Woodpeckers has launched new 3D setup blocks – metal bars that can be used for adjusting the heights of saw blades, router bits, drill bits, and similar machine tooling.
Each Woodpeckers 3D setup block features 3 reference surfaces with the same measured dimension – a recessed cutout at the center, an extended step at the end, and a shouldered tab at the top, plus each bar has a matching thickness dimension.
Blocks like these can make it a breeze to set up woodworking machines for repeatable operations.
I’ve seen this design before – at one point I owned a set of Kreg setup blocks, which also have 3 size reference features.
Whereas Kreg’s setup blocks stop at 3 size reference features, the new Woodpeckers bars each also have a measured angle at one end, which can be useful for setting up the bevel angle on a table saw.
The Woodpeckers setup blocks ship as a 7-piece set with steel wall hanger.
Sizes: 1/8″, 3/16″, 1/4″, 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″
Price: $140
Introductory Pricing: $120
Discussion
It strikes me as odd that Woodpeckers would be inspired to build upon such a recognizable Kreg product, but it’s possible that Kreg wasn’t the first to come up with this design.
I have also noticed that Kreg has recently launched at least one product that seems to copy a small company’s USA-made jig. That Woodpeckers might have based their USA-made 3D Setup blocks on a Kreg product seems like fair comeuppance.
That all said, I like the idea of multi-featured setup blocks like these. However, I gave away my Kreg setup blocks in favor of keeping simpler size gauges.
Ultimately, I felt that simple rectangular setup bars or height gauges were more convenient for me, despite the difference in versatility.
These do look convenient for repeatable machine setup applications. You get a limited size range – 1/8″ to 1/2″, but the design is undeniably practical within those limits – especially for making router table bit height and fence adjustments.
The machined angles seem unnecessary to me, and are likely done for differentiation, but could be useful. The blocks’ angles range from 30° to 90°.
This is a product for woodworkers who see the application images and think “that’s exactly what I’ve been needing.” I think they’ll mainly appeal to router table users, but there are some uses beyond that.
While seemingly derivative, the new Woodpeckers blocks should be well made. The blocks look decent, although I’d prefer if they came with a drawer-friendly case instead of a wall hanger.
Even the bevel angles don’t seem original; I found 3D printable angled router table setup bars with the same bevel angle feature at Thingiverse and also Printables. The 3D printable design predates the Woodpeckers launch by over a year.
Are they worth the $140 price or $120 introductory price? That depends on how strongly you need this type of height gauge, whether you prefer USA production over imported, and how you eager you are to add more red Woodpeckers tools to your workshop wall.
According to my email history, I gave my Kreg set away nearly 10 years ago. I’ve used other height gauges to set up my router table and table saws since then, and not once did I wish I still had it. I haven’t forgotten about it though, which made the Woodpeckers design instantly recognizable.
You can find other sets similar to Kreg’s on Amazon for as low as $36, but you might be taking a gamble on their accuracy.
