Shop Made Safety Accessories, Featherboards

SECTION 5: SHOP MADE SAFETY

ACCESSORIES

Featherboards

Easily made from scrap stock, featherboards provide an added degree of protection against kickback, especially when used together with push sticks. They also maintain pressure on the workpiece to keep it against the fence or table while cutting, which makes the operation easier and safer because the cut can be completed with- out the operator’s hands getting near the blade. The angled ends and flexibility of the fingers allow the workpiece to move in only one direction.

Making a Featherboard

This sub-section covers the two basic types of featherboards: 1) Those secured by clamps to the table or fence, or 2) those secured by a wood run- ner that mounts in the table saw miter slot.

Material Needed for Featherboard Mounted
with Clamps
Hardwood 3⁄4" x 3" x 10" (Minimum)
Hardwood 3⁄4" x 6" x 28" (Maximum)	1
Material Needed for Featherboard Mounted in
Miter Slot
Hardwood 3⁄4" x 3" x 10" (Minimum)
Hardwood 3⁄4" x 6" x 28" (Maximum)	1
Hardwood 3⁄8" x (Miter Slot Width) x 5"L	1
Wing Nut 1/4"-20	1
Flat Head Screw 1⁄4"-20 x 2"	1
Flat Washer 1⁄4"-20	1
To make a featherboard:

1.Cut a hardwood board approximately 3⁄4" thick to size. The length and width of the board can vary according to your design. Most featherboards are 10"–28" long and 3"–6" wide. Make sure the wood grain runs paral- lel with the length of the featherboard, so the fingers you will create in Step 3 will bend without breaking.

Model G0700 (Mfg. since 8/09)

2.Cut a 30º angle at one end of the board.

3.Make a series of end cuts with the grain 3⁄8"–1⁄4" apart and 2"–3" long, as shown in Figure 80 (A). Alternatively, start cuts at 2"-3" deep, then make them progressively deeper, as shown in Figure 80 (B). Cuts made across the grain will result in weak fingers that will easily break.

	10" (Minimum)
		30°
A	3⁄8"	Kerf
		1⁄16"-1⁄8"
		2"-3"
		Initial Cut
	2"-3"	Kerf
		Kerf
B	3⁄8"	1⁄16"-1⁄8"
B	3⁄8"
		Progressively
		Longer Cuts

Figure 80. Patterns for featherboards

(top view shown).

When complete, the fingers should flex when pushed with moderate pressure. If the fingers do not flex, they are too thick.

Note: We recommend using a bandsaw for mak- ing fingers because it tends to be safer. A table saw can be used, but it will over-cut the underside of the ends, produce a thicker kerf, and require you to stop the blade half-way through the cut, which can be dangerous.

If you are securing the featherboard with clamps, no further steps are necessary. Your featherboard is complete! If you are making a featherboard that mounts in the miter slot, continue with Step 4.

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