Wider Is Better for Resaw Feather Boards
As a maker of guitars, I do a great deal of resawing to create the thin slices of material I need for my work, frequently with expensive woods like ebony and rosewood. When resawing, it's very important to keep the workpiece firmly against the fence. If it moves away from the fence, even a little, the blade will make an ugly cut that will cost me money in wasted material.
To maintain the necessary pressure, I created this "amped-up" version of a feather board that applies pressure across a wide area. The jig is essentially two feather boards separated by a lift box. I made the box from 3⁄4 " birch plywood, and screwed the feather boards to its top and bottom. You could make the box taller for workpieces wider than 6".
—Joel Nowland, West Point, Utah
Editor's note: Joel used the "4-in-1" combination feather boards from Harbor Freight Tools ($6 each, part no. 36697-0VGA), and removed the level and scale from each feather board's center. Call or click: 805-388-3000; harborfreight.com.