Bandsaw featherboard - Bow GuidePro

[Nick Decker]

I participated in a thread here about this product last summer, before it was released. Can't find the thread now, maybe I'm just inept at using the SMC search engine.

Anyway, the pre-production info on the product made it seem like a good solution for a resaw featherboard, and I was looking forward to its release. It's now available and you can see it here:

https://www.bow-products.com/pages/guidepro

I received mine several days ago, paid full price, no connection to the company, yadda yadda, and I have a few thoughts I thought I'd share, mostly because it works differently than how I expected it would.

It has a locking lever, which looked like it would be a handy way to lock it into place along the miter slot, but that's not how it works. The lever only locks the distance that the silicone blade/feather sits in relation to the stock. The piece that rides in the miter slot is cam shaped (oval) and is locked into position in the slot by being rotated by the forward motion on the stock toward the blade.

If this sounds complicated and fiddly, it's because it is. It's awkward to get it set correctly into position, and it usually takes several tries to get the correct amount of pressure applied to the stock at just the right position, relative to the blade.

Too bad, as I liked the idea of the silicone blade applying even pressure from top to bottom. And, once you start sawing you don't need to touch it, you can concentrate on steady feed pressure.

If anyone else has one and has figured out an easy way to get it set up reliably, please post. Otherwise, I have what I'd call an elaborate $80 windshield squeegee.

[Mike Cutler]

Nick

That's too bad. I like their Featherboards, and was considering a FeatherPro Duo for my shaper and the bandsaw. Have you called them to see if there is some type of trick, or technique?
The video on the website makes it looks easy enough, but maybe there was some good editing

[Van Huskey]

The video on the website makes it looks easy enough,

Snodgrass makes cutting a bandsaw reindeer look really easy too... however I am with you, they make it look like it would be hard to actually screw up.

I had actually looked at buying the replacement blades and playing with making my own.

[Nick Decker]

Mike, I haven't contacted them. I've watched the video multiple times and have read and re-read the instructions, and I'm doing exactly what they say to do.

As you know, most featherboards, of any kind, are secured, either with a magnet or by tightening something into a miter slot. Where this one gets hinky is that it doesn't stay put until you start sliding the stock through it, at which point the cam on the bottom rotates and locks down the movement. When and exactly where that occurs varies, so you might end up with the thing applying pressure an inch before the blade, or maybe a half inch, etc. I want to know and control exactly where that pressure point is, and that's just a crap shoot with the GuidePro.

Also, after the stock has passed through the GuidePro it is no longer held in place in the slot. It can, and does, move, meaning you get to start the whole setup over if you're making repititious cuts.

I agree that the video makes it look easy (that's why I bought it), but keep in mind that it shows one cut, which they've had plenty of time to set up (and reshoot as many times as necessary to get it right). It also, IMO, doesn't make apparent the way the thing actually works.

I agree about their other featherboards. In fact, I have their double one. It works as expected, for as far as it goes, which isn't quite far enough if you're resawing anything taller than about 6". I don't have a shaper, so can't comment on how it might work there.

[Frederick Skelly]

Bummer. Looks like a useful tool - I can see why you bought it!
Still seems like you ought to call them Nick. Give them a chance to help you. For $79, they ought to be trying to help and with luck, they will.

Let us know!
Fred

[Nick Decker]

Good point, Fred. I've sent them an email with my concerns, we'll see what they say.

[John TenEyck]

If you do a lot of resawing or veneer slicing, this shop built featherboard works very well: https://sites.google.com/site/jteney...aw-rollerboard

John

[Mike Cutler]

Also, after the stock has passed through the GuidePro it is no longer held in place in the slot. It can, and does, move, meaning you get to start the whole setup over if you're making repititious cuts.

I don't think I'd like that happening. I realize that as you re-saw, the piece loses width and the feather board has to change position. The "no longer held in place" part would bother me. I like to have complete control over anything attached to a table.
I do see that the website has an instructional video coming up. Hopefully it will help.

[Nick Decker]

I've received a reply from Keith at Bow Products, saying that he wasn't "following" what I was asking about as far as the problems I was having, and that there would be more videos coming to the website. He also asked if I was trying to "set position before tensioning."

OK, so you can set tension several inches prior to the blade, before moving the feather/silicone blade into final position just prior to the saw blade. The problem then, is that your board is held in position against the fence by the tension you just set, and, like most featherboards, it won't let you pull the board out backwards.

This brings up another issue, in that there's really no need to have a featherboard that guards against kickback on a bandsaw. In fact, there are times when you might want to back out of a cut on purpose.

I dunno, I guess I'll play with it a little more tomorrow, then wait and see what their additional videos might show.

[jack forsberg]

shop made fixtures here out of scrap is what i do

[Simon MacGowen]

This brings up another issue, in that there's really no need to have a featherboard that guards against kickback on a bandsaw. In fact, there are times when you might want to back out of a cut on purpose.

Agreed. The bandsaw blade goes up and down, unlike the spinning blade in a tablesaw.

I've used for years a larger version of something like this as a resawing featherboard for the bandsaw: http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2008/11/06/sn/


Works great and cost me nothing as I had scrap and hardware for building it.

Simon

[Nick Decker]

OK, I've worked with the GuidePro a bit more this morning and will revise my opinion on setting it up. You need to adjust the tension well away from where the final position will be. This process is different from other featherboards in that, obviously, the amount of tension varies as you rotate the silicon blade. If you do it enough times, you'll get a better feel for how far the silicon blade needs to project before even sliding the board into position between the silicon blade and fence.

So, like many tools, there's a learning curve. I can deal with that.The thing I still don't care for is that the device is only secure in the miter slot while there is wood passing through it. I'll be thinking about possible ways to modify that part of it.

[Nick Decker]

Van, if you're considering making something like this, I'd suggest looking for something like those squeegee blades used for pushing water around on concrete. Probably cheaper, and there's really nothing special about what's used in the GuidePro.

[Michael M. Chandler]

I suspect that this is the answer that we've been looking for.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MJXY7KV/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A7O51HGOUZ91S&psc=1
When I read the review I thought that this piece was included. Oh well, what a few more $$. I'm hoping this solves all the issues that have been discussed.

[William Chain]

This lock bar would certainly help. I've tipped this thing over and had it catch the blade a few times. No lasting damage, but did scare the **$^#% of out me. I have the best results when the fence and the GuidePro are the same height and have the same contact area with the piece.

I suspect that this is the answer that we've been looking for.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MJXY7KV/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A7O51HGOUZ91S&psc=1
When I read the review I thought that this piece was included. Oh well, what a few more $$. I'm hoping this solves all the issues that have been discussed.