Must have Tools, Jigs, and Gadgets?

[Rick Potter]

2" squeeze clamps, and 4" F clamps. I seem to use them all the time.

Hey Jack, nice Wadkin clothes. Stylin' man.

[Terry Beadle]

hand made squares, cheap, handy, accurate
4 in double square
two foot fold out rule
japanese small awl
All my chisels....hoot!

[Max Neu]

Tape dispensers, I have 3 I bought from Uline, I use a lot of painters tape for all sorts of things. I also use one for veneer tape.Having packing tape around is also handy when you don't want glue sticking to something.

[Stan Krupowies]

Sorry, I no longer have the magazine. I could post more detailed photos and some measurements if there is interest.

I'm definitely interested in this! Looks like a cool multi purpose tool to have around

[M Toupin]

I was American Woodworker. Very handy!

http://www.americanwoodworker.com/bl...hop-stool.aspx

Mike

[Moses Yoder]

I suppose a workbench is a big tool, mine is the most used tool in the shop. Little tools I use often is my collection of Stanley knives, a 12" adjustable square, a 2-1/2" Purdy angled sash brush, and a good dado set.

[Brian Tymchak]

4" double square has become one of favorite and most used items. Engineeers square are high on the list too.

+1. Love my 4" double squares. When I am in the shop (which ain't much these days..) I use them all the time. Set them for a particular offset and leave 'em for the duration of the project.

[Viking Mountain Tool Works]

I use my Kreg jig's quite a bit.
Eureka zone track saw
carpenters square

[Kevin Womer]

My 4" double square, use it all the time. Grippers on the TS. Tilt box angle finder, bought it from the guy locally who makes them in Newark, Ohio, no affiliation just a really nice guy and I wanted to support a local fella, but I do use that thing more than I thought I would when I bought it. Those are the things I seem to have to put away after just about every project, other than a good old pencil, in that case I use an old Boston hand sharpener for every project, does that count?

[Jim Rimmer]

Worksharp 3000
Wixey digital angle gage
dado set (surprised how much I use it)
cross cut sled(s)
12" quick grip clamps (extra hands)

[Mike Wilkins]

6 inch metal ruler that I got from Woodcraft. Feel lost without it. That and a 4" double square that gets used a lot on every project.

[Tony Haukap]

OK, I'm always trying to stock my small shop with things that make a woodworking episode easier.

I modeled my shop on what Norm Abram use in the New Yankee Workshop. There's a webpage that list all the tools he used here... http://www.normstools.com/normstools.shtml

Although, a lot of the model numbers are no longer valid and some of the manufactures aren't quite the quality they used to be (Delta and Porter-Cable, are two examples of that) it gives you a good start of what a well equipped shop should have.

And one of the most useful things I ever bought because I saw Norm use it (and I probably wouldn't have found it on my own otherwise) is the Jack Rabbit Driver (http://www.jackrabbittool.com/) - if you have never tried it or seen it, I suggest you give it a look. Norm used it all the time in the NYW and it truly is a great way to drill/drive screws.

[John Sanford]

• Nupla 2lb Deadblow Hammer, one face steel.
• Quick-Grip Clamps
• Veritas Saddle Square
• 12v Compact Drill/Driver
• Blue Spruce Marking Knife
• Popular Mechanics (Vermont American made 'em for Wally World) Scratch Awl

[Paul Hingco]

Festool Domino

[Kent A Bathurst]

favorite, most go to gadget/s?

The tools that I most often grab for, in order of importance:

1. Starrett 4" double square
2. Starrett analog/fractional dial calipers
3. Starrett 12" combo square
4. Lee Valley corner square
5. Mid-grade quality 9" and 6" squares

Cannot even start a project without these for layout. Then:

6. Tite-Mark guage
7. LN LA block plane
8. Chisels. The best you can afford. Better quality and fewer sizes trumps lower quality and more sizes. Do you best.
9. Quality backsaws: Dovetail [rip] and crosscut. The best you can afford. Since I have never schooled myself on saw sharpening, I give points to LN, because of their lifetime sharpening thing.
10. LN #3 Brass bench plane. A real treasure.

I am not a neander - I burn as many electrons as I can. But - that only gets you so far. This list is invaluable to me.

I should have bought, much earlier, the 4" double-square, and the Starrett calipers. The calipers ones I had before were pathetic - but I did not realize how pathetic until I had the Starrett. I do not like the digital - the fractional ones have "tick marks" that correspond exactly to the tick marks on my TS fence and my CMS fence.