STL187: Desert Island Dream Projects

STL187: Desert Island Dream Projects

Author: FineWoodworking.com April 12, 2019 Duration: 1:13:02

Question 1: From Paul: Heide Martin's serving trays in the May/June 2018 are beautiful and I have since made a couple. My question is about keeping the bottom boards flat. I cut some walnut that had been air dried for probably 20 years. In an hour or two both boards cupped. I then sequentially tried wetting one side, wetting both sides, soaking in water, soaking in fabric softener, each time clamping the boards to keep them flat and leaving for days and days to dry out. None of these things worked and in the end I ended up using some walnut plywood instead. How do you folks keep wide, thin boards flat?

Question 2: From Richard: In reality we all have limited amount of shop time available.  However, if the amount of time you could work on a project was not limited what one piece would you choose to make?

Segment: All-Time Favorite Technique

Mike: Using pocket holes to quickly make and change full-size mockups

Tom: Beveling an edge of a workpiece with a handplane

Ben: Riding the back of the blade to start a cut on the edge of workpiece

Question 3:   From Mark: I have been building furniture full-time for just over a year. Is it legal and/or ethical to build something from the magazine or a video workshop and then sell it? For instance, if a client asks me to build 4 Adirondack chairs, my thought is build them loosely based on what I find at Fine Woodworking, vs. reinventing the wheel with my own design every-time.

Question 4: From John: I was reading a FWW article by Steve Latta in issue #241 about draw-bored tenons where he said, "I make pins from riftsawn or quartersawn stock...". If you're making dowels, how can it possibly make any difference whatsoever if you use quartersawn or plain sawn boards? I still like Steve Latta, btw.  Keep up the great work, see y'all at FWWlive!


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
STL270: Should I get a shaper? Oh.. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:38
This episode is sponsored by the Society of American Period Furniture Makers - http://www.sapfm.org 0:00 - Intro 1:46 - Marquetry 24:49 - Crossgrain banding 34:26 - Shaper vs. router table 48:41 - **graphic injury discus…
STL269: How we absorb woodworking information [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:51
Mike, Vic, and Ben discuss how they find information they need to learn a new technique and the impulse buys that they just can't walk away from. This episode is sponsored by the Society of American Period Furniture Make…
STL268: What flavor are your chisels? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:07
Mike, Barry, and Ben discuss working with thin stock, combination milling machines, chisel handles, and Barry and Ben get a little too close to being fired on air. This episode is sponsored by Woodcraft and Pony/Jorgense…
STL267: The router queen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:56
Larissa Huff wows Vic and Ben with her harrowing tales of freehand letter routing and many other woodworking feats. This episode is sponsored by Shaper and Pony/Jorgensen 0:00 - Intro 15:23 - Different edge treatments 26…
STL266: Pro day with Hiller and Farrington! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:48
Links from this episode can be found here - http://www.shoptalklive.com Sign up for the Fine Woodworking weekly eLetter - https://www.finewoodworking.com/newsletter Sign up for a Fine Woodworking Unlimited membership - h…
STL265: CA glue is the new hide glue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:16
This episode is sponsored by Triton Tools 0:00 - Intro 7:25 - Segment potpurri 12:40 - Shop flooring 20:17 - The carriage maker's plane 22:41 - Workbench height 34:08 - Milling lumber in advance 48:23 - Using epoxy Links…
STL264: This doctor prescribes Japanese tools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:06
Wilbur Pan wears many hats. It's just that sometimes those hats are a white coat, or a community organizing pin, or a shop apron. A full-on M.D., Ph.D, Wilbur's spent over 20 years in oncology, including almost 18 treati…
STL263: The new FWW Shop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:08
Thanks to our shop launch partner Grizzly Industrial for sponsoring this episode. This episode was also sponsored by Pony/Jorgensen For more information on our newest online course: https://finewoodworking.mykajabi.com/…
STL262: The old tool trinity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:17
Sponsored by the Northwest Woodworking Studio's Online Mastery Program: http://www.Northwestwoodworking.com Bill Pavlak's blog: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2022/03/22/new-shops-and-old-movies 0:00 - Intro 1:18 - Rand…
STL 261: Russ Filbeck [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:45
This interview is was done in 2019, and originally posted to FineWoodworking.com in 2020. It's new to the podcast audience and we thought the world could use a dose of Russ Filbeck right now. For more information on Russ…