Milescraft featherboard, can't get it tight

[Brian Runau]

I bought a couple of these to replace older ones, different brand. I have a Sears professional saw with a 3/4" miter slot. I have to crank the handles down as tight as I can possibly turn them with my 65 year old hands and sometimes the feather board still moves with the board. I am careful not to have too much pressure on the board, but something is wrong. Their manual even has a note to call them if you have this problem, but I always get a machine and they did call back once, but I wasn't sitting by the phone waiting for their call.

Any idea how I might get these to tighten down properly?

Thanks.

Brian

https://www.milescraft.com/product/featherboard/


(https://www.milescraft.com/product/featherboard/)

[glenn bradley]

First off, if the product doesn't work I would return it. Not the best expansion bar design I've ever seen ;-) That aside, you have the flat head machine screw in the round hole, yes. It looks like that is the main grip spot. Does the long slot have a taper so that the other flat head machine screw wedges it apart in the slot to grip as well? If the bar is staying put but the featherboard is sliding perpendicular to the blade you could add washers.

You could cut your own bar from a piece of straight grained wood and cut a slot most of the way along it and use their FHMS. IF your saw has a t-slot miter slot you could use these (https://www.woodpeck.com/miter-slot-nut.html) or these (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/10-piece-1-4-miter-track-nut?gclid=CjwKCAiAl-6PBhBCEiwAc2GOVGkt23nkGavTI8HMb0rI9pONWb8vkTcvSYXB URFEHR8QkWmnbrFD3BoCi9UQAvD_BwE). I use expansion bars (Rockler and the original Bench Dog) and the nuts without issue.

[Paul F Franklin]

It sounds like the bar is a loose fit in the miter slot. If there's enough slop in the bar (when the knobs are loose) you could add some self adhesive sandpaper to the side of the bar and see if that helps.

[Warren Lake]

you dont need a feather board based on the operation shown. When we needed them we had ones we made out of scrap, they were put on with clamps and they did not move.

There is nothing positive I can say when I see a thing like this.

473051

[Rich Engelhardt]

I got a Magswitch - - easy on & adjust and easy off.

I struggled with the ill fitting Millscraft and gave up on using it on the table & use it only on the sacrificial fence.

[Brian Runau]

First off, if the product doesn't work I would return it. Not the best expansion bar design I've ever seen ;-) That aside, you have the flat head machine screw in the round hole, yes. It looks like that is the main grip spot. Does the long slot have a taper so that the other flat head machine screw wedges it apart in the slot to grip as well? If the bar is staying put but the featherboard is sliding perpendicular to the blade you could add washers.

You could cut your own bar from a piece of straight grained wood and cut a slot most of the way along it and use their FHMS. IF your saw has a t-slot miter slot you could use these (https://www.woodpeck.com/miter-slot-nut.html) or these (https://www.woodcraft.com/products/10-piece-1-4-miter-track-nut?gclid=CjwKCAiAl-6PBhBCEiwAc2GOVGkt23nkGavTI8HMb0rI9pONWb8vkTcvSYXB URFEHR8QkWmnbrFD3BoCi9UQAvD_BwE). I use expansion bars (Rockler and the original Bench Dog) and the nuts without issue.

Glenn, heard from Milescraft. They suggested moving both bolt into the longer slot and this did work. Reduced it's range, but it did lock down better with less effort. I've had these for @ 4-6 weeks and no receipt, so... Thanks Brian