Question 1: 

From Andrew:

I’m preparing to make a dining table for my family. We have little kids, so it’s going to get a lot of heavy use.  I want something that is beautiful yet durable. In the past, I’ve used shellac and varnish over walnut but I don’t think that will be durable enough here.  I’m leaning toward something like white oak but don’t know what kind of finish to use. Embrace the patina with something like oil, maybe a beeswax, I’ve even heard of a soap finish?  What can I use that will age well, be beautiful, and not need constant stripping and repairing?  

	A Durable Tabletop Finish Wiped-on polyurethane is a surefire way to achieve a beautiful surface
	Catalyzed Lacquers Creating a rich finish that’s tough as nails
	How to Get Better Results with Polyurethane Combine brushing with wiped-on coats for an easy, durable sheen
	Lather Up: Soap-Flake Finish Pure soap flakes produce a beautiful finish

Question 2:

From Matt:

I just finished  my first real project that I designed primarily to practice joinery.  I have very few hours in the shop under my belt, and most of that time has been invested in learning to sharpen.  Could you recommend a relatively small project that would force me to learn a few new techniques but not totally overwhelm me.  I have some experience with dovetails and mortise and tenons. I own a tablesaw, bandsaw, drill press, 6” jointer, and 12” planner and I am starting to build my hand tool collection.  

Segment: All-Time Favorite Technique

Logan – Spraying paint

Phil – Cutting loose tenon joinery with a router and guide bushings

Chris – Carving

Ben – Highlighting a knife line in dark woods with chalk

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Question 3:

From Christian:

I have a question about bandsaws. Do you ever detension your bandsaws? Honestly? What’s the reason, Do I really  need to detension the saw?

Bandsaw Tension Flag Many modern bandsaws, including mine, are equipped with a blade-tension release lever on the back of the machine. I know from experience that it is all too easy to start…

Question 4:  

From Pete:

What is the best way to center stock on a router table? Recently I’ve been making cabinet doors and have been using a router table to make the grooves in the styles and rails. I’ve been taking scrap stock milled to the same dimensions as my  working pieces, marking the centerline, eyeballing the stock to the center of the bit, then I make test cuts to find the true center before I route the final pieces. This is tedious and time consuming. Do you have any suggestions to speed up the process without losing accuracy?

Here is an excerpt from Bob Van Dyke’s Router Table Fundamentals video workshop where he demonstrates how he perfectly centers a groove on the router table:

How to Build a Nightstand by Michael Cullen Housed tenons deliver strength, and tapers create a refined appearance

 

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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.