Woodshop Life Podcast

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife This episode is sponsored by: Shaper Tools, makers of Shaper Origin Guy 1) I recently discovered your podcast and it has drastically improved my hour long commute to and from work. I began making attempts at creating things with wood about a year and 1/2 ago after wandering into a woodcraft and seeing all of the beautiful exotic species in person. I made afew cutting boards and smaller items, but nearly gave up because my few feeble attempts at joinery completely tanked. I’m kind of a high energy/ ADHD person with almost no attention span, and woodworking just wasn’t working for me. Then I found wood turning, and found it to be extremely satisfying, almost therapeutic. I still have a long ways to go, but I no longer feel completely incompetent and have made several decent items. I eventually hope to learn some joinery techniques and attempt some small furniture type items. I recently purchased a Jet JWBS -15 bandsaw and so far have been very pleased with it. It has a large cast iron table along with cast iron wheels. The only thing it’s missing is a brake, but since it’s my first bandsaw, I don’t miss it. This particular model, however is not carried by most of the wood working stores and very few people even mention it other than Shawn. Is there a reason why this saw is not popular? The only issue I have is that I go through bandsaw blades like water. I typically use either a green wood blade or the timber wolf 3/8” 4tpi blades and have not gotten more than a month of light use from any. Is this normal? I cut a lot of rosewoods, ebony and dense exotic turning blanks. I considered getting a carbide blade but they are upwards of $200 for my saw. Any thoughts? Nicole 2) Hey guys, you’ve answered a few of my questions over the years so I’m now running out of ways to say how awesome this podcast is. I just want y’all to know that it’s been extremely insightful, helpful, inspirational, and motivational (oh yeah, and funny). Woodworking is a great stress reliever for me and your podcast motivates me to keep at it, so thanks again. My question today is about how to determine the weight-bearing capacity of something you build. I generally don’t build off plans. I find inspiration from photos online and then create my own design, but this sometimes means I’m deciding how much support to give certain pieces. For example, I recently completed an outdoor bench with planter boxes on either side. I really didn’t know how much I needed to do to support the bench and the weight of those who might sit on it. It’s 4.5 feet long, so can fit up to 3 adults at a time. I’ll describe what I did and send some photos, but if there are any rules of thumb or resources you can share that would be helpful in determining the weight capacity for furniture builds, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thanks again for the awesome podcast. Billy Sean 1) Hey guys, I'm looking to purchase a better flush trim router bit. I'm comparing Whiteside bits UDFT 5152 and the UDC 9112 from Bits and Bits with the astra coating. Other than the bit diameter, cut length, and one having two bearings. What would make you choose one over the other if the bit diameter didn't matter? Do you think the 9112 would run cooler due to the larger diameter? I plan on getting the 1/4" compression flush trim bit for small curves. Thanks for all the real world advice you give. Matt in AL 2) I'm building a console-style liquor cabinet that will have a walnut slab top. The slab is 1-1/2 inches thick, 60 inches long, and 16 inches wide. I'll be using an oil finish and am wondering whether I should apply the oil finish to both the top and bottom of the slab... or if just finishing the top (and edges, of course) is enough. It's my first time working with a slab and I don't want to screw it up! Thanks for the great show! - Dan https://www.woodshopnews.com/columns-blogs/finishing-both-sides-is-warped-thinking Article mentioned during Podcast. Huy 1) Great show, love it! I have a small shop in Denmark, and recently I talked to a rep from Festool that told me not to sand my wood before all cutting is done, as the small sand grits would make your blades dull. What are your thought on this? Thanks, Ali @toolguy.dk 2)Hello from one of your dedicated listeners! My question concerns a router dropping bits. The router in question is a fairly new Triton TRA001 3 1/4 HP plunge router. Three times now, while making a fairly easy pass, the bit has dropped out. The first time it happened was while I was cutting a quarter inch deep rabbet on a half inch cherry panel. The bit cut a hole in the panel and ruined it as it fell straight down onto the floor. The two other times have been while cutting a 3/8 inch deep dado through some 3/4 inch maple ply. Any advice would be welcome. And thanks for all the thoughtful and informed conversations about woodworking. Martin

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife This episode is sponsored by: Shaper Tools, makers of Shaper Origin Sean 1)Thank you all great information from both the podcast. Right now I have a woodriver spoke shave, wood river shoulder plane, i have buck brothers #4 four plane and block plane, both from home depot, totaling $50. I have learned to sharpen well and get whispy shaving and a mirror surface on most woods. Though the plane seems to loose it's setting quickly and the blade chips on any thing harder then pine. I have some money and want to buy a new plane. I only have about $350 to spend. Which plane would you recommend? I think Bevel up veritas or wood river and buying a second 50 degree blade. Scott 2) Thanks for the informative podcast. I have a question regarding dado blades. I have a 10 inch delta table saw (36-725T2), and I am wondering what blade to get. Most of the dado blades I see for sale are 8", and some 6". Being that my table saw motor is not overly powerful , would a 6" blade be better to reduce the weight? What are your recommendations on size and maybe some brands you have used and suggest? Thanks. Trevor Guy 1) I have a question about drilling pilot holes for wood screws. There seem to be 2 types of pilot hole/contersink bits. One style has a straight bit and the other style has a tapered bit. I have read conflicting information about the different types. Are the tapered bits only for tapered screws and the straight bits for newer straight shank woodscrews or are the tapered bits preferable for everything? When drilling the pilot holes should I drill a larger hole through the top board to pull the boards closer? If using the tapered bits how is the countersink adjust for longer or shorter screws as the hole depths are different? Should I just forget about the combination drill/countersink bits and use a separate drill and coutersink. Thanks for your advice. Bob 2) I recently started monetizing my woodworking skills as a side hustle, which has been great as it has allowed me to upgrade a lot of my tool arsenal. I just bought a Sawstop professional cabinet saw, and of course, the differences between it and a jobsite saw are night and day. I have managed to cut both of my hands on 2 separate occasions with my DeWalt table saw (without removing digits, fortunately), so if there ever was a person who needed to invest in a Sawstop, I am that man. I think my next buy will be a Festool (most likely) track saw, or perhaps a helical blade planer. Currently my bread-and-butter work tends to be sliding barn doors. I don't claim to be an extremely highly skilled woodworker who does intricate joinery at this point; I simply realized that I could capitalize on my accrued skills and make smaller-scale projects for extra "shop money". The one tool I have not invested in yet is a Jointer. I highly desire to have one but I have been able to get by for this long without it, so I am in no particular hurry to get one. My question is this: How beneficial does having a jointer tend to be in your experience, and is it something you use all the time? Is it something you would consider a must have for any serious woodworker? I apologize for this being long-winded. Thanks in advance. Nate Huy 1)Good Evening Gentlemen....and I use that term loosely I have been blessed to be a Dad for a little son who is now 3.5 years old. I have had him out in the workshop trying out some of the tools....spokeshaves, hand planes, drill press, clamps and vises, and some other hand tools that I deem safe under direct supervision. It is so much fun to see the wheels turn as he experiments with them. I have made a decision to expose and introduce him to these experiences early on in the hope of planting the seed for curiosity and establishing a foundation of fundamental skills and understanding of how things are created. I do worry though as he becomes comfortable with different tools, he will eventually want to try and experiment on his own. I am always reinforcing that he is not allowed to do things without me, but at some point, I do worry that he might try and do things while I am gone. At this time, I flip all of the breakers for the power tool circuits and I am comfortable with this solution now, however, as he gets older and might understand why I am opening and closing that grey panel, I am looking for some more control of when things run. Are you guys aware of any solutions with new smart breakers ect that would allow more direct control over how and when circuits can have power? I have looked online at square D's website and I am not finding a simple solution for this in terms of a retro fit solution on a standard electric panel. It seems like a few smart breakers that are password protected would be a perfect solution. Some of the tools have those yellow plastic inserts in the switch, but I was looking for something a little more elegant to control the power at the circuit level. Benjamin and I often li

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/woodshoplife This episode is sponsored by: Shaper Tools, makers of Shaper Origin Sean 1)Hey guys, Thanks for all of the knowledge you guys pass on over this platform, it’s great being able to learn from others more well versed in woodworking than myself, especially when it seems that serious hobbyists are few and far between where I’m at. My question is about shellac, which it seems you guys talk about every other, if not every, episode. Because I live in California, denatured alcohol cannot be purchased, even through Amazon. I’ve heard of people using Everclear as a substitute for denatured alcohol, but as research shows, everclear looks to be banned in California as well. What else can I use to dissolve these shellac flaked ?? Thanks again for the sick content, Tyler 2) Before I ask my question, I just wanted to thank you for your feedback on my last project. The advice you gave me about the box I was working on was perfect. Thank you! Hoping to get your input again. I have about $1,500 to spend on a bandsaw. Resawing is the priority. Bang for the buck is important, but in this case I could be convinced to set aside another couple hundred or so since I think that the "buy once, cry once" approach could be worth it. If I remember correctly, Guy has a Powermatic, and I remember seeing Sean's YouTube video about the Hammer. Not sure what Huy has. Regardless, I'm very interested in your thoughts, whether you like what you have, and whether there are other options that I should consider. Thanks again for a great podcast and for being so generous with your experience. I'm a big fan. Keep them coming! John Guy 1) What is the most challenging project you've ever completed? What made it challenging? How did you approach the problem-solving required to overcome the challenge? Help us listeners get "in your shoes" and learn from your approach to tackling challenges in woodworking by providing a specific example from your experience. Thanks for all the insights you continue to share on the best woodworking podcast in the universe! From the other side of the wall, Brian Schmidt 2)You all are an inspiration to me and have always given honest legitimate answers to thousands of questions through the years for so many folks. I’d like to know who was an inspiration to you as you were growing as a craftsman? Especially Guy since he came up in the trade before the internet and social media. Secondary question if you had the chance to meet or learn from one craftsman, who would that be? Brent Jarvis Huy 1)Kind sirs- After my last couple of diatribes I'll endeavor to keep this question brief. My wife is a lovely, patient woman and for Valentine's Day I would love to make a pair of nightstands she's been hinting at for a while. Of course, I would have needed to start those two months ago to have any chance at making February 14th. But maybe for next year, with your help. I'll be making these out of some walnut scavenged from the power company clearing lines. I took two roughly 18" long x 24" diameter logs, and hand-ripped them into rough parts (1" panels, 2" leg stock) about 18 months ago with this in mind, they've been air-drying since. My conundrum is that these logs are from BRANCHES - the actual tree, still standing, is about 6' in diameter. So for nightstands, wanting a roughly 16" x 22" top, though my inclination is to use the nicest "slabs," maybe get a little sap wood in there, my gut tells me that will look nice for a year and then end up like Sean's cherry table panels, especially because they're air-dried. In your esteemed opinions, should I further rip the slabs into dimensional lumber and then glue up panels for construction? Aesthetically, I could probably use some "traditional" furniture, my wife says the house looks like the Keebler elf village already, we have a 14' long 4" thick live edge mantle, all maple trim with walnut plugs, and I use interesting off-cuts to trim windows. That was brief, for me. Thanks Tom 2) Thank you so much for taking the time every two weeks to produce this outstanding podcast, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, and have integrated many of your ideas and tips into building my shop and developing skills as a woodworker. I am in need of an outfeed table, and also a stable, dead flat assembly surface. I think that Huy's "MO/AT" is a terrific solution, but I have a few questions. I know that the torsion box portion is based on Ron Paulk's popular workbench, which includes the dog holes (that I really want to utilize for clamps, etc.), and the interior storage space. Also, the removable hardboard surface, with its reference dowels, is a great idea that requires access inside the box. However, I have watched torsion box build videos by Guy, Steve Johnson, Marc Spagnolo, and others, and their designs all differ in that they are thinner, and have a much denser array of "honeycomb" grid elements, which suggests to me a greater chance of remaining de