The fifth in my series of tool posts, a full shop can still benefit from some small additions and upgrades - this post outlines a number of tools that don’t necessarily allow me to do anything new, but rather, allow me to do things I could already do either more quickly or with greater quality: a track saw, a large angle grinder, a domino cutter, right angle drill, a helical cutter head on my planer.

Though there’s always more tools to get (and more space that’s needed), with the two major additions of a CNC and a compound sliding miter saw (and one minor addition, the miter-fold blade), the Branching Out Wood shop is now fairly well-rounded! Additionally, this post introduces some concepts - and limitations - of a three-axis CNC, and highlights the first project, a Nixie clock, that I’ll be using it on.

In this third installment of my shop tour series, I walk through a few recent additions related to my shop: dovetail jigs, and a set of giant bar clamps. The main focus, however, is veneering - both the edge-banding and vacuum press equipment that allows me to turn a sheet of MDF into a beautifully veneered panel, and the motivation for why and when one might use veneers.

Building on the previous Shop Tour post, this article fleshes out the smaller - but no less critical - elements in a workshop: a few key handheld power tools; good personal protection including dust collection and air filtration, push sticks and feather boards; storage solutions and good shop lighting; measurement devices; and jigs, both homemade and commercial.