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
STL355: Pencil Geeks Assemble! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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STL353: A Big Bit of Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Megan Shannon joins Ben to talk about all of the ways that her school A Tiny Bit Of Wood brings joy to her community. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.com/elearning For more i…
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Recorded live at Woodworking in America 2025, this episode has Alexis Dolese and Shea Alexander joining Vic and Ben to discuss the triumphs and trials of woodworking. For more information about our eLearning courses - ht…
STL351: Woodworking From UK to the USA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:51
Mike Pekovich and Phil Huber join Ben to debrief their week-long woodworking tour of England—part museum crawl, part shop class, all inspiration. From London's Building Crafts College (trade-focused millwork and stonemas…
STL350: Texas Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:24
Frank Strazza and Eric Yocom chat with Amanda about the Texas woodworking community, and the impact it's made in their lives. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.com/elearning Fo…
STL349: Finishers on Flexner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:06
Mike Mascelli, Mitch Kohanek, and John Coffey talk about their friend and one of the godfathers of finishing, Bob Flexner. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.com/elearning For m…
STL: Zen-Wu's Low-Speed Woodworking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Ben and Amanda chat with Luke Lyu, who founded Zen Wu Toolworks, a tool company making traditional chinese planes with a modern approach. Tickets for Woodworking in America - https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/72385419/woodwo…
STL348: Adam Godet and the Three Jewels of a Shared Shop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:11
Adam Godet shares the secrets of making a shared shop work, and the way he diversifies income as a full time woodworker. Tickets for Woodworking in America - https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/72385419/woodworking-in-america-…
STL347: Don't Reinvent the Bench [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:36
Ben, Amanda, and Owen catch up about our dream shops, what we would go back and change, and what's okay being left alone. Tickets for Woodworking in America - https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/72385419/woodworking-in-america…