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
STL308: Cold weather woodworking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:01
Larissa Huff joins Vic and Ben to discuss working in the cold, dovetail layout, fancy tape measures, and if spokeshaves are in fact worth it. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.…
STL307: Old-school resawing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:31
Bill Pavlak and Dan Faia join Ben to discuss inspecting historic furniture, resawing by hand, and sharpening drawknives. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.com/elearning For mor…
STL306: Be kind to the cast bro! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:11
Woodsmith's Phil Huber joins Mike and Ben to discuss taking care of fine furniture, making tools and jigs, and the new home of Fine Woodworking. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworki…
STL305: Be nice at the lumber yard! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:19
Gary Rogowski joins Vic and Ben to discuss lumber yards, ungluing a chessboard, weird router bits, and hybrid sharpening setups. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.com/elearning…
STL304: All roads lead to Becksvoort [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:47
Mike, Anissa, and Ben discuss Shaker furniture, fixing a bench top, oddball shelf joinery, and the conversation comes back to Christian Becksvoort over and over. 0:00 - Intro 1:31 - Random chat 11:12 - Becksvoorts Shaker…
STL: Digital woodworking with MatterHackers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:31
MatterHacker's Dave Gaylord joins Ben to discuss the plethora of digital tools available to woodworkers. This episode is sponsored by MatterHackers Check out MatterHackers on Youtube here: @MatterHackers You can find lin…
STL303: Oops! All bandsaws!! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:18
Well, not ALL bandsaws, but Rollie Johnson joins Vic and Ben to discuss the weird noises your bandsaw makes, resawing wood by hand, and flattening boards with handplanes. 0:00 - Intro 3:19 - Bandsaw noises and setup 40:3…
STL302: Broken tenons and shattered dreams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:59
Anissa and Ben welcome David Johnson onto the show to discuss his work repairing furniture in LA. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.com/elearning For more information about our…
STL301: Those goggles ain't gonna cut it [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:17
Mike, Vic, and Ben discuss vacuum bags, coping saw blades, and ammonia fuming. 0:00 - Intro 3:03 - Catching up with Vic 10:52 - Vacuum bags 25:05 - Coping saw and fret saw blades 37:38 - Segments 50:54 - Fuming with ammo…
STL300: A tricentennial celebration! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:51
Not really, it's really Mike, Anissa, and Ben discussing jointers and planers. For more information about our eLearning courses - http://www.finewoodworking.com/elearning For more information about our Woodworking Fundam…