Question 1:

From Matt:
I have seen lots of articles on making and using shooting boards, but I don’t understand the theory behind shooting miters. How does the process work? I mean, if I make a mitered frame, and the miters aren’t perfect, what is the order of operations or the process for shooting them perfectly while maintaining the perfect length of opposing sides?  It seems like trueing a miter also shortens the piece with will introduce a new problem and I’ll end up chasing perfection forever.  Can you help?

Fast Fixes for Joinery Mistakes 5 pros share their favorite saves

Question 2:

From Jon:
I would like to cut about 20 to 30 circles from 1/16th inch shop sawn veneer to make an inlaid geometrical pattern.  The circles are 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter and must fit perfectly into a recess made by a Forstner bit.  How would the shop talk live team handle this?

	Master Class: Classic Arts & Crafts inlay Tackle the inlaid head- and footboard of Kevin Rodel’s Arts and Crafts bed.
	Ep 10: Inlaid Spades In this episode, Kevin starts the process of the spade and heart inlay by creating a veneer “sandwich”, cutting out the spade inserts, and finally creating the pocket to receive the inserts.
	Assembling a Parquetry Pattern Go step by step through Jason Andrew Hernandez’s process as he assembles a parquetry pattern for the tabletop he designed. This one depicts farmland as seen from above.

Segment: All-Time Favorite Technique of All Time…for this week 

Lighter, Stronger Frame-and-Panels Derived from Chinese casework, this frame-and-panel approach combines the best attributes of a solid plank door and a traditional frame-and-panel

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Question 3:

From Andrew:
I sharpen with DMT diamond plates and King whetstones using the Veritas honing guide.  I don’t think I could ask for better equipment. Often when I finish the sharpening routine using either method, I find fine (very small) chips out the very tip of the blade I have sharpened.  I have tried pressing softer on the tip but this doesn’t seem to make a difference. Could it be that I’m doing the back of the blade between each grit and that pulling off the burr is somehow causing these small chips? Any other thoughts or ideas?

Next but related question, what lubrication do you recommend on the diamond plates?

Question 4:

From Lin:
I have been using card scrapers for a little bit now. After reading Bob Van Dyke’s article on sharpening one in the latest Tools and Shops issue of Fine Woodworking, it got me thinking more about them. I am curious, is there an ideal thickness to a scraper? I have 2 different ones and never could get the thin one to work well. Also, do you prefer using scrapers by hand or do you put it in a holder? Finally, how do you guys feel about scraping planes? They seem like they would be the best option when scraping.

	Custom Scrapers for Custom Work Shopmade scrapers smooth tough-to-reach surfaces without dulling sharp details
	Learn a fast, reliable way to sharpen a card scraper Bob Van Dyke demonstrates his process for sharpening a card scraper, including how to create smooth and square edges and faces, and how to draw out and form a burr to create the cutting edge.

Segment: All-Time Favorite Tool of All Time…for this week

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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.