I recently put a set of these rubber-faced hockey pucks through a gauntlet of woodworking tasks and I found that they provide a quick and firm hold-down for routing, sanding, and finishing. Rockler’s Bench Cookies grip exceptionally well (even when belt sanding) and dampen much of the vibration you ordinarily feel with power tools. Unfortunately, they don’t have quite the grip when covered with sawdust, but knocking off some of the dust solves the problem. I also found placing the cookies at the extreme corners of your workpiece prevents tipping. In general, I find these $12 cookies (available at www.rockler.com) a very welcome addition to my workshop.

Photos: Staff

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