Synopsis: Some woodworking tasks are just plain hard on the body. As your years in woodworking add up, they get even harder. Veteran woodworker Art Liebeskind has compiled a collection of his favorite ergonomically friendly tools and tips, from products that give you a better grip on hand tools and clamps to body-friendly handsaws, power tools that prevent pain, tools that help you see what you are doing, and tips for saving your back. Start using these tips now and you can eliminate some of the small, sometimes hidden, struggles in the workshop.

From Fine Woodworking #202

I have been woodworking for more than three decades, since I was a comparative stripling of 42 years. Now I’m an old oak, and when I work in my shop for any length of time, muscles shriek and nerves buzz. My body tells me that certain tasks have grown more difficult.

If you want to work wood for decades to come, you’ll need to find ways that are gentler on sinew and bone. Fortunately, the market these days is brimming with ergonomically friendly tools and accessories. This article highlights some of my favorites— tools that have helped keep woodworking fun and relatively pain-free.

Don’t wait until you’re old and sore to take advantage of these innovations. Make woodworking easier right now by eliminating many of the small, sometimes hidden, struggles in the workshop.

Get a better grip: Some woodworking tasks are just plain hard on your hands. I’m thinking especially of turning, as in driving screws; twisting, as in tightening clamps; and holding during assembly or while gripping a plane. Common aches and pains can magnify these difficulties, turning a simple task like driving a nail or planing a surface into an endurance test.

Recently I’ve been asking my wife to open beverage bottle caps. My wrist strength is not what it was and I am not even embarrassed. What did humble me, however, was the pliers marks on several of my parallel-jaw clamps. I just could not crank them tight enough by hand alone. Then I began using foam-rubber grips that slip over the clamp handles. The grips let me tighten the jaws without pain or mechanical leverage. Some clamp makers now offer bigger, “grippier” handles.

Chisels also can be difficult to handle, especially those with slender, rounded grips. If you find a square or octagonal handle on a good chisel, buy it. If not, refit your chisels with larger handles that are well shaped for your grip. For a better grip in all kinds of applications, some woodworkers like to use cotton gloves with a latex coating on the palms.

For the full article, download the PDF below:

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Shop Fox W1826

The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.

Buy at Amazon

Rockler Dust Right 650 CFM

While all five of the smaller units will collect chips efficiently when deployed properly, the 3/4-hp Rockler was just a bit more powerful in our suction test.

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Fein Turbo II HEPA Wet/Dry Dust Extractor

Among the most powerful HEPA-rated shop vacs on the market, Fein’s Turbo II is quieter, more compact, and nimbler than the rest.

Buy at Amazon