As is customary, Logan gave an update on the state of his workshop. On his to-do list are some tool restorations. The priority(?) is the drill press. The quill bearings need to be replaced. And he's having a hard time finding a matching set.
Part troubles can stall out a project and sap the enthusiasm for it as well. As you can see, the drill press remains on the operating table. In this state Logan is trying to decide if a paint job is warranted while he figures out a bearing solution. A drill press is a must for him, so getting this tool back up and running is important.
Working With Plywood
The main topic is working with plywood. I've been making a couple of large built-ins. That means a lot of sheets of plywood. In the process, I've chosen to use track saws to make many of the cuts. After using a Ryobi 18v saw, a Festool cordless saw, and the corded Kreg saw, I decided the Kreg saw was the right solution for the kind of woodworking I do my workshop and the amount of use I'd get out it.
To be fair, all the saws made smooth cuts in 1/4" and 3/4" plywood and even solid wood. Tool reviews are subjective in spite of the stats that folk often attach to them. Your needs may differ from mine.
Woodsmith Shop TV
A listener asked about where to find the Woodsmith Shop TV show and if it was recorded in HD. Yes to the HD. Every public television station sets its own schedule. Knowing when it's on isn't an easy answer to find. It's a good idea to email your station to let them know you enjoy the show and ask about a specific timeslot you're interested in.
Outside of that, you can watch episodes of the show on the Woodsmith Shop site. Another option is to catch it on PBS Passport. All the seasons are now available there. Finally, several seasons are on Amazon Prime video.
ShopNotes
Whatever became of ShopNotes? In 2014, the print version of the magazine ended. Then in late 2022, we brought it back as a quarterly digital magazine. It's created by many of the same folk who worked on the previous version — along with some new faces. You can subscribe on the ShopNotes.com. We also created a yearbook that you can purchase from Amazon.
Woodworking In America
We're looking forward to this event in October. It's a ton of work upfront (a ton), but the payoff is hanging out and learning from the presenters we have signed up and from folk who attend.
Rollie Johnson's presentation on stains and dyeing came up during the course of our discussion. Logan mentioned his hate-hate relationship with stain. I've made peace with the process. That's mainly due to using gel stain as often as I can.
For the commission project that I mentioned, I'm using a stain to approximate the stain in the customer's home. In order to get this tone on maple, I thinned an existing oil stain 50-50 with mineral spirits. Though maple isn't my favorite material to work with, the thinned stain has performed beautifully for me. That makes me happy.
Side Quests: DSM Nerd Sites
While I usually try to plan out a path for each podcast to take, I never know where the conversation leads. Comments from a previous episode lead us down the path of nerds & fandom.
If you're planning on joining us for Woodworking in America AND have a passion for niche interests, here are few places to explore:
Mayhem Comics. This is the place for comic books, tabletop gaming, and events.
Jay's CD & Hobby: Here's where we go to find vintage console games and admire my childhood in action figure form. There's some overlap with Mayhem, and more than I can describe in this short form. Check out the site to get a scale of what's on offer.
Bricks & Minifigs: I attribute a lot of my woodworking interest with the hours I spent building all manner of items from Lego bricks. During my Transformers phase, I made many Autobots that I couln't get as toys. This place buys and sells sets, loose bricks, and minifigs.
Zzz Records: Just down the hill from the shop at Woodsmith is the city's destination for vinyl. Browze and listen to their collection. It has a great vibe and great prices.
This episode of ShopNotes is brought to you by Grizzly Industrial. Purveyors of fine woodworking machinery since 1983, buy direct & save at Grizzly.com
