Woodshop Life Podcast

Brians Questions:

Hello and greetings from Texas,
I’m an amateur woodworker who may have bitten off a little more than I could chew. I started building full closet cabinets for my walk-in master closet, and at this point I’m too far in to turn back, so I’m learning as I go.
All of the cabinet boxes are installed, and I’m now working on shelves and drawer fronts. My question is about face frames. I’ve seen a lot of people recommend assembling the full face frame first and then installing it as a unit, rather than attaching each rail and stile individually.
What are the real advantages of building and installing the face frame as one piece versus installing it piece by piece?
One complication in my situation is that my walls weren’t perfectly square when I started, and as a result some of my cabinets aren’t perfectly square either. I’m trying to figure out which approach will give me the best final result given those imperfections.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for all the knowledge you put out there—it’s been a huge help on this project.
Thank you,
Casey
Wood 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 and I can’t figure out if it’s a tension or pressure issue or the oscillation is causing it… any help is greatly appreciated! Keep up the great work! Shawn

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 Sawdust
Norris Sebastian
Grandad'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 lack of woodworking tools and equipment at my disposal. Many times I’ve turned down projects due to not having the right tools. Other times I’ve taken extra steps to complete tasks, but had I just had the right tool, it could’ve been a breeze. I want to have a nice wood shop in my barn eventually but not sure how to prioritize my wants and needs. Considering trading the cnc to instantly increase my wood shop tool budget and maybe revisiting it in the future. With a focus on increasing my wood working tools and building up my shop—What are some upgrades/ tool trades/ must-have-tools to kickstart my wood shop? What tools should I get rid of?
Tools at my current disposal/ 4x4 shapeoko 5 pro, a dw 8-1/4” table saw, dw 735 planer, dw 10” miter saw, Bosch random orbital sander, metabo belt sander , ridgid oscillating spindle sander, central machine drill press, various dw drills/ impacts/ saw zalls/ oscillator/ hammer drill/ jig saw/ circular saw etc.
Tools that could’ve made my life easier in the past- a jointer, band saw, track saw, drum sander, router table, etc
Thanks,
Holden
P.s. My dad and I carpool together during the work week and love listening to the podcast-we especially have come fond of Guy’s no bs, straightforward attitude. Keep up the good work!

Korey from Independence, KY again. I was thinking about getting radial arm saw to use exclusively for dados. I have never seen a radial arm saw in person. They can be found very cheaply on Facebook marketplace and space in not an issue for me. Do you think it would be worth it and can you use it to cut dados safely. What are some other good uses for a radial arm saw. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Korey

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 Fellas
On 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 work
Korey 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

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 guys, I am relatively new to the podcast so maybe it has been talked about before, but I had a question about Maloof inspired rocking chairs. Have any of you attempted making a chair with a Maloof inspired design? If so, did you use/purchase a pattern and do you have any recommendations? I have found several patterns out there, but some of them are a bit pricey and I don’t want to commit to a specific pattern without doing my research. I consider myself an intermediate woodworker and this would by far be the most difficult project I have attempted so any advise is appreciated. Zach

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