board buddies

[Mike Evertsen]

I been watching David Marks using board buddy on his table saw and I would like opinions on them..
Do they hold the boards against the fence? do they help stop kick back??
I have some big projects coming up that i'll be cutting alot of plywood
if these help I'll get a set when I go to woodcraft Wendsday,,,,,

[Doug Jones]

Mike,
I asked this same question a long while back on a different forum. The answer I got was it helped quite a bit with thinner stock such as sheet stock. I opted not to get them as I don't do much work with sheet goods.
If you get them make sure you get the ones made for the tablesaw/router table, they are the yellow ones. The green ones are for another piece of equipment, I don't remember which one.
Not much help I know, just thought you'd like to hear what was told to me.

[Lee Schierer]

I looked at the board buddies and decided that they were nifty looking, but also appearded to get in the way as much as they help.

At a wood show, I watched a demo on Grip Tite magnetic feather boards and was sold. They are effective and easy to use. They go on and off in a matter of 1-2 seconds literally. Take a look at my web site and you can see my fence set up with the Grip Tites for making raised panel doors. I don't think board buddies would work for doing that.

In the end analysis, the best feather boards are those that you will use. My Grip Tites get used evey time I use my saw for ripping on thick or thin stock.

Lee's Web site: Lee's Wood Works (http://home.earthlink.net/~us71na/)

[Art Johnson]

I looked at the board buddies and decided that they were nifty looking, but also appearded to get in the way as much as they help.

At a wood show, I watched a demo on Grip Tite magnetic feather boards and was sold. They are effective and easy to use. They go on and off in a matter of 1-2 seconds literally. Take a look at my web site and you can see my fence set up with the Grip Tites for making raised panel doors. I don't think board buddies would work for doing that.

In the end analysis, the best feather boards are those that you will use. My Grip Tites get used evey time I use my saw for ripping on thick or thin stock.

Lee's Web site: Lee's Wood Works (http://home.earthlink.net/~us71na/)

Hi Lee

Agree with the Grip-Tites. I too was sold after a demo at a WWing show. Scarry demo. I just knew he was going to eat the 1x4 he was ripping :p.

I also use mine on my router table (Veritas steel) and it's terrific on my band saw. Don't know what I would do without them.

Cheers

Art

[Phil Phelps]

I wished I had invented them. Great gadget to line the pocket book of the inventor. Might help some people but, I find they simply get in the way of the push stick. I find them useless for what I do.

[Jeff Ward]

I believe that what David marks uses are not :Board Buddies" but a product called "Ripstrate". I have a set and use it on sheet goods. It does a good job of holding the wood. That being said, I only use it when cutting large sheets. I believe that they can be found at:

http://www.woodworkerswarehouse.com

has them. Do a search on ripstrate

[Derek Arita]

I've looked at them, but something doesn't make sense to me. Doesn't the hold-down strength of the Board Buddies depend on the weight of the fence? I mean, I would think that the rear of the fence would lift as the work passed thru. Does this ever happen?

[Jeff Ward]

The fence on my saw locks down from the front and rear. If your fence only locks down from the front, then the rear of the fence may lift.

I guess that you could clamp the rear of the fence to the table.