Precision Height Gauge

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 with washers secure the [...]

REEKON M1 Caliber Review

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 (the [...]

Feeler Gauge for Jig Setup  

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 recently found out that a [...]

Choosing Combination Squares

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 to lay out joints and cuts, [...]

Circular-Saw Depth Gauge

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, incremental depths. I [...]

French Curves for Woodworking

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 arc or curve. In [...]

Sanding Chalk

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 at [...]

10 Marking and Measuring Tips

“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, [...]

Right-Handed Tape Measure

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, you [...]

A Square for Woodworkers

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 is a much [...]

Combination Squares

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 [...]

Accurate Inside Measurement

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 would [...]