Quick question about featherboards.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
I just got finished making a couple of featherboards for the table saw.
I'm not real clear where they go though.
How close to the blade should they be placed?
I've seen pictures where they are almost right in the blade and others where they sit back quite a ways from the blade.
Does it all depend on the size of the stock?

[Dave Buffington]

THey should be snug to the work piece wihtout binding and before the blade (that is- from the front of the saw, if a featherboard is pressing from left to right to push the peice against the fence, you want the featherboard to end before the front of the blade).

for a hold down featherboard, it matter less i would think, but you don't want anything pressing the workpiece agains the blade where it will be likely to cause burn or get bound up or want to kick back.

I am sure others can add quite a bit more.

Dave

[Jim Becker]

I like my feather boards just in front of the blade so that they are effective to almost the very end of the cut.

[Ted Miller]

I have boards that use the miter slots, magnetic and clip on my fence. The ones I use on the table I use to keep the stock close to the fence just before the blade. On the fence I use them in front and near the end of the blade for smaller stock to stay close the fence. I always make my own since they do get damaged from time to time. I use the feather boards on my router table as well...

[Jake Helmboldt]

I put mine as close to the blade without overlapping the blade (you don't want to be pushing the stock against the blade), but you want to apply pressure where it keeps it against the fence as it moves past the blade.

Combined with a splitter your stock will stay firmly against the fence.

[Aaron Beaver]

I put mine as close to the blade without overlapping the blade (you don't want to be pushing the stock against the blade), but you want to apply pressure where it keeps it against the fence as it moves past the blade.

Combined with a splitter your stock will stay firmly against the fence.

Pretty much the same here, 1/2" away or so from the blade.

[glenn bradley]

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[Roy McQuay]

I just wanted to add that featherboards add a measure of safety since your hands aren't used to hold the stock against the fence through the cut. They also help pevent kickback.