STL306: Be kind to the cast bro!

Question 1:

From Jake:
Hey guys LOVE the show I’m almost caught up after only discovering the podcast about two months ago. I have two questions:
1. What do you clean your fine hand-crafted furniture with? During the pandemic, I was cleaning with BLEACH like an idiot but I was paranoid. Now I’ve turned to lemon oil polish, what do you use?
2. I was listening to the recent episode about block planes vs shoulder planes vs rabbet block planes and thought to myself, wouldn’t a plane that was as wide as a rabbet block plane but as tall as a large shoulder plane be great? So my question is, Have you ever thought of tool designs that don’t exist to your knowledge but would be super helpful if only for one job?

Question 2:

From Timothy:
I was going to build the pedestal table by Tim Rousseau featured in FW when my wife saw his inspiration piece in the intro by Alan Peters. (See photo below). I am now commissioned by her to build it😳😳. I have done a solid-sawn mock-up just for shape, but I am worried about grain orientation.
What is the strongest way to create these legs? Bent lamination and veneer? Steam? Or solid sawn?

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Segments:

This is the tall vise Phil has on his bench:

Question 3:
From Thomas:
Like everyone, I want to keep my cast iron tables clean, shiny, and scratch-free.

I use the product that won your best rust prevention test, so I’m not too worried about rust, but I am worried about scratches after watching someone haphazardly unload a handful of vice grips and wrenches onto my bandsaw table.

I thought, no, that won’t do.

What do you think about saturating a towel with oil, and placing it on my saw tables when they aren’t in use? Could I inadvertently trap moisture instead of repel it?

Recommendations:

Woodsmith Plans: Fancy bird feeder This project gives you the chance to try your hand at installing cedar shingles and copper roofing without having to remodel your house.

James Conrad – Woodworker. Good at disc golf.

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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.