Should you cut raw meat on wooden cutting boards? Do the bacteria grow inside the cutting board?  Is plastic better?  Should you use a finish on wood cutting boards?  How often do SERIOUS allergies develop from breathing in wood dust?  Should you always wear a mask?  What is the risk of cancer for woodworkers?  IF YOU'VE BEEN CURIOUS OR CARE ABOUT ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE!In this episode, we speak with Professor of Wood Anatomy at OSU, Dr. Seri Robinson, about these EXTREMELY  important topics.  Seri has dedicated years of laboratory research towards addressing these topics and leads a wonderful discussion.  A rare occurrence in the maker space where two Ph.D. scientists (Paul & Seri) work together to deconvolute these important topics, cut through fear and misinformation, and come away with real world pragmatic recommendations.For more reading on these topics, here is a link to Seri's book ⁠"Living with Wood: A Guide for Toymakers, Hobbyists, Crafters, and Parents" ⁠and Seri's Patreon all about Wood Safety: http://www.patreon.com/woodsafetyTo watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467

Have you heard of "Industrial Design" before? (or have you largely overlooked it like so many of us?!)  The iPHONE, which transformed the entire world, is an ingenous example of Industrial Design where an object is designed to interact with hundreds of millions of random people.  What are the rules governing GOOD INDUSTRIAL DESIGN and what does it have to teach us about OUR OWN WORK????  Are we missing an opportunity here to learn something important here???  Mary brings the heat in today's discuss on this amazing and often overlooked topic.To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467

Are you satisfied with what you have in life?  Do you find yourself wishing for MORE?? MORE AND MORE MONEY, a bigger/better place to live, a nicer car or more opulent vacations?  "When I have (Insert Answer Here), then I"ll be happier!" . Do you continually strive for more, AND ACHIEVE IT, only to feel somewhat hollow or anticlimactic?Let's start 2025 together on a POSITIVE OPTIMISTIC note, and tackle the topic of "ENOUGH".  Can we realize what is ENOUGH in our lives, and rather than chasing happiness, practice gratitude and appreciation to find the happiness already within.  True contentedness comes NOT from getting what you think you want, but rather, learning to APPRECIATE what you already have.  To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467

DO YOU KNOW what your significant other or non-artist friends THINK & FEEL about your art, your craft, or your passion?  Do they find it intersting because we do?  Do they feel the special pull of hand made objects like we do?  Do they find themselves passionate by proxy, or do they think we're just weird?Join us for a special HOLIDAY EPISODE where we hear from the significant others Victoria & Sara and hear about HOW THEY SEE THE MAKER WORLD. We also have some fun TRIVIA CHALLENGES between the girls seeing how much they have learned by Osmosis, followed by the sexiest ad read ever.  It's a joyful and fun episode for all!To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467

Do you find yourself bored when you make something more than once?  How about when you make that something 1000 times because it sells well?  Is there creativity to be found withing production work?  How do we deal with the mental side of doing a repetitive task? In this episode we think about both the PROS and CONS to production work and how to find the right mindset that enables repetitive production work to be more creative and more fulfilling. We also have our first AD read, and believe me, you won't want to skip it because its a hiarious mess told as a bad Hallmark Movie.  I'm pretty sure we won't have another ad sponsor after this! To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467

Explore the intricate art of pricing in the creative world. Dive into the ethical dilemmas artists face when raising their prices. Discover personal anecdotes about pricing strategies in woodworking and printmaking. Unpack the balance of perceived value and market demands in selling handmade goods. Join a spirited debate about accessibility versus profitability for artisans. Plus, hear insights on the unique value of skill in crafting and how scarcity affects pricing.

Do you feel STRESS at times in the shop?  Many people turn to woodworking and other crafts to relieve stress but once sufficiently into it, those once stress-relieving hobbies can actually become a SOURCE OF STRESS.   Today we talk about the stresses that each of us feel around the shop and making experience, what effects that stress has on us, and how we go about solving or alleviating that stress.To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467

We've all seen them, pieces of furniture or woodworking where someone throws all these random ass pieces of contrasting figured woods together, thinking that by using figured woods, their piece will look better, or fancy, or valuable.  When in reality, it often looks gaudy and disjointed, and a bit confused.  IS USING FIGURED WOODS A GIMMICK?  Join a spirited debate on how we see the tasteful use of figured woods, but how this simple question speaks to a MUCH LARGER design question of HUGE IMPORTANCE.  We also cover how figured woods develop in trees and what the scientific research says about their occurrence.To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467

Have you ever felt like an Imposter at work or when creating?  It is estimated that up to 85% of people experience imposter syndrome in their lives, despite training and high achievement.  ARE YOU PART OF THAT 85%?  In today's episode we confront this issue head on with the help of Kristin Siegfried Ballenger, who is an expert luthier (maker or violins and other stringed instruments) and has first hand experience dealing with imposter syndrome.  We all relate our experiences with imposter syndrome, talk about what the research suggests about it, and perhaps most importantly, talk about how to deal with it productively to achieve a deeper sense of confidence.To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467

As soon as we sat down to record, Erik said, "Let's just WING IT!!" , instead of following an outline for the conversation about: IS BEING COMPETITIVE A GOOD THING?  Paul is noticeably uncomfortable and what ensued is lovely W.I.B. history.To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon.com/user?u=91688467⁠