Do you listen to any woodworking podcast?

[Simon MacGowen]

Unlike videos, I cannot skip and choose to start from a certain segment/topic in a podcast (usually an hour long or longer (FW eg)), so I never listen to any podcast. Do you? Or have you found a way of cherry picking what you want to listen to?

Simon

[Matthew Hills]

FWW podcast grew on me. Great when driving.

Matt

[mike holden]

Yeah, tried to listen to podcasts for a few weeks trying a number of them, soon gave up on them. As regards finding the "good stuff" on them, many podcast players include a control to speed up the talk, that would minimize the time spent waiting for something interesting to be said.
Mike

[Brad Barnhart]

I have never listened to a podcast on woodworking of any sort. How does a feller go about finding these podcasts to have a listen, and see if they are worthwhile?

[Brian Holcombe]

12 hours about WWI western front, sign me up. 30 min about WW... maybe.

[Prashun Patel]

I listen to Woodtalk and Shoptalk. Woodtalk has really grown on me. Spagnuolo knows how to keep it flowing and he answers concisely and thoroughly. Shannon Rogers is very knowledgeable too. The new guy Matt is skilled, but doesn’t always sound prepared and laughs a lot. He has gotten much better in the past year though.

Shoptalk used to be great. It’s Just ok now. Mike Peckovitch keeps it interesting. That guy is fantastic and knows a lot about hand and power tool work. They have great guests every now and then.

[Paul F Franklin]

Woodtalk and Shoptalk live all the time. The Modern Woodworking Assoc. sometimes. I listen mostly while walking the dog, 45 minutes or an hour each day. Also listen to the fine homebuilding pod, and a bunch of the NPR comedy shows. Cooking too.

Simon, not sure what you are using to listen to them, but all the podcast apps I'm familiar with have a slider to navigate to any portion of the podcast. To do that, though, you have to download the pod to your device first. I use the Downcast app and have it set up to automatically download all the podcasts I listen to. And then it deletes them after I listen to them so they don't fill up the phone memory.

Agree with Prashun that Mike Peckovitch is a treasure. Love his new book too.

[justin sherriff]

I some times listen the dusty life podcast. the sound quality some times is not that good 1 guy loud and the other quiet.

[Robert Hazelwood]

Most WW podcasts are extremely beginner-centric, like 95% of all WW content and for obvious reasons. They are a poor way to pick up specific information; better to search forums or youtube. But it is kind of nice to hear human beings talk about something I spend so much time reading about, even if its stuff I already know or even stuff I know to be sort of wrong. I only listen to them while I am doing some other task- a substitute for music basically- so it's not like I'm wasting time if I am not hearing anything groundbreaking.

The only WW podcast I listen to on any sort of regular basis is FWW Shop Talk Live. And that's really just for Mike Pekovich and his insights on design and the little details of making things. It's a shame they got rid of Matt Kenney because he could offer a lot as well. Those two are accomplished enough as makers to have interesting things to say beyond which sharpening stone a beginner should buy. Their shows are actually much better when they stray away from trying to answer reader questions and go off on tangents. They use hand tools quite a bit as well, though none of them seem aware of what a chipbreaker is for, which is baffling.

[brian zawatsky]

12 hours about WWI western front, sign me up. 30 min about WW... maybe.

Hardcore History?

[Brian Holcombe]

Hardcore History?

Love it! I have been looking forward to his next episode to Supernova in the East and recently went through all of the Ostfront series. I use headphones while I work, music gets monotonous after a while, so long podcasts on historical events are enjoyable.

[brian zawatsky]

Love it! I have been looking forward to his next episode to Supernova in the East and recently went through all of the Ostfront series. I use headphones while I work, music gets monotonous after a while, so long podcasts on historical events are enjoyable.

One of my favorites for sure. I listened to the WWI series (which was phenomenal) and the Blueprint for Armageddon episodes. I used to devour podcasts and audiobooks at work when I spent more time at the bench or out in the shop floor. My day job has evolved into a lot more office work and CAD/CAM stuff, so I find that listening to anything other than background music at my desk is like asking for me to make a stupid mistake. Can’t concentrate on both at once.

[Brian Nguyen]

Woodtalk and, to a lesser degree, FWW's Shop Talk are mostly entertainment. It's hard to pick up anything new in terms of techniques because talking technicals in woodworking can be utterly dull.

That said, Woodtalk is long-running because Marc Spagnuolo is genuinely fun to listen to and is the glue that binds the three hosts together. There's been some episodes in which it was only Matt and Shannon, and you can tell that the show became un-listenable because Marc's humor wasn't there and the two remaining guys doesn't have the same chemistry.

Shop Talk went down hill ever since Ben Strano stepped out from behind the cameras and became a host full time. He just doesn't bring much authority or charisma, compared to Matt (who was termed by Taunton) or Mike.

I, too, am a fan of Hardcore History. It's amazing that Dan Carlin can talk for hours non-stop on a subject, my favorite one was on the Mongols.

[Brian Holcombe]

Same here, when I'm working on CAD or doing a layout I can't listen to anything but music, it's too conflicting.

I'm amazed that Dan keeps the subject interesting throughout the course of the series. I've listened to some series about 3-4 times and still could listen again and pick up something I missed.

Anywho, not to steer the topic too far off course; I've given most of the woodworking podcasts a chance. The ones that interview a maker tend to remain fairly interesting for me, but the ones where they just joke around haven't really captured my attention.

[William Fretwell]

Used to get my grandfather to talk about WW1, somewhat reluctantly as the conditions in the trenches were beyond deplorable, beyond horrendous. After 5 minutes he just went silent and gazed at the wall.

[Brian Holcombe]

Used to get my grandfather to talk about WW1, somewhat reluctantly as the conditions in the trenches were beyond deplorable, beyond horrendous. After 5 minutes he just went silent and gazed at the wall.

We can know every detail of these events and really know nothing of the experience of people like your grandfather. My grandfather was a WWII veteran and did not speak much of it until I made a phone call to him with questions prepared for my fourth grade project. He went into detail about his experience not previous shared with family members, I've found the events of early 20th century history interesting every since.

[Simon MacGowen]

Simon, not sure what you are using to listen to them, but all the podcast apps I'm familiar with have a slider to navigate to any portion of the podcast. To do that, though, you have to download the pod to your device first. I use the Downcast app and have it set up to automatically download all the podcasts I listen to. And then it deletes them after I listen to them so they don't fill up the phone memory.


I do most of my digital things on the computer. I suppose with the slider, you need to trial and error to find out what you want to start listening to. Music from the radio is the only thing played while I work in the shop.

Simon

[Matthew Hartlin]

Same opinion on Shop Talk, however I still do generally like listening to it. I also really like Bob Rozaieki's Hand Tools and Techniques podcast. Woodworkers Podcast is also good when they have unique guests on from time to time.

However I find that I can't really listen to them in the shop, guess I'm too much into my own headspace(same thing usually happens in my office work as well). Usually just ends up on the radio as background noise.

[Jon Nuckles]

I enjoy Shop Talk Live while walking my dog. Just in case Ben Strano reads this forum and is feeling sad about the criticisms, I want to say that I enjoy his humor, hosting skills, and the musical outros that he puts together. Matt Kenney was fun and I was sorry to see him go. Mike Peckovich is great -- very knowledgeable, talented and humble. I do listen to the podcast more for entertainment than for information, however.

[Prashun Patel]

here here. Ben is no slouch. he is self effacing too much, imho. he is quite knowledgable and relateable. i loved matt kenney's work and he was as knowedgable as Mike P. But he had some snark on him. He would put down anyone and everyone - the other hosts, the questioners. I didn't appreciate that; made the questioner sound dumb for asking. The only person beyond his snark was Peckovitch - who notably has never been (intentionally) snarky. Even when he slips, he immediately apologizes in an endearing and genuine way.

Shoptalk is a little more "NPR"-esque in its tone. If Aneesa and Mike are on together I half expect then to start talking about Schwetty B@ll$ (hat tipped to SNL). They can also start getting a little wonky. This is partly because they sometimes do a video supplement. Mike P can go down the rabbit hole when describing his 'favorite technique' - it's usually some esoteric way of measuring of jigging up a table saw to be able to cut the pins and tails in a single pass... This tends to lose me. Especially when my daughter is in the car, eyes a-roll.

Woodtalk on the otherhand is more Beavis and Butthead meets Wayne's World. But they manage to squeeze a lot of great content in there. That's why Marc is so good. Weeks when he's not on the show really reveal how skilled he is in the format.

Woodtalk is great youtubers who are becoming professional. Shoptalk is a professional magazine trying to become more youtubesque.

Blah blah blah. I sound ridiculous.