This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Hello gentleman, thank you again for one of the best woodworking podcasts available. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Lebanon IN for a few days of training at a tool manufacturer. I won't mention the company, but I got to use a Domino and a Rotex sander for the first time..., but I digress. While I was in the airport waiting for my flight home and enjoying a breakfast sandwich, I looked down at the table and noticed the "purposeful-design" lo...
Aug 23, 2025•56 min•Ep. 182
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions Hey guys, appreciate you answering several of my questions in the past, so I thought of a few more. Feel free to separate as they are not related: 1: What do you do, if anything, to maintain furniture you have built? What would you tell a client if they were to ask you. I have always heard Murphy’s oil is a good restorative, but when I looked at a bottle at the store I discovered it’s just mineral oil. I would never recommend that. Or should I? Lemon Ple...
Aug 08, 2025•47 min•Ep. 181
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Howdy fellas, Love the podcast! I'm in the process of building a bench and misjudged how much wood I could get out of a board. The plans call for two stretchers of 3/4 maple about 65" long and 4.5" wide. After squaring and thicknessing, I'm down to 0.75-by-65-by-4.25 which is 1/4" too narrow. I initially thought I'd start over with a new board, but have decided to forge ahead with the slightly narrower stretchers since it won't impact the joiner, should...
Jul 25, 2025•58 min•Ep. 180
This Episodes Questions Brians Questions Hi guys. I've listened to every episode of the podcast and some of them more than once. Really appreciate all of the insights you give. It makes my commute much more fun and I've learned a ton! This question is primarily for Brian. I've heard you all poke fun at him for using Excel to plan his projects on multiple occasions. I'm very curious to learn more about how he accomplishes this. I understand that he makes each cell square and draws, but maybe he c...
Jul 11, 2025•55 min•Ep. 179
Brians Questions: Thanks for sharing your knowledge and opinions - and answering my previous questions. It's been a great help. My shop is in my single car garage, which I share with household storage. It has a very high ceiling. I recently got a good deal on a new Jet AFS-1000B Air Filtration System. (note: I do not have a dust collection system, as I try to do mostly hand tool work, but I do use power tools as needed. So there is plenty of dust). The question is: where to locate the device? Th...
Jun 13, 2025•56 min•Ep. 178
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: What are the the most useful 3d prints for a woodworking shop. I often print out small pattern templates and fixtures for hole placement. Even storage solutions for various tools etc... what are your top suggestions? Josh Hi, let’s talk about working with laminated plywood. I just picked up about 25 sheets of 3/4”x 22”x6’ birch plywood that has Formica laminated on both sides from the free pile of a high volume cabinet shop. I want to encourage everyone...
May 30, 2025•53 min•Ep. 177
Guys Questions Hey guys, I really love your show. My question is about food safe finishes. I do a lot of CNC carving and one of my favorite is deviled egg trays. The first couple I made for my wife I just finished with some butcher block oil, the composition of an egg Has something in it I think and it quickly turned the reliefs in the wood surface black. I talked to my sister-in-law who’s a chemical engineer and she told me that polyurethane once it’s cured would be fine for this. I have done a...
May 16, 2025•54 min•Ep. 176
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions When making trivets, how to cut the grooves - when I cut mine I hogged out half the thickness of the wood in one pass. That led to some pretty rough cuts and gouges (i.e. scrap). I assume the answer is a router table with a lift, but of course I don’t have one YET. :) Also, what finish to put on a trivet (which is used for hot pans)? - different finish than a cutting board? Tung oil? Danish oil? I assume ’not’ ArmRSeal. Mark I’m preparing to build a set ...
May 02, 2025•56 min•Ep. 175
This Episodes Questions: Brian's Questions: My neighbor gave me a beautiful maple root ball that is approximately 3' in diameter about 6 months ago. I am currently letting it dry for another 12 to 24 months. I'm thinking of eventually rough cutting it with a large reciprocating saw. The wood will be used for small boxes or knife handles. Am I crazy? Do you have any advice on dry times and using root wood? George Guy, I am making a bow front dresser and plan to use Blum Blumotion undermount slide...
Apr 18, 2025•50 min•Ep. 174
This Episodes Questions: Brian's Questions: I’m preparing to build a set of kitchen cupboards from white oak. The style will be Mission, with some Frank Lloyd Wright Prairies Style touches. I have several questions. I have a question about milling lumber. There seems to be a trade-off: keep the boards long and you need to joint more off to get a flat face, hence the risk of falling below your desired thickness. But cut the boards to length first and you have to allow for more cut-offs on the end...
Apr 04, 2025•41 min•Ep. 173
This Episodes Questions: Brian's Questions: I know planing before face jointing is sacraledge but I was recently visiting with an older experienced wood worker who noted he never face joints. Planes both sides then edge joints and it’s fine. Thoughts? Thinking if you want it dead flat perfect or board is not great to start with jointing certainly makes sense. But anybody just plane it? Perhaps starting with a decent board it would work for most applications? My 20” planer is a breeze to put wood...
Mar 21, 2025•57 min•Ep. 172
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Hi Guys love your podcast. I have a quick question regarding table saw blades. Can you give me a recommendation on a good quality 10" table saw blade that I can get re-sharpened when needed. I keep blowing through blades and I'm tired of buying new ones. Also, do you send the blades back to get re-sharpened or take them to your nearest local blade sharpening place thanks in advance Dave I’m making an ash table top (never used ash before) and had a few q...
Mar 07, 2025•54 min•Ep. 171
Feb 28, 2025•55 min•Ep. 170
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: I am making a toy box for my grandson out of white oak. The dimensions will be 38” width, 18” depth, and 30” high. The front will be 4/4 quarter sawn, while the back and sides will be 4/4 flat sawn lumber. I plan to attach the front and sides, and the back and sides via dovetails. Since quarter sawn wood will move less than flat sawn, should I be concerned about the wood moving at different ratios? Also, can you recommend hinges that will prevent the to...
Feb 07, 2025•51 min•Ep. 169
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Hello Guy, Huy, and Sean, I have two questions. 1) I'd like to hear your thoughts on your workshop maintenance routines. Are there yearly, monthly, project-ly routines to the maintenance and cleaning you do in your shops? Marc What are your woodworking goals for 2025? Brian Guys Questions: Hey Guys, First, thanks for the fantastic podcast. I always enjoy listening to you gents so much so that I've managed to get through the entirety of your past episode...
Jan 25, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 168
Hello all, We are taking a one episode break for the holidays and all three of us are dealing with some kind of cold/flu. See you again in two weeks!
Jan 10, 2025•51 sec•Ep. 167
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: I'm in the market to upgrade to a cabinet saw that I want to last for a long time. I've been using a Powermatic 64A contractors saw for the past two years that I bought used and have done my best to tune up. That saw still has its flaws though, and it's time to move on. I'm setting a budget of roughly $4000. I want a new saw with a 3 HP motor. 30" rip capacity is enough for me, as I can break down sheet goods using other methods, it will also fit better...
Dec 27, 2024•57 min•Ep. 166
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Hola fellas, Been a minute since I've bothered you, I've been busy with rebuilding my 1000 sqft deck with black locust I am milling from logs. It's taking a while, and most of my families patience with me. I took a detour to rebuild my music studio, so now all my neighbors get to listen to death core metal. I need to mill up this beech tree for a giant dresser but that's a topic for another time. Lot going on around here. I got a hot one for today: Some...
Dec 13, 2024•59 min•Ep. 165
This Episodes Questions Brians Questions I was at a big box store the other day getting a new toilet. As I passed the lumber section, I saw what looked, from far away, like a piece of walnut. On closer inspection, it was a piece of rainbow poplar in with the ugly, green big box poplar for the same price as the regular poplar. Of course I bought it. My question is: was that awesome and, if so, how awesome? Thanks, Sincerely, American Bob Hey Gents! Canadian listener here, I found your podcast abo...
Nov 30, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 164
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: I have a question on wood storage I have a smaller shop and lots of tools so wood storage space is tight. I purchase my wood based on what I have planned for the next 2-3 projects and try not to stock many extra boards. I store them on end leaning against an outside wall. I often clamp several boards together to help avoid bowing. So far no problems but I am fairly new to full time woodworking as I retired 2 years ago. Do you see any problems with this ...
Nov 15, 2024•48 min•Ep. 163
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Hello Guys, Love the show so much great information. I have recently got into scroll sawing. I am a comic book fan and I want to start scrolling the comic book art that I love. As you may know comic book art is very colorful. My goal is to start getting enough exotic wood to try and cover as much color as I can. In the mean time I would like to start using stain to color the woods. Are you all aware of any stains that have a good color spectrum. Thanks ...
Nov 01, 2024•59 min•Ep. 162
This Episodes Questions: Guys Questions: Gentleman, Chris here @custom_by_chris on Instagram. My shop is a single car garage roughly 11.5’ wide by 22’ long. I’d like to build a miter station along the front wall for my Kapex. Will I regret confining myself to that 11.5’ width? I would position the saw so I have at least 8’ of cutting capacity to one side. I am not doing regular trim work so don’t frequently deal with long stock. Lastly, when designing and building the miter station what features...
Oct 18, 2024•44 min•Ep. 161
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Hey guys! Another quick question that I get from others in our field. And I'm interested in your input. What making basic shaker/frame and panel cabinet doors, I use the big box, larger ridged router with the FREUD T&G bit set. I'm tired of cutting the tongues and having blowouts..even when using a backer board when running the rail through the router. I've leaned in to using the BEADLOCK system from rockler. It's been great so far. Would you sugges...
Oct 04, 2024•52 min•Ep. 160
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: Hello guys, Love the podcast. Thank you for your time and expertise! Question on making drawer boxes and other situations where butt joinery is used. How much of a difference would it make if I do not use any glue and rely only on pocket screws / regular screws? Main reason I am asking about skipping glue is because I usually use 2 side prefinished plywood to make drawer boxes so unless I figure out how to remove the finish where the joints are, it will...
Sep 21, 2024•56 min•Ep. 159
Brians Questions: I craft Shaker Furniture and then donate it. I am often gluing up tabletops. I have seen many discussions around "how to properly joint" the edges of a-joining boards. Am typically using plain sawn cherry. After rough dimensioning, jointing, then planing the individual pieces, and arranging the pieces so they look nice, and hopefully having the grain run the same way (I finish the tops with a smoothing plane), it comes time to joint those edges that are to be glued. There in li...
Sep 06, 2024•58 min•Ep. 158
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: As a hobbyist who buys wood occasionally, I have never developed the skill of correctly identifying the grain pattern or even the cut type (plain, rift, quarter) in rough cut lumber at lumber yards. It’s all fuzzy and impossible for me to discern. Any tips for a dumb dumb like me? American Bob Hey guys! I started listening to your podcast a couple months ago, and began dabbling in woodworking only a couple months before that. I can't tell you how helpfu...
Aug 23, 2024•46 min•Ep. 157
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: I really enjoy your podcast. The information you provide is very informative and helpful. I am beginning to build more furniture items and considering purchasing a Festool Domino tool for both strength and convenience. I am having a difficult time, as I'm sure many do, justifying the cost. My question is: is it that much better and/or stronger than bisquits, dowels, pocket hole screws, fixed tenon, etc., or is this just a "status symbol" tool? Your opin...
Aug 09, 2024•55 min•Ep. 156
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: I am a hobbyist that wants to start making more polished pieces but am stuck making most of my furniture out of Douglas Fir or cedar. While these are fine options, I want to get into other species like walnut, ash, etc. but am usually priced out when buying one or two boards. I feel like people buy in bulk or something to make the savings work. Could you offer some guidance on purchasing wood that isn’t the normal big box stuff at a fair price? Thx! Ian...
Aug 02, 2024•58 min•Ep. 155
This Episode's Questions: Brians Questions: Hey guys, I am building an arts and crafts style entryway table that is roughly modeled after a Stickley magazine stand. It will have an upper “shelf” that is surrounded on three side by the rails or stretchers on the side and back and is open on the front. The bottom “shelf” is identical. These two shelves are seated into the four legs. The front legs have a full depth groove cut into them that the shelf seats into and the rear legs have a cutout on t...
Jul 12, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 154
This Episodes Questions: Brians Questions: I have a question for you about glueing up table aprons. And I’m mostly referring to large dining tables. The aprons I’m making are generally w 8/4 stock roughly 4” width. I can manage to get the legs and the aprons milled and cut square. All my joinery is w dominoes. Whenever I do the glue up everything is slightly out out square despite everything being square prior to glue up . I have pipe clamps and parallel clamps and have tried both. For some reas...
Jun 28, 2024•54 min•Ep. 153
