13 Great Gifts for Woodworkers

It's a luxury to have a bandsaw, let alone two of them, in a woodshop. That's where the SWAG Portaband Table with Foot Switch comes in. When you're reluctant to cut a piece of metal on your finely-tuned woodworking bandsaw, you can do it safely and effectively with your portable bandsaw and this finely-made table. The portable bandsaw (sold separately, you can order a table to fit your model) mounts in the table, giving you a solid surface to reference for making cuts. And, the included footswitch means you can keep two hands on the piece at all times.

Before the advent of tape measures, you'd often find a folding rule in a woodworker's pocket. The Robert Larson Co. 650-1167 3-Foot Folding Ruler brings the old world into the new. Made from solid hardwood with brass joints, this tool will become your go to measuring device for all kinds of projects. And, at less than $20, it makes a great stocking stuffer.

Rasps play an important role in shaping and finishing wood. The 9' Shinto Saw Rasp makes quick work of roughing out three-dimensional shapes in all kinds of wood. Its cutting surface is like a series of folded bandsaw blades. You'll find it works just as good for quick material removal as it does for finer detail work and even work with end grain!

Woodworkers use glue by the gallon, so a quality, refillable glue bottle is a must. The FastCap Glu-Bot Glue Bottle is very popular. The no-drip tip, wide mouth for refilling and extra-wide base (so it doesn't tip) make this buy a no-brainer.

Making a plan is half the battle when building a piece of furniture, and detailed sketches help projects move smoothly. That's why Alvin Isometric Paper is so cool. The diamond-shaped isometric grid helps you draw accurate, three-dimensional plans so you can really visualize what you'd like to build before you build it.

Making a square hole isn't all that easy ? usually you drill a hole slightly smaller than your square, then pare it to size with a chisel. But a hollow-chisel mortiser makes the process a lot quicker. The Powermatic PM701 3/4 Horsepower Bench Mortiser is a premium tool, but it's one of the best you can buy for a benchtop machine. After all, not all woodworkers have the space to dedicate to a huge, free-standing machine.

Wood ? you can't be a woodworker without it. And most woodworkers can never have enough stock on hand. If you want to get something special, beyond the classic oak, maple or walnut varieties, think about a box of exotic wood off-cuts from Rockler. Get a taste for the species and wood before deciding to build a whole project. It's a bit of a gamble, but all wood is good, right?

If you always have a heck of time trying to figure out equal spacing for things like coat hooks and shelf locations, check out the Point 2 Point Mk2 layout tool from M-Powertools.

The Mk2 is an accordion-like apparatus with seven adjustable marking points. Just stretch it out so the distance between the marking points (or every two or three marking points) is the proper space you need, tighten the pinch bolts and mark the locations on your project. You can also use it to space fasteners, find center points and figure out how many small boards you can cut out of a larger one.

When was the last time you used a handsaw? It was probably dull and hard to push, and chances are, you couldn't follow a straight line to save your life. But saws are not all created equal. Irwin's 15-in. Universal Handsaw is truly remarkable: It's extremely sharp and easy to grip, and it cuts up to three times faster than other handsaws. The secret is in the teeth. They're ground with three faces then hardened to stay sharp much longer than a conventional saw's teeth. Irwin calls this a 'universal' saw because it performs equally well with the grain and across the grain. Keep it around to break down longer boards that don't easily fit on your miter saw. And carry it with you to the lumberyard to cut down long lengths of wood so they fit in your car for the ride home. The teeth can't be sharpened, but at this price, who cares?