3–in–1 Setup Bars

Tool: Precision Router Table Setup Bars

Manufacturer: Kreg

MSRP: $69.99

Accurate tool setup is half the battle of doing good work. Kreg’s Precision Router Table Setup Bars make the battle a little easier. This kit includes seven bars in 1/16″ increments from 1/8″ to 1/2″. They’re accurately milled—I checked the end tabs with a micrometer, and they were within .001″. 

These bars are made from aluminum, so they’re not affected by moisture or changes in humidity. And as aluminum is soft, they won’t damage router bits.

Although they’re called Router Table Setup Bars, you’ll find uses well beyond the router table. The folks at Kreg obviously put some thought into these guys, because you can use them to measure height, depth, and width. You gotta love a tool that’s not a one-trick pony.

I do, however, have a short wish list that would make these bars even more useful.

First, I wish the corners were square—particularly on the depth gauge tabs. Notice in the middle photo that the bar has to be angled for the tab to fully drop into the dado, which is 3/4″ wide—a common width. The angled tab makes the depth harder to gauge. But if the bar was positioned straight across, the tab’s radiused corners would cause an inaccurate reading.

Second, I wish the bars were dead flat, so you could stack them to measure in perfect 1/4″ increments. That’s not possible with these bars—when they’re stacked, light shows between them.