How tools actually work, and how to choose one
Find Tool Editorial Team 
A tool roll is a length of canvas, leather or synthetic fabric with sewn pockets and a tie or strap, used to carry and store a set of hand tools compactly. Its point is protection, organisation and portability: it keeps edges from knocking together, keeps tools sorted by task, and lets someone carry only what … Read more
A shadow board doesn’t improve the tools themselves — it improves how quickly a missing one gets noticed. By giving every item a fixed, outlined spot on a board or wall, a gap becomes visible at a glance, which supports faster clean-up, better accountability, and a workshop that’s easier to work in safely. What is … Read more
A sacrificial fence is a length of wood (or sometimes plastic) clamped, screwed or bolted to a tool’s actual fence so that the blade, bit or cutter can safely run close to it, into it, or through it without touching the tool’s real metal fence. When it wears out or gets chewed up, you replace … Read more
A bench hook is a simple flat board with a stop on one end and a lip underneath at the other, used to hold small workpieces steady on a workbench while sawing or planing by hand. It hooks over the bench edge, braces against hand pressure, and keeps fingers well clear of the cutting line. … Read more
A featherboard is a spring-fingered jig that presses a workpiece firmly and consistently against a fence or table as it feeds through a cut. It keeps the stock tracking straight, stops it drifting or lifting, and lets you guide the wood from a position further from the blade. What Does a Featherboard Actually Do? A … Read more
A mitre gauge is a sliding guide that fits into the slot on a table saw or band saw table. It holds the workpiece at a set angle to the blade so the operator can push the work through for a clean, repeatable crosscut or angled cut, instead of freehanding the piece against the blade. … Read more
A jig is a shop-made or purchased device that holds a workpiece or guides a tool so a cut, drill hole or joint comes out the same way every time. People build their own because a jig tailored to one specific job is often more accurate, safer and cheaper than trying to freehand the same … Read more
Fine dust is the portion of wood or material dust small enough to stay suspended in air and reach deep into the lungs, rather than settling out like sawdust. It matters more because sawdust is visible and mostly harmless if swept up, while fine dust is invisible, breathable, and linked to long-term respiratory harm. What … Read more
A dust extractor is built to capture fine dust at the point a power tool creates it, usually connected directly to the tool and matched to it for suction and airflow. A shop vacuum is a general-purpose wet/dry vacuum for cleanup afterward. Extractors are made for continuous, tool-triggered fine-dust capture; shop vacuums are made for … Read more
Clamp types differ mainly in three things: how much force they apply, how evenly that force spreads across a joint, and how fast they go on and off. An F-clamp favours reach and speed, a pipe clamp favours long glue-ups, a C-clamp favours raw squeeze in a small footprint, and a parallel-jaw clamp favours even … Read more
About what you read here. Everything on Find Tool is general information and our own editorial opinion. We research carefully and we say when the evidence is unclear, but we can be wrong, things change, and no article can know your particular situation. Please do your own research and make your own judgement rather than treating anything here as the final word. Prices, products and specifications around tools and workshop equipment change constantly, and what suits one person will not suit another. Check current details yourself, and where a decision involves real money, safety or something you cannot undo, it is worth confirming with the manufacturer, or a qualified electrician or tradesperson before you act.