Father's Day Must-Have Woodworking Gifts

Find out what woodworking gifts our staff of editors and dads hope to receive this Father's Day.

Photo: Woodcraft

Father's Day is fast-approaching and the Fine Woodworking editorial department's crew of dad's are eagerly anticipating (or at least hoping) for a small workshop-related token of gratitude from sons, daughters, and moms. So we figured we'd take a quick poll of the dad's out there to find out what tools (maximum value of $100) were on their wish-lists. If your plum out of ideas regarding what to get dad, here are a few possible choices to get you started.

What's on Your Wish List?
We want to know - especially because some of us are still considering other options!

Asa Christiana
Editor

I bought a cheap but complete set of those no-name Taiwanese brad-point drills way back when. Some worked well, but the sharpening was inconsistent on others. And all of them dulled pretty quickly. It's next-to-impossible to resharpen brad-points properly in a home shop, so my set is riddled with gaps now. And ever since FWW did a review of brad-points in 2005, I've wanted a set of the Lee Valley high-speed steel bits, which bored smooth accurate holes in the toughest woods in our test, with zero tearout at the rim. A set of 12 is only $43 at LeeValley.com.

Lee Valley High-Speed Steel Brad Point Bits - $43

Lee Valley's high-speed steel (HSS) set cuts clean, accurate, flat-bottomed holes similar to those produced by a Forstner bit.

Michael Pekovich
Art Director

I'll let you off cheap this year. One of the greatest additions to my new shop is a hand-crank pencil sharpener and a big stash of Ticonderoga no. 2 pencils. I sharpened up a dozen pencils and put them in the top drawer of my bench. They soon migrated to every corner of my shop so that now, no matter where I turn, I can find a sharp pencil.

Dixon Ticonderoga Pencils and Sharpener - $25 

Remember pencil and paper? It may seem like a boring gift, but a woodworker can never have enough marking implements. Ditto for a good old-fashioned sharpener!

Mark Schofield
Managing Editor

Always need more clamps; clamps work best in pairs; I have two sons therefore I'd like two Jorgenson 24in. heavy duty bar clamps. The 1200 lb limit should pull most of my joints together.

Jorgensen 24-in. Steel Bar Clamps - $49.99 each  

 Need more information on clamps? Check out Fine Woodworking's complete Tool Guide listings.

Matt Kenney
Senior Editor

Although I believe I am getting an iPod speaker dock for my shop, it is over $100. So, I'd say for under $100 I would like a 3 in. thick by 12 in. wide by 18 in. long granite surfacing plate from Grizzly. The plate itself costs $34.95, but because it weighs 79 lb. the shipping is $44! That's a grand total of $78.95. 

 Grizzly Granite Surface Plate - $34.95 + $34 (shipping) 

According to Matt, it beats having to stick sandpaper to his tablesaw table--his usual method for regrinding plane irons and chisel bevels.

Tom McKenna
Senior Editor

I'm in dire need of Forstner bits (to be used after I get a drill press, of course). The last time I found myself at Woodcraft, I was eyeing up this 7-piece set. Hint, hint, hint.

Woodcraft 7-Piece Forstner Bit Set - $82.25 

Be sure to catch the complete review on Woodcraft's forstner bits in our online Tool Guide.

Ed Pirnik
Web Producer

I currently own two squares - a 4-in. and a traditional 12-in. combo square. I've always found the 4-in. to be really easy to work with; it hides in my shop apron and is always at-the-ready. In fact, I think I actually use my 4-in. more than my 12-in. That larger square is just a bit more bulky and I've always wanted the perfect in-between size. A 6-in. combination model will satisfy nearly all my needs and is small enough to remain hidden in my shop apron, right beside its trusty, smaller cousin.

Starrett 6-in. Combination Square - $92

Find out what sets a $75 tool apart from a $6 tool in our article on combination squares from FWW #159.

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