table in which the two uprights are 16” wide by 4” thick. The ‘feet’ or ‘bases’ will be 30” wide by 6” thick, while the ‘trestle tops’ which support the table top will be 34” wide by 6” thick. The thickness of these trestles concerns me both in how much they are going to weigh, and how much material they are going to require.I’ve read about the strength of lock miter joints and am intrigued by the idea of glueing up a panel and essentially creating a hollow ‘box’ for the upright portion (boards would run vertically). I’ve read that these types of joints are very strong and I imagine they would be sufficient for this application (correct me if I’m wrong). I also like that they may give the appearance of using ultra thick 4” lumber.My question is whether you believe there will be enough wood movement in these hollow uprights to cause concern, as they will be constrained by both the feet and tops of the trestles? I just don’t have enough anecdotal experience to have a good feel for how much movement is likely to occur. Are there any good “rule of thumbs” regarding how much movement is expected to occur? I know there are a million variable (humidity swing, plain sawn vs quarter sawn, species, etc.)Thanks for your consideration and response to my question! Evan Hi,I recently upgraded my benchtop planer from a straight-knife Ridgid model to an Oliver 10045 with a helical head. I was excited by all the reviews raving about the ultra-smooth finish, but I've been disappointed. I'm getting noticeable scalloping from the inserts, even after removing them all, thoroughly cleaning the inserts and seats, and properly re-torquing them with a torque wrench. It's still requiring way more sanding: starting with 80 grit (which takes forever to remove the scallops), then 120 grit (longer than with my old planer), before progressing normally. My old straight-knife Ridgid needed far less sanding overall.From my research, this scalloping seems pretty normal with standard helical heads. I've heard one temporary workaround is to run boards through 2-3 extra passes at the final thickness setting, offsetting or skewing the board slightly each time to better overlap the cutter paths and reduce the scalloping (making sanding easier). I plan to try that soon.I was saving for Grizzly helical-head jointer and planer upgrades, but now I'm worried about the same increased sanding time.A few questions:Is noticeable scalloping typical with most helical-head planers, including Grizzly and Oliver models?I've read that the Silent-Power spiral cutterblock on the Hammer A3 series produces a much smoother surface with minimal ripple or scalloping, requiring far less sanding than standard helical heads. Is that your experience?I'm now leaning toward a Hammer A3-31 combo machine down the road. I wanted separate jointer and planer for better workflow and time savings, but I can't deal with doubling my sanding time. For those with 12" combo machines like the A3-31, do you ever regret not going for a 16" model (e.g., A3-41) for the extra width capacity? Thanks for any insights. You guys are my go-to for real-world tool advice! Jeffery Hiughes Huy's Questions: Gentlemen,First let me say how much I appreciate your podcast for it's practical woodworking advice. I have a comment and q