I picked up this Stanley No. 400 Miter Vise at the long since gone Sausalito Flea Market. For a while I had two of these in my collection but slimmed down when I moved East keeping the nicer of the two.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Experience:

I didn’t go out looking for this vise because I needed to make picture frames. It’s one of the tools I’m not sure how I ended up with but it’s a good one that has found a long time home in my shop. I pulled it off a very dusty shelf for this picture but I have recently used this vise to assemble a frame.

Picture frames aren’t all this vise is good for, nor miter joints the only seam one can clamp with it. Two sides of a frame like cabinet doors and box sides up to 4+” thick can be clamped perpendicular to one another.

Links:
4″ Miter Vise for sale through Amazon.com
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CRL 4″ capacity Miter Vise at Amazon.com

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I’m the guy they made the tape measure for. Seems like measuring is all I do. I measure so often, I hang my tape squarely between my legs. Seems like everyone I know uses a different tape but I’ve stuck with the same Powerlock for ages. I don’t mind the newer Stanley 33-525 but I still buy the same old tape for a few reasons.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Specifications:

• 25-foot by 1-1/4-inch tape rule with belt clip
• Easy-to-read lockable yellow blade graduated in 1/16-inch
• High impact ABS case; Mylar-coated blade; heat-treated spring for repeated use
• 16-inch and 19.2-inch stud center markings
• 13.6-ounces; 11-foot standout; limited lifetime warranty

Experience:

20 years of construction. I like the 33-425 Powerlock over any other. Smaller tapes fall out of my Occidental Tape Holder. I do have another tape that is nice and that’s the FastCap ProCarpenter Tape. I keep a few FastCap tapes in my truck but I carry the Stanley 25′ Powerlock in my belt and also use them in my shop.

Comments:

I may be one of the few guys to stick with a 25′ tape for weight savings but that’s the reason my favorite tape measure is not longer. I find the FatMax tape too fat for carpentry and the PowerLock just right for all phases. I know the specs say “11′ stand-out” but that’s just ridiculous.

links:
Stanley 33-425 Powerlock 25-Foot by 1-Inch Measuring Tape

Stanley 33-525 25-Foot-by-1-Inch PowerLock Tape Rule with Blade Armor

A bevel gauge has been an essential tool in my carpenter’s belt. I don’t know how old this one is but I can tell you it’s been around the block and then some. The way this tool sticks out of my pouch means it has gotten caught on just about everything I have to squeeze through on the job, be it shrubs, a crawlspace, or a joist bay.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Description:

• Durable steel blade coated to resist rust
• Select, hard rock maple wood handle
• Recessed grip area
• Solid brass end plates
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

Experience:

Deciding when to use your bevel gauge is sometimes a matter of how well you know how to use the tool. When I learned carpentry it was essential for transferring so many details from existing material to new material it became a part of my belt. The T-bevel or Bevel Gauge is another one of those tools you can use without a tape measure… I have to figure out what to call processes that are reality-based operations as opposed to paper-based; Hold a board up to the opening to mark actual size VS measure opening size then measure board. A bevel gauge is great; you just set it up to an angle, tighten and transfer. If you’re curious to know what the angle is, you can check with a Speed Square.. or you can just set your saw by the bevel gauge and cut.

In combination with a good level and a speed square, angle work is easy with my Stanley 46-812 8″ bevel gauge.

Comments:

Something about this not being the most expensive bevel gauge I own makes it the best bevel gauge I use. This 46-812 doesn’t have the most rigid blade and that’s a good thing. Like I said, this bevel gauge sticks out of my belt. Sometimes it gets bent, in fact it’s almost always bent a bit but easily bent back and always straight down the edge. The wood handle is not the hardest wood and therefore doesn’t splinter. I prefer to carry this 8″ hardware store bevel gauge than I do any other I own. It looks shot but it serves it’s function of providing a straight pivoting blade for recording and transferring angles. I’m not looking for a new one anytime soon. Most expensive doesn’t always mean best one for everyday use.

Links:

Stanley 46-813 at StanleyTools.com (Products Data)

Stanley 46-813 8-Inch Solid Hardwood T-Bevel

The Stanley 12-960 Block Plane is one of 20 most used tools on my truck. I’ve had the block planes in this picture for many years. I’ve carried them everywhere on jobs, dropped them in dirt, banged them around in my tool bag and left them outdoors. They have the scratches of veterans but these Stanley planes are in perfect working order.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Description:

• Ideal for planing end grain and plastic materials
• 12-920 block plane has a fully adjustable cutter resting at 21°
• 13-1/2° low angle cutter on the 12-960 block plane
• Gray, cast-iron base with precision-ground sides and bottom
• Finger grips machined into sides
• Hardened, tempered steel
• Cutter adjusts for depth and alignment
• Durable epoxy coating for long-lasting protection
• Quick-release cam-lock

Experience:

Every day experience. Depending on the job task, I carry this block plane in my pouch. I’m not a fan of adding weight to my belt so I try and leave this one on the truck ’til I need it. I’ve used this plane as a carpenter in every possible situation from oak endgrain to cedar shake, from poplar faces to 3/4″ CDX and everything in between, including foam, epoxy, paint …even the occasional/accidental roofing or piece of aluminum.

With my DMT Diamond Whetstones on hand, keeping this Stanley block plane sharp is a common step for another day of smooth planing action. I find if I keep up with my blades on the jobsite it’s easier than fixing the damage later. As is the case today when both Stanley Low-Angle Block Planes are in my shop for blade sharpening on the wheel.

Comments:

This is a durable tool, easy to break down and maintain and kept sharp it’s a versatile carpenter’s tool. I have both the Low Angle Block Plane and the Stanley 12-920 Block Plane. When shopping for one of these utility planes make sure to get the ‘contractor grade’ 12-960 (it’s heftier and has the adjustable mouth) not the Stanley 12-220.

I was thinking about how I’ve abused some of my tools with these planes being no expception. A few of my very favorite tools have been rained on or fallen in the grass or dirt to be recovered another day. It’s possible that good quality tools that are used everyday are in better condition than tools that sit on a shelf despite their abuse in the field. I turn every knob, occasionally oiling. I remove the parts and sharpen the blade… and all the constant use breaks in a tool in the most favorable way.

I’m sitting here with my crappy-looking bevel gauge and these well-used block planes in front of me. While Behind me, hanging on the wall are fancy shop planes and a rosewood t-bevel bevel… funny to think they are the same age but I have a greater affinity for the hardware store block plane that has been on every job than the expensive shop plane that see the occasional hardwood surface.

Only complaint is the blade doesn’t come close enough to the edges. It’s a good 3/16″ away. This reminds me that I’d really like to have the Festool Hl 850 E Planer that cuts a perfect rabbet, dust-free, but that’s $490 later. You can pick up one of these, for decades of use, for less than $40.

Links:

Stanley 12-960 – Bailey® Low Angle Block Plane at Stanley.com (Product Data)

Stanley 12-960 Contractor Grade Low Angle Plane at Amazon.com

Stanley 12-920 Contractor Grade Block Plane at Amazon.com