Easy-Lock Feather Board
Guarantee perfect rip cuts with this quick-to-set tablesaw helper.
Creating the feather board
When ripping stock on your tablesaw, keep it firmly and safely against the fence with this handy adjustable locking feather board. Not only does it prevent wavy cuts, it guards against dangerous kickback. To build one, use the drawing at right and patterns on the next web page to cut handle (A) and feather board (B) to size and shape, noting the location of the angled notch and counterbored hole in the handle. Use a bandsaw to cut the 2 1/2"-long kerfs in the feather board and the curved portion of the handle, where located on the pattern. Cut the 30° angled notch in the handle's bottom edge using a dado blade in your tablesaw along with an auxiliary wood fence on your miter gauge for support.
To finalize the feather board, countersink and slide a 5/16" washer onto the head of the machine screw, slide the threaded end through the handle, and fit a washer and 4-arm knob onto the end. Fit part B into the angled notch, and slide the bottom edge of the handle and the washer into the mitergauge slot on your tablesaw where shown bottom right. If the washer is too wide for your miter-gauge slot, you may need to grind down the outside edges for a good fit.
