2019 Gift Guide

Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! We have products for every creative person on your shopping list, from an $8 pair of safety goggles to a $6500 laser cutter.

Want to give your significant other a hint for what you want? “Accidentally” leave this article open on their laptop, having scrolled down to the thing you want most. Easy!

For the Safe and Stylish Woodworker: Magid Y50 Classic Black Safety Glasses

Manufacturer: Magid

Price: $8

Proving once and for all that safety can be cool, these safety glasses meet ANSI Z87+ standards. So whether you’re planning on taking Instagram by storm, or just your workshop, you’ll look good and be safe wearing these.

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For The Junior Woodworker: Handy Famm Tape Measure

Manufacturer: OffWhite Labs

Price: $12.99

This kid-friendly tape measure is perfect for your little shop assistant. Our 4-year-old junior editor especially appreciated the bright colors and fun shape as he ran around the house measuring all of the furniture. The eye that doubles as a level is a nice touch that we would like to see on more tape measures.

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For the Beginner Woodcarver: Flexcut Cutting Knife
Manufacturer: Flexcut
Price: $18

When you’re starting woodcarving, you want a knife that is sturdy, yet small enough to do detail work. The Flexcut Cutting knife perfectly fits the bill with its carbon steel blade and ergonomic handle.

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For the Precise Woodworker: 123 Machinist Blocks

Manufacturer: Various

Price: $20 (set of 2)

Once you get these blocks you won’t know what you did without them. Need to make sure something is perfectly square? Use these blocks. Need measure 1″, 2″, or 3″ perfectly every time? Use these blocks. Need something to clamp to when welding? To set dowel spacing? Check flatness? Use these blocks.

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For the Handy Woodworker: 8 Piece Screwdriver Set

Manufacturer: Craftsman

Price: $21

Few tools are more important in the home repair arsenal than the humble screwdriver. That’s why every handy man or woman should have these high-quality screwdrivers that will last them a lifetime. This set includes 4 Phillips and 4 slotted screwdrivers in various sizes.

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For the Woodworker With Sore Knuckles: GearKlamp

Manufacturer: Bessey

Price: $16 – $25

Almost everyone who has used an f-clamp has experienced the joy of scraping their knuckles while in a tight space. The GearKlamp is designed to reach into places that just weren’t possible with your average bar clamp or f-clamp. The bar slides through the handle allowing the jaws to reach into the clamping space without compromising the ability to use the handle.

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For the Woodworker That Doesn’t Need Another Plane: Planing Stop

Manufacturer: BT&C

Price: $19-$33

These made in the USA stops are perfect if you are looking for more flexibility or just a high-quality stop for planing. Available in mild steel for occasional use, and hardened steel for the power user.

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For the Woodworker’s Lungs: M2 RZ Mask

Manufacturer: RZ Mask

Price: $35

A dust mask is one of the most important parts of a woodworker’s safety arsenal. Unfortunately, most masks fall into one of two categories- poor fit or uncomfortable. RZ Masks are designed to be lightweight and comfortable, while still filtering harmful particles from reaching your lungs.

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For the Woodworker On The Go: Occidental Leather 4 in 1 Tool/Tape Holder

Manufacturer: Occidental Leather

Price: $36

A good tool holder can last a lifetime, and this one (made in the USA) is built just for that. It even includes a tool shield for carrying sharp objects.

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For the Metalworker: Antra Welding Helmet AH6-260-0000

Manufacturer: Antra

Price: $44

This highly-rated helmet has all the standard bells and whistles you want in an auto-darkening welding helmet. It also meets ANSI Z87. 1 standards, meaning it will keep you safe while welding, plasma cutting, or grinding, without breaking the bank.

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For the Woodworker That Loves Quality: Trusco ST-350-B 2-Level Toolbox

Manufacturer: Trusco

Price: $52

There’s something almost intangible about interacting with an item of exceptional quality- an aura given off. Which is exactly what you’ll experience with this beautifully-crafted toolbox. With nary a piece of plastic in sight, you know it’s built for the long haul.

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For the Woodturner/Mixologist: Complete Set of Rockler Bar Tool Turning Kits

Manufacturer: Rockler

Price: $59

Whether you’re making them for yourself or as a gift, this set of DIY bar tool turning kits has everything you need to completely outfit a bar.  You just pick your choice of wood, then get turning!

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For the Person Who Has Literally Everything: More Batteries

Manufacturer: Various

Price: $20-$100

At a certain point in time, you run out of different tools you need (or space in your shop). What then? Well, if there’s one item you can’t have enough of, it’s fresh batteries for your cordless tool collection. Pick up an extra battery (or three) and never miss a moment of woodworking time waiting for a charge.

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For the Accurate Woodworker: Woodpeckers 1281 Woodworking Square

Manufacturer: Woodpeckers

Price: $120

A square is only as good as its squareness (sorry) and Woodpeckers promises that their square is perfectly square (sorry again). Jokes aside, having a precise tool like this helps projects go smoothly and gives you better results when cutting and assembling.

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For the Maker: Custom Branding Iron

Manufacturer: Budget Brandings

Price: $80-$170+

Here at PopWood we’ve noticed the sudden rise of branding irons as a must-have for makers across Instagram and YouTube. And we have to say that we totally get it- who wouldn’t want to leave their mark (literally) on the pieces they worked so hard on. Budget Brandings makes custom branding irons for torch heating, or electric ones that heat themselves. Since each iron is custom-made, order early for delivery by Christmas.

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For the Woodworker That Does Need Another Plane: Bench Dog Tools No. 5 Jack Plane

Manufacturer: Bench Dog Tools

Price: $170

Few tools elicit as much passion from woodworkers as the humble plane. Designed as a quality mass-market alternative to restoring antique planes, this is a premium offering that comes sharp and true right out of the box.

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For the Finishing Fanatic: DCW210 5″ Sander

Manufacturer: DeWalt

Price: $119 (bare tool)- $199 (with battery)

A portable sander that allows you to keep dust far from your shop is an underrated idea. This sander features a powerful brushless motor, dust-sealed switch, 8,000-12,000 rpm speed dial, and a cloth dust collection bag that snaps onto its positive-locking dust port tube.

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For the Finishing Fanatic: Fisch 16 Piece Wave Cutter Forstner Bit Set

Manufacturer: Fisch

Price: $380

When we tested these bits earlier this fall, our Editor-In-Chief declared them “by far the best I’ve used,” and we stand by that declaration today. Though not the cheapest on the market, you’re not going to find a faster, cleaner-cutting bit out there.

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For the Live-Edge Slab Lover: Woodpeckers Slab Flattening Mill

Manufacturer: Woodpeckers

Price: $900

While you can build a homemade slab-flattening jig, you can’t match the robustness and precision of something engineered specifically for the task. The Woodpeckers Slab Flattening Mill is more than prepared for the job of giving you flat, accurate slabs time after time after time.

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For the Woodworker That Needs It All: Dremel Digilab LC40 Laser Cutter

Manufacturer: Dremel Digilab

Price: $6500

Digital laser cutters are truly a versatile tool, and this one packs a lot of tricks into a very compact package. It’s both safe (first laser cutter to receive UL approval) and easy to use, with a color touch-screen control and a web-based interface. While no impulse buy, it really is a worthwhile investment for the digital maker.

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