This Episode's Questions:
Brians Questions:
Hey guys, I am building an arts and crafts style entryway table that is roughly modeled after a Stickley magazine stand. It will have an upper “shelf” that is surrounded on three side by the rails or stretchers on the side and back and is open on the front. The bottom “shelf” is identical. These two shelves are seated into the four legs. The front legs have a full depth groove cut into them that the shelf seats into and the rear legs have a cutout on the inside corner for the rear shelf support. I will include a link at the bottom showing the piece that I modeled my table after. The original is smaller and has three shelves, mine will only have two and will have spindles between the rear top and bottom stretchers as well. However, the way the shelves are attached will be the same.
My question is this: How can I attach the shelves to the front and rear legs without causing issues with wood movement? The shelves will be somewhere in the 13-14” deep range. Gluing the shelf to the rear legs and letting the shelf slide in the groove in the front legs would work but there is no front rail or stretcher connecting the two front legs so I don’t think that works. Can I glue the shelf to all four legs? Alternatively I suppose I could put a small low profile stretcher under the shelf connecting the two front legs, but I don’t think it exists on the original and I’d prefer not to if I don’t have to. Please feel free to contact me to clarify anything if I didn’t explain well enough. Kellen
I think the thing I struggle with the most in building furniture is laying out where each part is going to come from on the rough boards. All the wood I've bought so far was air dryed from Facebook marketplace, so maybe that has made it harder since the boards are never perfectly straight. I always use straight grain sections for the legs and I try to also use straight grain for any aprons, rails and stiles. This leaves alot of waste. If I have a 8" board and I use say 2.5" from each edge of straight grain, what do you do with the leftover center section that is just cathedrals? When do you not use straight grain on these types of parts? Any other advise on laying out parts on the rough boards? Thanks again for answering my questions and the best podcast. Jeff
Guys Questions:
Hey Guys,
I love your show! I usually listen on my commute or while I'm working in the shop.
I'm building a hayrake table out of walnut and haven't decided on the finish. I'm looking for something durable, easy to wipe clean (I have kids), and not super glossy.  Any suggestions on what to use and how to apply it?
Thank you for all the great tips! Ezra
Thank you for your fantastic podcast! I really appreciate how accessible and practical you make woodworking for both beginners and experts alike.
I’ve been woodworking for about two years now, mostly building cutting boards, boxes, gifts and simple furniture out of basic hardwoods. I’ve also dabbled in making furniture with plywood, such as a bedside table for my 11-year-old. I’m fortunate to be a member of a shared woodworking shop at a local arts and crafts society, which is well-equipped with power tools including a SawStop cabinet saw.
Our shop uses a shared set of well-worn Freud blades which get pretty beat up, but I’ve had the privilege of using nicer table saw blades loaned to me by the shop keeper, who has been incredibly supportive as I develop my skills. This brings me to my question: I am ready to purchase my own table saw blades and have zoomed in on CMT as a brand for their value.
I’m considering three blades: an 80-tooth Hi-ATB crosscut, a 24-tooth flat top grind ripping blade, and a 50-tooth combination blade with ATB and one TCG tooth, all in full kerf. My research suggests that the main arguments for thin kerf blades are that they are easier on low power table saws and produce less waste. Since I have access to a SawStop cabinet saw, I don’t need blades suited for low power s