Magnetic Featherboards- Safety vs Cost

[Dennis Collins]

I was interested in everyones opinion regarding the magnetic feather boards that are popular at the woodworking shows. I am always looking for ways to be a safer http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon7.gif woodworker and willing to spend $100 to avoid a $500 Doctor/Emergency Room visit. Do any of you have these and what are your experiences or comments. I have a Woodcraft 10% saving coupon for my B-Day and thought I might try to get myself something new.

Thanks, Dennis

[Byron Trantham]

I own and use two of them. I've had them for several years and haven't begrudged the cost once!:D

[Lee Schierer]

A number of years ago I went to a woodshow and watched a demo on teh Grip Tite Magnetic feather boards. My wife urged me to get them. I must admit it was one of the better investments I've made. They work very well and they are extremely easy to use. I had lots of home made and a couple of purchased feather boards before and they were used once in a while for really tricky cuts. I also had used the roller system that my father had purchased for his table saw. All of these were a pain to set up and usually got in the way as much as they helped.

The magnetic feather boards are attached to the legs of my saw when they aren't on the table suface being used. It literally takes 2 seconds to get one in place and they stay put. They come off the saw just as easily. Here is how I use them to make raised panels on my TS. http://home.earthlink.net/~us71na/raisedpanel2.jpg

Make sure you get the steel plate so you can attach them to your fence for ripping. You can see the plate in the background on the fence in the photo above. The rollers you can see are for ripping. You can stop a cut in mid rip even on maple with no burn marks on your wood with the feather boards.

[Paul Canaris]

I find them usefull and have owned a pair for about 10 years.

[Rick Thom]

Noticed this one (Grip-tite Magnetic Featherboard) in the Lee Valley cat for @$50 and was thinking about it myself. Don't know how it compares to others, however I think L.V. has a reputation for selecting good products and fair pricing.
For some reason had to search a bit to find it in their on-line site.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=51234&cat=51&ap=8

[Frank Pellow]

All the discussion that I can find for these things seems to refer to their use with table saws.

I was thinking of getting some sort of magnetic featerboard for use with my bandsaw. I would like to hear pros and cons.

[Byron Trantham]

All the discussion that I can find for these things seems to refer to their use with table saws.

I was thinking of getting some sort of magnetic featerboard for use with my bandsaw. I would like to hear pros and cons.

Frank, I have seen them used with jointers as well. I don't see why they couldn't be used in any situation as long as they can be attached a metal surface.;)

[Mark Singer]

I use the Grip Tite featherboards on my bandsaw. The Aggazani has a shallow miter gauge slot and the magnets work well against the table. On a jointer , I use them to apply downward pressure if I am working alone and have long boards.

On the tablesaw , I use the Board Buddies ...it really works well. Mostly just one behing the blade so there is no problem pushing through.

[Frank Pellow]

I use the Grip Tite featherboards on my bandsaw. The Aggazani has a shallow miter gauge slot and the magnets work well against the table. ....

Thanks Mark, the shallow miter gauge slot is exactly the situation that I have with my ACM bandsaw.

[John Bush]

Good morning all,
I've used these feather boards for over ten years and have worn out the plastic "springs". Lee, thanks for the picture. My boards don't have the rollers, as shown on yours, or the release lever on the end. How do these "extras" work? I may have to send mine in to the "Pimp My Featherboard Show (http://timinthq.com/?go=show)" and get them updated.

I find them very useful on the BS and the joionter as well. John.

[John Gregory]

I have a pair and use them a lot on my TS and on my jointer to keep the board tight against the fence. I cannot use them on my table router becasuse the table is not metal and I have a Rockler table on my BS ( covering the metal table). Well worth the investment. Clamping feather boards to the table saw was a pain.

[John Miliunas]

I think the "secret" to the mag feather boards is their ease of use. I find the easier something is to use, the more likely I'll use it, which adds that additional level of safety. In other words, even for that single "quick cut", I'm more apt to still make that cut in a safe manner, rather than rush it through, which is often part of the formula for an accident. I've had mine for several years now and it basically never gets "put away".:) :cool:

[Fred Ray]

I think the "secret" to the mag feather boards is their ease of use. I find the easier something is to use, the more likely I'll use it, which adds that additional level of safety. In other words, even for that single "quick cut", I'm more apt to still make that cut in a safe manner, rather than rush it through, which is often part of the formula for an accident. I've had mine for several years now and it basically never gets "put away".:) :cool:

Very good point, John. I put off the purchase of the mag units because I had several of the old style "clamp in the slot" varieties. I recently bought two of the mag style and am finding that I actually do use them.

[Andy London]

I use them on the TS, Jointer and router table (LV table is steel), I really like them and they are well worth the $$$...IMO

[Chris Padilla]

Sliced bread has nothing on these mag feather boards....

[Rick Schubert]

Noticed this one (Grip-tite Magnetic Featherboard) in the Lee Valley cat for @$50 and was thinking about it myself. Don't know how it compares to others, however I think L.V. has a reputation for selecting good products and fair pricing.
For some reason had to search a bit to find it in their on-line site.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=51234&cat=51&ap=8
Amazon has the Grip-tite Magnetic Featherboard for $30 and free shipping. At least I'm pretty sure it is the same.

Rick

[Jay Goddard]

I have one of the original wooden body grip-tites without any extras. I have been thinking about upgrading to the pro system with the steel fence plate in order to take advantage of the roller guides.

My question to those who use the roller guides: I'm sure they work great, but when making narrow rips how do you feed the stock through? Do you have to use a sacrificial board or some other technique? It seems the guides would be in the way. Is this a problem for you?

Thanks,

Jay

[Dan Larson]

My question to those who use the roller guides: I'm sure they work great, but when making narrow rips how do you feed the stock through? Do you have to use a sacrificial board or some other technique? It seems the guides would be in the way. Is this a problem for you?
Like Jay, I'm trying to figure this one out, too. I need to come up with a way of making narrow rip cuts on my table saw safer and more accurate. My overarm guard gets in the way of a push stick when I'm doing narrow rip cuts. Any suggestions?

[Jim Tobias]

They are one of the most useful woodworking aids that I have ever bought. They actaully do what they claim and are simple to use. Well worth the $30 or $40 bucks. It's been so long since I bought mine, I've forgotten the cost.

Jim

[Bruce Page]

I've used the yellow plastic ones that go into the miter slot for years. They work pretty good but your reach with them is sometimes limited.
I bought two of the Grip Tite Magnetic feather boards last summer. I wish I had bought them a long time ago.

[sascha gast]

I have had 2 Griptites for 2 year now and love them, and here is THE GOOD NEWS, at the last show, I was standing around the guy and watched him, he is just too funny. then I saw the rollers and mine didn't have those, they help to pull the wood against the fence when you have them attached to the metal fence. I upgraded for a few dollars, I think $5 or so per set.
Since I have a PM66 with the plastic face, the magnets would of course not stay on the fence:D , but I really liked what they did. but like Mark, I also use the board buddies. so I didn't want to modify my fence, since the metal plate the guy sells is about 4-5" tall. I bought the matal fence plate and called Powermatic to just send me another fence, so now I have 2 of them, one for general cutting and board buddies and one for the griptite use. I love it.
very safe and I certainly don't regret having 2 fences laying around, works for me

Sascha

[Jim Becker]

All the discussion that I can find for these things seems to refer to their use with table saws.

I was thinking of getting some sort of magnetic featerboard for use with my bandsaw. I would like to hear pros and cons.

I keep one of my two at the MM16 and one at the table saw. Of course, I can use both on either machine... ;) Seriously, they work great for either of these applications.

[Bill Lewis]

Griptites are tried an true. I saw Norm using them a long time ago on one of the NYW shows and I thought they looked very useful. This was several years before there were any local WW shows. I took the plunge at the first show I found them, and they are great.
I use them on both the jointer and table saw, so far... BTW I bought the wooden ones with all the extra gizmos like the ones in the picture. Though I have to confess, I never got around to installing the rollers, now I don't know where they are.

[Lee Schierer]

Good morning all,
I've used these feather boards for over ten years and have worn out the plastic "springs". Lee, thanks for the picture. My boards don't have the rollers, as shown on yours, or the release lever on the end. How do these "extras" work? I may have to send mine in to the "Pimp My Featherboard Show (http://timinthq.com/?go=show)" and get them updated.

I find them very useful on the BS and the joionter as well. John.


Both added features were part of the package I got when I bought them. The rollers work very well for ripping. THe levers are easier to use than trying to tip them off with the handle. I have had to replace a few of the plastic feather strips due to poor planning and a kick back of cuttoffs.

The important thing to keep in mind is that these feather boards are so simple to use and so effective that you will actually use them, not leave them laying on a shelf in the shop.

[Paul Canaris]

Used them for about 10 years now; highly recomended.