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
STL252: The pull of the Japanese handplane [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:44
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…
STL251: Assume the glue is going to fail [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:12
This episode is sponsored by Festool 0:00 - Intro 1:52 - End grain glue myths! 21:34 - Joints in long runs of crown molding 32:43 - Segments 45:22 - Floating tenon joinery options We're hiring an assistant digital editor…
STL250: Catching up with Ed Pirnik [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:21
Visit FoundationsOfWoodworking.com for more information on Mike's online course, The Foundations of Woodworking. Links from this episode can be found here - http://www.shoptalklive.com Sign up for the Fine Woodworking we…
STL249: MDF on a jointer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:30
Bob Van Dyke joins Mike and Ben to discuss story sticks, cooling glue to get more open time, spring joints and admits to milling MDF on his machines! Sponsored by Grizzly Industrial 0:00 - Intro 1:30 - Are woodworking cl…
STL248: Best of Shop Talk Live #1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:52
Segments from: STL179 https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018/12/21/stl179-barrys-insane-scrub-plane STL185 https://www.finewoodworking.com/2019/03/15/stl185-reading-bob-van-dykes-mind STL214 https://www.finewoodworking.com…
STL Profile: Erika Torres [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:20
Erika Torres is a woodworker in Oregon who has been building in some form or fashion since 2002. After completing Gary Rogowski's mastery program at the Northwest School of Woodworking, she has begun her woodworking care…
STL247: Drop the baseline [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:31
Mike and Ben discuss getting rid of marking gauge lines on dovetails, how long their blades last, more apron and pencil preferences, and why Mike has a day job. This episode is sponsored by Pony/Jorgensen 0:00 - Intro 1:…
STL246: The mighty biscuit joiner vs. the domino [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:22
0:00 - Intro 6:33 - How do you keep track of huge projects? 17:17 - Should a semi-pro get a slider? 34:20 - Biscuit joiner vs. domino 47:23 - Dealing with big glue ups? Mike's YouTube page - https://www.youtube.com/c/Mik…
STL245: Hope chest or nope chest? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:58
This episode is sponsored by Maverick Abrasives - https://www.maverickabrasives.com/ 0:00 - Intro 8:14 - How do you approach a new project? 22:51 - Breadboard end pinned on a glue joint 29:11 - Smooth moves 44:00 - Oil s…
STL244: Laura Mays–The Inquisitive Furniture Maker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:10
Jon Binzen interviews Laura Mays, woodworker and director of The Krenov School, about her journey to woodworking and the inspiration behind her inquisitive work. This episode is sponsored by Maverick Abrasives - https://…