• The guys kicked things off with an epic potato discussion where Ross shared his genius combo of mashed potatoes with Gruyere cheese and tzatziki sauce while Colton described his wild Aloha Slut Potato creation on the griddle
• Ross got himself a brand new GMC Sierra 1500 truck and the crew dove deep into vehicle upgrades including tonneau covers bed extenders and roof racks with plenty of practical tips for truck owners
• Shop organization became a major topic as Ross spent his weekend completely rearranging his workspace for better efficiency and material flow which got everyone talking about the best ways to set up woodworking shops
• Jess dropped some serious knowledge about the history of screws starting from ancient wooden olive presses all the way to modern Torx heads and explained why NASA has the most expensive screws in the world
• The sandwich trivia segment was absolutely incredible as Ross proved he really is a sandwich aficionado by nailing questions about everything from Italian porchetta to Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches
• Colton shared updates on his new house purchase which got complicated when half the land was already sold to someone else but they worked out a deal that saved them around 65 thousand dollars
• Baby watch continues as Crystal is getting close to her due date with little Charlie expected around July 3rd and the guys shared some hilarious pregnancy stories and advice
• Ross blew everyone away with whiskey knowledge by revealing the most expensive bottles ever sold including a 2.8 million dollar Bushmills and explaining why aged spirits cost so much money
• The nuggets section covered cabinet building tricks with Jess explaining how to keep divider panels perfectly square using scrap wood spacers and Ross sharing why drills work better than impact drivers for long structural screws
• Wedding season is keeping Colton busy while he finishes up his kitchen cabinet project and prepares for the big move to their new property with plans for livestock and maybe an above ground pool setup

• The gang kicked off with a mouth-watering breakfast food challenge, debating favorites from Waffle House concoctions (Jess's infamous "slop on a plate") to fancy Eggs Benedict, with Ross revealing breakfast restaurants are cash cows due to cheap ingredients and high margins.
• Colton shared updates on his uncle's DIY sawmill project and his camper shell paint job at his father-in-law's auto body shop, noting surprising similarities between furniture restoration and auto body work.
• Jess walked us through his current kitchen cabinet installation in a metal-stud condo, ranting about challenging blind corner cabinets and the pros/cons of dark blue cabinet finishes.
• The Wood of the Week segment featured cottonwood—a surprisingly useful lumber despite being super lightweight (28 pounds per cubic foot) and soft (430 on Janka scale), commonly used for crates, plywood components, and carvings.
• Ross absolutely crushed Jess in the domestic hardwood trivia challenge, revealing fascinating facts about woods from Puerto Rican mahogany to Florida's bald cypress used in musical instruments.
• Ross delivered a deep dive on whiskey production costs, breaking down the $1,500 price tag for a 4-year barrel before bottling—including grain costs, barrels ($300 each), labor, warehousing, and the inevitable "angel's share" evaporation.
• The nugget section featured practical wisdom: invest in a good laser level for installation work, use proper drill press speed settings for different materials, and always wash your hands thoroughly between steps when working with reactive finishes.

• The Boys dive into their favorite chicken recipes - from beer can chicken with lime juice tricks to perfectly crispy chicken parm - before jumping into their latest woodworking projects and workshop adventures.

• Ross shares his creative repair solution for a customer's sentimental checkerboard, using wood glue mixed with sawdust and stain to fill gaps while preserving the original character made by the customer's father.

• The woodworkers debate the best approaches for repairing heirloom furniture pieces, with all agreeing that preserving original character matters more than technical perfection when dealing with sentimental items.

• Jess recounts his challenging "Shutter Saga" of mounting custom shutters on difficult Coquina walls (seashells embedded in stucco), requiring expensive stainless hardware and creative mounting techniques for waterfront conditions.

• Colton details his wedding project success creating a custom domino table that guests could carve signatures into, plus his cabinet door paint struggles that were saved by Zinsser BIN shellac-based primer.

• The podcast reveals professional painting secrets, including using 3/8 microfiber "hot dog" rollers for cabinets and why Zinsser BIN primer (which contains insect secretions!) is the miracle solution for difficult surfaces.

• Essential woodworking nugget: "Hold it up and mark it" emerged as Jess's top tip for precision, while Ross discovered that simply moving a table saw fence to the opposite side of the blade dramatically improves safety and support.

• Fascinating woodworking history lesson covers workbench evolution from ancient Rome through Medieval Europe to modern designs, noting how traditional Roubo and Nicholson benches are making a comeback in the hand tool renaissance.

• Paint technology trivia reveals Sherwin-Williams introduced latex paint in 1941, titanium dioxide provides paint opacity, and acrylic paints were first developed for artists in the 1950s before revolutionizing home painting.

• The podcast showcases the camaraderie of woodworkers sharing practical shop knowledge with humor and real-world solutions to common woodworking, finishing, and home improvement challenges.

• The guys kick things off with donut preferences, where Ross introduces the Italian "Bambaloni" with dipping sauces, Colton reveals his love for what he grew up calling "bear claws" (actually apple fritters), and Jess champions sour cream cake donuts and Bavarian cream Long Johns.

• Colton dishes about his house adventures, detailing plans for his pier and beam home's crawl space improvements, including spray foam insulation and blocking to distribute weight better. The crew strongly advises hiring professionals for spray foam work rather than attempting DIY.

• The gang dives into shop setup talk, with Colton exploring options for his new workspace. They debate electrical setups, with Ross and Jess pushing for running power from the existing breaker panel rather than installing a costly second meter.

• Jess introduces Tulipwood as the "Wood of the Week" - a stunning Brazilian hardwood prized for its pink to purple hues, once used by French craftsmen for luxury furniture. This transitions into a trivia segment about million-dollar furniture pieces, with the Badminton Cabinet selling for a jaw-dropping $36 million!

• Ross serves up a shot of whiskey history, explaining how moonshining emerged after the Revolutionary War to dodge taxes, eventually leading to speakeasies during Prohibition and even the birth of NASCAR as moonshiners souped up cars to outrun authorities.

• The "Snipe and Nugget" segment features practical tips: Colton warns about water-based stains not storing well in garage conditions, Jess recommends Milwaukee's special tile drilling bits and storing fillers in airtight containers, and Ross emphasizes thinking several steps ahead before making irreversible moves in woodworking.

• Colton shares his discovery of unconventional materials sources - informal construction material yards where he scored pine boards for $6 each and birch plywood for $36 per sheet, sparking a conversation about where these budget-friendly materials might come from.

#woodworking #woodworkingpodcast #diyexperts #furniturehistory #woodshoptips #whiskeyhistory #toolhacks #projectplanning #woodturning #craftsman

• The boys welcome the dynamic duo Leigh and Mush from Storytellers Tavern Podcast, who've been recording maker community shenanigans at events where the best stories happen between 1-4 AM (what happens at the campfire doesn't always stay at the campfire)!

• Leigh and Mush run school makerspaces where kids from preschool through high school get their hands dirty with everything from power tools to lasers—their philosophy? Crank up Lionel Richie or AC/DC while the kids create, because nobody wants a sign that says "Quiet Engineers at Work" (Leigh's mortal enemy).

• The teaching philosophy these guys champion isn't about fancy gadgets—it's about building students who can think on their feet when stuff breaks, Google solutions, and not run to "the old bald guy" for answers every five minutes.

• During the hilariously chaotic rapid-fire trivia showdown, Mush demolished Leigh with his encyclopedic knowledge of obscure woodworking tools—bet you didn't know what a "froe" was either (it's not the opposite of a "two")!

• The group shared how their students developed a facial training device for blind actors after discovering blind kids rocking power carving tools—prompting the school's business office to have a minor heart attack over "bringing blind kids in to play with power tools."

• Jess schooled everyone on the humble beginnings of those big-box hardware stores—turns out Home Depot started when two guys got fired and said, "Screw you, we'll start our own place" (and now they're making billions)!

• The "snuggits" segment revealed hard-earned wisdom: Ross's fingerprints are now permanent decor on a guitar because he couldn't wait 72 hours for automotive paint to cure, while Mush praised the miraculous cleaning powers of crocodile cloths (which apparently taste delicious according to Leigh).

• Both podcast crews proved they're cut from the same wonderfully warped wood—building communities where makers share stories, skills, and the occasional inappropriate joke about beating tools that would make middle schoolers giggle.

EPISODE 100: PADUK AT THE DISCO

• The woodworking trio celebrates their milestone 100th episode with personal updates and a nostalgic look back at how the podcast has changed their lives, from building meaningful connections in the maker community to weathering personal storms together
• Jess shares stories from his chaotic construction business—including a ceiling nearly collapsing—while showing off his brand new "Beast" tile saw purchased for tackling those trendy floor-to-ceiling fireplace renovations
• Colton reveals his impressive stair renovation project, prompting a spirited discussion about potential side hustles and the untapped goldmine of custom carpentry work for Houston homeowners
• Ross walks listeners through his shop reorganization masterplan, explaining how proper tool placement improves workflow and sharing his guitar refinishing adventures (plus what happens when you let kids pick your paint colors)
• The group dives into their "Wood of the Week" segment featuring Hawthorn—a deceptively strong hardwood with magical folklore connections that makes everything from witches' wands to virtually indestructible mallets
• A timely segment on burnout explores how makers can recognize the warning signs and implement practical strategies like meditation and proper work boundaries to maintain creativity without sacrificing mental health
• Ross delivers a whiskey education segment breaking down the differences between Scotch, Irish, Japanese, Canadian and American whiskeys, from distillation techniques to barrel aging secrets that create distinctive flavor profiles

• #WoodworkingPodcast#MakerCommunity#WorkshopTips#DIYCarpentry#CustomTileWork#ShopOrganization#WoodworkingHacks#HawthornWood#MakerBurnout#WhiskeyEducation#WorkLifeBalance#PowerToolTalk#HomeRenovation#WorkshopEfficiency#CustomCarpentry#MakerJourney#WoodcraftingTips#HandymanHustle#CraftBeverages#RenovationLife#WorkflowOptimization#BeatAroundTheBench#EpisodeOneHundred#ShopSetup#CreativeWoodworking

• Duo Episode Alert! Jess and Colt take the reins without Ross this week, reminiscing about past woodworking trivia questions while Colt shares his latest home renovation adventures with floors and stairs.
• Mind-Blowing 3D Printing Factory Tour! Jess takes us behind the scenes at Florida's largest 3D printing facility, featuring 25-foot robot arms that can extend fully while carrying 750 pounds with mind-boggling precision.
• Woodworker Business Reality Check! The guys dive into critical self-assessment questions every shop owner should ask themselves - from proper pricing and quality standards to avoiding burnout and establishing systems.
• Paint Disaster Averted! Colt's hilarious carpet paint spill survival story comes with pro tips on saving your floors from permanent stains (hint: keep it wet and grab some Oops cleaner!).
• Colt's Next Venture? The guys brainstorm a potential side hustle renting themed campers for mud parks and festivals - complete with party packages and outdoor sound systems!
• Home Improvement Nuggets: Learn the secret to cutting weird stair angles, why T111 siding is a nightmare in Florida, and Jess's hard-learned lesson about installing hexagon tile (spoiler: it's a royal pain).
• The Pelican Paint Bucket Debate: The guys geek out over their favorite painting tools, with Jess revealing his ninja technique for painting baseboards using hot dog rollers and drywall knives.

#woodworking #woodworkingpodcast #DIYtips #woodshoptalk #homeimprovement #beataroundthebench #woodworkers

Soup, Shop Talk, Scribing, and Whiskey Wisdom!

This week, we're diving into a delicious food segment, catching up on shop projects, nerding out over tools, and taking a sip of whiskey knowledge. If you're a woodworker or DIY enthusiast, you'll love this episode!

• Soup's On! Jess kicks us off with a mouth-watering discussion about homemade soups, from a rich beef stew to the exotic New Orleans-style Yakamine. Fuel up for those shop projects!

  
  

• Jess's Shop Hustle: Jess gives us the lowdown on balancing personal projects with helping out at the big shop, including scoring deals on laminate.

  
  

• Handyman Adventures: From building displays for Nike to replacing siding in the scorching heat, Jess is back in full handyman mode!

  
  

• Wife Life & Work Boundaries: The crew discusses the challenges of balancing a booming business with personal time, and the importance of setting boundaries to avoid burnout.

  
  

• Scribing Tools & Techniques: Ross, Jess, and Colton dive into the world of scribes, debating the best methods for getting those perfect cuts. Jigsaw, table saw, or track saw – what's your go-to?

  
  

• Bifold Barn Door Adventures: Jess shares details about an upcoming project: crafting bifold barn doors!

  
  

• Whiskey History 101: Take a break from the sawdust and join Ross for a fascinating journey into the history of whiskey, from its origins with Irish monks to its global spread! You might even learn how to tell Scotch from Irish whiskey!

  
  

• Lathe Love & Trivia: The hosts explore the history of the lathe! Test your knowledge with some fun trivia!