# STL341: Catching up with Chris Gochnour

- Show: [Shop Talk Live](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live)
- Published: 2025-05-16
- Length: 59m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-16-stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour
- Listen: https://shoptalklive.podcast.static.taunton.com/stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour

## Summary

Chris Gochnour, a master woodworker and educator at Salt Lake Community College, discusses his transition from 30 years of custom commissions to teaching and private instruction. He shares technical insights on hand tool selection, advocating for rip-filed joinery saws for easier maintenance and explaining the ergonomic differences between shoulder planes, block planes, and the Lee Nielsen Rabbit plane. The conversation also covers the chemistry of fuming oak with ammonia, noting that direct application of high-concentration ammonia works but requires safety precautions, and addresses optimal workbench heights for hand planing.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-16-stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour#t=6) Introduction and Career Shift
- [3:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-16-stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour#t=227) Teaching Philosophy and Private Instruction
- [19:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-16-stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour#t=1165) Rip-File vs. Cross-Cut Saws for Joinery
- [29:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-16-stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour#t=1746) Shoulder Planes vs. Block Planes and the Rabbit Plane
- [42:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-16-stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour#t=2573) Fuming Oak: Ammonia Concentration and Application Methods
- [50:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-16-stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour#t=3010) Workbench Height and Ergonomics for Hand Planing

## Topics

- [Fabrication & craft](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fabrication-and-craft)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Lee Nielsen (other)
- Veritas (other)
- Stanley (other)
- Salt Lake Community College (other)
- Snow College (other)
- Mark Adams (other)
- Matt Ciancy (other)
- Lost Star Press (other)
- H&T (other)
- Lowe's (other)
- Ace Hardware (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Making It #010: If it looks straight….](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2015-02-26-making-it-010-if-it-looks-straight) (Making It)
- [Episode 297: I’m not sick, just 53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-02-26-episode-297-im-not-sick-just-53) (Making It)
- [Episode 162: An eyeball, tongue, ear and 2 big thumbs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-03-30-episode-162-an-eyeball-tongue-ear-and-2-big-thumbs) (Making It)
- [Episode 323: Car Couch Potato](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-09-24-episode-323-car-couch-potato) (Making It)
- [Episode 332: Plywood is good](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-11-27-episode-332-plywood-is-good) (Making It)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-16-stl341-catching-up-with-chris-gochnour. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Shop Talk Live.