Shows
The Maker’s QuestClient Projects and Steam Bent GuitarsDive into the latest Maker's Quest podcast where Brian Benham details his epic root-over-rock chess table build and Greg Porter reveals his new guitar side-bending machine. A deep dive into custom woodworking and luthiery.
Hosted by
Brian Benham from Benham Design Concepts
https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/
Brian's Blog https://www.briansbenham.com/
Brian Benham on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/benhamdesignconcepts.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Greg Porter from SkyScraper Guitars
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: http...
2025-09-0754 minThe Maker’s QuestFailing Your Way to Success Insights from Makers Brian Benham and Greg Porter"
In this episode of the Maker's Quest Podcast, hosts Brian Benham from Benham Design Concepts and Greg Porter from Skyscraper Guitars delved into the often-overlooked reality of failure in the creative process—especially when turning ideas into marketable products. Both seasoned makers shared candid stories of their struggles, lessons learned, and how embracing failure is a non-negotiable step toward innovation and profitability.
Hosted by
Brian Benham from Benham Design Concepts
https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/
Brian Benham on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/benhamdesignconcepts.com
YouTube: https://www.youtu...
2025-08-141h 17The Maker’s QuestShop ImprovementsWe thought it would be an excellent opportunity to look back at 2024—our favorite shop upgrades, biggest projects, and lessons learned—and then peek ahead at what’s in store for 2025.
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Hosted by
Brian Benham
Portfolio: https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/
Brian Benham on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/benhamdesignconcepts.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg...
2025-04-201h 26The Maker’s QuestAre You CNC Curious?If you’ve ever dabbled in CNC machining or dreamed of turning your garage into a mini manufacturing hub, you’ll know that the journey is equally thrilling and frustrating. In this episode, Brian and Greg take you through their CNC journey—from their first modest machine to new upgrades.
Hosted by
Brian Benham
Portfolio: https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/
Brian On Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benham_design
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Greg Porter
https://sky...
2025-03-241h 12The Maker’s QuestInfluential People That Shaped us Into MakersIn this episode, we talk about influential people who shaped us into makers. Brian and Greg reminisce about people from their past who helped guide them and inspired them as they journeyed along the path of becoming makers.
Hosted by
Brian Benham
Portfolio: https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/
Brian’s Woodworking Plans: https://www.digitaldesignconcepts.art/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube...
2024-12-301h 28The Maker’s QuestWorking With InternsIn this episode, Greg and Brian discussed their experiences mentoring interns and apprentices in their respective woodworking and architecture businesses. They discussed the potential benefits and challenges of hiring an intern, with Brian stressing the importance of fair compensation.
Hosted by
Brian Benham
Portfolio: https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/
Brian’s Woodworking Plans: https://www.digitaldesignconcepts.art/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube...
2024-11-091h 05The Maker’s QuestSetting Up Tools AccuratelyIn this episode, Brian and Greg talk about how they set up their tools in their shop and how important it is to set up tools accurately They then share a few tips on tool setup.
Hosted By:
Brian Benham
Portfolio: https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/custom-furniture-colorado-springs/
Brian’s Woodworking Plans: https://www.digitaldesignconcepts.art/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtu...
2024-10-141h 05The Maker’s QuestOur Secret Design Inspirations EP 26In this episode, we talk about people we follow for design inspiration. Some of them might surprise you, as inspiration can come from anywhere.
For a full list, check out our show notes
Hosted by
Brian Benham
Portfolio: https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/custom-furniture-colorado-springs/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: https://www.youtube...
2024-06-161h 07The Maker’s QuestShop Safety and Trafic Endings ep25The guys talk about staying safe in the shop, how to stay safe, wanting to look out to keep you safe, and developing good shop habits. They finish the episode by sharing some of their horror of unfortunate shop accidents; the end gets gruesome, so you've been warned!
Hosted by
Brian Benham
https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/custom-furniture-denver-colorado/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
...
2024-04-2744 minThe Maker’s QuestTips for Selling at Trade Shows, Art Galleries, and Craft ShowsIn this episode, the guys talk about their experiences at tradeshows, art galleries, and arts and crafts shows. They talk about what they do to make the show successful and things that are challenging.
Hosted by
Brian Benham
https://www.briansbenham.com/
Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/Brian_Benham
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
Custom Furniture https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
You...
2024-04-061h 02The Maker’s QuestNew Projects In The Work ShopToday, we take a break from discussing designs and making topics and talk a little about what we have going on in our shops: current projects, new projects on the horizon, and the daily grind of being a maker.
Show Notes
Brian has a large steel table base in the shop, working on new patination processes. The sheer size makes him wish he had a shop helper to help schlep it around.
He had challenges controlling the chemicals to get the colors he was looking for
Brian has a new bed project in the wings. Greene and Greene i...
2024-02-241h 21The Maker’s QuestMaking Pens with Curt Van Filipowski From Confounded Machine EP22Curt creates handmade pens from Titanium that are precision machined in his home workshop. He got his start from his curiosity in machining and CAD. He created a pen for himself and started carrying it around with him, and people noticed and commented on the quality. It wasn't long before he was able to quit his job and make pens full-time.
You can connect with Curt at
Website: https://www.confoundedmachine.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcRm7BOOAQgbuehhrHCc34Q
Instagram: @confoundedmachine
Hosted by
Brian Benham
https://www.bria...
2024-01-201h 03The Maker’s QuestCustom Drums With Bryan Bales EP21Today, we talked with Custom Drum maker Bryan Bales. Bryan got his start in drum making from his curiosity of wanting to learn how to make drums and his love for making things.
Bryan can be found on Instagram at Bales5000, his YouTube is Bales5000, and he is active on Instructables, sharing his drum and prop builds,
When he is not building crazy experimental drums or over-the-top Halloween costumes, he works with his friend at Calderwood Percussion, building high-end custom drums.
Hosted by
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://ww...
2023-12-091h 16The Maker’s QuestIs Social Media Still Viable to Promote Your BusinessIs social media still a viable way to promote your business, or is the new business model to be a content creator, making products secondary?
Today, we talk about our past successes and our future strategies for getting our products out in front of people.
Show Notes
Instagram Top 9 in the hashtags, is it still a thing
Brian says Social Media no longer sends him much passive income
Organic growth on social media is dead
You have to sell your sole to the algorithm to grow
Social media companies have lost the importance of community
Selling o...
2023-11-0346 minThe Maker’s QuestHow to Price Your Creative Work and Avoid Pitfalls - EP19Tonight, we talk about how to price your work so you can run a successful business and put food on your table. Whether it is pricing a custom piece or a mass-manufactured piece, we've got you covered with a few tips you can implement today to price your work for success!
Hosted by
Brian Benham https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/
Greg Porter https://skyscraperguitars.com/
2023-10-061h 09The Maker’s QuestThe Unhealthy Pursuit of PerfectionThe Unhealthy Pursuit of Perfection, we have all been there. Every one of us who makes things tries to make it perfect, but perfection is a fool's earned and unattainable. The more you know, the more you know you don't know. In this episode, we talk about how the pursuit of Perfection can reach unhealthy levels and what we do to stay sane and continue our maker's quest.
Hosted by
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Gregs...
2023-08-2556 minThe Maker’s QuestHow Many Projects are Too Many ProjectsThis is a common issue for creatives that make things. We all have active imaginations; we can visualize lots of things. Then the distractions come into play. We are drawn to the new shiny project or derailed by a project that we have to do to make money to keep the bills paid.
https://www.themakersquest.com/how-many-projects-are-too-many-projects-ep17
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsGarage
Brian Benham
https://www...
2023-08-1446 minThe Maker’s QuestHow To Stay Curious to Stay CreativeIn this episode, the guys talk about the power of staying curious and how it will help you stay creative in your journey as a maker.
Show notes: https://www.themakersquest.com/how-to-stay-curious-to-stay-creative
Hosted by
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsGarage
Brian Benham
https://www.brianbenham.com/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliM...
2023-05-261h 07The Maker’s QuestGathering Inspiration For Designs - EP15In today's episode, Brian and Greg Talk about different techniques for gathering inspiration for their designs and then iterating from basic design principles to more abstract concepts and techniques.
Show Notes:
https://www.themakersquest.com/gathering-insperation-for-designs-ep15
Hosted by
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsGarage
Brian Benham
https://www.brianbenham.com/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c...
2023-04-281h 00The Maker’s QuestLean How to Lean EP14In this episode, Brian and Greg talk about how learning new things by learning how to learn.
Setting aside preconceived notions about what you think something is about will help you approach learning with an open mind. Then they talk about Chat GPT and how to use it to help us learn and become better critical thinkers.
Show notes: https://www.themakersquest.com/learn-how-to-learn-ep14
Hosted by
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: http...
2023-03-241h 05The Maker’s QuestHow Makers Handle Challenges - EP13In this episode, we talk about how makers handle challenges. We talk about acquiring tools, acquiring skills, acquiring new clients, and how social media algorithms are diluting creativity.
Website: https://www.themakersquest.com/
Greg Porter https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsGarage
Brian Benham https://www.brianbenham.com/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKlu5PgSpodQ
2023-02-241h 01The Maker’s QuestBuilding Motorcycles With Eric Gorges From The Craftsman’s Legacy - EP12We Talked with Eric Gorges about designing and building Motorcycles and his show on PBS, The Craftsman's Legacy, where he seeks out other master craftspeople to get at a taste of their craft and learn from their experiences.
Show Notes
https://www.themakersquest.com/building-motorcycles-with-eric-gorges-from-the-craftsmans-legacy-ep12
You can find more about Eric Gorges At:
The Craftsman's Legacy on Instagram
Voodoo Choppers on Instagram
Websites http://voodoochoppers.com/ and https://www.craftsmanslegacy.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CraftsmansLegacy
Check out his book
A CRAFTSMAN’S L...
2023-01-271h 11The Maker’s QuestEat Your Own Dog Food to Design Better - EP11In this episode, we talk about the phrase by Microsoft Manager Paul Maritz. Eat Your Own Dog Food. You should use and live with your own designs to know they are good. Test your design out, and iterate on better versions.
Full Show Notes
https://www.themakersquest.com/eat-your-own-dog-food-to-design-better-ep11
2022-12-1659 minThe Maker’s QuestBernie From WorksbySolo on Inventing With A Creative MindIn this episode, we talk with Bernie from @WorksbySolo about inventing with a creative mind.
You Can find more about Berni at https://www.worksbysolo.com/
Your Podcast Hosts are:
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsGarage
Brian Benham
https://www.brianbenham.com/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXO8f1IIliMKKl...
2022-10-281h 01The Maker’s QuestMake It Work With What You GotIn this episode, we talk about how to get the job done with the tools and skills we have on hand, even if they are not right for the job.
How Notes Make it Work With What You Got
Hosted by
Greg Porter
https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsGarage
Brian Benham
https://www.brianbenham.com/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benham_design/
YouTube: https://www...
2022-09-2359 minThe Maker’s QuestAndy Birkey Preserving History as an Architectural Restore EP8In this episode, we talk with Andy Birkey, who works as an Architectural Restoration Specialist, restoring old churches and gothic-style buildings in central Illinois. He has a wealth of knowledge, skill, and a loving spirit for all things.
Andy Birkey's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/andy_birkey/
His YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/AndyBirkey
Maker The Makers's Quest Website: https://www.themakersquest.com/
Greg Porter https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c...
2022-08-2659 minThe Maker’s QuestThe Fudge Factor and Understanding Accumulative Error In this episode, the guys talk about The Fudge Factor and allowing for accumulative error in both your work and planning out your work. Where do you hide the attentional errors or discrepancies, and how to prevent them?
Website: https://www.themakersquest.com/
Greg Porter https://skyscraperguitars.com/
Greg On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregsgaragekc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyscraperGuitars
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GregsGarage
Brian Benham https://www.brianbenham.com/
Brian On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben...
2022-07-2959 minThe Maker’s QuestMachining With Tony Rouleau EP6 - The Makers Quest PodcastIn this episode, we are joined by a professional machinist From Hillview Wood & Metal, Tony Rouleau. Tony designs and manufactures heirloom tools for all types of craftspeople, from woodworkers to other machinists. His dedication to quality, style, and a high level of functionality in the tools he makes is unmatched.
You can find out more about him and the tools he makes at:
Website: https://www.hillviewtool.com/
Instagram @hillview_tool
https://www.instagram.com/hillview_tool/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hillviewwm/
More at the...
2022-06-2458 minThe Maker’s QuestDeveloping Design Ideas EP5 The Makers Quest PodcastIn this episode, we talk about developing new design ideas and how we present them to our clients. https://www.themakersquest.com/
2022-06-1050 minThe Maker’s QuestDrawing On The Right Side Of The Brain - Betty Edwards EP4In This episode we talk about the book by Betty Edwards, Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain. How to turn the left side of your brain off so the right side can show through and be more creative as well as learn to draw better.
Show Notes
www.themakersquest.com
2022-04-2953 minThe Maker’s QuestThe Over-simplification of Needing 10,000hrs to Master A Skill - EP3In today's podcast, we talk about the oversimplification of Malcolm Gladwell's theory that you need 10,000 hours to master a skill. It is more complex of a theory than you think.
2022-03-2548 minThe Maker’s QuestTurning Points in our Makers Journey - Pricing Work Better & Increase Skills & Output EP2In this episode we talk about turning points in our journey as makers, touching on several topics about how to price your work better, stop doing bids for free, and invest in yourself to increase your skills and shop infrastructure.
https://www.themakersquest.com/
2022-02-1849 minThe Maker’s QuestEpisode 1: How We Became Makers - EP1Welcome to the Maker's Quest Podcast. This is our first episode, so please join us to find out more about who we are, what we make, how we make, and our quest to make more.
Please visit our blog for the Show Notes How We Became Makers - EP1
Website: https://www.themakersquest.com/
2022-01-2136 min