Your favorite/most helpful shop gear

[Victor Robinson]

Hadn't seen one of these threads for a while, so I thought we could start another one. Your favorite small tools, accessories, etc. that you've come to love/appreciate recently.

I'll start it off. A recent renovation project meant lots of full sheets of drywall, cement board, melamine, and plywood being delivered. I finally bit the bullet and got one of those Gorilla Grippers for handling sheet goods (AMZ had a good price on it). Oh my goodness. Makes handling full (or even) half sheets SO MUCH easier. Due to limited space, we kept having to shuffle full sheets around from one location to another and I can't imagine moving all those sheets that frequently without the Gorilla. Definitely a huge, huge, back-saver (though I did manage to injure my back lifting something that the GG couldn't help with, but that's a different story...).

Go for it!

[Brian Brightwell]

I find this thickness gauge very useful.

http://www.gauge-it.com/product_thickness.htm

Also, I've learned to use 12" key stock of various thickness for layout and tool setup.

[scott spencer]

DC remote control!

[joseph f merz]

http://www.amazon.com/Telpro-TROLL-300-Pound-Capacity-Handler/dp/B0000224PA To broad a question ,favorite tool is the one in my hand at that moment but I do have a troll .My wife won it at a JLC show .I do mostly field work by myself and this has been so handy . Have you ever picket up Quite Rock ,sheet rock with metal in the middle .Weigh as much as me .I can roll it around with this and sort of jump stuff over obsticles . carefully bring sheet good bymyself past fancy furniture . It has been a real helpful tool.

[Carl Babel]

There was a timely thread not too long ago about screwdrivers. After reading it, I realized mine were pretty much shot. I splurged on a Wera Kraftform Kompakt 25. Expensive, but very comfortable and the cool factor is off the charts! I upgraded the bits to Wera BiTorsion Diamond Coated bits and they NEVER slip/cam-out! I smile every time I use this tool, go around the house/shop looking for things to tighten up, and even pass up on using my 12V Bosch a lot (not always, though).
My next favorite/most helpful tool is anything that lets me slice rather than abrade wood. Planes, chisels, spoke shaves, scrapers, etc always beat sanding. I know, I know, to get a really fine finish...

[Dan Barber1]

I've loved my Porter Cable 4 1/2 inch worm drive panel cutting saw for years. I hate wrestling a big 4X8 piece of plywood on to my table saw like I used to do when I started out in my hobby shop. This little saw allows you to trim it to approximate size and then put the more easily handable piece through your table saw. It's much lighter than a full size circular saw and has plenty of power. Just need to get a new blade for it though since I've put miles of cutting on the original one since I got it.

[Rich Riddle]

Most likely my track saw, though many people dislike them. It's a very convenient and easy tool to use.

[Jeff Heath]

I have large, old woodworking machines in my shop. I couldn't live without my engine hoist or my 5500 lb. pallet jack. Priceless!

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab57/hawkfan9/Yates%20American%20No%201%2012%20inch%20jointer/hoisted.jpg

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab57/hawkfan9/Northfield%2036%20Bandsaw/TonyBandsaw.jpg

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/ab57/hawkfan9/Northfield%2036%20Bandsaw/Northfieldbandsawback.jpg

Jeff

[Paul Murphy]

I've come to appreciate some common jigs I've built for my shop. The crosscut sled, and the t-square router guide have really proved their worth. I wouldn't be without them now

[Von Bickley]

The best thing I ever did for my shop was my infeed/outfeed table for the miter saw, and the outfeed table for the tablesaw.......

[Carl Beckett]

I have a basic vice mounted on the front of one bench. Metal jaws. Speed screw. Gets lots of use, and I might add a couple more on some other table areas

[Jeff Monson]

DC remote control!

I'll second that one!

[Rich Riddle]

I'll second that one!

Dust Collection Remote Control?

[Mike Cutler]

Rulers and drafting tools. They are always out in the shop.

[Peter Kelly]

Kreg Jig, Stanley deadblow hammer, Fastcap 16' tapemeasure, Starret 6" double combination square, cabinet scraper, No. 2 pencils & pencil sharpener..

[Rich Engelhardt]

Two things that are related...
- sub panel in the garage.
- paid the electrician who installed the sub panel to run conduit and four circuits....

Prior to that I'd been getting by with pretty much only one 15 amp outlet...plus the other circuit the freezer is on.

I can't begin to describe what a pleasure it is to have, power, lights and a space heater....all at the same time....

[Roger Bullock]

I know it's a small thing, but sharp pencils and lots of them. Several years ago I bought a cheap electric pencil sharpener and a couple of boxes of #2 pencils. I've got them spread all over the shop and not hard to find one when needed. Now if I could only find a way to keep them from hiding behind my ear and ending up in the house after I come in from the shop.

[Mel Fulks]

Dedicated adjustment wrenches for every machine. Used to be standard practice,before some genius figured out that you can get by with two adjustable wrenches in commercial shop.Walking is good for you,didn't your mom teach you to share? As an employee I have personally paid for a good number of them, it's not worth getting in bad habits to save a small amount of money. I buy cheap Chinese stuff of appropriate length and type . If only one end of it will be used,I cut off the one not needed. I color code the wrenches and their particular bolt head, then grind off the size markings. Makes it a little less useful to borrowers and thieves. This is a safety issue as well as one of necessary convenience.

[John Coloccia]

Dedicated adjustment wrenches for every machine. Used to be standard practice,before some genius figured out that you can get by with two adjustable wrenches in commercial shop.Walking is good for you,didn't your mom teach you to share? As an employee I have personally paid for a good number of them, it's not worth getting in bad habits to save a small amount of money. I buy cheap Chinese stuff of appropriate length and type . If only one end of it will be used,I cut off the one not needed. I color code the wrenches and their particular bolt head, then grind off the size markings. Makes it a little less useful to borrowers and thieves. This is a safety issue as well as one of necessary convenience.

I do that in my shop too, actually. I have magnetic strips on every machine and every wrench necessary to work on it. It only costs a couple of bucks.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Well one item is really kind of 'dorky', it's a set of metal stamps that punches numbers or letters in parts, best $20 I ever spent, cannot tell you how many times I penciled in the part number or letter then proceeded to plane it off with my trusty Smooth plane.. Glue-ups go so much smoother now..


Other item is a digital caliper, love the thing inspite it being the worlds biggest battery hog in the world..

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I know it's a small thing, but sharp pencils and lots of them. Several years ago I bought a cheap electric pencil sharpener and a couple of boxes of #2 pencils. I've got them spread all over the shop and not hard to find one when needed. Now if I could only find a way to keep them from hiding behind my ear and ending up in the house after I come in from the shop.
+1, I can start the day with a dozen sharp pencils in my apron and 4 hours later I'm without a pencil. I also like some #3's in the mix. I've also got a couple of old hand sharpeners mounted on opposite sides of the shop.


Dedicated adjustment wrenches for every machine.

I don't usually go the dedicated wrench route, but I do take a black Sharpy and write the fastener size next to the fastener. That speeds things up a little.

[Mark P. Miller]

The Eurekazone Smart Table. It's just been a really handy thing to have around.

[Bill Huber]

One of my little favorites is a set of transfer punches, they are cheap and I use them a lot more then I ever thought I would. I always have some holds I need to line up or something like that and I used to just use a pencil or scribe to make them and they would be close.
With the transfer punches they are now spot on and much easier to then with a scribe or pencil.
Sizes from 3/32" to 1/2" by 1/64" and that does just about anything I do.

http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2031

The other little item that I just could not be without is the Calculated Industries 4019 calculator, I am just not that good with fractions with the little calculator it is a breeze, it was $19 when I got mine but they are a little more now.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014CL0LG/?tag=hyprod-20&hvadid=15467987859&hvpos=1o1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11306068741099555387&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&ref=asc_df_B0014CL0LG

[Shawn Pixley]

Accurate measuring devices (6 inch 1/32 -1/64 rule), small square, mechanical pencil and marking knife. Either those or blue tape to label everything (part, direction, etc...). Guess my controlling nature shows...

[Rick Alexander]

I know this is a weird one but by far my best investment in tools lately is to learn how to use Sketchup much more effectively. I haven't picked up a pencil or T-square for my projects in over a year now and when I make a materials list I have every cut and joinery mapped out completely and extremely accurately. I also know what the project is going to look like before I start so no more tinkering with the design as I go. Totally changed my approach to woodworking and greatly improved my final results. I actually now enjoy doing what I once hated which was drawing out my design and it now takes a fraction of the time to accomplish. I can also plan out a complete kitchen for a client in one night after getting the room dimensions and have the ability to show them a 3 dimensional view - from any angle they wish - so they can decide if they want to make changes before I start cutting the first sheet of ply. I have access to literally 100's of thousands of projects in librarys at the touch of a mouse click with many of them having all the dimensions and joinery already planned out which I can alter to suit my needs. When my dad and I were planning out the sprinkler system for our oddly shapped 1 acre garden I was able to bring in the google earth view of the garden make a couple of measurements to get the scale right and draw to perfect precision where to place the sprinkler heads and layout the pipes all done within a 30 minute session in the software. I'm still just scratching the surface with it's capabilities and use but I just love playing with it.

I still just cannot believe that program is free.

[pat warner]

X-cut sled.
(http://patwarner.com/images/router-X-cut-jig.jpg)Chops (with special fence) jig plate and plastic components to .001".
Also useful for close joinery, (example (http://patwarner.com/images/exjoinery.jpg)).
Components then are accurate enough to make jigs and fixtures.
Which in turn allow success in woodworking and plastic fabrication.

[Billy Trinh]

My favorite tool is the one i found when i was actually looking for it! Now, where's that tape measure?

[Kirk Poore]

My favorite tool is the one i found when i was actually looking for it! Now, where's that tape measure?
That's why I have two tape measures. For some reason, only one can hide at a time.:)

Kirk
who also has at least a dozen pencils scattered around the shop...

[Stan Mitchell]

My favorite is still the Work sharp 3000.

I absolutely love having continually razor sharp chisels and planes. Best money spent.

[Victor Robinson]

That's why I have two tape measures. For some reason, only one can hide at a time.:)

Kirk
who also has at least a dozen pencils scattered around the shop...

I have two and I manage to always be looking for them. By the way, I'm not in love with either of my tape measures...anyone got any recs?

[glenn bradley]

I have two and I manage to always be looking for them. By the way, I'm not in love with either of my tape measures...anyone got any recs?

I have a couple of the Lee Valley right to left 12 footers (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32562&cat=1,43513,43003). They match each other, my steel rules (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32568&cat=1,43513,43519) and my squares (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=57065&cat=1,42936). Early on I worked through getting accurate measuring tools for the shop and let no sub-optimal interlopers in, regardless of how cute they are, fluorescent green they are, tricked out auto locking they are, etc. KIIS. I keep one tape at the bench and one at the tablesaw/router table and be sure to put them back in their little spot instead of setting them down on the bench to get buried in kruft. Its so much easier just to reach for one where it is suppoed to be than to wonder where I put it ;-)

[Larry Browning]

I have two and I manage to always be looking for them. By the way, I'm not in love with either of my tape measures...anyone got any recs?

Fastcap tapes have lots of features and options. They are well thought out. I particularly like the flat version for working in the shop. I also like the lefty/righty model as well. Also, It is best to use only one tape measure through the whole project due to difference in the tapes themselves.

[Ben Hatcher]

My top 10 "wish I'd bought them sooner" list:
Dust Collector remote
Box of #2 pencils
Flexible steel ruler for layouts
Worksharp 3000
Veritas apron plane
Small speed square
Dial Caliper
Spiral router bits
small f clamps
electric pencil sharpener

[Bill White]

Well..............took me a minute. I have one of those picker upper thingies called an Easyreacher. Sure is handy for pickin' up stuff dropped in a corner behind all the stuff that always ends up in corners, stuff on shelves instead of draggin' out the step stool ladder, and wasps that want to camp out in the shop.
Then, there is the air comp. and my battery operated Shark floor sweeper for chips and dust.
Bill

[Mel Fulks]

Lately the Chinese tapes are ACCURATE. Bought one for a dollar at HF,checked it next to two foot Starrete square blade,it's perfect. Bought two more.

[Bill Huber]

I have two and I manage to always be looking for them. By the way, I'm not in love with either of my tape measures...anyone got any recs?

I have a Fastcap and a few others but the one I go to is the Komelon 12', it is self-locking. Unlike most tape that you pull out and then push something to lock it in place the Komelon lock when you pull them out and then you push a button to store them.

This really works great when you are working one handed, hook the hook and pull it out and is stays there without you having to do anything, it was a little different to get used to but after a short leaning curve I hate using the other type tapes now.

http://www.amazon.com/Komelon-SL2812-Self-12-Foot-Power/dp/B000BQ7WGI/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1350574497&sr=1-5&keywords=Komelon