Cool Tools for Woodworking: Seven Upgrades That Earn Their Place in the Shop

Introduction

Some tools simply make shop time better. This roundup covers seven items that have earned a permanent place in a working woodworking shop. They range from a simple way to make custom dowels to a push block that adds a meaningful layer of table saw safety. Each one solves a real problem, and several are available at a notable discount right now.

Nerex Dowel Plate

Store-bought dowels are often made from poor materials and can change size as they dry out on store racks. Making your own dowels with a dowel plate solves both problems. With one of these plates, you can create precisely sized dowels of any length using scraps of wood that would otherwise be thrown away.

The Nerex dowel plate is a thick plate of surface ground A2 hardened steel. Each hole is machined with a slight taper on the underside so that it cuts more smoothly. It can be used by itself, but it is intended to be mounted to a block. Beneath each hole in the plate is a slightly larger hole through the wood that guides the dowels straight down through the cut.

The best part about making your own dowels is that you can use the same species of wood as the rest of the project. You can even rip the stock so the grain is straight, which gives the dowels far greater strength. The plates come in metric and imperial sizes and are made by a European hand tool company that has been producing them since the 1930s.

Duragrit Abrasive Disc

Owning the right bits can make the difference between a rotary tool you use occasionally and one you reach for all the time. One example is joining two pieces of baseboard or other molding at an inside corner. Cutting two 45-degree angles only works if the walls are perfectly square to each other, and they rarely are. A slight bevel on the end makes the profile easier to see, and a rotary tool with an abrasive disc removes that bevel cleanly.

This particular disc has a domed surface that gradually rounds toward its thin edges. That shape makes it easy to follow straight lines as well as tight curves and beads. The coarse carbide grit removes material faster than a diamond cutter, yet it lasts many times longer than any high-speed steel cutting tool.

It is not just for coping. The same bit works for all sorts of trimming and shaping of wood, PVC, and composites. It comes from a small family business called Duragrit. You can get the disc by itself or as part of a four-piece DIY kit that includes a sanding drum hole saw, a pointed detail bur, and a carbide cutting disc.

Ridge Carbide Plate Groover

Ridge Carbide blades are not a typical mass-produced box store brand. The company meticulously designs its blades to produce better cuts for shops that do not want to deal with blade marks and chip out on their edges. This particular blade weighs a lot because it is twice as thick as a regular saw blade. It is called a plate groover.

It is a single 10-inch blade with 40 teeth, but it cuts a full quarter inch wide groove, double the normal eighth inch groove, in a single pass. It was originally chosen for cutting finger joints, but it quickly proved useful for all sorts of joinery. Entire flat panel cabinet doors can be made with just this one blade. Entire drawers can be made with a single setup on the table saw. Many jobs that used to require a dado stack can be done with this one blade.

It is also available in a 3/16 inch wide groove, which is closer to metric sizing for undersized plywood panels. Ridge Carbide has been the go-to blade brand for almost a decade, and the plate groover is a strong example of why specialized tools like this are worth the investment.

Grabber Pro Push Block

The Grabber Pro is a push block that makes a table saw safer to use. On the bottom are grippy pads that control both halves of a workpiece throughout the cutting process. The angled handle on top encourages pressure against the fence and down on the table at the same time. This greatly reduces the chance that an offcut will turn and bind between the blade and the fence, which is a major cause of kickback and amputations.

The body of the jig also bridges over the top of the saw blade, protecting your hand should something go wrong if you do not have a blade guard installed. Because every situation is different, the Grabber Pro is adjustable. You can change the configuration of the soles to cut strips as narrow as an eighth of an inch without cutting into the block. For extra stability with narrow workpieces, you can lower the support foot on the side. There is also a removable, replaceable sacrificial heel catch on the back for even more pushing power.

It can be used on the router table, the jointer, and even the band saw. The Grabber Pro comes with both quarter inch and eighth inch thin strip attachments right out of the box. It is significantly less expensive than the other version on the market, yet the build quality is excellent.

Empower Diamond Stone Sharpening Station

The Empower Diamond Stone Sharpening Stations include everything you need, so you do not have to hunt around for what you need. They are high quality, come from a small business, and are available in three versions. The SP1 is the most compact, with two diamond grits on a double-sided stone and a snap-on leather strap that takes you up to 800 grit. The SB2 also has two grits, permanently mounted side by side, with two leather strap covers for finer honing up to 5,000 grit. The SB3 has three diamond grits and three straps for honing all the way up to 8,000 grit.

All of these are customizable. You pick the diamond grits you want in whatever combination best suits you. Everything, including the bases, the stones, the straps, your honing compound, and other items, goes together in a heavy duty carrying case. You can put it away or take it outside the shop and always have it ready to go. While the large SP3 is a personal favorite, the smaller SP1 or the medium size SB2 will get the job done just fine. It is all about customization: you pick the grits, the size, and the price.

Isotunes Free 2.0 and Air Defenders

Isotunes is a small business in Indiana that makes Bluetooth headphones and earbuds that also serve as certified hearing protection. Two models stand out. The Free 2.0 have no wires at all, making them a convenient everyday option. The Super Cushy Air Defenders feature even comfier gel ear cushion upgrades for extended wear.

Both models are part of a limited-time promotion that offers 30% off anything the company sells. This is a serious discount for anyone who has been putting off protecting their ears in the shop.

Buying Advice

When choosing between these tools, consider what you actually do in the shop. If you build furniture or cabinets, the Ridge Carbide plate groover and the Nerex dowel plate will pay for themselves quickly. If you do a lot of trim work, the Duragrit abrasive disc is a small investment that makes a rotary tool far more useful. If safety is your priority, the Grabber Pro push block is a meaningful upgrade for any table saw. For maintenance and sharpening, the Empower Diamond Stone Sharpening Station is a complete system that keeps your edge tools ready. And for everyday hearing protection, the Isotunes Free 2.0 and Air Defenders are worth serious consideration.

Conclusion

These seven tools each solve a specific problem that comes up regularly in a woodworking shop. They are not gimmicks. They are practical upgrades that improve accuracy, safety, and efficiency. Whether you are making custom dowels, cutting wide grooves, or protecting your ears, each of these tools earns its place on the bench.