STL185: Reading Bob Van Dyke's Mind

STL185: Reading Bob Van Dyke's Mind

Author: FineWoodworking.com March 15, 2019 Duration: 1:06:56

Enter for your chance to win Fine Woodworking's Shop Giveaway: Upgrade to Laguna! The winner will receive a prize that includes:

  • 14|12 Bandsaw
  • F2 Fusion Tablesaw
  • 1 HP Dust Collector
  • REVO 12|16
  • 6″ Jointer ShearTec II

Question 1: From Shawn: I'm working on a Christmas present for my sister.  It's a hallway table with 2 drawers in cherry. This is the first piece I've made with cherry.  Some of the surfaces have a quarter sawn grain orientation and I'm finding them highly prone to tear out. My card scraper seems to be the only tool I've got that can tackle it, and even then I still have to pay really close attention to the changing grain direction. I'd like to hear any recommendations you might have about tools and techniques to deal with tear out, and also about other tear out prone woods you've worked with. I've found quarter sawn maple to be difficult as well.

Question 2: From Joe: To build a bed for my grandson I ordered 50 bd ft of rough lumber,  Black walnut. The wood was beautiful but this is where my confusion began. I got the job done but I don't know if I went about it the best way. The bed with headboard, frame, 6 drawers underneath, and footboard had over 100 pieces. All the lumber was about 8 inches wide and about 10 feet long. Is it better to mill the long boards and then layout all the parts, or layout the parts oversize and cut them out and send smaller pieces through the planer and jointer?

Segment: All-Time Favorite Tool

Mike: 6-in. Combo Square
Bob: Stanley #4–Type 11
Ben: Lie Nielsen honing guide

Question 3:   From Mike: I've come to realize my jointer needs tuning, and i recall you guys saying how you set your outfeed table a hair lower than your cutter head. I can't find the episode that contains this discussion, but i don't recall there being any reasoning for this. I adjusted mine as y'all suggested but found this was causing the trailing ends of the boards to not touch the blades. After reading my powermatic manual, it says to have the outfeed table level with blade, so what's up with your hack causing me this grief?

Recommendations:


Every two weeks, a team of Fine Woodworking staffers answers questions from readers on Shop Talk Live, Fine Woodworking's biweekly podcast. Send your woodworking questions to shoptalk@taunton.com for consideration in the regular broadcast! Our continued existence relies upon listener support. So if you enjoy the show, be sure to leave us a five-star rating and maybe even a nice comment on our iTunes page.


Ever find yourself in the middle of a project, staring at a tricky joint or a piece of lumber that just won't behave, wishing you could ask an expert? That's the space where Shop Talk Live-Fine Woodworking lives. Hosted by the editors and seasoned contributors from Fine Woodworking magazine, this isn't a formal lecture. It's the sound of a conversation happening right in the workshop, where real questions from woodworkers at every level meet practical, time-tested answers. You'll hear the specifics-discussions on tool tuning, finishing nuances, joinery adjustments, and design problem-solving-all grounded in decades of collective hands-on experience. The dialogue is direct and the advice is applicable, whether you're building your first box or restoring a classic piece. This podcast from FineWoodworking.com pulls back the curtain on the craft's finer points, turning those moments of frustration into breakthroughs. It’s like having a master woodworker right there with you, offering clarity and confidence for your next cut. Tune in for the kind of shop talk that makes your time at the bench more productive and a lot more enjoyable.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworking
Podcast Episodes
STL337: The Trinity of Woodworking Details [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:23
Amanda chats with Vic and Mike, who have both recently picked up some exciting new tools. Sign up for Randy's wood identification course here: https://courses.finewoodworking.com/identifying-wood-randy-wilkinson For more…
STL336: Applause From The Maestro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:58
Sergei Gerasimenko thought he was just dropping off his latest commission. Instead he received a well-deserved round of applause. Check out Sergei on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smgwoodworking/ Check out Sergei'…
STL335: Morley takes on Maine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:45
Ben and Amanda chat with Phil Morley, the newest Lead Instructor for Center for Furniture Craftmanships nine month comprehensive. Sign up for Randy's wood identification course here: https://courses.finewoodworking.com/i…
STL334: Understanding Hoadley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:25
Randy Wilkinson joins Amanda and Ben to discuss his work as a furniture conservator and wood identification expert. Sign up for Randy's wood identification course here: https://courses.finewoodworking.com/identifying-woo…
STL333: A bigger jointer won't fix it [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:47
Vic, Anissa, and Ben discuss jointing very long boards, woodworking with younglings, hand-tool dust clean up, and their all-time favorite tools of this week. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.…
STL332: Any way into marquetry is a good one. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:53
Amanda chats with Chelsea Van Voorhis and Albert Kleine, two marquetry artists with entirely different approaches. Check out Woodsmith's Build Your Own CNC course here: https://woodsmith.mykajabi.com/building-shopnotes-c…
STL331: "The Face of Concern" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:08
Ben, Vic, and Amanda catch up, answer listener questions, and talk about how they're wrapping up 2024. Fine Woodworking members can sign up for the issue preview livestream here: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2024/11/2…
STL330: Our least favorite questions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:13
Mike and Ben answer a pile of listener questions to help you through your holiday weekend. Fine Woodworking members can sign up for the issue preview livestream here: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2024/11/26/issue-315-…
STL329: The 1-3-7 Rule [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:48
Amanda chats with Kate Swann, who runs Florida School of Woodworking, and Morgan Grove, a student and team leader at the USDA Forestry Service in Baltimore. Links from this episode can be found here - http://www.shoptalk…
STL328: Imperfect Precision [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:20
Mike, Vic, and Ben discuss the precision really needed in woodworking, methods for creating tapered bevels, and tracksaw techniques. Links from this episode can be found here - http://www.shoptalklive.com For more inform…