Okay for a minute, let's be serious and I know for me sometimes that is hard.

Let's start a list of items you would like to have for your shop or things you think make nice gifts for the shop. Let's keep it in the useful, practical and affordable range. It can be something you already have, but someone else might be looking for an idea for Christmas. You can list several items or just one.

I'll start with one.

Wixie digital angle gauge. They are not expensive, about 39.00 and are most valuable for checking blade alignment for making not only straight cuts but angle cuts also. If you don't have one in your shop it is a great item to add.

Now, let's here a few of your suggestions.

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John Moody
Site Administratorhttp://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com
“Don’t make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful, don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.†Shaker Saying

Anything Wixey makes would qualify in my mind.  I would suggest the 3" height gage that is pictured above,  I sprung for one as my birthday present last week and it is super handy.  At $25 from Woodcraft the price is right also.  The feet have rare earth magnets to keep it sturdy while you measure.

 

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Ron Dudelston
Site Administrator

Above and Beyond WoodWorks

Bigger lathe chuck

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!

A Grripper and another Mag-Switch feather board for safety.  A couple more mobile bases to put under a saw and replace the old casters on my planer.  I'd also like to upgrade the electrical in the garage.

The best erasers for wood, I've ever used. Pkg of 4 will last a long time and only costs $5 or $6.

And, I'll second the Wixey products, Ron. That height gauge is pretty slick, too.

 

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Santa can leave me some old rusty/crusty early Delta Specialty Co. machines I haven't found yet to play with.

 

Larry

Old Woodworking Machinery Forum Host

I have most of those that have been mentioned so far. I have the Wixey gauge for my table saw and it is indispensable. I have not seen that Wixey height gauge that Ron Dudelston posted before but it is now high on my next tool list. I also have 2 of the Grrippers push pads/blocks and they are great as well as the Mag Switch feather boards. I have one of the Mag Switch feather boards and a couple of other miter slot feather boards, but the Mag Switch is the one I reach for first. I am not into rusty tools yet (I hear that they are rather addicting once you start and I have enough addictions for the time being :-) ).

For me, especially today as I have to glue up a bunch of cutting boards, one the best tools I have are some of the 4 way clamps from Peach Tree Woodworking.

http://www.ptreeusa.com/panel_glue_up.htm#670

These clamps put pressure on all for sides of a panel glue up so you do not need to use separate cauls to keep the panel flat. You take a 2"x4" of any length that you need and cut it half and then you screw the black plastic notched strips to each end. You then put tightening brackets in the notches to the desired length and clamp up your panel. They are a little awkward the first time you use them, but once you get a feel for them they are the best panel clamps you will ever use.

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Allen Worsham
Corona, CA

allenworsham@earthlink.net

'Graze in every man's field, but always give your own milk.'
J. Vernon McGee

“Our greatest fear should not be that we won’t succeed,
but that we will succeed at something that doesn’t matter.â€
D.L. Moody

I could use a new scroll saw. Mine is pretty beat up. Right now the tensioner is help together with a 2" finishing nail and still works pretty good other wise.. Amazing what band aid repairs can do though. I'll second or third the Wixey gauges. I love mine and depend on them.Even if some are not Wixey.

Allen

I have seen these advertised in many different places. Do those grippers really work that good? If so I will add them to my list also.

Allen Worsham said:

I have most of those that have been mentioned so far. I have the Wixey gauge for my table saw and it is indispensable. I have not seen that Wixey height gauge that Ron Dudelston posted before but it is now high on my next tool list. I also have 2 of the Grrippers push pads/blocks and they are great as well as the Mag Switch feather boards. I have one of the Mag Switch feather boards and a couple of other miter slot feather boards, but the Mag Switch is the one I reach for first. I am not into rusty tools yet (I hear that they are rather addicting once you start and I have enough addictions for the time being :-) ).

For me, especially today as I have to glue up a bunch of cutting boards, one the best tools I have are some of the 4 way clamps from Peach Tree Woodworking.

http://www.ptreeusa.com/panel_glue_up.htm#670

These clamps put pressure on all for sides of a panel glue up so you do not need to use separate cauls to keep the panel flat. You take a 2"x4" of any length that you need and cut it half and then you screw the black plastic notched strips to each end. You then put tightening brackets in the notches to the desired length and clamp up your panel. They are a little awkward the first time you use them, but once you get a feel for them they are the best panel clamps you will ever use.

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Allen Worsham
Corona, CA

allenworsham@earthlink.net

'Graze in every man's field, but always give your own milk.'
J. Vernon McGee

“Our greatest fear should not be that we won’t succeed,
but that we will succeed at something that doesn’t matter.â€
D.L. Moody

Wayne,

Well, to sum it up....yes they work great!

I bought the first one at a woodworking show that Peachtree was at. I was impressed the way you can move the bottom legs back and forth so that when you are cutting boards without a blade guard or or splitter the blade goes between them and you have more surface on the face of the board for better control. This will not necessarily replace your regular push stick, but is used for cutting boards where you need to have more stability and safety with those funky cuts. I use them when I have to cut a lot of strips like when doing cutting boards. I can get good pressure on the board and pressure against the rip fence. I also use it on my router table for many cuts as well. 

They have a couple of different models, but I have 2 of the basic GR100's as they work great in tandem when you have to make long cuts so you can use one in each hand to keep lateral pressure the full length of the rip fence. There are a lot of different bells and whistles that they have, but I have been good so far with what I have got. 

Here is a video on the Grriper done by Woodcraft which is pretty good.

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Allen Worsham
Corona, CA

allenworsham@earthlink.net

'Graze in every man's field, but always give your own milk.'
J. Vernon McGee

“Our greatest fear should not be that we won’t succeed,
but that we will succeed at something that doesn’t matter.â€
D.L. Moody

The winning powerball ticket would be nice.

Thanks Allen. Will definitely look into them then.

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Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.