Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworking
The editors of Fine Woodworking magazine answer listener questions and interview master craftspeople on tools, techniques, and design philosophy.
This is the official audio hangout for America's premier woodworking publication. A panel of two or three of the magazine's own editors and contributors field technical and philosophical questions sent in by listeners, ranging from specific finishing problems to the pros and cons of a certain wood species. Roughly half the episodes feature a guest, typically a master craftsperson or educator, who joins the panel for a deep-dive conversation.
“Unlike general maker podcasts, Shop Talk Live is deeply rooted in the high-craft ethos of its parent magazine, Fine Woodworking. The rotating cast of hosts, all expert editors and woodworkers themselves, provides a breadth of specialized knowledge that's hard to match. The format's reliance on listener questions keeps the topics grounded in the real-world problems of its audience.”
Who hosts this show
Every two weeks, a rotating panel of staffers and editors from Fine Woodworking magazine answers questions from their community of dedicated woodworkers. The show is a mix of listener-driven Q&A, shop talk, and long-form interviews with expert guests like furniture makers, tool designers, and wood suppliers. The hosts draw on their own extensive experience to moderate discussions on everything from hand-tool joinery to the mental aspects of the craft.
Credentials & credits
- Ben Strano: Editor of FineWoodworking.com, Host of Shop Talk Live
- Mike Pekovich: Editor and Creative Director of Fine Woodworking magazine
- Vic Teslin: Author of 'The Minimalist Woodworker', former editor of Canadian Woodworking magazine, former technical advisor at Lee Valley/Veritas
- Bridget 'Dinkel' Gruber: Co-host and woodworker (Dinkel's Woodshop)
Other ventures
- Fine Woodworking Magazine
- Fine Woodworking E-Learning Courses
- Fine Woodworking Trips
- Pekovich Woodworks (Mike Pekovich)
- Vic Tesolin Woodworks (Vic Teslin)
When new episodes drop
- 01STL369: Calling All Choppers!Jun 26, 2026 · 1h 05m
- 02STL368: It Appeared to Me in a DreamJun 12, 2026 · 56 min
- 03STL367: Mike Didn’t Get The MemoMay 29, 2026 · 1h 16m
- 04STL366: No Mallet is SafeMay 15, 2026 · 1h 08m
- 05STL365: The Thrifty Trio ConvenesMay 1, 2026 · 1h 00m
- 06STL364: Good Design Goes UnnoticedApr 17, 2026 · 1h 20m
- 07STL363: More Than One Way to Cut a DovetailApr 3, 2026 · 1h 08m
- 08STL362: Hold the Saw like a Baby BirdMar 20, 2026 · 1h 08m
Notable episodes
- 01STL369: Calling All Choppers!
Features an interview with Bill Pavlock, head cabinetmaker at Colonial Williamsburg, offering a fascinating look into the life of a professional 18th-century craftsman.
- 02STL366: No Mallet is Safe
A deep dive into wood as a material with lumberyard owner Shay Alexander, discussing wood allergies, the reputation of red oak, and how wood ages.
- 03STL368: It Appeared to Me in a Dream
Explores the creative and subconscious side of problem-solving in woodworking, based on a listener question about finding solutions in dreams.
What you'll be asked on this show
Interviews are conducted as a multi-host conversation. The hosts, typically Ben Strano or Vic Teslin, will introduce the guest and their area of expertise, then weave them into the show's existing Q&A and shop-talk format. They ask open-ended questions to draw out the guest's philosophy and follow up with specific technical questions to clarify details for the audience (e.g., "When you say cherry is truly photosensitive, what do you mean by that?"). The hosts often relate the guest's experience back to their own projects or a common listener problem, making the expert advice more accessible.
The show operates as a friendly, informal panel discussion between two or three hosts. Episodes are built around answering listener-submitted questions, which the hosts read and then debate, often pulling in their own recent shop experiences. When a guest is featured, they are integrated into the panel, creating a conversational group dynamic rather than a rigid one-on-one interview.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
11 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
personal
3- Q.01
“What tool, process, or technique has had the greatest impact on you as a woodworker?”
This question is used to explore a guest's personal journey and core philosophy of the craft.
- Q.02
“What's the weirdest or most terrifying thing you've seen someone do in a shop or when handling lumber?”
This question is often asked to elicit a humorous, relatable story that highlights a safety or process lesson.
- Q.03
“Have you personally experienced any health issues, like respiratory problems, with certain woods?”
This question grounds the abstract topic of wood toxicity in personal experience and safety.
advice
1- Q.01
“A listener asks: How can I solve this specific problem with [finishing/joinery/milling]?”
This is the core format of the show, where the hosts and guest tackle a detailed, technical reader question.
craft
1- Q.01
“What are your thoughts on [a specific wood, like red oak], especially one that gets a bad rap?”
The hosts ask this to leverage a guest's material expertise and debunk common myths.
mindset
3- Q.01
“Has a woodworking solution ever come to you in a dream or a quiet moment?”
This question probes the subconscious and creative problem-solving aspects of the craft.
- Q.02
“How do you mentally prepare for a stressful step like a complex glue-up, especially in a public setting?”
This question explores the psychological side of woodworking and how to manage performance anxiety.
- Q.03
“What do you consider to be 'timeless' furniture?”
This question is used to understand a guest's design philosophy and aesthetic values.
process
2- Q.01
“What are the safety concerns with using a [tool] for a non-standard [task]?”
The hosts use this format to address potentially dangerous 'gray area' techniques they see online.
- Q.02
“Where does the furniture you build in the [historic/demonstration] shop end up?”
This helps understand the purpose and context of a guest's professional work.
technique
1- Q.01
“When you say [a technical term], can you clarify what you mean by that?”
Hosts frequently ask for clarification to ensure the audience can follow a deep technical discussion.
Signature segments
- · All-Time Favorite Tool of All Time for This Week
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically master woodworkers, toolmakers, authors, and educators from the top tier of the craft, often with a connection to Fine Woodworking as a contributor or instructor. They book people like the head cabinetmaker at Colonial Williamsburg or the owner of a specialty lumberyard to provide authoritative, specialized knowledge.
- Bill Pavlockon STL369: Calling All Choppers!
- Stephen Der-Garabedianon STL368: It Appeared to Me in a Dream
- Shay Alexanderon STL366: No Mallet is Safe
- Phil Huberon STL365: The Thrifty Trio Convenes
- Konrad Saueron STL364: Good Design Goes Unnoticed
- Bob van Dykeon STL363: More Than One Way to Cut a Dovetail
- Jeff Milleron STL362: Hold the Saw like a Baby Bird
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is heavily supported by its own parent company, frequently promoting Fine Woodworking's Unlimited memberships, e-learning courses, and international woodworking trips. External sponsors are typically woodworking-focused brands like Gorilla Glue and SawStop.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a panel discussion with a rotating cast of 2-3 hosts from Fine Woodworking magazine who answer listener questions and occasionally interview expert guests.
- How often do new episodes come out?
- A new episode is released every two weeks.
- How can I submit a question to the show?
- You can email your woodworking questions to [email — gated] for consideration.
- Who are the main hosts?
- The show features a rotating panel of Fine Woodworking editors and staff, primarily including Ben Strano, Mike Pekovich, and Vic Teslin.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on the Fine Woodworking website, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Shop Talk Live - Fine Woodworkingfinewoodworking.com
- [02]Ben Strano - Fine Woodworkingmuckrack.com
- [03]Michael Pekovich - Fine Woodworkingmuckrack.com
- [04]Vic Tesolin Woodworks - Aboutvictesolin.com
- [05]Mike Pekovich (Fine Woodworking) | Why We Make Thingsyoutube.com
- [06]Shop Talk Live - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
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