It only takes one slip to turn an otherwise great day into a horrible day spent in the ER. For the most part I have been able to stay clear of those nasty injuries – knock on wood – but accidents can happen at any time. The most obvious way I know of to keep all your body parts attached, is to keep them as far away from moving parts as possible. This is reason for push sticks, push blocks, etc; but for those extra small parts, the Rockler Small Piece Holder has you covered.

The idea behind the Small Piece Holder is simple, you turn a small hard to handle piece of wood into a larger piece with handles. It features a quick release for fast clamping, because we all know that if it isn't easy to use, it will end up with a permanent home at the bottom of a drawer. It looks like the small parts holder really shines for use with a router table, but it really can be used on just about any piece of power equipment. It even has a swing out arm that allows for angle cuts up to 45 degrees while riding against a rip fence. For just under $25 it seems like a good finger saver.

[:cicn:] Small Parts Holder – Rockler

So you just finished outfitting your workshop; you have your drill press on one side of your workbench and your bench grinder on the other. Underneath you have quick access to your shop vacuum, and a roll away router table. Above is mounted a work light that shines brightly onto your work surface. But most importantly, you have plenty of room for your 500 watt stereo system. All is right with the world, that is, until you realize that your 1950's built garage turned workshop only has one electrical outlet.

The above statement might not be applicable in your case, but this is the problem many of us face when trying to outfit those work facilities that were built before electricity ran the world. Sure, if you are going the Roy Underhill route you have nothing to worry about, but most of us like to use a bit of power to get things done faster. The Snap-On Power Strip might not be the answer to all of life's problems, but it could be your answer to a lack of electrical outlets. Mount this over your workbench and you will have enough outlets to power everything in the area, as long as everything in the area that requires power totals 12 or less. The power strip features an anodized aluminum housing that is complete with a built-in 15 amp circuit breaker. It is powered via a 6 foot 14 gauge cord, that should be plenty long enough for most installs. Mounting hardware is included, which is a plus, and the complete package can be had for only $30 at your local Costco.

ThisIsCarpentry.com recently published a great article on a DIY cabinet jack system that I just love. If you have ever installed upper cabinets, you know you need some type support system to help you to get those cabinets exactly where you want them. For your everyday homeowner, you can get away with using a simple ledger board, but we pros need something that will not damaged the walls and can be used over and over again. There are many options including things as basic as 2x4 kickers all the way up to multi-hundred dollar cabinet lifts. But sometimes the homemade version is the best version.

Some people just refuse to wear gloves and rely on their egos to protect them, but I am not one of these people. I have nothing to prove to anyone and have never planned on entering the worlds toughest hand contest. I have always been an advocate of hand protection, so when Snap-On said they had some gloves for me to test out, I was all for giving them a go.

When shopping for a pair gloves, I look for a few things that are on the top of my list. The first is a snug fit, the second is a good amount of dexterity. Having a good grip is also important, but not as important as the first two – as long as the grip is equal to my own naked hand, I am happy.

Snap-On is known for their mechanics tools, so the SuperGrip gloves are a lighter duty then something you would see a rancher using. They do sacrifice durability for dexterity, but this is something I expected. It is all about finding the right glove for the job. All of those little black rectangle looking areas you see on the front of the glove are there to help you get a grip. They are made of a tacky silicone compound that does a great job of keeping tools from slipping – they actually grip better then I expected. One aspect of the glove I liked was the extra protection layer that runs between the thumb and the index finger. This is a high traffic area that tends to ware down first on my other gloves. Because these are mechanics gloves, they have even added a bit of knuckle saving padding. The fit of the gloves is great, but the sizing seems to run on the small side. If you are unable to test fit before you buy, you might want to choose the next size up.

I give the SuperGrip gloves two thumbs up. Check your local Auto Zone or Pep Boys for availability; they run about $25.