# What tools changed the quality of your woodworking?



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Several members make the point that it isn't the tool, but the user. But my biggest greaktrhoughs in quality of work date from aquisition of a Wixey digital angle gauge, and a Woodpecker dial gauge for aligning blade and fence to the miter slot.

The former is always handy, but I also often use the woodpecker dial gauge to keep the fence alignment just right. Reliably square, perfect cuts make assemly easy and exact. The new Wixey has an illuminated screen and is much easier to read for these old eyes.

What are the tools or accessories that really upped the woodworking game in your shop? What difference did they make in your results?


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Not a tool; and also not to lay it on too thick, but what _you_ guys have taught me about setting up tools correctly and accurately.
It's been a huge leap from renovation construction to 'woodworking'.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

In my case, I would say 1/4" graph paper, I already had a pencil and ruler.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Another vote for calibration equipment, I made my own dial indicator holder for both the tablesaw and drill press, and I love my Wixey gages and calipers.

The explosion of educational resources (YouTube, Forum, my Router Workshop videos) has been a godsend. There are so many guys who show you what to do (and what not to do), what is possible, how many different ways to do the same thing with different tools, etc. Before then, all my learning was from Magazines and books, which pretty much only showed one way to do things.



PS- another tool that has improved the quality of my woodworking is my magnifying glasses and new shop lighting. If you can't see well, you can't work well!


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## Job and Knock (Dec 18, 2016)

The plunge rail saw, combined with a good quality vacuum. But then I install a lot of stuff


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

without question: "Knowledge'............


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I think I agree with Bill. It's not so much which tool but how to use them. And that applies to my hand tools too. Maybe especially to using my hand tools.


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## jj777746 (Jan 17, 2015)

I have also learned so much from our Experts & until joining the Forum I didn't know what a digital angle gauge or a saw gauge was.To answer the original question,it has to be my router table.Love that thing.


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## jj777746 (Jan 17, 2015)

Has to be my Router Table.Love that thing.


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## dirt_dobber (Jun 9, 2017)

buying better - is what helped me. One example is the Incra V27 miter gauge - it really improved my cuts.
A better quality bandsaw blade is another example as well as buying a higher quality table saw.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Climate controlled environment. No, seriously. The wood and tools are stable and consistent. 

I like it, too. :wink:

David


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

dirt_dobber said:


> buying better - is what helped me. One example is the Incra V27 miter gauge - it really improved my cuts.
> A better quality bandsaw blade is another example as well as buying a higher quality table saw.


Similar for me. Went from a well tuned but under powered Delta to the Laguna Fusion also made a big difference to me, that and switching to higher quality,
full kerf blades.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

jj777746 said:


> Has to be my Router Table.Love that thing.


Totally agree. That and a chainsaw, the two mostest funnest tools in the shop.


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

Quality tools. From a ruler to a table saw. Without quality and close tolerances you're doomed from the start.


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

all power tools.
never enjoyed working with wood untill I could turn a switch and see something else doing all that hard work.

Router table and bandsaw are joint firsts.


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## rrrun (Jun 17, 2014)

My drum sander changed the accuracy of my pieces. It made my end grain cutting boards *much* better. Great tool.

For quality of life, though, my greatly improved dust collection system (Oneida V3000) - along with a Festool Dust Extractor - have made the shop much, much cleaner and the Mrs a bit more tolerant of my ability to walk into our house from the shop.


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

I had been working with wood for many years before embarking on the Fine Woodworking band wagon. When I turned 50 I gave myself a present, a course with a local fine w/w guru that taught me so much. From how use and select hand tools and building projects with only hand tools to learning how to sharpen chisels and cutting beautiful dovetails.
I also increased my accuracy when I bought a jointer and planer and a few table saw accessories. So I agree with what many previous comments stated about knowledge, but there are certain tools that you acquire along the way that also improve your skills, and of course practice makes perfect.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Learning to use Sketchup.


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## CharlesWebster (Nov 24, 2015)

Upgrading my table saw from a 1983-vintage Craftsman to a brand new Grizzly. Increased my precision by an order of magnitude. Now I need to upgrade my miter saw similarly.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Having the time now to actually spend more time in the shop. Staying in tune just makes the next project better than the last.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Even though my router tables and routers are my favorite, the first and most important thing in a shop is a Quality table SAW!


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

My biggest upgrades were getting a Unisaw with a 52" Unifence, and going digital with as many digital tool add-ons and digital measuring tools as possible. Both were very significant in improving the quality of my work.

Charley


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## Bob Adams (Jul 5, 2014)

Over the years, as I progressed so did my tools. With a few exceptions all of them made me a better woodworker. But hands down, without a doubt, the tool that helped me progress the most is my work bench. Building it taught me new skills, using it allows me to improve on those skills, and looking at it everyday just makes me happy.:smile:


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Bob Adams said:


> looking at it everyday just makes me happy.:smile:


Thats the kind of attitude that makes anything worth doing.........worth doing :smile:


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Interesting string. I started out thinking tools, but several people have cited increase in knowledge as well. Tool wise, good quality table saw and saw tuning gear and knowledge rank pretty high so far. If you haven't commented yet, please do.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

In order :

Festool RO 150 sander with Fein and Festool dust collectors. OF2000 Router and micro fence circle jig. Track saw. Table top CNC machines.


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## Terry Q (Mar 2, 2017)

Seems like my next tool purchase is always justified by telling myself that I'll be able to do something better and easier. It's been like that for awhile.

I see a cnc in my future since I'm fairly certain it will allow me to do some things better and easier. 


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Over the years, I have upgraded tools - a low-end Sears table saw to a Unisaw, a drill press you clamped a drill to for a Delta 16" floor model, etc. - and bought new tools that let me do some operations more efficiently, But I'd have to agree with the bulk of the responders that cited increased knowledge as probably the biggest factor. As a self-taught woodworker, at least initially, a lot of my earlier projects were trial and error - the big jump in quality, and greatly diminished frustration with my results, was when the light bulb went off and I realized that you can't expect good results from equipment that's not correctly aligned. I'm not quite as anal about it as I used to be:wink: but I think knowing that you equipment is correctly aligned gives you a lot of confidence that the final product is going to be good. In the early days, alignment/adjustments were based on the owner's manual - how about that? - but now there is so much information on the Internet about that, on sharpening tools (another skill picked up through trial and (a lot of) error, just about any subject you want to pick can be found there. The trick sometimes is sorting through it and finding the gems.


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Dare I say, The Internet? I found this forum online about five and half years ago and all the discussions, suggestions, and photos have greatly helped to improve my woodworking. In addition, the plethora of available woodworking videos let me see tools in use, watch how others make things, get project ideas, learn how to finish things, and more. It's like a visual encyclopedia of woodworking. Some are great, some good, and some awful but I'm always learning something new.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Oliver, I daresay you've put in more than you've taken out!


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Trading up from a contractor’s saw to a Unisaw (later replaced with a SawStop ICS).

Forrest saw blades.

Layout: Starrett squares and rules.

Marking: .05mm mechanical pencils and a quality marking knife.

Sharpening: water stones and Eze lap diamond plates, Lee Valley honing guide.

Shop-fabricating a shooting board and a Lie-Nielsen #9 miter plane.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Ray Newman said:


> Trading up from a contractor’s saw to a Unisaw (later replaced with a SawStop ICS).
> 
> Forrest saw blades.
> 
> ...


Very similar list for me. Diamond sharpening blocks and razor sharp chisels really make hand work easier.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Time. Perhaps not exactly a tool but retirement has provided me the opportunity to play as much or as little as I care to in the shop.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Tom I think maybe it's my Jet pro Shop 10" table saw and here is why. Just about all TS can be made to cut straight but the Jet y favorite saw makes it easier to use. 

I also bought the Incra Miter sled and it has really helped me make accurate cuts.

I just bought a Woodpecker router table and I think it's going to improve my routing. The router table is my favorite tool in the shop to use.

I have also been eyeing one of those Woodpecker gauges like you have. The one I have now is homemade.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

hawkeye10 said:


> Tom I think maybe it's my Jet pro Shop 10" table saw and here is why. Just about all TS can be made to cut straight but the Jet y favorite saw makes it easier to use.
> 
> I also bought the Incra Miter sled and it has really helped me make accurate cuts.
> 
> ...


Don't be suprised if you find that the fence itself varies by a few thow. all the way down its length. I really like that gauge, even though I don't really need to, I often just pull it out and check my settings. All it takes is a little sawdust trapped under the gence's base and your fence will be off. Makes you aware of small things.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

"The one I have now is homemade."
-Don

Homemade gets you extra credits around here.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

What makes the Woodpecker gauge so good is the method they use to have it firmly in the miter slot. You drop in two, short milled rods, then the rod affixed to the jig goes on top of those. Thy're milled so the three interlock so you can slide them up and down the miter slot. This eliminates any "slop" in a miter bar so you're indexed automatically throughout the length of the slot. Clever AND precise, if a little pricey.


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## Tagwatts (Apr 11, 2012)

Novice at best. 
When you go from nuts and bolts and all metal material to working with wood, all of the tools are new to me, with the exception of a "Hammer". The hammer is even new as it is a different shape and used somewhat different. I have purchased some new tools and I am still learning how to use them properly. Question do they help? Example: I had made signs before using metal and a welder. Now I make signs using a substance,somewhat new and foreign to me, called wood. When I made my first wood sign, my wife said it looked unfinished. She said the edges look rough and need to be smoothed. New Tool to help finish signs. A Router. Now the edges of the signs have a soft curve or rounded look to them. 
So with all that said, any and all tools will help a wood be wannabee woodworker do a good job. The more I do, the more I find out i do not know. However, I find this forum and others to be most helpful for an Old Dog trying to do new tricks. 

Thanks to each and all of you good folks.


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## hankh (Jun 25, 2013)

Knowledge is certainly at the top of the list. But to be more precise - learning and appreciating the importance of accuracy and sharp tools. Not something that comes easy for me, as I tend to say "oh, that's close enough" and discover that it isn't as I try to put the pieces together. So I am always working on this.


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## allpurpose (Jul 2, 2017)

Along the lines of alignment the one item that changed everything was Miterset above and beyond everything else. It turned my otherwise old worn out miter gauge into a very accurate guage to get things right without having to struggle with old eyes and bad prescription glasses. It's truly the difference between night and day.


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## Roger Leclercq (Jan 28, 2009)

*Incra is the way to go*

Enclosed router table as well as INCRA TS and miter gauge. You can't beat the accuracy or repeatability make a cut and come back a month later and make same cut exactly within thousandth of an inch.


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## BowlBit (Nov 2, 2009)

I would have to say that every tool you buy has the potential to improve your work, but obtaining the knowledge that goes with that tool is what really improves what you do, That knowledge produces confidence and confidence produces a better project. I have been at this woodworking thing for a while and not everyone can handle the changes well. I find that there is a fair amount of operator error that occurs. But I think for me the biggest upgrade in quality came when I switched over to all Incra systems. Faster, better, easier and most of all a real joy to make sawdust.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

I too have a digital angle gauge and a dial gauge for angle and blade adjustments but I have to say, my custom router table with a PRLV2 and an Incra fence have made my work easier and repeatable.


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## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

rrrun said:


> For quality of life, though, my greatly improved dust collection system (Oneida V3000) - along with a Festool Dust Extractor - have made the shop much, much cleaner and the Mrs a bit more tolerant of my ability to walk into our house from the shop.


Something many woodworkers fail to appreciate. Your health is the most importing thing and spending money on quality dust collection is a must.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Tom I have purchaced the very same gauges you posted . Mostly because of you guys and your insite.
I love the Wood Pecker dial gauge , as I actually set my fences run out properly for once . I checked the runout on my arbour to , and it was exactly what was claimed in the paper work , .0002 . It's been an invaluable tool to me .
I bought the same angle Gauge also , but haven't tried it yet . Then I purchaced the Wixey digital fence gauge , and am kicking myself for not installing it , as there's been a few times I had to move my fence and would have liked repeatability when I set it back


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

If you have "standard" sizes for various components, here is a way of accurately (and cheaply) resetting the fence.


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## samsoot (Sep 5, 2009)

*Quite a few tools have made a difference*

bandsaw
table saw
triton router
Incra box finger jig
caliper rule
jointing plane
Japanese saws
various self-made jigs from designs provided by members of the RouterForums (thank you all)
All help to get wood finished to the correct measures.


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## roofner (Aug 1, 2010)

I have three things that come to mind knowledge and procedure go together. Repeatable cuts with good stoop blocks and stock cut to width on same table saw setup width. Same parts cut same time . Cutting table of my own design based on perf dog concept using cheap ez track saw now using cheap Hitachi 7 1/4 need to replace with Makita 8 1/4 saw in order to be able to cut 2 x stock. Very simple replaced my radial arm saw. The segment jig which makes angle cuts a breeze on my table saw.


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