The folks at Microplane came out with their first woodworking tool, a hand-held rasp, in 1990. The cutting edges are chemically etched in the hardened steel, not punched, a process the manufacturer says makes the edges sharper. Since then they’ve offered cutting blades for handplanes, hacksaws, and drills.

Recently, they introduced a new product: stainless-steel sandpaper, available for 5-in. random-orbit sanders or -sheet finishing sanders.

I tested a medium-grit disk with a hook-and-loop backing on a random-orbit sander, and it cut hardwood more aggressively, but conventional 100-grit aluminum-oxide sandpaper left a smoother surface.

The disks come in three abrasives: coarse (40-60 grit), medium (100-120 grit), and fine (180-200 grit). The manufacturer claims one disk will last as long as 30 sheets of regular sandpaper.

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Veritas Micro-Adjust Wheel Marking Gauge

The adjuster runs through the beam from a small knob at the back end right to the cutting wheel, which moves in and out as you turn the knob. This arrangement works well but makes adjustments a two-handed operation, requiring a little more effort.

Buy at Lee Valley

Dividers

Incredibly useful for laying out, setting equal distances, and comparing measurements, these are an essential tool for any furniture maker.

Buy at Amazon

3M Blue Tape

One of the most versatile accessories to have in the shop: from layout to seaming veneer. It has enough stretch to pull joints together.

Buy at Amazon