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Shop Talk Live podcast cover art

Shop Talk Live

Fine Woodworking magazine's editors and contributors answer listener questions and share woodworking tips, techniques and tools.

401 episodes · 412 hours · since 2012

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Shop Talk Live is filed under design and mechanical. Its most recent episode published on , so it is still actively publishing. Listeners have left 1,318 ratings on Apple Podcasts, averaging 4.7 out of 5.

Latest episodes

The 10 newest episodes of Shop Talk Live, each with a summary and chapters.

  • · 1h 04m

    STL376: How Hefty is Your Handplane?

    Fine Woodworking editors Owen Madden and Bridget Gruber join host Vic Teslin to discuss the nuances of hand tool usage, specifically debating whether handplane weight impacts performance. They explore the '5/7 rule' for shaping roundovers, the value of classical training in contemporary design through maker Aspen Golan, and the practicalities of custom kitchen cabinetry versus standard sizes. The conversation also touches on the importance of hand tool safety and the historical context of woodworking techniques.

    Industrial & consumer product designFabrication & craft
    7 chapters

  • · 53m

    STL: The SawStop Bandsaw with CEO Matt Howard

    Matt Howard, CEO of SawStop (now part of Festool North America), discusses the launch of the SawStop Professional Bandsaw, which integrates Sensic safety technology to stop the blade in milliseconds upon contact. He details the engineering challenges, including the sacrificial cartridge system, tool-free blade changes, and advanced guide adjustments designed to make maintenance easier and faster. The conversation also covers SawStop's history, from Steve Gass's invention in a barn to its acquisition by Festool, and the strategic integration of Shaper Tools into the Festool brand to expand distribution and ecosystem integration.

    Mechanical engineeringStarting a product company
    10 chapters

  • · 46m

    STL375: What is Moonwood?

    Fine Woodworking editors Bridget Gruber, Mike Pekovich, and Owen Madden discuss the folklore and science behind 'moonwood' harvesting, the tools Mike purchased at HandWorks 2026, and finishes for kitchen utensils. They address a listener's question about using walnut for trivets, debating finishes like shellac, oil, and polyurethane, and discuss personal preferences for joinery techniques like dovetail layout and lock miters.

    Materials & manufacturing processesMaker community & events
    4 chapters

  • · 1h 00m

    STL374: The Space Between the Dots

    Vasko Sotirov, a woodworker from Orgiano, Italy, and Fine Woodworking cover author, discusses his design philosophy, emphasizing that boxes are ideal for experimenting with aesthetics like dot spacing and dovetails without high commitment. He explains his preference for analog sketching to avoid emotional attachment to digital designs and advocates for using the measurement system (metric or imperial) that feels most natural to the maker. Sotirov details his technical approach to cutting precise miters using a sliding table saw and identifies his Lie-Nielsen No. 5.5 hand plane as his favorite tool due to its balance and feel.

    Industrial & consumer product designPrototyping & iteration
    6 chapters

  • · 1h 11m

    STL373: Big Changes for the Fine Woodworking Staff

    Ben Strano, a longtime host and editor at Fine Woodworking, announces his departure from the magazine to become a tech ed teacher, while editors Anissa and Mike discuss the future of the podcast with incoming hosts Vic Anosov and Bridget Dinkle. The group reflects on the show's evolution, the technical nuances of planer cutter heads like Tersa and helical systems, and the obsessive culture at Fine Woodworking. They also share personal woodworking anecdotes, including Anissa's 'smooth move' mishap and tool recommendations.

    Careers & educationMaterials & manufacturing processes
    7 chapters

  • · 1h 11m

    STL372: David Bedrosian Is a Clever Dude

    Furniture maker David Bedrosian joins the show to discuss his engineering-driven approach to woodworking, highlighting his custom Fritz and Franz jig for sliding table saws and his modifications to standard shop equipment. He details his methods for safely machining non-ferrous metals like brass and aluminum, and offers technical advice on optimizing dust collection systems, specifically recommending pleated filters and cyclones over felt bags. The conversation also covers the safety and precision advantages of sliding table saws compared to traditional cabinet saws, and Bedrosian’s use of precision dowel pins for jig making and glue-ups.

    Mechanical engineeringSourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • · 1h 05m

    STL371: The Wood Gets a Vote

    Adam Godet, a commission-based woodworker, and Owen Mann, Fine Woodworking’s associate editor, discuss the complexities of client relationships in custom furniture making, emphasizing the importance of clear contracts and managing client expectations regarding design changes and wood movement. They also address shop safety, specifically recommending layered hearing protection and FM transmitters to balance music enjoyment with the need to hear machine sounds for kickback warnings. The conversation covers practical tool recommendations, including the Ryobi cordless jigsaw and Collins clamps, and touches on the workflow of using analog sketches alongside digital CAD tools like Fusion 360 for client communication.

    Industrial & consumer product designSourcing & supply chain
    6 chapters

  • · 1h 20m

    STL370: Jamie Figures Things Out

    Jamie Gilgen, a self-taught woodworker and software engineer at Crowdmark, discusses her YouTube channel and unique woodworking techniques, including vacuum pressing bent laminations for a cello podium and light fixture. She and host Vic Tesla advise a listener on choosing between combination and standalone milling machines for a small shop, recommending a 12-16 inch combo machine like the Hammer A3 to save space. The conversation also covers buying used bandsaws, emphasizing mass and quality over size, and the challenges of sharpening carbide router bits.

    Mechanical engineeringScaling production
    6 chapters

  • · 1h 04m

    STL369: Calling All Choppers!

    Bill Pavlak, head cabinetmaker at Colonial Williamsburg, joins Ben Strano and Bridget Gruber to discuss the realities of working in an 18th-century shop, including the curriculum for apprentices, the requirement to wear period costumes, and the balance between making furniture and public interpretation. The group explores specific hand-tool techniques for cutting arched grooves and dovetails, emphasizing chiseling over sawing for efficiency, and discusses the psychological overlap between woodworking and music. They also identify timeless furniture forms like Shaker pieces and trestle tables, while highlighting tools such as the S-Wing mallet and large chisels.

    Mechanical engineeringMaterials & manufacturing processes
    6 chapters

  • · 56m

    STL368: It Appeared to Me in a Dream

    Vic Teslin and Steven Der-Garabedian discuss how subconscious processing and 'dream solutions' aid woodworking problem-solving, illustrated by Steven's anecdote about finding a glue-up fix while talking to Baker Bob. They identify the block plane as the most impactful tool for Steven, while Vic highlights the Festool Domino and high-quality marking tools like Peak pencils. The hosts also provide practical advice for a listener lacking a table saw, suggesting track saws, circular saw jigs, and bandsaw sleds for cross-cutting large panels.

    Industrial & consumer product designValidation & product-market fit
    8 chapters

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