MWA Episode 97.5 - Ben Strano 5 Questions

After he was kind enough to put up with us for episode 97, we put Ben Strano through the 5 questions.

Where can you Find Ben?

• Intragram
• Twitter
• Fine Woodworking Magazine on Instagram
• Fine Woodworking Magazine on Twittter
• finewoodworking.com

Zac Higgins

NV Woodwerks

@NVWoodwerks

Facebook

Dyami Plotke

Penultimatewoodshop.com

@DyamiPlotke

Facebook

Modern Woodworkers Association

@MWA_National

facebook.com/modernwoodworkers

MWA Episode #97 - Ben Strano

We had a chance to sit down and chat with Ben Strano. Those of you who have been in the community for a while may have known Ben through twitter. We chatted with him to discuss and celebrate his recent job at Fine Woodworking.

What’s in the shop?

• Dyami
• Ceiling Hatch Frames
• Planter Pot Hangers
• A Bandsaw that Doesn’t Cut
• Chris
• Ben
• A new house
• Hanging with Patrick McCombe
• A Shedural Side Table

Main topic

• Design and mockup maquet
• Working in the same building at Fine Homebuilding

I took a furniture design class with @pekovichwoodworks this weekend. At first I was disappointed in my own imagination. Watching him draw a piece effortlessly and then drawing the same junky boxes over and over was annoying. Then I realized I'm on day one of sketching furniture and he's on day 6,000. The real breakthrough came when we started mocking things up. This is based on a bad drawing I did quickly. It's nothing new but it is new to me. Make a leg and a quarter of all the other parts. Stick it between two mirrors and bam(!) you can see a really convincing version. Take it apart and change it all you want in minutes. Killer technique and well worth the price of the class.

A photo posted by Ben Strano (@benstrano) on Jan 24, 2016 at 3:32pm PST

• Photoshopping Kumiko
• The thrill of working at Fine Woodworking
• Twitter, Instagram & woodworking social media
• 10 questions episode
• I challenge Ed, Matt, FWW & Patrick

Where can you Find Ben?

• Intragram
• Twitter
• Fine Woodworking Magazine on Instagram
• Fine Woodworking Magazine on Twittter
• finewoodworking.com

Where can you find us

• Woodworking in America 2016
• September 16th through 18th
• Covington, KY

If you’re missing us already, you can subscribe to the show on itunes. Just search for the Modern Woodworkers Association. Once you’re subscribed, you’ll be sure never to miss an exciting episode. While you’re in iTunes, please leave us a 5 star rating. It helps our rank so others can more easily find us.

If you want to find out more about the Modern Woodworkers Association, be sure to visit modernwoodworkersassociation.com, follow the MWA on twitter @MWA_National, like the MWA on Facebook or circle Modern Woodworkers Association on Google+. While you’re there, join the MWA Google+ community for project sharing, discussion and loads of woodworking banter.

Help Us Dominate The Fine Woodworking Live Build-Off

This originally appeared on penultimatewoodshop.com

Fine Woodworking is shaking up woodworking conference night activities with their Friday Night Build-Off.

We'll wait until after the Build-Off to take over the bar.

While +Asa Christiana let it slip while we were talking to him on the Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast, the event has been officially announced.

The MWA on Shop Talk Live

This is a re-posting of a post I originally shared at penultimatewoodshop.com

Last week fellow +Modern Woodworkers Association member +Rob Bois and I headed up to Newtown, Connecticut to meet up with the +Fine Woodworking crew and represent the MWA on their podcast, Shoptalk Live.

Publishers, and just all around nice guys who love woodworking.

We had a great time and really appreciate the invitation.

On the podcast we joined +Asa Christiana, +Matthew Kenney & +Ed Pirnik to talk woodworking. The specific topics discussed ranged from the pro & cons of sliding compound miter saws (I'm on the Pro side) to the dangers of drinking shellac.

Matt Kenney sits down in their decked out podcasting studio

Yours truly, behind the mic.

Ed Pirnik made this decked out mic stand just to accommodate us.

You can check out the podcast on their site here, you can also download and subscribe to it on iTunes here. And if you do listen using iTunes, please leave a review. +Ed Pirnik will really appreciate it.

Rob & Matt talk shop.

Yes, Rob, jointers do come that big (By the way, he won a Bad Axe Tenon saw).