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There are some tools in my shop that I don’t have a lot of call for, but their usefulness becomes apparent when the need arises. The helping-hand magnifier/light/clamp fits in this category. Although it’s meant for jewelers, miniaturists, and model makers, it also has many uses in the woodshop from holding delicate wood parts to repairing and soldering electrical components. 

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.

Traditional steel turning tools work well for a lot of applications. But when I absolutely need a razor-sharp edge and want to reduce the risk of a catch, as when turning the spindle of the Inside-Out Cake Stand (Oct/Nov 2023), I turn to carbide-tipped scrapers.

Forming a uniform burr on the edge of a card scraper can be a bit challenging. My preferred burr-making tool had always been a chromed hardened-steel rod and it served me well over the years. However, I recently acquired an Accu-Burr Jr from Blackburn Tools and Union Manufacturing Company, which is a solid carbide burnisher with three angled grooves to make fine, medium, or coarse burrs (5, 10, and 15 degrees, respectively).

As an artist, I’ve dabbled in laser engraving a few times throughout the years, primarily in shared maker spaces. Though I’ve wanted to expand my experience, the high price point and space requirements of an engraver always kept me from doing so. Enter the LaserPecker 2 – a portable, desktop-sized engraver!

You shouldn’t prioritize protecting one part of your body over another. Hearing, eye, and respiratory protection are all critical to a long and safe woodworking career. Trend AirShield Pro truly understands this fact.