I spend a lot of time in the shop. A LOT of time. I get asked pretty often which products I recommend, whether it’s for beginner woodworkers looking to outfit a new shop or experienced makers who are looking for new tools. I’d like to go through of my favorite shop items that I’ve used this past year. Let’s get started.
I should point out that all of these products are available to buy online through our affiliate links. Following these links don’t cost you anything, but they do allow us to keep making free videos, so if you are interested in any of these and want to help us out be sure to follow the links below!
Trusco Toolbox
I found these Toyo steel toolboxes from Japan a while back on Instagram and really loved the look and colors. The only downside was expensive shipping at the time. Well now you can find them domestically under the Trusco brand. These are the same boxes, though some of the color availability differs from the originals. These are wonderfully simple lightweight toolboxes and I’ve really enjoyed having them around this year and organizing tool with them.
Giant Cutting Mat
I have always used a cutting mat on one of my work surfaces because I’m always destroying surfaces with adhesives, paints, and knives. I used to use a smaller one but after building my large worktable I found that the smaller one just wasn’t cutting it (pun intended!). So I found this giant 40 x 60 two-sided cutting mat and it is fantastic for what I need. I highly recommend finding one that fits your size table if you can.
Every Day Carry
I’ve been carrying knives and tools for a really long time. I even made a secret bedside table for some of my favorite ones. These days I really don’t go anywhere without my Maker Knife. It is by far the best utility blade that I’ve used and it’s so easy (and fun) to slide in and out.
But if I need more than just a knife, I also highly recommend something like the Gerber Armbar Drive. It has a swappable phillips and flathead screwdriver, a full size blade, and a few other tools while being incredibly small (they even make a super slim version). If you’re looking for an in-between I also like the Gerber Crucial. I used to carry that one a lot.
Plexiglass & Plastics Blade
If you happen to cut a lot of plexiglass or plastic sheets, a dedicated plexiglass cutting blade is amazing at cutting down on the large plastic chunks that fly off of the saw. It’s specially designed to shave the plastic down into small bits that are less painful and easier to manage. But you should always wear eye protection and a respirator when dealing with particles this fine.
My Favorite Tape Measures
I have gone through so many tape measures over the years. Cheap, expensive, fancy, simple, and I have found these two to be my absolute favorite for most jobs. I’ve settled on 12’ tape measures because I rarely need more than that for anything that I build, and the reduced size and weight is really handy for keeping around the shop.
I really like the Stanley 12’ Engineer’s Scale because it has both fractional and decimal measurements on it. It’s sturdy, lightweight, and exactly what I need 99% of the time.
I also really like the Komelon 12’ because it has both imperial and metric measurements on it. It’s pretty lightweight and also has an oddly nice matte finish on the tape which I appreciate.
Shelf Brackets
I’ve talked about these retractable shelf brackets before and I really love them. The’ve appeared in several of my projects now and are great for adding very durable conditional shelving to any project. They are easy to lift and they can hold a lot of weight.
Adhesives
Sometimes it seems like my channel could also be called I Like To Glue Stuff because I sure use a lot of glue. There are many to choose from for each task and not every one is created equal. I often go to E6000 because it can pretty much attach ANYTHING to ANYTHING.
It’s incredibly strong, you can find it in several colors as well as clear, and it has a tiny bit of stretch to it after it has cured which is really forgiving depending on your application. It does take a bit of time to dry though.
Quad Hands
I have made third hand holders for electronics projects before, and they are super handy to have around. But after I found these magnetic quad hands I dropped the old ones and never looked back. Being able to quickly but firmly place the base where you need it is so helpful. They work incredibly well and allow me to quickly get going when I need to solder wires or work with small objects.
Rechargeable Glue Gun
I have a couple of glue guns but I have often come back to this mini glue gun from Arrow because it’s so handy when trying to add hot glue to hard-to-reach spaces. Also, because it’s rechargeable I can use it without being tethered by a power cord that gets in the way. I use the Arrow one all the time. And if you’re part of the Ryobi ecosystem, they also have a similar mini glue gun that charges off of their 18v system.
Safety Gear
It’s always important to be ready for the unlikely event of a shop injury. The first line of defense is active safety protocol, but in the even that there is an incident, you should have medical supplies in an easily accessible place ready to go. This clotting sponge is easy to open and can quickly help to manage a wound before it gets too bad. Also this compression bandage is great for applying pressure until you can get further assistance. Whatever you do, it’s important to think about shop safety and be prepared for an emergency.
Clotting Gauze
3D Printing Filament
I 3D print A LOT of stuff. After trying what feels like thousands of different types and brands, I keep coming back to the Overture brand of PETG. It consistently provides me with super clean results and the pricing is incredibly hard to beat. They’ve also updated their spools recently (as many have) to use recyclable materials. I highly recommend it!
These are just a small amount of things that I’ve used in the shop this year, but they’re definitely my favorite things that I use or need nearly every day, and I would highly recommend these as a gift to any fellow maker, even if that maker is you!