How To Make a Featherboard.
By ChrisjobA featherboard keeps smaller pieces of wood safely against a table saw’s or router table's fence. It allows the stock to move in one direction, preventing kickback and providing a more accurate cut. They’re easy to make, and can be a fun first project for a new table saw owner.
Remember, always use a pushstick when maneuvering small pieces of stock, or when the fence is less than 5 inches from the blade, as in this project.
Materials:
Piece of plywood, approximately 5”x18”x1/2” or 3/4”
Table Saw
Push stick
Square and pencil
Miter saw, or cross cut saw and protractor
Safety gear: glasses, dust mask, gloves, ear protection
1. Select a good quality (straight and such) scrap piece of plywood (1/2” or 3/4”) and cut to around 18” x 5”. (I opted for 1/2” piece of 5-ply birch).
2. Cut a 30-degree miter at one end.
3. Draw a 30-degree line 5 inches down, parallel to the miter.
4. Set your fence 1/4” from the blade, and set the long side of the wood against the fence. Carefully cut to the stop line.
5. Continue to cut, spacing your kerfs 3/8” inches apart, until you reach the short side.
6. Sand away any rough edges.
Using a featherboard
Place your stock firmly against the fence, and place the featherboard against the stock, and clamp. If using two (and since they’re so easy to make, you should) clamp one to the fence and allow it keep the stock against the table. For safety, it should be between you and the blade.
Tagged:
featherboard wood woodworking powertools table-saw safety project how-to
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Note: In order to use the saw's table as a background, I took these pictures upside down. The amazing digital camera flipped them for me, which actually reversed the image. The SHORT side of the featherboard should be closest to the operator for maximum safety.
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