Ep 135: Holly N' Oates

Season 3 Finale - Ross and Colton hold it down while Jess recoversStadium Food DebateRoss 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 fiftyColton goes giant beer first, then a thick hot dog with relish and the brownest spicy mustard he can findRoss makes the case for the Chicago dog - Vienna beef, poppy seed bun, neon green relish, tomato, dill pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt - never ketchupThe guys plan to attempt the 9-9-9 challenge together at a Cubs vs Astros game - nine hot dogs, nine 16-ounce beers, nine inningsColton won a spicy wings challenge at a sports bar, turned down the milk at the end and called for a tequila shot instead, paid for it the next dayRoss failed a 4-pound burger challenge at his brothers rehearsal dinner after eating two full baskets of appetizers beforehandRandom Jackassery QuestionsWorst nicknames - Colton got Hagler in middle school, Ross got Ross the Bus and Buddha at sports camp as a kidMost useless talent - Colton eats entire apples core and all, Ross fires off random facts nobody asked for including the tapirs three-headed anatomyPersonal chef vs chauffeur - both pick the chef, Colton wants to watch the knife work and learn the seasoning combinationsColtons Year in ReviewSince last WorkbenchCon Colton left his job, had daughter Charlie, moved to two acres outside Houston, and is now a full-time stay-at-home dadComing up on a year sober - went to four weddings without drinking and almost nobody noticedCold Crate is on pause while the shop gets built but a big commission quote is close to going out the doorThe Honest State of Custom Making in 2025Middle tier custom furniture is nearly impossible to compete in when your raw material cost alone exceeds what the overseas finished product sells forThe clients worth targeting are the ones who want something that does not exist on Wayfair and already understand they are paying a premium for itRoss pivoted to real estate agents and interior designers during the housing boom but that pipeline has slowed down hardRepair and restoration is picking up as people choose to extend what they have rather than replace itAI tools like Riverside are making production quality content easier to produce and both guys believe maker content creation is still worth the grind if you have something real to sayYard Chaos and a Useful DiscoveryColton used a tractor as a giant leaf wheelbarrow which went fine until the ground started feeling like quicksand under their feetStabbed the soft spots with a pickaxe expecting a busted line, nothing came out, likely just ground compression from repeated tractor passesRoss recommends a sod roller - fills with water, hooks to any riding mower, flattens ruts and soft spots - cheap to rent at Home DepotHousekeeping and Season FourThis is the official end of Season 3 - wrapping up since WorkbenchCon is not happening this year for the first time since the show launchedAll deep cut segments are now on beataroundthebench.com in their own sectionWelcome to new Patreon member Tony from Tonys Woodworkx in HoustonUse code BATB at mullettools.com for 5 percent off dust collection gearSeason 4 kicks off in March - send in your suggestions for the new episode naming theme