Jessem Router Table Featherboard problem

[Rick Potter]

I have not been in the shop much in the last year for various reasons, but today I decided to finish up some projects.

Keeping the story short, I found that the silicone O-rings on my Jessem router table feather board/safety hold downs were all bad. When I tried to use them they stretched and rolled right off the wheels.

I also have the Jessem safety feather board system on my table saw, and it did the same thing.

The O-rings are sticky and stretch out with little resistance.

Anyone else have this problem? My shop can get as high as high 80's inside when unused if it is 100 outside, but I have never seen it get over 90 inside. It is fully insulated, and drywalled inside. Today it was a high of 93, and the shop was 80 inside.

[Greg Quenneville]

Yes, its a common problem. Eventually they turn into goo. There might be an updated compound on the replacement O rings

[John M Wilson]

I had the same problem... Picked up a replacement set from Amazon for about $7.00, but I see that they are no longer available from Amazon.

They were Jessem M0307 replacement O rings. Looks like Jessem has them for $9.99

[Rick Potter]

Nice to know I am not alone. I will give Jessem a call Monday.

[John Kananis]

Assuming you mean the stock guides and not the featherboards (which I like a lot actually). I have the stock guides on my table saw and really like them. I got a set for the router table though and the o rings are so far out of round that, depending on where they're at in the revolution, they either press down too hard or not at all. Terrible.

[Donald G. Burns]

It might take a bit of time at a hydraulic parts house, but ask them for some Viton O-rings to match the size and I doubt if you'd have the problem again.

[Wes Grass]

I don't know why they'd be silicone in the 1st place. What's wrong with Buna? Maybe they'd walk off the wheels easier?

[Rob Newton]

Harbor Freight carries o ring assortments in both SAE and metric. Might be cheaper that way. My gripper push block o rings had some of them rot and the correct size was in one of the HF kits and it was much cheaper than going through microjig. I slathered the rest of them in silicone and put them in a plastic for future use.

[Alan Lightstone]

Yup, had the same problem too. I just bought a replacement set from Jessem.

[Tony Joyce]

Had the same problem also, I ordered the appropriate size o-ring from McMaster-Carr.
Works like a charm.

[Rick Potter]

Regular O-rings don't leave black marks on the wood?

PS: Reading the info that came with the router guides, the urethane O-rings are size #319. I am not sure about the size for the table saw guides, but they look the same, although Jessem has a different number for ordering them.

I called Jessem, but they are closed for a week.

I do have a good supply of HF O-rings, and I think I will play with them while I cool my heels for a week until Jessem is back.

[Wes Grass]

Regular O-rings don't leave black marks on the wood?

PS: Reading the info that came with the router guides, the urethane O-rings are size #319.


Urethane sounds better than silicone. Silicone having zero tear strength from what I recall.

And, yeah, maybe Buna would leave 'skid marks' on the wood.

[Tony Joyce]

I used these 70A Durometer(medium) High Temperature Silicone O-rings. Part #9396K291
No marking(red), good grip. Other durometers available softer & harder just look for Dash Number 319


https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/128/3879

[Rick Potter]

Sorry about my initial reference to Silicon. I found out later they were actually Urethane.

I actually have another set for my second router table, which I have not taken out of the box yet. I checked them today, and I can dig a chunk out of them with my fingernail easily. Guess I need new ones for that set also. They are all about 3 years old. As I mentioned above, the ones for the router table take a number 319 O-ring, per the instructions in the box.