When cash is tight, we need to find deals on tools for our workshops. I noticed that there are several tools that I use every day that are cheap or virtually free.  I decided to share these with you in hopes that they may help you out without costing you an arm and a leg.

Silicone Brush Set

I use the same silicone brushes for almost all of my glue-ups. They are tough as nails.  I’ve used these brushes with just about every glue imaginable and they keep on ticking.  I’ve even used them with CA glue, which is really tough to remove from a brush.  I do have other silicone brushes that have bristles, but over time the bristles break off.  These are smooth and work great.  I’ve been using the same set for about two years now.  You can find them here: silicone brush set.

Brass Setup Bars

When I first bought this set of brass bars I expected to use them to set the height of my table saw blade.  But I quickly realized a lot of uses for them.  I use the bars to set my router table fence, to set the plunge depth on my router, and for determining the depth of rabbets and dados.  They are handy little tools and they don’t cost much:  Brass Setup Bars.

Shop-Made Clamping Block

When things are tough to clamp, I grab this clamping block.  It’s a simple tool and that’s what makes it great.  It’s a few pieces of MDF glued together to make a rectangle.  The block can be clamped to your bench and then used to hold just about anything in any configuration.  It gives me an elevated surface for joinery.  I can clamp pieces vertical and cut dovetails.  Boards can be clamped to the side of it for hand planning.  If you watch my videos, you’ll see that this clamping block is a staple in the shop.  To make it, I used MDF (plywood will also work) that I had sitting around the shop and Titebond III glue. 

iGaging Machinist Squares

There are a lot of options for squares.  Admittedly, I haven’t tried every single square ever made (who knew?).  But I really like these.  I have more expensive squares by Starrett and Woodpecker, but I always find myself grabbing the iGaging ones, especially the 6” square.  It is dead-on accurate and has a good feel and weightiness.  Compared to many squares on the market, these are a pretty good deal.  You can buy them individually or as a set:

• iGaging Machinist Square

• iGaging Squares Set

• 6” iGaging Square

Vintage Hand Planes

Hand planes can get really expensive.  If you are on a budget then I recommend looking for vintage planes, especially planes modeled after the Stanley designs, but are not labeled as Stanley planes.  Old Stanley planes, especially pre-WWII models, are great tools.  Over the last few years, the resale market has went up for these, forcing people to pay as much or more for a vintage Stanley as they would a new hand plane.  Stanley made planes on behalf of other company brands, for example my Revonoc #6.  Because it doesn’t say Stanley on it, I was able to buy it for $20.  It needed some love to get it working again, but it’s a great tool and a great deal.

Finishing Pyramids

These are simple tools; however, there is a price range from type to type, meaning there’s definitely some cost savings available.  I use three types of pyramids in my shop.  I love Rockler’s bench cookies.  They are versatile. I can use them for sanding, or I can snap on cones so they can be used for finishing work.  They cost about $22 for a set of four, which isn’t the cheapest option.  I also use traditional painter’s pyramids.  These are handy when you need a lot of them.  They typically come in packs of 8 for around $7.  But you can also go ultra-cheap and make your own.  I have several pieces of plywood with screws in them.  The screws elevate the item off of the table.  When I’m batching out a lot of stuff then these are my go-to ones.

• Painter’s Pyramids

• Bench Cookies

• Bench Cookie Cones :

There you have it, some of my most commonly used tools that are really cheap or free.  I recommend giving some of these a shot.  I don’t think you can go wrong with them.