Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworking - Podcast Episodes, Ranking & Reviews

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

STL374: The Space Between the Dots

Vic shares this episode with box maker and Fine Woodworking cover author Vasko Sotirov. Vasko is an impeccable woodworker, but he's too humble to say it. Luckily, we have

Sep 4
1 h 00 min

STL373: Big Changes for the Fine Woodworking Staff

The old Taunton crew—Ben, Anissa, and Mike—sits down to discuss some exciting changes happening at Fine Woodworking and what the future holds. View the show notes here

Aug 20
1 h 11 min

STL372: David Bedrosian Is a Clever Dude

Vic and Bridgid sit down with furniture maker David Bedrosian to talk about the literal ins and outs of dust collection, along with the versatility of a sliding table saw

Aug 7
1 h 11 min

STL371: The Wood Gets a Vote

Adam Godet sits down with Owen and Ben to discuss honoring the customer's vision when doing commission work and how to protect your hearing long-term in the woodshop. L

Jul 24
1 h 05 min

STL370: Jamie Figures Things Out

Jamie Gilgen sits down with Vic to discuss building out a shop in a small space, using combination machines and vacuum pressing bent laminations. Jamie's YouTube Channe

Jul 10
1 h 20 min

STL369: Calling All Choppers!

Bill Pavlak, head cabinetmaker at Colonial Williamsburg, joins Ben and Bridgid to discuss what it's like working in an 18th-century shop. For more information about our

Jun 27
1 h 04 min

STL368: It Appeared to Me in a Dream

Vic interviews Steven Der-Garabedian, a teacher, woodworker and veneer artist, and together they answer questions about finding woodworking solutions in the quiet moments

Jun 12
56 min

STL367: Mike Didn't Get The Memo

Mike and accidental twins, Vic and Ben, discuss woodworking techniques they won't show, thinking about grain direction on drawer parts, prefinishing problems, Barry Manil

May 29
1 h 16 min

STL366: No Mallet is Safe

Shea Alexander is a custom furniture maker and the owner of Alexander Brother's lumberyard in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. He has years of experience guiding customers t

May 15
1 h 07 min

STL365: The Thrifty Trio Convenes

In this episode, Ben and Dinkle sit down with Phil Huber, of the Woodsmith Shop, to discuss machine upgrades (or lack thereof) along with answering some listener question

May 1
1 h 00 min

STL364: Good Design Goes Unnoticed

Mike and Vic sit down with Konrad Sauer, of Sauer & Steiner Toolworks, to discuss the design process — what constitutes good design? And what should you do in the rare mo

Apr 17
1 h 19 min

STL363: More Than One Way to Cut a Dovetail

Anissa and Ben sit down with Bob van Dyke of the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking to discuss Fine Woodworking New England and the importance of embracing flexibil

Apr 3
1 h 07 min

STL362: Hold the Saw like a Baby Bird

Jeff Miller has been making furniture for 40 years, but he's not afraid to be a beginner. He and Vic sit down to discuss his new-found love of building guitars, the impor

Mar 20
1 h 07 min

STL361: Working at Speed

Luthier Aaron Keim chats with Ben about modifying tools to work better with your body, making kitchen shelves with figured maple, being able to work quickly, and of cours

Mar 6
1 h 01 min

STL360: Veneer Glue—Stirred, Not Shaken

Venerring gets weird when Steve Der-Garabedian joins Vic and Ben to discuss the variety of veneer tape, vacuum pumps, substrates, and why he likes his glue stirred, not s

Feb 20
1 h 10 min

STL359: Making the Most of Shop Time

Vic, Mike, and Amanda discuss how to nibble off a project in small chunks and how they keep up their woodworking chops when they just don't have much time. The Nordic T

Feb 6
42 min

STL358: He Hunts For Tools, So You Don't Have To

Joshua Clarke is the founder of Hyperkitten Tool Company, a business dedicated to sourcing and selling high-quality vintage hand tools to people who actually use them. He

Jan 23
1 h 09 min

STL357: Rob Spiece's Show and Tell

Rob speaks with Anissa and Amanda about his roles at Berea College and Pinecroft, and some cool projects for the upcoming year. For more information about our eLearnin

Jan 9
49 min

STL356: Unconscious Competency

Vic Tesolin and Ben Strano talk sharpening, saw choices, scrap hoarding, favorite woods, disappointing tools, shop snacks, wood shop EDC, and the moment woodworking final

Dec 12 2025
58 min

STL355: Pencil Geeks Assemble!

Blackwing president Grant Christensen discusses pencils with Mike and Ben, while Anissa, Amanda, and Ben debate unanswerable woodworking questions. For more information

Nov 28 2025
1 h 06 min

Chart trend

Position in the Hobbies chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#19#37JunJulAugSep

all-time peak

106

days in the top 10 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworking ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 16, 2026).

#29 ▼ 1 Hobbies US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I very much enjoy the Shop Talk Live podcast. It carries forward into a new medium the same things I like about Fine Woodworking magazine. Ben Strano, Amanda Russell and Vic Tesolin or Mike Pekovich are normally featured with frequent guests, that are other woodworkers. It’s fun to listen to people talk about the things you are passionate about and normally you have the opportunity to learn new things and be exposed to ideas which originate from different sources - leading you into new ways of doing things or different tools or methods. And no one takes themselves so seriously and so the show has plenty of laughter and fun.

LarryLuthier · Jun 2025

I enjoy the show every week (I listen in the iOS app, usually). The different perspectives and personalities of the hosts create an hour that is full of superb content, but is also encouraging, relaxing, and gently funny. Speaking of funny, I applaud the addition of Vic Tesolin, whose energy and quick brain are a match for his humor (should I say “humour? I mean, he’s Canadian…). This week, however, having just the “old gang” of Ben, Mike P., and Anissa, was near-perfect. Anissa, who is warm, genial, direct-while-self-effacing, might be my favorite, but the contributions of all the hosts work together to make a show that is both a pleasure to listen to, and instructionally serious about woodworking. [edit] I want to add that it is due to this show that I’ve become aware of the many women woodworkers out there who contribute so much to this hobby/profession. I’m aware, because you give them visibility. [UPDATE 10/04/2024:] I am only through 1/2 of tonight’s episode, but I couldn’t wait to comment on the show. Siri(sp?) is a fantastic guest. Direct, blunt, funny, and IMPORTANT information, which I’m not sure I’d hear anyplace else. This is one episode I might play again, this time on YouTube. Great programming, Ben! Love the podcast, and have adored the magazine for decades. Keep up the good—no, GREAT—work. (Now I gotta Google this guest; she’s great!)

mrChuck · Oct 2024

A go-to listen, am happy to see each new episode. Whether listening in the shop or while on my Friday commute, these folks bring the smiles.

Ricky Beato · Dec 2023

Hey all, love this podcast for the practical no bull discussions. I appreciate everyone talking about the craft and how it takes place in all kinds of settings and how much variation there is in execution in the shop. I also really like the sidebar discussions that are wood related and some not. This is at the top of my list of favorite podcasts. Thanks to everyone who shares their expertise openly as well as the creative processes they use or don’t use. If anyone listens from the person who hasn’t touched a tool yet to the master craftsman, I think they would thoroughly enjoy listening. Also a big thumbs up the the group for doing a session on hearing protection. This is great stuff and something we all should be actively doing in our shops. Another area where there seems to be a lack of knowledge is in protecting our lungs. It would be great to have some experts and industry folks represented to have that discussion. MSA serves a large industrial base and they have some very knowledgeable folks who can give you the details of a good breathing protection program for the professionals and hobbyist. 3M is another good one. Thanks for pouring into the wood working community. PS - I love listening to music while working in the shop. It sounds best while making sawdust. Jeff Underwood Seminole, FL

Fejj Doorednu · Jul 2023

I’m unfollowing the podcast and skipping next year’s magazine subscription. I’ve been a finish carpenter my whole life and Fine Woodworking used to hit hard, but after they sold out and got folded in with the Woodsmith crowd it went soft. The podcast, the magazine, the website. All watered down. More tool chatter, no real craft. They used to teach you something worth bleeding for. Now it’s weekend-warrior talk at full price. Feels like they traded steel for plastic. Two stars for the ghost of what it used to be.

Rogin24 · Dec 2025

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