Hardware Podcasts

STL 153: Setting up shop with Justin Fink

Shop Talk Live · 22 Dec 2017 · 1h 00m

What this episode covers

Justin Fink, editor of Fine Homebuilding, joins the Shop Talk Live hosts to discuss the structural and environmental challenges of setting up a woodworking shop. He provides detailed advice on walling in utilities like furnaces and AC units, emphasizing the need for manufacturer-mandated clearances and combustion air ventilation. The conversation then shifts to heating strategies for detached garages, where Fink argues that air sealing and insulation are more critical than the type of heater, warning against combustion heaters that cause condensation and rust on cast iron tools. Finally, he explains how to remove a central support post by installing a large LVL beam and shares his dream of a timber-frame shop with radiant heat.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Fine Homebuilding, Taunton
Products
Northfield
Materials
LVL, OSB
Also
Garrett Hack, Dave Fisher

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Making It · 1h 19m

    362: If there’s nobody else on that throne….

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their current projects, including Diresta’s 9-foot CNC-ringed cup for a Miami nightclub, Clagett’s restoration of a Case 590 backhoe, and Picciuto’s walnut-sided electric piano. The hosts share various life hacks, ranging from shop safety tips like using metal trash can lids to snuff fires, to practical woodworking advice involving CA glue and spacers. They also touch on the challenges of client management, the technical intricacies of restoring vintage machinery, and the complexities of managing digital identities with Apple's email services.

    Prototyping & iterationMaterials & manufacturing processes
    10 chapters

  • Making It · 1h 16m

    Episode 119: Buffing and grinding

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss shop layout planning, with Diresta detailing his new 100-foot workshop featuring mobile steel-framed stations and 220V power for welding and plasma cutting. The hosts answer viewer questions about Mother's Day gifts, work-life balance, and constructive criticism regarding video pacing and personality. They also share recommendations for other maker channels and announce upcoming appearances at Maker Faire and local stores.

    Scaling productionCreator business
    8 chapters

  • Making It · 1h 06m

    389: The Potential Of An Empty Table

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss resetting their workspaces and homes, focusing on practical improvements and organizational strategies. Bob Clagett details his completed RAH-diators heating system upgrade and his ongoing restoration of a Blue Point Brewery beer boat, while also building a new dining table from previously made hatchet legs. David Picciuto describes constructing a sliding cross-cut table saw attachment and a planer cart to improve ergonomics, and Jimmy Diresta shares his experience organizing his electronic station using Target's Bright Room containers. The hosts also explore the psychological aspects of resetting, discussing how clearing surfaces like the 'potential of an empty table' can reduce mental clutter and inspire new projects.

    Mechanical engineeringDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    9 chapters

  • Making It · 1h 11m

    Episode 326: You can always sell a drumset…

    Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss major life and business updates, including Diresta buying a commercial building to house his office and production, Clagett completing a large post-and-beam barn, and Picciuto planning a costly garage expansion. They also cover Clagett's acquisition of a massive 4-foot throat railway bandsaw, the success of Workbench Con, and the technical details of finishing wood and metal projects.

    Scaling productionPricing, margins & unit economics
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Shop Talk Live. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.