Many woodworkers associate a drill press with accurate drilling, and don't really think of a handheld drill as an "accurate" tool. Still, not everyone can afford or has room for a bench top drill press - let alone a full-scale floor standing model. Luckily, there are a number of excellent drilling jigs and guides that can turn an average handheld drill into a perfectly reliable tool for precise work. And many are actually preferable to a drill press for certain tasks. To help you drill straight and true with your good old corded or cordless hand drill, here are a few of the most useful:

The Wolfcraft Portable Drill Guide is a lightweight drill helper that replicates the basic function of a drill press. Simply attach any handheld drill with a 3/8" chuck and you'll be ready for a variety of drilling operations, all performed with an accuracy that would be just about impossible with an unaided power drill. The drill guide has many of the features you'd expect to find on a full-sized drill press - a depth stop, spring actuated spindle return and adjustments for angled drilling. The Drill Guide also has a specially designed base complete with a V-groove to support round stock, mounting holes for securing the Guide to a workbench or a specialized jig, and channel on the underside that makes for quick and easy centering for edge drilling operations.

Rockler's own Jig IT Drill Guide offers another compact and affordable drill press-free drilling solution.  One of our all-time most popular jigs, the Jig IT Drill Guide is light, easy to set up and fits easily in an average-sized toolbox. Designed for use with our Long Shank Carbide Forstner Bits, the Jig IT will let you drill perfectly straight holes almost anywhere your want. And with the superior cutting action the bits provide, you'll be able to do it quickly, cleanly and without using every ounce of your strength. 

If you're a fan of European style hinges, there's even more reason to look at the Jig IT. Apart from being a handy all-around drilling tool, the Jig IT Drill Guide is an integral part of one of the most popular hinge cup drilling jigs on the market. Add the Concealed Hinge Jig IT System or the more advanced Jig IT Multi-Tool Rail Master Pack to your collection and you'll be all set not only for the odd general drilling task, but also will have the ability to install 35mm Euro-style hinges with speed and absolute accuracy.   

The Rockler Drill Guide Kit, another handy setup, includes six precision-machined drill guide bushings and an acrylic base to hold the guides perpendicular to the work surface. It's great for a variety of common drilling needs, including knob and pull bores, doweling, specialized hardware mortises, and other situations accuracy is essential.  The base works on flat surfaces and also has V-groove in the bottom for perpendicular drilling in round cylindrical stock. Best of all, the entire kit will set you back less than twenty bucks and works with twist bits in sizes that you probably have on hand already.

Along with these general purpose hand drilling aids, there are a number of specialized jigs and guides designed to enhance the handheld drill's accuracy. For precise doweled joints, there's the classic self-centering doweling jig, which is available at Rockler in a standard and an especially versatile wide stock version. For pocket hole joinery, there's  the famous Kreg pocket hole jig collection. For the lauded mortise and tenon, there simply isn't a more affordable and effective solution than the Beadlock Loose Tenon Joinery System. And for accurate, speedy hardware installation, you'll find a number of other excellent specialized jigs in Rockler's Jig-It line.

There's no question that a drill press is a great piece of equipment to have around, but it's not the ideal tool for every drilling task. And for many home-shop woodworkers, an expensive drill press doesn't make it to top of the tool acquisition list for quite a while. Fortunately, a handheld drill, along with a few key drill jigs and guides can serve as a viable and reliable tool for a large percentage of the precision drilling operations that come up in woodworking.

Still looking for the perfect table saw crosscutting solution? Don’t feel alone. As we’ve acknowledged many times before, table saws that come equipped for accurate crosscutting right out of the box are few and far between. If more did, there might not be such a plentiful selection of after-market miter gauges and crosscut sleds, or such widespread interest in finding the best way to transcend the typically dismal results afforded by the typical T-square style miter gauge. It takes time to sift through all of the options and choose the one that's right for you.

Last year, when we added the Rockler Table Saw Crosscut Sled to the mix, our intension wasn’t to make matters needlessly more complex by offering yet another “been there, done that” solution. On the contrary; the tool designers at Rockler saw a gap in the available add-on crosscutting tools, and responded with a ready-to-use sled that we think is exceptionally reliable, uniquely easy to set up, and at the same time, refreshingly affordable.

In Philosophy, the Rockler Table Saw Crosscut Sled is a ”back to basics” design, focusing strictly on the components and quality necessary to get what most of us want from a crosscutting solution: accuracy, splinter-free cuts and fast, tweak-free set ups. The Rockler sled achieves this through a few careful design considerations.

With a protractor scale at the end of the fence rather than at the pivot point, the angles are large, easy-to-read and easy to sub-divide into finer gradations. Since the sled is designed to be cut down to fit snugly against the end user’s saw blade, it offers splinter-free performance without the need for a zero-clearance insert. (An optional Drop-Off Platform extends zero-clearance to both sides of the blade.) The sled’s arrow-straight, solid extruded aluminum fence, flip stop and adjustable, slop-free miter bar virtually guarantee repeatability. An easy sliding platform and adjustable hold-down clamp complete the package, making the Rockler Sled both enjoyable and safe to use.

By staying committed to this “core considerations” design approach, the Rockler Tool Design Team has come up with a sled that performs all of the most common table saw crosscut operations with efficiency and accuracy that rivals sleds costing nearly three times as much. A worthy addition to the marketplace, we’d say.

But of course we think it’s great – what about the woodworkers who actually use it? Here, from our Crosscut Sled customer reviews, are ten more opinions:

"This well designed sled has solved so many problems for me as a woodworker. My saw is old and angle cuts always had to be tweaked on the sander, and was a real pain in the neck. Since using this sled all my cuts are perfect, and the time saved is remarkable. Nice to buy a tool that works perfect."

Mike Griffin, from Indianapolis, IN

"I bought the Cross Sled because of some problems I was having with cutting sharp angles. I found it to be an excellent product the first time I used it. I was building a 5 ft. glass display case and wanted to make sure all trim angles were perfect. A very nice product."

Dennis Yager, from Matthews, NC

"As some of the other reviews have stated, I had wanted an accurate crosscut sled for some time and preferred to purchase one with the thought it would be more accurate than one I could make. This product meets all of my expectations. I found it easy to set up and use on my Delta Unisaw and am most pleased with its performance. The only possible negative I might have at this point is that the stop for making repetitive cuts tends to "creep" when tightened but so far that has not been a problem.

"I also purchased the drop-off platform and highly recommend purchasing that when you purchase the cross cut sled. The two work very well together."

Fred Paschall, from Charlotte, NC

"I purchased this item because I have wanted a crosscut sled for some time and had seen several that could be made but you couldn't get the accuracy that can be achieved with this one. I haven't used it very much since I received but I was impressed with the 1/2 degree adjustments that are available to use if necessary. I also like the ease of sliding on my table saw.

I gave a rating [five stars] on my crosscut sled and after I read some of the others I got the thinking again about mine and I have no complaints whatsoever. It is a fine piece of equipment, it fits my Grizzly 10" table saw just fine, I had no trouble getting it set up. Just wanted to add to what I said before."

Kenneth Pamer, from Columbia, MS

"Extremely reasonable for a multi angle cross cut sled. It took only a couple of minutes to assemble and calibrate to my saw. It made perfect cut miters right from the start. It has already saved me lots of time and frustration with its accurate cuts. This is a great product for the price! Thank you Rockler."

Tom Belcher, from Grand Rapids, OH

"Was very easy to set up and match to my saw. I could never get the miter that came with my saw to work good as it was hard to keep the wood from slipping while cutting, and it would not work well with a long piece of wood. This miter sled solves all of my problems."

Larry Bright, from Winston, OR

"It was so reasonably priced I was amazed at how well it worked. I just finished a project and absolutely love it!"

Rod Enos, from Pocatello, ID

"After several years of making frames with a homemade miter sled, I finally have the adjustability and precision I need at a very reasonable price. I've made several frames with the Rockler crosscut sled and they have the perfect miters I've always tried to achieve."

Marty Pohl, from Tampa, FL

"Great Jig! I use it on every project and the accuracy is wonderful. Thanks."

Dan Drees, from Des Moines, IA

"This is a great addition to my table saw. The accuracy is unbelievable. The zero tolerance of the sled and drop off eliminate ragged cuts. Works great for cutting small pieces. I made some picture frames with the 22.5 degree cut and they fit perfectly. Great product and great value."

Lindell Whitelock, from Janesville, WI

Read more Rockler Table Saw Crosscut Sled reviews. Or, for more on table saw sled options, read Choosing a Crosscut Sled here on the Rockler Blog.

A few months ago, Rockler introduced the Pack Rack, a unique, self-contained clamp and tool storage system on wheels. The reasoning behind this new addition was simple: many of us here at Rockler know from experience that storing a highly developed collection of clamps can be a substantial and compelling woodshop challenge, especially in close quarters where space is at a premium. Taking a leap, we guessed that a storage solution offering a compact and portable means of taming an out-of-control clamp collection would be a welcome addition in woodshops across the country.

Turns out, we were right. In the short while since its introduction, we’ve seen a surprising number of Pack Racks leave the warehouse. And we’ve been further encouraged by the rapidly amassing votes of approval we find in customer reviews like these:

"Build your own clamp storage rack? I never seemed to get the time to actually do it. Buying the Pack Rack was an answer to scattered clamps around the shop. The rack went together very well and is certainly up to the challenge of storing clamps regardless of what they weigh. I ordered some additional pieces in order to customize the basic stand and was completely satisfied with the results. My stand is loaded with heavy bar clamps, pipe clamps and everything else in between. The stand is very sturdy, extremely portable and has allowed me to organize and be able to find the right clamp for the job."

Submitted by Fred Wood, from Lititz, PA

"When I first completed my dedicated shop space (a single car space walled off from a 3-car [2 in tandem] garage with AC added), I thought I had great idea. I had added a large pegboard area and dedicated a part of it for clamps using long hooks. Until some heavy clamps threatened to rip down the pegboard.

"Enter the Rockler Pack Rack. It solved the problem beautifully, without further adding to the crowded conditions in my all-mobile-equipment shop, and helping avoid tool clutter. As is my custom, I had carefully researched the competition and the possibility/probability of building a fixed rack. I am not in the least disappointed with the purchase. In about 2 hours after delivery, I had assembled the rack and gathered up all of my wide selection of clamps even including some mini-clamps from an old period of wooden model ship-building before woodworking returned to its prime position in the retirement era. An excellent product."

Submitted by John Hoyt, from Tucson, AZ

"One of the best pieces of shop equipment I have purchased in a while. I no longer have clamps leaning in every corner of my shop, nor do I have to look around for the correct clamp. I put a shelf on the bottom and top which hold quite a bit of other stuff. Will add another shelf in the middle soon. The casters are great!"

Submitted by David Deas, from Citrus Heights, CA

"As a carpenter contractor/woodworker, as soon as I laid eyes on the Pack Rack, I knew it would be perfect on the job and in the shop!"

Submitted by Tim Schaefer, from St. Leon, IN

If your read the rest of the Pack Rack customer reviews (there are 20 more, as of right now) you’ll notice a couple of recurring themes. One is the importance of following the instructions – no matter how much it goes against your nature. You’ll notice, too, a general consensus that the Pack Rack is very easy to assemble if the proper sequence is followed. We’re glad to see that emphasized. Design considerations required that the assembly process follow a fairly strict routine. Still, the Pack Rack was designed with the assembler in mind, and the procedure is clearly laid out in the instructions.  Unless you’re the most ardent instructions-scoffer, you won’t have any trouble getting the Pack Rack put together.

Other reviewers – not too surprisingly – touch on the “build versus buy” debate. Designing and building clever and effective tool storage systems is an ever-popular woodshop pastime, and one that we’d hate to discourage.  Many woodworkers have a great time building things for their shop. But before you build your own, we’d urge you to take a minute to think through the cost, time and likely outcome. You might come to the same conclusion as G. Woods, from Cary, NC:

"I am a classic do it your self guy. First time I laid eyes on this I knew I needed one and thought, now I can make that. I priced out all the parts from local home improvement and quickly decided to order the real thing. It was so easy to put together, nice paint finish and well thought out arrangement."

Or Steven Sorensen, from Santa Ana, CA:

"Even though clamp storage is a typical magazine DIY project, due to the great amount of weight that can be involved, going with a beefy metal rack is the way to go. Made out of wood, it would be visually very massive. Fully loaded, this slim-lined cart is still easily moved about, and can be easily customized."

The “customizability” Steven mentions is something the Pack Rack’s designers didn’t exactly plan, but are nevertheless happy to acknowledge. One Pack Rack reviewer added (among other things) drawers mounted on full extension slides and a section of pegboard in order to keep all of his most reached for tools close at hand. The result?

"No more tripping over clamps. No more wasted time searching for the tape measure or some other small tool. And when I tuck the whole thing in the corner for the night, I say to myself, 'Man, this is great!'"

Frank Fletcher, from Madison, AL

The customized Pack Rack reaches an unexpected and, we think, particularly inventive expression in the turning tool/miter gauge cart you see below. It’s the work of Blake Hansen, from San Carlos, CA, who submitted the image just a few days ago along with these comments:

"When I first saw the pack rack system, I immediately recognized the possibility of using it as the platform for building a mobile storage system for my lathe tools and miter gauges. The rack pack is very sturdy and stable. Building the upper and lower lathe racks out of maple was fairly straightforward, using the cross rods as the anchor points. The individual miter gauge holders are also attached to the cross rods and made from 1.5" aluminum angle that I picked up at the local DIY store. The melamine shelves also come from the DIY store, along with so .25" x 1" aluminum stock to make the upper shelf cross brace."

As unexpected as it is, we heartily encourage any exploration of the Pack Rack's potential for customization, and look forward to hearing about and seeing the results.  The only possible problem we can foresee is minor: we may have to change the official name from the "Pack Rack Clamp and Tool Storage System" to something more general. "The Whatever It Is In Your Shop That Needs Organizing Storage System," maybe? (We'll work on that.)