Great Gear: Making calculations easy

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PRICE: $1.99/month, Google Play or App Store (MakerCalc.com)

Math can be hard. Especially when a woodworking project’s calculations include combining fractions and mixed numbers. While you could use a regular calculator, that usually means mentally figuring out the lowest common demoninator or converting fractions to decimals and back. The MakerCalc smartphone app simplifies all that. Punch in whole numbers in one section of the on-screen interface, fractional numerators in another, and their denominators in yet a third—it defaults to halves, fourths, eighths, and so on. Then tap your operation just like a normal calculator—add, subtract, divide, or multiply—and repeat the process. The output section keeps a running total so there’s no need for an equals button, plus it provides live conversions to fractional and decimal inch values and metric measurements. The app is free to download on Google Play or the App Store, and once downloaded doesn’t require an internet connection. After a 30-day free trial, the cost is $1.99/ month, but I find MakerCalc’s ease of use and accuracy more than worth it. 

Derek Richmond