I’ve got 5 tools that are all under $30, and I think every woodworker should have these in their shop.  Links for all the products I mention are at the bottom of this post so you can easily find them for yourself.

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#1 – Zero Clearance Tape – https://amzn.to/3BLwXsd This is one of the best tool accessories I’ve ever used in my shop.  FastCap zero clearance tape is made for miter saws.  You can even use it on your table saw if your throat plate can adjust down to keep the tape flush with the table.

This tape will make your cuts on the miter saw much cleaner by supporting your material closer to the blade.  It’s a thick vinyl material with a sticky back on it, and it’s super easy to put on.  For under $30 you get five of these strips.  That way, if you damage it, or if you need to make a bevel cut that cuts the opening a little wider, you can easily replace it.

To apply it, just make sure you clean your throat plate well.  You can then peel the backing enough to start applying it at the back of your throat plate nearest the saw blade.  Gradually apply the tape towards you, peeling the backing as you go.  I typically use a box cutter to cut it flush at the end towards me.  Once the tape is in place, make an initial cut through the vinyl with your saw blade, and you’re all set.  With that tape in place, you’ll find the edge of your cuts are super clean.  Even when I made a cut as fast as I could safely, the tear-out was minimal with the tape.

If you’re not making bevel cuts that will widen the gap, one piece of tape will last you a good long while.  I’ve had one piece of tape on my saw for months.  It makes even more of a difference if you’re using maybe a lower quality blade or a blade with a lower tooth count.

#2 – Magnets in the Shop – https://amzn.to/3MrZIPO In my shop, I use these handles to hang my hearing protection at the bandsaw and on the side of my dust collector to hang my dust hose that I move around the shop.  Because of their unique u-shape, you can use them to hang just about anything in your shop, and they’re super cheap.

I also have these magnetic trays.  I use them for things that I stored in my drawers before.  Now that I have my metal tool wall however, these trays are perfect for keeping up with drill bits, driver bits, screws and bolts, things like that.  If your drawers are super-organized, these are great for keeping up with things.  You can also get a pack of rare earth magnets and stick them to anything metal to make it easier to keep up with things.  I use them all around the shop.  One place that’s particularly helpful is at the drill press, so I can keep up with the chuck.  Otherwise, I know I’m going to lose it.

#3 – Project Mat – https://amzn.to/3WnYIAI If you find yourself doing glue-ups, like most of us woodworkers do, the Rockler silicone project mat is great for protecting the surface you’re working on.  Your workbench is likely wood, and you don’t want to let glue dry on it.  Glue will not stick to the project mat.  It will dry on the mat, and you can peel it right up.  Epoxy resins won’t stick to it either.  The mat has a grooved surface that helps with peeling that up.

I recently did a resin pour on the mat, and little spilled over into the grooves.  By using this mat, none of the resin got onto my workbench.  Instead, it spilled down into those grooves, so I still had a flat surface to work on.

#4 – Setup Blocks – https://amzn.to/4310b2n One of the simplest tools you can have in your shop is a 1-2-3 setup block.  These are really handy to have because they’re perfectly square in every direction, and they’re exactly 1” by 2” by 3”.  One of the main things I use them for in my shop is to check any new square I get in the shop.  I can set the new square against the setup block, which I know is square.

You can also use them to check the 90-degree setting on your saw blade.  On your table saw, you can use them to set the height of your blade exactly 2”, or 1”, or 3”.  Since you know exactly how wide the setup block is, you can use it to calibrate your saw fence.  Just set the block against your saw blade and slide your fence up to the block.  You now know exactly how far your fence is to the blade.

My setup blocks have holes in them, and if you watched Stumpy Nubs video - https://youtu.be/qQezV-E1kMk - you saw where Mike Taylor of taytools.com has come out with a connection kit that will allow you to connect two of these blocks together.

#5 – Universal Fence Clamps https://amzn.to/3pXULXs – Universal fence clamps work on just about any fence, and they allow you to connect a number of jigs or even a sacrificial fence to your existing fence.  I got mine from Rockler.  For a sacrificial fence, just take a piece of plywood or MDF that’s the same height as your table saw fence and drill two 3/8” holes.

If you have a pocket hole kit, the bit that comes with that will be 3/8, so that’s all you’ll need.  The fence clamp has a threaded, adjustable prong on one end that you’ll slide down into the hole you just drilled, then just clamp it to your fence.  Now you have a sacrificial fence for cutting rabbets on the edge of a board.  Be sure to take off your riving knife before cutting.  To cut the rabbet, raise your saw blade into the sacrificial fence just enough to make your cut.  Now you’re able to get your fence close enough to that blade to make the rabbet without damaging your fence.

The sacrificial fence also allows for jointing the edge of a board if you don’t have a jointer.  I made a video with several methods of jointing without a jointer, and you can find that here - https://youtu.be/UFfj8qGVxZ0.  The trick is to keep both sides of the board pushed against the fence, making sure to keep your fingers away from the cut edge.

One of my favorite uses for these clamps is to make a stop block for the miter saw.  A lot of times, if you have a miter station, the stop blocks aren’t close enough to cut small parts at 4” or 5”.  Same as before, take a scrap piece that’s about as tall as your miter saw fence, then drill a hole into one side for the clamp’s prong to slide down into.  If you do use a stop block like this, one thing I will caution you to do is to make your cut, then let the blade come to a complete stop before you raise it back up.  If you bring the blade back up on a smaller piece like this while the blade is spinning, you could cause a kickback.

If you’re cutting taller pieces, you could also put up a faux fence that, when you cut through it, will give you a back fence with zero clearance.  This will help with tear-out on those taller pieces.  If you do this, I do recommend that you use double-sided tape on the back of the faux fence in order to hold the bottom piece tight once you’ve made your zero-clearance cut.

FastCap Zero Clearance Tape - https://amzn.to/3BUqTPu

Magnetic Handle - https://amzn.to/3PtrN8Z

Magnetic Trays 3-Pack - https://amzn.to/3PdkG4m

Magnetic Trays 10-Pack - https://amzn.to/3bOrGqI

Rare Earth Magnets - https://amzn.to/3PepaaO

Rockler Project Mat - https://amzn.to/3SFyffK

123 Blocks (Amazon) - https://amzn.to/3bIdJKK

123 Blocks (TayTools) https://lddy.no/1cg2t

123 Connection Kit (TayTools) - https://lddy.no/1cg2s

Rockler Fence Clamps - https://amzn.to/3JLfnIa

Double-Sided Tape - https://amzn.to/3Qy6Nie

You can watch the full video review here - https://youtu.be/2rjhIXtScWk