STL190: Assembling a Lumber Stash

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Question 1:

From Tom: I’m now semi-retired and finally have the time to create a decent wood shop. I’ve moved to the Florida panhandle, where there are few hardwood dealers. In late May, I’ll be in Tennessee so I intend to stop in at a hardwood dealer/mill near Nashville. Given the projects on my to do list I’ll be picking up walnut, cherry, and ash. I also have my eye on black locust (for a picnic table), popular, box elder (table legs and aprons), and catalpa (ditto). Given the list of woods on the dealer's inventory list, I feel like a kid in a candy store. Perhaps too much like a kid in a candy store. I’d be interested in your collective wisdom about how one might go about stocking a new shop with wood, especially given the fact that the nearest hardwood dealer for a hobbyist is 5-6 hours away (Atlanta) and I don’t drive through Tennessee regularly enough to stop in at a dealer or mill whenever I need something (they are about 11 hours away). Y’all are fortunate to live where you do from a woodworking perspective, but I’ll take our weather over yours … I have lemons and tangerines on the trees in my front yard. :-)

Question 2:

From Richard: Have you ever heard of hollowing the backs of western chisels? To speed the process of flattening the back of a chisel, my buddy first hollows the center to a depth of about 1 or 2 thousands of an inch with a dremel sanding flap attachment . The edges and toe are not touched by the sander. My buddy says that because the hollow is so slight, it is as easy to re-flatten the back and establish a new flat spot as it is to re-establish the cutting edge of a worn Japanese chisel.

• Here is the video that Anissa mentions, which she now admits he obviously had running in the dremel

Segment: Smooth Move

Ben: Drilling a depth-indication hole on the wrong side. Barry: Trimming the horns of a frame and panel too soon. Anissa: Forgetting that two years ago she grain matched the tops of three cabinets, then ignoring the grain match while fitting the cabinets with drawers.

Question 3:

From Jesse: I’ve recently started the journey into furniture making.  I have a sliding miter saw and a very old table saw that is only good for rough cutting. I’m looking to purchase a band saw or jointer/planer combo. I only have room for one and only 110v availability. I am using hand saws and hand planes to do most of the dimensioning of my lumber. For a beginner, who has limited space and time in the shop, would a band saw or jointer/planer be more advantageous? I’d appreciate any guidance you can offer to ensure my next big purchase is a wise choice and will be the most practical.

Recommendations:

Ben - Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener Barry - Kettlebells for holding panel glue ups flat Anissa -  A rock 

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.