00:44 – Question 1: 

I’m designing a trestle table. I’m hung up on how to attach the top to the leg battens in a way that allows for wood movement and keeps any fasteners used hidden.

This table will be used to serve communion, and since it will be on an elevated platform, the underside will be visible. Any ideas?

-Chris

• Andrew Hunter – Better Way to Attach Tabletops
• Mike Pekovich – Floating Top Table

05:22- Question 2:

I’d love to be able to take a real set of in-person classes, both because it would be great fun and because it’s the best way for me to learn.  Unfortunately, I have to travel often for work, and usually with little notice, so it’s pretty hard to commit to a day a week or that sort of thing.

Can you recommend any good resources to build fundamental woodworking skills through thought out progression of exercises and/or projects, but without having to commit to a real live class?

-John

18:00 – All Time Favorite Tool of All Time… for this week:

• Ben – Bench Grinder
• Mike – Magnetic Tack Hamme
• Tom – Stanley 53 spokeshave

33:03 – Question 3:

I recently needed to rout some circle cut-outs. I made a circle template. I routed the first 2 circles with the template perfectly. On the last circle, the router bit caught just as I was finishing up and as you probably can guess, some significant tearout resulted.
Although I have some guesses on how this happened, I’m really not completely sure. Any good suggestions on how to avoid this in the future? It seems like it shouldn’t happen since I started out in the right direction – against the rotation of the bit.

-Randy

• Scott Lewis – A Unique Cutting Board

39:22 – Question 4:

I have noticed on some of the pieces I’ve built the glue lines in the panels (e.g. table tops) develop a subtle, hair thick ridge line. I know it’s from the glue creeping, but was wondering what causes it and how to prevent it?

-Chris ​​

• Bob Van Dyke – Creating an Attractive Table-top – Part 2

45:20 – Smooth Moves

• Mike – Shaping an armrest upside-down
• Ben – Not cleaning the steel wool residue off of the table while painting
• Tom – Rounding over a bevel while freehand sharpening

54:37 – Question 5:

I was hoping you guys had some tips or tricks for assembling a tight box joint. As it stands, with no glue, I can work it together with a bit of force and it will eventually fit – I am concerned that when I add glue it is going to lock up a bit and brute force could damage. I am also hesitant to put any sandpaper on it as the joint is tight with no gaps.

Was thinking maybe the oven to pull some extra moisture out of the wood – but worried this might warp the rest of it.

-Erik

• Craig Thibodeau – Polyurethane Is My Go-to Glue

Recommendations:

• Ben – Evan Court’s instagram account
• Mike – Band of Brothers
• Tom – Amazon Prime

 

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Tom McKenna Editorial Director	Mike Pekovich Creative Director	Ben Strano Web Producer

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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 [email protected] 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.