Beat Around The Bench Podcast

The episode kicks off with Ross revealing he is a devoted fan of Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, who now hosts a food travel show on Netflix called Somebody Feed Phil. Ross has personally visited around 15 of the restaurants the show featured, which is either very impressive or the most expensive hobby a woodworking podcast host has ever admitted to on air. Jess loves the s...

Ross is back. Jess is missing in action. And it was almost the shortest episode in Beat Around the Bench history because a tornado showed up and tried to end the whole thing early. That is not an exaggeration. But before nature launched its attack, Ross dropped a full debrief from his trip to London and Edinburgh and it is everything you want it to be. The man walked through 800 year old doorways....

One man is sick. Actually scratch that. One man is completely destroyed. Colton showed up to record this podcast after a week that included a Creed concert, a karaoke night, felling trees across his yard, and what he describes as looking, feeling, and sounding like hammer dog you-know-what. And yet here he is. A true hero of the craft. But before the sawdust flies, the crew does what they always d...

Season four keeps rolling and the boys are back with another episode that somehow manages to cover hot dogs, diesel engine engineering, sharpening stone philosophy, wood trivia, and a legitimate debate about whether you should own a tow strap before they wrap things up just over an hour. The episode opens with everyone sharing their go-to hot dog order. Ross goes full Chicago style — poppy seed bu...

Season four is officially here and the guys are kicking things off in the best way they know how — a little food talk, a lot of woodworking problem solving, a full round of rapid fire trivia, and some genuinely useful shop and business tips sprinkled in for good measure. The guys open with the new season four title theme, which is TV show names, and they could not have picked a better opener than...

Season 3 Finale - Ross and Colton hold it down while Jess recovers Stadium Food Debate Ross kicks things off asking what you have to eat every time you walk into an arena - sparked by the legendary Costco hot dog at a buck fifty Colton goes giant beer first, then a thick hot dog with relish and the brownest spicy mustard he can find Ross makes the case for the Chicago dog - Vienna beef, poppy seed...

The Boys bring the usual chaos and somehow still manage to drop serious value along the way. The guys kick things off debating which foods deserve to be wiped off the planet forever. Colton goes after applesauce for texture crimes, Ross makes a passionate case against cottage cheese calling it lumpy almost-spoiled milk, and Jess wants yellow squash gone for good. Ross also throws shade at mushroom...

In this episode Ross does a Deep Dive into all things AI Related for makers and content creators.       In this week’s episode we Dive deep into AI Colton adds lime to his fajitas Jess asks where does all of the time go? Ross takes us on a wild AI adventure.  

Good morning ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking and welcome aboard Beat Around the Bench Airlines flight 132 with nonstop service to Sassafras Country. Were cruising at an altitude of pure woodworking knowledge with your flight crew Jess Colton and Ross. Flight time today covers espresso machines hand tool techniques cutting board construction and sassafras wood discussion. Seatbel...

STEP RIGHT UP FOLKS FOR EPISODE 131 OF BEAT AROUND THE BENCH Thats right ladies and gentlemen we got your hosts Jess Colton and Ross serving up the finest woodworking podcast this side of the Mississippi and theyre diving deep into Osage orange wood like you never heard before. Blue Osage Cult baby because nothing says rock and roll like dense hardwood that weighs more than your anvil. You want ve...

Episode 130 Barenaked Larch - A Critical Review ★★★★½ What a remarkable evening at the podcast theater! This latest production from the Beat Around the Bench ensemble masterfully blends botanical education with culinary discourse while maintaining an absurdist comedy undercurrent that would make Beckett weep into his sawdust. The opening act establishes dramatic tension with a philosophical inquir...

In a world where Staceys mom has got it going on and one hit wonders reign supreme the crew unleashes the ultimate debate about fake bands that never existed but rocked harder than reality itself from Matt Damons legendary Euro Trip performance of Scotty Doesnt Know to Tom Hanks timeless That Thing You Do these fictional musicians changed the game forever Three men face their greatest challenge ye...

Jess makes his triumphant return after an amazing Puerto Rico vacation where he spent days laying by the pool eating taking naps and exploring the islands and he worked until 745 PM then drove an hour to make it to the podcast recording because he is a true champion The crew dives into Puerto Rico real estate opportunities where Jess discovered you can live in downtown San Juan for just a thousand...

The crew welcomes special guest Lee Dumond from Busted Knuckle Woodworks who is recording from his incredibly organized shop in Austin Texas and is about to hit the magical 100,000 subscriber milestone on YouTube after three years of grinding which means he will finally get that silver play button Lee drops some serious knowledge about why hitting 100K on YouTube is actually meaningful because the...

The guys agree that Alanis Mortise Set might be the best episode title so far and kick off Thanksgiving week with Colton already up in Tioga at his in laws place chopping wood and doing horse stuff while Jess is staying local because they have a big trip planned for early December Ross reveals his Thanksgiving menu game is next level with a 12 to 14 hour Cajun smoked turkey using mesquite wood and...

The crew kicks off with an epic hot sauce showdown where Jess reveals his new number one favorite is Lolas hot sauce especially the regga original which is absolutely insane on tacos and their ghost pepper version which is surprisingly not too crazy hot because it is mostly jalapenos with some ghost pepper and has this amazing smoky flavor that he discovered when Dixies was going out of business a...

The crew welcomes special guest Chad Schimmel from Turners Warehouse who Colton literally ran into by accident when he called their shop at 450 PM on one of his last days in Arizona and they were still waiting for the mail so he got to tour the whole facility and meet Chad who has been using the mullet technique ever since Chad shares his incredible journey from being a woodturner hobbyist in Ariz...

The crew starts off talking about Florence and the Machine and how Dog Days Are Over was that one massive hit that everyone has heard but might not realize who sings it which leads to some fun nostalgia about early 2010s music Jess shares an incredible story about a Mexican TikToker who started with just 700 dollars in his pocket living in his car and now travels to all 50 states reviewing tacos a...

The guys kick things off with some hilarious memories about House of Pain's Jump Around and how it became the ultimate party anthem at college house parties and even makes entire stadiums literally shake at University of Wisconsin football games Halloween candy showdown gets real as the crew debates their favorites from Snickers and Reese's to the controversial Almond Joy while Colton defe...

Jess, Colton and Ross kick things off with a hilarious deep dive into their favorite food bowls, from Mexican rice bowls to Mediterranean cauliflower shawarma, proving that woodworkers know their way around both a workshop and a kitchen The guys get real about plywood selection for cabinet making and why choosing the right material can make or break your project, especially when you're dealing...

• Burger bonanza kicks off with Five Guys extra bacon recommendations competing against Kuma's Corner heavy metal burger joints serving half-pound pretzel bun creations named after metal bands while Goblin Cock burger combines Vienna beef hot dog toppings creating food comas lasting entire weekends • Guest introduction welcomes Justin Hobart from Ambrose Design whose woodworking journey began...

• Salad showdown opens with Greek salads loaded with gyro meat competing against Caesar dressing anchovy mysteries while coleslaw divides the group between vinegar-based Carolina styles and mayonnaise-heavy Southern versions plus jalapeño variations that actually work • New Patreon spotlight welcomes Greg Wally from Plat Valley Woodworks to the supporter family while Colton battles Centerpoint Ene...

• Chocolate confessions launch the show with dark chocolate sea salt pretzels competing against chocolate peanut butter fudge brownies while Jess describes Halloween ghost cupcakes involving Oreos with orange filling and brownie mix creating spooky treats that impressed his wife Ashley's seasonal decoration obsession • Baby Charlie steals the spotlight making surprise camera appearances during...

• Fried food fantasies launch the show with cheese curds versus spicy chicken sandwiches while Jess drops knowledge about fried lasagna rolls from Dirty Dick's Crab House and Ross explores Scotch eggs plus Italian arancini balls from county fair adventures featuring fried butter on sticks • Dovetail precision becomes the star as Ross tackles twelve jewelry cabinet drawers using his trusty 1998...

• Crustacean talk kicks things off with crawfish boils described as eating cockroaches from ditches while Ross discovers Virginia Beach crab cakes the size of baseballs with zero filler that make landlocked Chicagoland versions look like sad breadcrumb sandwiches • Colton finally pulls the trigger on shop electricity after writing Centerpoint a check though the five to eight week wait has him cons...