After twenty years of collecting tools, I still find unique woodworking tools I didn’t know I needed.
But when I bought them realized I should have had them all along.
To help your woodworking projects out, below is a collection of:
- Advanced pencils to make easy tasks … easy
- Lighting solutions that install in seconds
- Saws that make heavy jobs more accessible and more accurate
- …and many more unique woodworking tools
Page Contents
#1. Japanese Pull Saw: Make Precise Cuts and Dovetails
See on Amazon: Suizan Japanese Saw
While track and circular saws gather the most attention, a simple Japanese saw is a unique woodworking tool most woodworkers don’t own.
And many have yet to hear of it.
Why is this worth adding to your toolbox? Well, it makes flush-cutting any dowels or tenons, cleaning up glue overflows, and even making handmade dovetails possible.
#2. PARALLEL CLAMPS: ULTIMATE PRECISION WOOD CLAMP
See on Amazon: Bessey Parallel Clamp
If you are new or even experienced in woodworking, odds are you haven’t fully explored parallel clamps.
Perhaps it’s because these are more expensive clamps than others. But, once you find the precision and non-marring jaws, these will be hard clamps to put down.
#3. A PENCIL THAT WORKS: SWANSON ALWAYS SHARP PENCIL
See on Amazon: Swanson Woodworkers Pencil
One of the most frustrating issues with woodworking is breaking pencil leads on wood grain.
Fortunately, Swanson has solved this with an incredibly durable pencil that will leave a visible line and avoid the constant frustration of broken leads.
#4. STOP FIGHTING GLUE: FASTCAP GLU-BOT
See on Amazon: FastCap Glu-Bot
At some point, anyone glued up a few dozen projects has had to stop everything and fight the tip of a glue bottle. And as a reason, the innovative team at FastCap invented no-spill glue bottles.
This makes these easy-to-use Glu-Bots a unique woodworking tool to add to your bench.
#5. ULTIMATE TABLE SAW PUSH BLOCK: GRR-RIPPER
See on Amazon: GRR-RIPPER Push Block
With over ten amputations daily on table saws, there’s ample reason to be careful.
That is probably why the GRR-RIPPER is a popular push-block that protects against kickbacks and helps to keep your hands away from the blade (you, of course, are responsible for all safety).
Best of all? This is a Made in the USA jig.
#6. ASSEMBLY ASSIST: CAN-DO CLAMP
See on Amazon: Can-Do Corner Clamp
Connecting wood at a perfect 90-degree angle can be frustrating. But with this simple jig, you’ll be able to quickly hold anything from picture frames to cabinet sides.
#7. ONE JIG SET FOR EVERYTHING: KREG JIG AND CLAMP SET
See on Amazon: Kreg Jig Set
While you can assemble furniture and cabinets without jigs, you’re better off investing in a complete set (once) and having:
- A drawer slide jig to speed up drawer installation
- Concealed hinge jig for drilling hinges and installing soft close cabinet hinges
- Then a shelf pin jig for level shelves
- And a cabinet hardware jig for installing cabinet knobs and handles
#8. COMPACT ROUTER TABLE: BOSCH RA1141
See on Amazon: Bosch Router Table
A router by itself is a must-have for woodworking. But, it has limitations when it comes to making trim, building cabinet doors, cutting dados, and, well, you get the picture, making a router table an essential upgrade to your workshop to tackle more diverse projects.
All without buying a new power tool if you own a router. And, at an entry price that works for most woodworkers, compact benchtop router tables are easy to fit into a budget.
#9. SAFETY FIRST: FULL FACE MASK
See on Amazon: PT-101 Full Face Respirator
Woodworking isn’t just dangerous when it comes to saws that can cut or nail guns that pierce. A safety mask is always required to protect from flying knots to other projectiles when using woodworking tools.
And, what most don’t realize, is small micron of dust hangs in the air for 30 minutes or longer AFTER you’ve shut down your tools.
Not to mention toxic finishes that you’ll need to protect your body from inhaling.
This makes a woodworking safety mask like this 2-in-1 an all-day wearable that will protect you no matter the task.
#10. THIRD HAND: PONY WOODWORKING VISE
See on Amazon: Pony 27091 Wood Vise
Your first thought of a woodworking vise is a sizeable clumsy tool that takes up space ON your workbench.
Well, the great news is there are woodworkers’ vises built for woodworkers that hide a vise on the SIDE of your bench. And the metal jaws found on all wood vices are designed to be layered on top of a wood of your choice to avoid marring your project.
#11. TABLE SAW ALTERNATIVE: MAKITA PLUNGE SAW
See on Amazon: Makita Cordless Track Saw
When it comes to cutting up large sheets of plywood, a lot of woodworkers face three problems:
- Getting the plywood home from the lumber yard
- Lifting a 75-pound sheet of plywood onto a 50-pound table saw
- And then cutting a perfectly straight line
Fortunately, the woodworking world has advanced to saws like this Makita cordless track saw. Its plunge-cut design can cut your project to size, transport it, and skip the table saw.
#12. LIGHT UP YOUR SHOP: 9000 LUMEN POWER
See on Amazon: LZHOME Light
I’ve done a few projects in garage lighting, thinking they were perfect. Only to take them inside and see the flaws I missed while sanding or finishing because of poor visibility. Instead of playing around with portable lights, I upgraded my ceiling lights to high-powered (low energy) LED lights that eliminated dark areas of the shop.
Summary
In woodworking, dozens of tools are designed to make the job easier. Have a tool you’ve found that should be on the list? Drop a comment below and share.
- About the Author
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Eric has been a professional woodworker for over thirty years and has worked in small cabinet shops making everything from kitchen cabinets to hand-made furniture. Now working from a home woodworking shop Eric is sharing his passion for woodworking, tool advice and how-to knowledge from his Minnesota-based woodshop.
