• December 2025 Turning Challenge: Single Tree! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Bob Henrickson, People's Choice in the November 2025 Turning Challenge (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Guillaume Fontaine for "Old Tea Pot" being selected as Turning of the Week for December 15, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Other helpful non-turning tools of note

S

Steve Tiedman

Joined
Oct 25, 2020
Messages
1,291
Likes
1,148
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Similar to the recent vernier caliper thread, what other little tools or gadgets, that are not specifically woodturning tools, do you keep at or near the lathe to help with your turning endeavors?

I'll start with Stanley's alternative retracting tape measure, the Leverlock. Unlike their tried and tested Powerlock tapes that have been around forever (a bunch of versions lay around my shop and garage), I found their Leverlock on the store shelf about 20-some years ago, a green 12-footer, and brought it home. Brilliant! No more shoving that Powerlock thumb lever clumsily if the tool is not situated just right in your hands. The Leverlock works intuitively- as the tape is in your hand, squeeze between the 12 and 6 o'clock portions (the lever is at 6:00) to release the tape to either pull out or retract.

I don't know where that old one wandered off to (it'll show up eventually) but the new'ish yellow and orange 12-footers live at the lathes, and the 25' is just for general shop use.
1000016949.jpg
 
I have the usual motley collection of tape measures, various ages and conditions. They all go walk-about from time to time and turn up in obsecure places, as you mentioned Steve
Recently I have stepped into the 21st century with 3 in 1 laser range finder tape, 5m tape , 40m laser. The only draw back is its heavy and large and doesnt sit comfortably in the pocket, I am not sure now how good a buy this one was.
 
I’ve got at least four tape measures in the house, one in the car and two in the workshop.

Many, many years ago I thought that once you bought a tool like a tape measure, that was it.
I then realised the big advantage in having several of them in different places! This also applies to other items like calipers, micrometers, rulers etc.
 
Bill Alston said:
I’ve got at least four tape measures in the house, one in the car and two in the workshop.

Many, many years ago I thought that once you bought a tool like a tape measure, that was it.
I then realised the big advantage in having several of them in different places! This also applies to other items like calipers, micrometers, rulers etc.
Click to expand...
I think it is safe to say there are about a dozen tape measures in my life. And then there are straight edge rules, from 4" - 48"...
 
Steve Tiedman said:
Stanley's alternative retracting tape measure, the Leverlock.
Click to expand...

All my measuring tapes are Lever Lock and have been since I discovered them years ago. I don't know how many I have, maybe 10 in the shop, two in the little farm truck, one each in the excavator and skid steer, and one in the chainsaw accessory bag. I use the 30' tapes around the farm.

BTW, I can't make myself call these things tape measures. I hardly ever need to measure tape. :)

Steve Tiedman said:
what other little tools or gadgets, that are not specifically woodturning tools, do you keep at or near the lathe to help with your turning endeavors
Click to expand...

Other "little" things I'd hate to be without:

Really big vernier calipers that open to about 24"
Precision scales for checking dryness of blanks
Gimlets
Scribes
Good lights, really good lights
Spare reading glasses
High power closeup lenses
Vibrating electric engraving tool
Thermostat to control the HVAC for all-season turning
Sensor system on the wall that alerts me when someone is at the security gate
1st aid kits, eye glasses cleaner
Dust masks/respirators
4-leg center marking tool that self aligns on a square blank - tap to make a center mark (can't remember the name)
Plastic center finder
Angle and hole gauges
A pressurized cylinder of inert gas
Magnets, magnets, magnets and more magnets
Certain T-handle allen wrenches stuck to lathe with magnets
Pencils and sharpies with two turns of soft iron wire wrapped around so they will stick to magnets above the lathe
High velocity rechargeable air duster - measured 40mph a foot from the nozzle
Proportional dividers - these are amazing
Compass with long extension arm
Scotch 2060 tape in various widths - can't live without it
Remote fobs for the cyclone DC
Battery tester and spare batteries
Small sledgehammer in case I want to smash something
Water cooler and fridge
Not too little but just around the corner is a reference library of real books with paper pages and a comfy chair
Long reach grabber to fetch finishes and things from the top shelf behind the lathe
A flashlight and a wall-mounted emergency light and exit sign in case the power should ever go out
Metal lathe and mill in the next room
Calibrated hardness testing files
Magic Rub erasers for soft sanding blocks
Sketch pad, clip board, portable drafting/drawing table
12"x17" light board for tracing
An 88-key electronic piano - soothes the soul
Cell phone in case my Lovely Bride needs something
A big wall clock to know when to quit
 
Last edited:
Jointer, Planner, drum sander, stationary belt/disk sander, table saw, miter saw, band saw, metal lathe - for threading wood wood turned items, Bridgeport milling machine - for the ultimate drill press, routers, and just about every small hand tool known to man.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top