Five Great Gadgets from Fast Cap
Big beautiful powertools and high end handtools are wonderful, but somethings its the inexpensive little gadgets that just make life in the shop a little more enjoyable. Fastcap is a company that specializes in developing products for the carpenter/woodwork to “fix what bugs you.”
Here are a few of my favorite Fastcap Products
1) The GluBot
Isn’t that just a glue bottle? Yes, but it’s a better glue bottle. It’s designed with a bottom feed design so that you don’t have to fight your glue bottle and do the “shake and slap” to get the glue out. You also get a lot more control with this. I have 2 in my shop, and need to add about to more so each work station can have it’s own.
2) The Fast Shim
Shims and Wedges are some of the most under-valued tools we have access to.
When I worked as a field carpenter I installed A LOT of doors, shims are absolutely necessary to get a door installed correctly. I was always buying the packs of shims from HD for $3-4 a set and It seemed like I was always had a few less than what I needed.
When I discovered the Fast Shim I bought it immediately. It has paid for itself many times over in time and money saved. Time in that I always have a block of 2x4 laying around, and money in that those off cuts are essential free.
Making our own shims and wedges are a great solution for overcoming a lot of woodworking issues. Buy the Fast Shim from Fastcap
3) Fast Cap Tape Measures
One tape measure does not rule them all, and all tape measures are not the same.
I have a quite a few tape measures in my shop. And not just because I keep losing them. I really like the size and weight of FastCap tape measures for woodworking in the shop. If I’m framing, building a deck, or more carpenter-type-things, I like the robustness of the Stanley FatMax 25ft tapes
But in the woodshop building cabinets and furniture I like the lighter weight and the precision of fast caps multiple options. This is an prime example of using the right tool for the job.
If I could only have one…. It would be the 16ft standard/reverse. The one negative of this tape is that it seems “busy” at first. It’s actually labeled down to the 16th (which is good if you’re still learning your fractions). I like it that no matter how you hold it the readings are right size up.
My next favorite FastCap Tape measure is the FastCap ProCarpenter Standard/Metric. What, Metric?! What about Freedom Units?!
Well, metric has a lot of uses and a lot of systems jigs and fixtures are based off metric. Having a tape measure that is metric on one side and freedom unit on the other is extremely useful. The more I’ve used this tape the more I appreciate the simplicity and precision of the metric system.
Fastcap also makes several more tapes for various uses around your shop.
All Fastcap tape measures have an erasable note pad built in to write down measurements, probably the best belt clip of any tape measure, and a standard number 2 pencil sharpener.
4) The FastEdge Edge Banding System
Iron on edge-banding sucks. It’s time consuming, my wife gets mad at me for using her iron, I always get burned and it peels. Unless you run a professional cabinet shop where investing in the Festool Conturo Edge-bander makes sense, Fast Edge is your best solution.
Check out my 5 Minute tool review to learn how fast edge works.
I definitely recommend investing in the fastedge tool kit. It gives you everything you need to apply and finish edge-banding.
Fastcap sells dozens of types of edge-banding for all different applications. Since I primarily use Maple/Birch Plywood, that’s typically the edge-banding I stock in my shop. The White PVC edge-banding makes awesome tool box labels.
5) The 10-Million Dollar Stick
If you use a miter saw you need this safety tool. Especially when cutting small parts
Yes, it’s a piece of plastic. But if you’ve ever had a small part kit back on a mitersaw you know how dangerous that can be. This help you safely hold a workpiece securely, right at the blade and keep you counting to ten.
It’s called the 10million Dollar Stick because each of your fingers is worth 1 million dollars.
FastCap is a great company and I’m a huge fan of the owner, Paul Akers. Beyond these 5 gadgets, FastCap produces 1000s of products that make woodworking and carpentry faster, safer, and easier.
