Episodes

  • Ep 121: Wu Teak Clan
    Oct 24 2025
    • Jess, Colton and Ross kick things off with a hilarious deep dive into their favorite food bowls, from Mexican rice bowls to Mediterranean cauliflower shawarma, proving that woodworkers know their way around both a workshop and a kitchen
    • The guys get real about plywood selection for cabinet making and why choosing the right material can make or break your project, especially when you're dealing with painted versus stained finishes

    • Colton shares his journey setting up a proper workshop space and the challenges of organizing tools when you're constantly moving between job sites and home projects

    • Big discussion about pocket holes versus traditional joinery methods for face frames, with the hosts weighing in on when to use each technique and why some old school woodworkers still give them grief

    • Ross drops a mind blowing story about getting quoted 140 thousand dollars for a covered pergola setup, which sparks a conversation about contractor pricing and DIY alternatives that could save you serious cash

    • The crew talks about undermount drawer slides and why they're game changers for cabinet projects once you figure out the installation process, with Jess explaining how he finally cracked the code

    • Practical advice on dealing with shop mistakes and burnout, including the golden rule of walking away when things start going sideways instead of pushing through and making it worse

    • Stories about garage renovations and the reality of balancing client work with personal shop projects when space and time are both limited

    • The boys discuss different cabinet construction methods and share tips on building quality pieces that will last, from proper drawer box assembly to choosing the right hardware

    • Colton breaks down his griddle cooking setup and how he's been perfecting potato bowls with smash burgers, because apparently these woodworkers are serious about their food game too

    • Real talk about the business side of woodworking including pricing projects, managing client expectations, and knowing when to walk away from deals that don't make sense

    • The episode wraps with the guys reflecting on staying motivated in the trade and remembering why they love woodworking even when projects get challenging or clients get difficult

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    2 hrs and 2 mins
  • Ep 120: Old Crow Meranti Show
    Oct 10 2025

    • Burger bonanza kicks off with Five Guys extra bacon recommendations competing against Kuma's Corner heavy metal burger joints serving half-pound pretzel bun creations named after metal bands while Goblin Cock burger combines Vienna beef hot dog toppings creating food comas lasting entire weekends

    • Guest introduction welcomes Justin Hobart from Ambrose Design whose woodworking journey began working maximum security prison sixteen-hour shifts before basement craftsman table saws launched ring-making operations using mini lathes and diamond inlays while spray foam insulation jobs provided sweaty Tyvek suit misery

    • Rapid-fire questions reveal cats dominate jerk animal rankings while horse-sized duck battles seem manageable compared to fifty duck-sized horses plus potato life goals involve finding Mrs. Potato Head and Taylor Swift karaoke requires ten drinks minimum before attempting

    • Prison code education teaches "12" means police presence somewhere nearby while Chicago terminology differs creating regional communication mysteries plus TED Talk expertise centers on inspecting cat buttholes demonstrating questionable presentation topics

    • Ross jewelry cabinet saga continues with drawer rail disasters requiring complete disassembly after forgotten lock channels plus moving blanket grease stains and blue fuzzies destroying fresh white paint forcing shop returns and customer negotiations for high-gloss lacquer upgrades

    • Benjamin Moore accent paint promises lacquer-like curing over two weeks requiring proper spray tip sizing switching from 313 to 210 nozzles preventing drip catastrophes while JC Licht paint store expertise saves projects from Home Depot bear cabinet enamel mediocrity

    • Undermount drawer glide advocacy intensifies as side-mount failures plague forty-inch wide drawers creating alignment nightmares while commercial cabinet companies embrace adjustable clips allowing seasonal wood movement without constant carpenter frustration

    • Construction progress includes Hardy siding installations over Tyvek weatherproofing plus PVC trim preventing Florida rot while custom door frame reconstruction requires super glue wood filler tricks repairing butchered hinge pockets creating professional results from disaster scenarios

    • Screwdriver history deep-dive explores Leonardo da Vinci's 1400s thread-cutting machine designs plus Henry Phillips 1936 cross-head patents revolutionizing Ford assembly lines while P.L. Robertson's superior square drive failed globally because licensing stubbornness lost to Phillips cooperation

    • Interactive trivia game starts contestants with thousand-dollar stakes bidding on fastener knowledge questions covering everything from coal tar synthetic dye origins to metric bolt 10.9 strength ratings representing thousand-megapascal tensile capacities with ninety-percent yield ratios

    • Metallurgy mysteries reveal grade-eight bolts display six radial lines on heads indicating 150,000 PSI tensile strength while 316 stainless steel provides marine-grade corrosion resistance and quenching-tempering processes harden steel through 1500-degree heating followed by rapid cooling

    • Final scores show Ross dominating at $2,450 while Justin maintains respectable $150 historical references separate winners from losers in fastener knowledge competition

    • Pricing wisdom shares material-plus-twenty-percent formulas plus triple-material-cost shortcuts for smaller projects while deposit requirements prevent sketch-drawing theft and hourly rates between fifty-to-sixty dollars cover garage operations versus commercial shop overhead demanding higher rates

    • Snuggets deliver Craftsman door jig warnings about useless router bits plus diamond plate sharpening stone recommendations for field chisel maintenance while elderly driver safety concerns prompt family discussions about retesting requirements protecting communities from intersection disasters


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    1 hr and 58 mins
  • Ep 119: Hootie & The Bubinga
    Sep 26 2025

    • Salad showdown opens with Greek salads loaded with gyro meat competing against Caesar dressing anchovy mysteries while coleslaw divides the group between vinegar-based Carolina styles and mayonnaise-heavy Southern versions plus jalapeño variations that actually work

    • New Patreon spotlight welcomes Greg Wally from Plat Valley Woodworks to the supporter family while Colton battles Centerpoint Energy over pole installations requiring five-foot holes through thick lake mud and mysterious wire connections nobody wants to hook up

    • Hurricane aftermath projects consume Jess with AC line covers running through townhouse garages after saltwater corroded underground Freon lines plus custom Kohler shower systems mixing titanium chrome parts from five different suppliers driving plumbers crazy

    • Window drama unfolds when six weeks of waiting produces privacy glass on every single opening instead of just the bathroom creating house-sized mistakes requiring complete reorders while drywall crews stand idle and patience runs thin

    • Ross hits emotional breaking point with jewelry cabinet drawer slides refusing cooperation after weeks of daily four-to-six-hour sessions leading to dovetail disasters when his father drops drawers creating expensive repairs requiring super glue and poplar reconstruction

    • Opera therapy emerges as Ross discovers "opera bangers" playlist providing mental escape during project meltdowns while discussing everyone's decompression strategies from food breaks to comedy podcasts plus the importance of stepping away when frustration peaks

    • New segment launch introduces "Oh Sh*t I Messed This Up" seeking listener submissions about construction fails and woodworking disasters illustrated by the legendary brick layer barrel rope story involving 240 pounds of bricks versus 180-pound worker creating compound injuries

    • Stain chemistry deep dive explores coal tar origins of synthetic dyes dating to 1800s plus Minwax founding in 1906 while covering pigments from iron oxides and ground-up cochineal insects living on prickly pear cacti producing vibrant reds

    • Wartime staining reveals tobacco extract usage during World War II pigment shortages plus turpentine's pine tree distillation before mineral spirits replaced faster-evaporating solvents while milk proteins provided primitive pre-stain conditioning

    • Professional finishing techniques distinguish between penetrating dyes reaching molecular levels versus pigment particles settling in wood pores plus factory toner applications between clear coats creating uniform coloring without grain hiding

    • Modern innovations showcase gel stains reducing blotchiness for beginners plus low-VOC water-based formulas requiring careful application speed while exterior stains add UV blockers and borate protection against insects and rot

    • Workshop wisdom includes always stirring settled pigments preventing color variations plus testing scraps with actual project sanding grits since 150-grit versus 220-grit dramatically affects penetration and final appearance

    • Snuggets deliver stress management through music therapy recommendations plus Colton's narrow escape from Angie's List year-long contracts costing thousands while Jess advocates S-corporation status and automated renewal reminders preventing costly compliance lapses

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    2 hrs and 4 mins
  • Ep 118: Little Birch Town
    Sep 19 2025

    • Chocolate confessions launch the show with dark chocolate sea salt pretzels competing against chocolate peanut butter fudge brownies while Jess describes Halloween ghost cupcakes involving Oreos with orange filling and brownie mix creating spooky treats that impressed his wife Ashley's seasonal decoration obsession

    • Baby Charlie steals the spotlight making surprise camera appearances during Colton's solo dad duties while Crystal attends Dancing with the Stars watch parties forcing impromptu childcare negotiations and witching hour bottle battles that threaten podcast completion

    • Texas Woodworking Festival discoveries blow Colton's mind with Air Weights vacuum tables featuring customizable grid systems that section off suction zones plus revolutionary vacuum dogs that turn bench dog holes into clamping systems without traditional clamps

    • Clear Boot dust collection innovations combine laser positioning systems for perfect bit alignment with transparent acrylic strips replacing traditional brush fingers allowing visual monitoring during delicate CNC operations while maintaining dust extraction efficiency

    • Stone Coat epoxy expansions include penetrating formulas and ultra-deep three-inch applications plus urethane topcoats that roll on like paint while Boss Dog introduces colored wood glues with acetone-based CA accelerators preventing bubble formation during curing

    • Angie's List sales trap nearly ensnares Colton with sweet-talking representatives pushing year-long contracts costing five grand for questionable leads until Jess and Ross intervene with horror stories about credit card charges and fake phone numbers plus prepaid card protection strategies

    • Construction reality checks reveal cabinet tariff increases hitting seven and a half percent while Jess navigates county inspection marathons covering everything from insulation installation to drywall screw patterns plus front porch reconstruction replacing rotted cedar posts with pressure-treated alternatives

    • Shaker drawer front masterclass emerges when Ross seeks guidance creating twelve painted fronts leading to detailed domino joinery tutorials with climbing cut router techniques and radius corner sanding plus half-inch plywood center panels creating professional results

    • Lumber education revolution combines history lessons with interactive trivia covering nominal dimensions revealing two-by-fours measuring one-and-a-half by three-and-a-half inches while exploring stamp meanings like KD for kiln-dried and PT for pressure-treated lumber

    • Plywood grading mysteries get decoded through A-B-C-D classifications where A represents paintable cabinet grade and CDX means construction sheathing with exterior glue while FSC certification ensures Forest Stewardship Council approved sustainable harvesting practices

    • Board foot mathematics challenge listeners calculating twenty board feet for eight-quarter lumber measuring twelve inches wide by ten feet long while quarter-sawn techniques create vertical grain patterns essential for figured woods like tiger oak and zebra wood

    • Workshop wisdom includes Ross's dado relief cuts solving oversized drawer problems plus Jess's job site cleanup revelations improving customer relations and inspector impressions while Colton learns valuable lessons about seeking advice before signing sales contracts

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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • Ep 117: Cherry Poppin' Daddies
    Sep 12 2025

    • Fried food fantasies launch the show with cheese curds versus spicy chicken sandwiches while Jess drops knowledge about fried lasagna rolls from Dirty Dick's Crab House and Ross explores Scotch eggs plus Italian arancini balls from county fair adventures featuring fried butter on sticks

    • Dovetail precision becomes the star as Ross tackles twelve jewelry cabinet drawers using his trusty 1998 Porter Cable router with digital calipers providing perfect setup measurements while dealing with a customer who switched from fabric lining to marble slabs requiring three-quarter inch plywood upgrades

    • Mouse invasion reaches critical levels with six critters discovered in Ross's shop leading to expansion foam warfare behind electrical panels where the little freeloaders were accessing through weatherstripping gaps and apparently dying from eating toxic foam

    • Colton arrives fashionably late triggering embarrassing question punishment including dead body disposal strategies and whether bald restaurant workers need hairnets plus philosophical debates about indescribable descriptions and fish thirstiness

    • Grandfather tribute brings emotional depth as Colton shares performing his original fishing-themed song at the funeral celebration using Zach Bryan melodies to capture family memories while fighting through stage nerves and shaky knees during the heartfelt performance

    • Electric motor mysteries get solved through brush checking and capacitor replacement discussions while multiple broken drill press motors pile up awaiting scrap yard destiny since repair costs exceed replacement prices for most standard workshop equipment

    • Logging history education spans from muscle-powered misery whips requiring eighteen hours to fell single trees through steam donkey winches and timber beetle inspired chainsaw blade designs leading to modern feller buncher machines that grab cut and stack in single motions

    • Trivia time tests knowledge of river pigs running floating logs downstream plus skid roads becoming skid row terminology while double-bit axes featured one sharp edge for precision cutting and one rugged edge for heavy chipping work

    • Rum recommendations replace whiskey talk featuring plantation single barrels and foursquare finishing plus diplomatico bottles offering better value than overpriced whiskey glasses while Kraken provides decent sipping despite being mixing rum

    • Workshop wisdom includes baking soda concrete acceleration tricks for faster setting plus Dawn dish soap additives for creamier stucco while Ross emphasizes dovetail layout importance and Colton discovers outlet cover restoration using Dawn PowerWash construction applications

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    1 hr and 47 mins
  • Ep 116: The Black Butt Keys
    Sep 5 2025

    • Crustacean talk kicks things off with crawfish boils described as eating cockroaches from ditches while Ross discovers Virginia Beach crab cakes the size of baseballs with zero filler that make landlocked Chicagoland versions look like sad breadcrumb sandwiches

    • Colton finally pulls the trigger on shop electricity after writing Centerpoint a check though the five to eight week wait has him considering temporary power solutions while exploring contractor work with SWE homes and reconnecting with Rick who just dropped thirteen grand on a laser cleaning machine that can strip paint off drywall across the room

    • Poison ivy becomes the episode villain attacking Colton in places that shall remain nameless while he channels his grief into songwriting for his grandfather's funeral using Zach Bryan melodies to capture fishing memories and family time themes

    • Jess returns from New Jersey family time with shirt printing machine connections before discovering his concrete removal nightmare doubled when plumbers demanded another trench for proper drainage while juggling work from home customers who freak out about power outages during electrical upgrades

    • Built-in cabinet designs meet reality when expensive plantation shutters don't fit the new configuration forcing difficult conversations about seven thousand dollar window treatments versus custom cabinetry dreams while Ashley handles the growing bid workload with professional scripts

    • Trailer organization becomes an art form as Jess transforms his twenty-four foot beast into a mobile workshop complete with electric jack systems and custom shelving that required cutting sixty-seven degree angles his chop saw couldn't handle until he got creative with wedge blocks

    • Ross tackles rolling jewelry cabinet construction with locking mechanisms and removable glass tops while figuring out battery-powered LED lighting systems that need magnetic mounting solutions for portable display cases that can roll around retail spaces

    • Work truck history spans from horse-drawn wagons to Model T runabouts revealing that pickup truck terminology originated in nineteen twenty-five when Ford first offered factory-installed beds instead of chassis-only sales requiring custom carpenter-built wooden cargo areas

    • Electric vehicle debates explore charging infrastructure challenges and carbon capture gasoline production while non-alcoholic beer production gets explained through fermentation timing and dilution techniques for those maintaining sobriety goals during business building phases

    • Workshop nuggets include motion-sensor LED strips that charge via USB-C for trailer lighting systems plus Kreg jig depth adjustments for thinner plywood that prevents screw blowout while LED strip connectors save the day when expensive light installations get damaged during installation

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    1 hr and 53 mins
  • Ep 115: Blackwood Sabbath
    Aug 29 2025

    • Frozen dessert dreams kick off the show with Mexican coconut ice cream bars rocket pops and fruit puree sticks because nothing says Labor Day weekend like arguing about which popsicle reigns supreme while your hands get covered in sugary goo

    • Fall prep mode officially activated as the guys discuss seasonal shop changes with Ross dealing with spider and critter invasions while Jess gets excited about cooler weather meaning longer work hours and Colton planning material stock ups for the holiday rush

    • Pest control becomes a real topic when Colton introduces dirt daubers to Ross who has never experienced these mud nest building wasps that apparently love to clog up fan motors and other equipment while carrying paralyzed spiders around like some kind of wasp horror movie

    • Virginia Beach vacation recap brings whiskey discoveries as Ross visits the historic Cavalier Hotel with its prohibition era basement distillery while dealing with post hurricane waves powerful enough to push kids 40 feet up the beach

    • Jess absolutely lights up talking about framing work and learning construction terminology while building vaulted ceilings and dealing with Florida hurricane codes that require nailing every four inches because apparently Mother Nature takes no prisoners

    • Software discussions get technical when Colton considers upgrading from his current workflow to Adobe Illustrator after getting advice from longtime maker Vern while using Inkscape to calculate resin volumes for his CNC projects

    • Meranti takes center stage as wood of the week revealing how this Southeast Asian lumber got marketed as Filipino mahogany during the mid century furniture boom even though its not real mahogany but was cheap and plentiful from post war Philippines

    • Construction trivia becomes unexpectedly entertaining as Jess tests the guys knowledge of king studs jack studs bird mouth cuts and cripple studs while sharing real world framing wisdom about thinking fifteen steps ahead for the next contractor

    • Tarnished Truth distillery from Virginia Beach gets the whiskey spotlight with their three year high rye bourbon that costs 60 bucks but tastes decent enough for a vacation souvenir though definitely not worth secondary market prices

    • Hat cleaning wisdom closes out the show with Jess sharing his Dawn dish soap and toothbrush method for keeping work hats fresh without destroying the fabric while Colton discovers acetone removes spray foam from skin and Ross recommends hat brushes for daily maintenance

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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • Ep 114: Lignum Vitae Beethoven
    Aug 22 2025

    • Jess makes his glorious comeback after getting knocked down by heat exhaustion that turned into full exorcist mode puking for 24 hours plus dealing with a plumbing leak that delayed recording because Florida construction never goes according to plan

    • Sushi talk gets deep with grocery store Publix five dollar Wednesday deals and the eternal debate about cream cheese in sushi rolls while Ross admits he goes for the over the top dynamite and firecracker rolls instead of simple sashimi

    • Colton shares the heartwarming yet heartbreaking story of his grandfather passing away peacefully at 87 after one final FaceTime call where he got to show off all the inherited tools in his shop including that dangerous old radial arm saw with zero safety features

    • The cornhole board saga continues with a California customer who wanted changes mid project forcing Colton to pour resin directly on the CNC machine and cut into cured resin which sounds like a nightmare but somehow worked out perfectly

    • Butcher block restoration becomes an epic adventure when Colton fixes a cracked Paduk board that was bleeding red dust into the maple strips and learns that alcohol wipes solve the cross contamination problem way better than more sanding

    • Jess upgrades his life with a monster 24 foot charcoal gray trailer that matches his truck perfectly plus negotiates a sweet one year contract that guarantees steady income while his daughter moves to Tampa for college and independence

    • Home renovation horror story unfolds when Jess discovers copper pipes buried directly in concrete which is a big no no because concrete eats copper over time so cue the Makita jackhammer rental and careful concrete surgery around live plumbing lines

    • Ross inherits a 500 pound solid maple butcher block table from a customer that required two strong guys and 17 stairs worth of creative problem solving before he could router sled the whole top flat and refinish it with walrus oil

    • Indoor plumbing history lesson reveals that Romans had it figured out 4000 years ago with aqueducts and lead pipes but Europe forgot how to poop properly for centuries until London got so stinky in 1858 that parliament had to stop meeting

    • Whiskey wisdom flows as Ross explains how British Navy trade routes spread whiskey and rum around the world using ballast bricks and barrel charring techniques that accidentally invented aged spirits during those long ocean crossings to the Caribbean and back

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    1 hr and 53 mins