For the cost of one large piece of machinery, you can set up a complete shop with hand tools. Here’s what you need to get started.

Tool: Folding Saddle Square Shop Now  Manufacturer: Woodpeckers MSRP: $59.99+ Making accurate marks is one of the most fundamental tasks in a wood shop, yet it can be quite challenging…

Tool: Micro Squares Shop Now  Manufacturer: Blue Spruce Toolworks MSRP: $64.99-$109.99 Having one or two really nice squares is essential in the shop. Being able to check parts for square,…

A few months ago, while visiting the Rockler store in Cincinnati, I spotted a small ruler hanging by the checkout counter. It was promoted at a cost of around $6….

Tool: Extra-Fancy Depth Gauge Shop Now  Manufacturer: Kellogg Fine Tools MSRP: $80 Sometimes, having a simple tool is best. That doesn’t mean that your simple tool can’t be fancy, however….

Tool: Tooley Park Big Compass Kit Shop Now  Manufacturer: Tooley Park MSRP: £150.00 ($201.50) A few issues ago, Popular Woodworking shared a set of scribers from a company in the UK…

Tool:Drill Press Protractor Shop Now  Manufacturer: Woodpeckers MSRP: $69.99 Over the last several years, I’ve started to become interested in machinist tools and practices. One of the things that fascinates…

  These furniture maker’s symbols are an international language. They have been used for generations because they’re easy to make and easy to understand. A board’s working face and edge…

Tapping a New Thread When you can’t find the right thumb screw for an old tool (see Part 1 here), your best option is to drill and tap a new…

Tool: No. 444 am Shop Now  Manufacturer: Skunk Tool Works MSRP: $129 As a rule of thumb, if something doesn’t have multiple uses in my shop, I don’t generally keep…

Tool: Scriber Buy Now Manufacturer: Tooley Park MSRP: £28 20% discount on the scribers this week (ends Sat 8th Feb) with the code TPF1 at checkout! There are often times, where…

Tool: Stainless Steel Precision Rulers Shop Now  Manufacturer: JessEm MSRP: $24.99+ The Canadian company JessEm, known for their high-quality router lifts, recently released a new line of precision steel rules….

Why you’re better off to look this gift horse in the mouth. There is a trap lurking within the pages of our magazine. It is also in most woodworking magazines,…

Tools: A Visual Exploration of Implements & Devices in the Workshop If there’s one thing to be said about woodworkers, it’s that we’re old school and prefer to pick up…

Over the years I have used about every type of marking gauge made. I prefer the newer wheel gauges because they’re easy to adjust and tighten, but I think they’re…

You’re measuring wrong, and making it more difficult to do good work. If the title has you expecting high-tech procedures or suggestions for expensive measurement gear that’ll get you closer…

Tool: STSQ4 4-1/2″ Trim Square Shop Now • STSQ7 7″ Carpenter Square Shop Now • STSQ7-L 7″ Carpenter Square with Level Shop Now Manufacturer: Stiletto MSRP: $74.99 • $84.99 • $99.99…

Establishing Depth Reference A recent project required making a series of small wooden panels with shallow concave faces. For efficiency and accuracy, I decided to make a series of preliminary…

Tool:ProBlade Tape Measure TB-H2-T-12225 Shop Now Manufacturer: ToughBuilt MSRP: $20.99-$25.99 If you think of a “sexy tool,” a tape measure probably is one of the last things that you’d consider….

Woodworkers are both cursed and blessed with our hopelessly archaic system of measuring. When it comes time to divide any distance in half, like marking the center of a board’s…

When I first started teaching the 8th-grade stool-making class, I needed to find an easy method for my students to mark the leg length accurately before trimming them to a…

Sometimes it’s fun to build a gadget just because it’s a neat idea. There are many ways to draw a centerline, for example, but this method is very clever. It…

From the PW archives: Megan Fitzpatrick covers the essential measuring tools for beginners, and shows you how to choose ones that will provide accurate results.

The awl is one of the most useful tools in woodworking and perhaps the most basic of them all. Awls help to initiate indentations into which screws, nails, and drill…

Tool: FitFinder 1/2 Gauge Shop Now   Manufacturer: MicroJig MSRP: $34.99 Dialing in a saw blade, router bit, or other cutting tool to make a cut exactly half the depth…

To mark the exact center of a board, I measure an equal distance from both ends and make two marks. This distance is just an approximation—it doesn’t matter if it’s…

To conclude this series of entries about lapping/flattening the soles of metal planes (read them here #1, #2, #3, #4), I wish to share some information about the precision tools…

Every woodworker knows not to rely on inside measurements made with a tape measure. Instead, I use two steel rules with dimensions that run to the edges. I butt one…

Tool: 3-In-1 Digital Laser Measurer Shop Now   Manufacturer: Dremel MSRP: $79 Dremel recently released a new 3-in-1 digital measurer that would be a great addition to a carpenter’s toolkit….

Double-check your tools, your technique, and your thinking. One of the most important skills in woodworking is rarely discussed or considered as a thing that needs to be learned or…

This jig makes it easy to set up the bit for routing flutes and dadoes. I simply drop the appropriate depth gauge into the channel, set my router on top…

Check out these 11 methods to make layout easier. Write With Chalk Lay out “cut here” marks on rough lumber with chalk. Chalk marks are easy to read, even on…

Tool: Small Double Square Shop Now  Manufacturer: Lee Valley MSRP: $49.50 A diemakers’ square with a narrow blade is an excellent tool for determining minute problems with your joinery, allowing…

To set the height of a router bit—within .001″, if necessary—I made this simple stand for my caliper. It works on a router table or a hand-held router. Two screws…

Tool: 5-in-1 Combination Protractor Shop Now  Manufacturer: Starrett MSRP: $142 If walls were all exactly 90 degrees, installing cabinets and trim would be a lot easier. When it comes to…

Tool: M1 Caliber Shop Now  Manufacturer: REEKON MSRP: $150 Most tools we review are ones woodworkers are directly familiar with (table saw), or an innovation to an otherwise common idea…

Did you know that feeler fauges are not just for machinists or for checking and adjusting our steel and cast iron woodworking equipment? How do I know this? Because I…

Select a reliable tool with these simple tests. I can’t think of one project I’ve made that hasn’t involved using one or more of my combination squares. I use these…

Setting the depth-of-cut on my circular saw was awkward at best before I made this handy gauge. It’s just a thick block of wood with 1/4″ wide slots cut at precise,…

In the proto-CAD (Computer-Aided Design) world, draftsmen and draftswomen had to rely on a set of curvy templates when they needed to connect two or more points via a graceful…

I’m making and installing approx. 5000-bd.ft. of hard maple trim. Keeping track of what I’ve already sanded is difficult, so before sanding, I rub artists non-oil pastel chalks (also available…

“Measure twice cut once” is probably the most commonly passed-on bit of woodworking advice. With that in mind, we’ve gathered some of our favorite tips to make measuring easier, more…

Tool: R1 Tape Measure [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: M-Power MSRP: $15.90 Have you ever noticed that the numbers on a tape measure read upside down? Think about it. If you’re right-handed, like me,…

Tool: Trim Square Manufacturer: Milwaukee MSRP: $11 This gem of square has become a go-to for use around the shop. Taking its design cues from the common rafter square, the compact size…

Choosing and using this must-have measuring and layout tool. In 1878, Laroy S. Starrett designed and patented the combination square. His invention was a multi-purpose layout and measuring tool for…

Tool: iGaging AccuMarking Digital Wheel Marking Gauge Manufacturer: iGaging MSRP: $39 A digital marking gauge? Really? Well, why not, right? The iGaging Digital Marking Gauge still does everything a traditional marking gauge…

An accurate inside measurement is sometimes difficult to obtain. For example, I needed to take a measurement behind a cabinet’s face frame to fit a new shelf. Typically, most people…

Making equal divisions on parts isn’t always straightforward when it comes to dividing fractions. On a recent trip to my local office supply store, I found a drafting tool that…

Tool: Precision Strait Edge Manufacturer: iGaging Price: $36 (24″) A precision ruler is just one of those tools that every shop should have. Let’s face it; not everything can be done…

Precise height adjustments on router bits and saw blades can be tricky because it’s really hard to see or measure small changes. This 1:8 tapered gauge “magnifies” them. Each mark…

Part Three: Design Read: Part 1 • Part 2 Though digital woodworking tools may be different and the scales are finer, the importance of precision is the same for every…

  Part Two: Commitment Read: Part 1 • Part 3 To be successful as a woodworker, either hobbyist or professional, precision needs to be a standard you set that you’re willing…

Part One: Precision Read: Part 2 • Part 3 There are two sides to this story. The first is obvious. The other not so much. First, digital woodworking is all about…

In this series, I’ve covered tools for standardization, tools for measuring and tools for precision. Now, it’s time to bring it all together with a few recommendations for different kinds…

Over the last few weeks, I’ve made several posts about measuring tools in the series Precision Instruments for Woodworkers. The purpose of the series is to introduce the idea of…

In part one we introduced tools for standardization. These are the measuring tools that you also use to verify and quality your other tools. Every woodworker should have a high-quality…

When you don’t need an absolutely accurate line drawn on a piece (say for a shooting/nailing line or layout line) all you need is a wooden folding ruler, a pencil…

Tapes and Rulers Early on, I remember reading somewhere that you should never rely on measuring tapes in a woodworking shop. Only use your rulers, never tapes. Though I understand…

Tools for measuring. Tools for Accuracy. Precision Instruments for Woodworkers is a 4-part series. I’ve been working as a furniture maker for quite a while, now. Along the way, you…

Whenever I leave town to teach a woodworking class, I make two stops to pick up a supply of two essential things for project layout. The first stop is the…

In this short video, executive editor Robert W. Lang demonstrates how to find the center of a board using a combination square, it’s easy, accurate and no numbers were harmed…

Years ago, when I was woodworking as a full-time occupation, I remember a couple jobs in particular that required me to set up a drill press to drill a sequence…

Making woodworking tools doesn’t interest me as much as making furniture, but my recent encounter with Henry O. Studley’s tool chest has me eyeing the metals section of the  McMaster-Carr…

Exotic woods don’t blow my skirt/kilt/skort up much. In small doses they can look beautiful, but for the most part I find them oily, difficult to work and far too…

Sharpening a spear-point marking knife isn’t difficult, but it sure seems to flummox some woodworkers. The bevels on the knife are small, and if you aren’t used to freehand sharpening,…

Today I’m in Portland, Maine, eating myself sick at Duckfat and studying the architectural details on the old houses in this coastal city. As I started picking apart some Victorian…

Tool seller Patrick Leach has a new sliding bevel in the works that does something that no other modern bevel does: It locks at a perfect 90°. Yup. Sliding bevels…

If you remember the Veritas Dodeca-Gauge – the company’s hilarious April Fool’s prank that featured a marking gauge with 12 independent sliding rods – then the company’s newest tool might…

This weekend I built a contemporary lamp for the August 2011 issue of the magazine that was all-electrons, all the time. It has been a while since I have worked…

Jim Tolpin’s article “Secrets of the Sector” in the June 2011 issue has stirred up a lot of interest and discussion among our readers. A sector is a way to…

As Jim Tolpin’s article on sectors from the June 2011 issue is getting into the hands of readers, we have had a few questions about the tool. One question is,…

In the June 2011 issue we have Jim Tolpin building the “Ultimate Router Table.” Nah, just yanking your chain. He’s actually building a wombat house. Ha. Got you. In truth,…

When building the Monticello Bookcases for the June 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, I used through-dovetails with a mitered shoulder to join the cases. This joint gives a nice…

Getting the four feet of a sawbench, chair or stool all in the same plane is a challenge for some woodworkers. You can end up nibbling a bar stool into…

Several readers have asked how to go about squaring up the two legs of the English Layout Square from the December 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Do you square…

Between meetings, classes and regular living, I’ve cut 132 dovetails during the last couple weeks to build my next project, which will be featured on the cover of the June…

Installing traditional mortise hinges makes some woodworkers want to turn their electric drill on themselves to just end it all. While practice is the best teacher, there are little tricks…

If there were a woodworking tool hall of fame, the Bridge City TS-2 try square would definitely be on display there. In my travels through shops all over the country…

I make lots of pencil marks on the wood as I work. Removing them is either easy or excruciating. Whenever I can, I use a handplane to dress my stock,…

I can be a bit obsessive-compulsive at times. And woodworking sure doesn’t help my malady. My family would be much better off if I’d just lick a few light switches…

I’ve used the “ticking stick” method to fit countertops into odd spaces in a home, but I’ve never used it in the workshop. But then Indiana carpenter Carl Bilderback showed…

Right before “Woodworking in America” turned into “Dead Tired in Covington,” I finished this square for the December 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. The square is based closely on…

With Woodworking in America breathing down our necks (we’re beginning to count it down in hours instead of days), we’re trying to get a workbench built, machines assembled, wood processed,…

I’ve been purging my shop and tool chests of excess tools this week. But now I’m afraid some of my tools are “taking the hint” and leaving on their own….

David Brookshaw has been making amazing tools since 1988 — many of them miniatures that have appeared in some of the gorgeous tool books from Sandor Nagyszalanczy, including the cover…

I’m packing up all the tools I’ll need in North Carolina for the coming week, and I was a bit shocked this morning as I went through my checklist. One…

Some days I forget that not all woodworking tools are designed by woodworkers (see: many of the honing guides on the market). And I forget that some tools are just…

Expanded and detailed plans for the Roubo Try Square from the February 2010 issue are now for sale as a download in our store. The plans include the original two-page…

The longer I’m a woodworker, the less I like systems of measurement. Whether you’re a machinist who works in metric, an imperious advocate of imperial, or a Bob who measures…

Several readers have encouraged me to take a look at the OXO 16″ folding ruler, which is an inexpensive aluminum recreation of the classic 19th-century folding ruler. I picked one…

From the “I need three hands” file: Sometimes when you scribe a line on a board with the guidance of a try square you need one hand to hold the…

Marking gauges have all manner of ways for you to lock the head to the beam, but most involve a screw or wedge mechanism. I think the coolest method I’ve…

Ever since I saw George Walker’s DVD on furniture design and his lecture at Woodworking in America, I’ve been trying out some of his ideas on pieces of furniture that…

Though I need another sliding bevel like I need a goat in my living room, I recently ordered one of the new sliding bevels from Chris Vesper Tools in Australia…

I finished up building a set of try squares based on Andre Roubo’s 18th-century plans this weekend and need to put the finish on them. What’s holding me back? Well,…

Inspired by Robert W. Lang’s article on making wooden try squares in the Autumn 2009 issue, I decided to make a batch of squares this weekend. Yesterday at lunch I…

 “The machines need the numbers. We don’t need the numbers.” – Jim Tolpin After attending almost two days of lectures at our Woodworking in America conference, my head is swimming with…

I got to spend a little time in the Marketplace area of the Woodworking in America conference this morning and got a first look at some new hand tools that…

In the history of measuring equipment, there is one blunder so awful that it makes me twitter (old-school twitter) like a smack-addled squirrel every time I encounter it. It’s a…

There is precious little information out there about placing your hardware so it doesn’t look awkward. My theory: Woodworking writers get so worn out by the time that they reach…

I’m a child of the Cold War. I remember the drills in elementary school where we curled up under our desks in the event of a nuclear attack (to kiss…

My grandfather’s workbench had an adhesive rule stuck to its front edge, which was extremely useful when woodworking. You could check part dimensions without pulling out a tape measure or…

If you want to sell something to a woodworker, the easy way is to start by selling him on the idea that he can’t possibly do it himself. If you…

When I attended the 20th anniversary of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, John Economaki of Bridge City Tools was at the next table. When Thomas Lie-Nielsen called out Bridge City as one of…

When I first learned about the so-called Golden Mean or Golden Section I was enthralled by the concept. I actually remember the moment. I was in the National Building Museum…

With every project there is always some tool that deserves an Academy Award-style acceptance speech. “In building this chest of drawers I’d like to thank my mom for birthing me,…

Really, I have enough clamps , a couple dozen , to do just about anything. If I can’t clamp it, I can always use pinch dogs, drawboring or some other…

In the shop, my mechanical pencil is as important as my eyeglasses. I use a mechanical pencil with a 0.5mm lead to darken in my knife lines when cutting dovetails,…

I feel like a dirty English tool dealer this morning. But I’m OK with that. Recently I purchased a bunch of brass-bound folding rules to give to co-workers and friends….

My grandfather’s folding rule reads from right to left, while my tape measure reads from left to right. I never thought much about it, though I always did like using…

Last week Roy Underhill took me to the back room of his new school in Pittsboro, N.C. “Is this the office?” I asked. “No,” Roy said with a wicked grin….

I’ve had a vintage panel gauge for many years, and I’ve hated every minute of our relationship. The beam flops around in the head, no matter how Conan you go…

In our June issue, our I Can Do That feature is a mitered CD/DVD rack. Our goal for these columns is to show that attractive, well made projects can be…

A new unit of measure attempts to trump the troublesome imperial and metric systems. For as long as I can remember, the woodworking community has been divided between metric people…