STL370: Jamie Figures Things Out

10 July 2026 Stan

Show note: At 14:30, the glue Jamie references is PPR (precatalyzed plastic resin) glue, which works great to reduce spring-back when making a bent lamination.

Check out Jamie’s YouTube channel:

Cello podium build

Light fixture build

New Travel Tour Announced!

Follow the roots of American woodworking through the historic workshops, museums, schools, and makers that have preserved the craft for generations. From Boston’s colonial trades and the renowned North Bennet Street School to the hand-tool makers of Maine, the shipwrights of Mystic Seaport, and world-class furniture collections in Connecticut, this immersive New England tour offers rare behind-the-scenes access to the people, places, and traditions that continue to inspire woodworkers today. Along the way, explore charming coastal towns, connect with fellow enthusiasts, and experience the rich woodworking heritage of New England.

About Vacuum Presses

Review: VacuPress Zipper Bags

Avoid the dread of sliding assemblies into the vacuum bag with these new zipper bags, which open on three sides.

Ep 2: Lumbercore

TIm Coleman shows how he makes lumbercore, a super stable substrate.

Questions

From James:

After 6+ years working out of a 2′ x 11′ unpack-and-pack setup, I’m finally moving into a dedicated 8′ x 20′ shop in our new home. We picked the house because of its three-car garage while still having this dedicated space for my shop. I’ve been using benchtop tools on the floor and my back is done with that. First projects are furniture-heavy: two desks, a dining table, lots of shelving, then smaller stuff. I attached some photos of what my shop layout might look like. I plan on doing a AKON – Industrial Curtain with Velcro on the walls to divide my shop from the garage (see red line). I hate the dust getting on my cars (a hobby I love more than WW). The new job will have actual dust control for this reason. Yes, I can move cars out and really spread but would like to avoid that. In my current setup, I hated having that 20+ minute set-up and break-down time. Everything will be on wheels as I know working 7’ pieces will require most of this space. First I know I want to upgrade a DeWalt jobsite saw to a SawStop PCS plus a mini-gorilla dust collector. I am most scared of the tablesaw and want the SawStop protection. Then I wanted to upgrade a Porter-Cable jointer (undersized) and DeWalt 735 w/helical head (on the fence about keeping it). The jointer made the most sense, as it’s woefully undersized and it’s only good for small stuff. Jointing 5’+ feet desks with a Lie-Nielson No. 7 is not fun after a bit. The 735 is pretty great. So I thought a 8” Powermatic with a helix head would be perfect. Then after that, adding a Powermatic 15” for a perfect combo of machines in the future. But in my research, I read way too much that 8” of jointer isn’t enough and for less than these two I could get a Hammer A3-41 with a crazy 16” of both and save space. Or better yet for $1k more a Minimax41.

Is my space just too small for two proper machines, and is the convenience of 2-in-1 better? Everyone says standalone machines are better, but how much better? Could I really tell the difference as a hobbyist? Is the difference simply that I might need to run it through two times vs. one time for perfect? Because if that’s it, it’s way faster than my hand-planing process. Any concern with combo machines staying set up correctly due to the dual nature? Any thoughts on Hammer vs. Minimax 41 themselves and then service for someone in the Chicago ‘burbs? I want the most set-it-and-forget machines possible. Any recommended path I didn’t think of?

From Henry:

I’m a new listener who’s discovered your podcast in the last two weeks and have been absolutely loving it thus far. I’ve binged about 45 episodes already during that time. In those listens I’ve heard much proselytization regarding bandsaws, and I have to say I’m well on my way to being a convert. I’ve long yearned for a bandsaw but have frequently talked myself out of purchasing one, but no more. I don’t have too much money to be able to spend on one, so I spend time scouring FB Marketplace and considering lower-end models.

My question is as follows: What should I look for in a bandsaw, and perhaps more importantly, what are some pitfalls or red flags should I avoid, particularly on older used models? It seems like they are primarily broken up by wheel size: How does that impact its performance? Wouldn’t the motor be more relevant in that aspect? Where do we think the sweet spot lies?

I’ve been going back and forth with myself on whether or not I should just get a smaller benchtop model that can handle some cuts, but I feel much like a small jointer I should just wait until I have enough to buy a bigger model.

Thanks so much for the hours and hours of content to accompany during work hours. The vibes are always so on point, everyone’s passion comes through, and it absolutely is contagious.

From Daniel:

When does it make sense, and when does it not make sense, to send carbide-tipped router bits out for professional sharpening?

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. Join us on our Discord server here.