The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm setting up some shop stuff in my basement. Low end, inexpensive. Just got a Skilsaw jobsite table saw and it is very impressive compared with the 40 year old benchtop B&D pos it is replacing.

The question -- there are 3000 options for feather boards. Better mousetraps, each & every one. I'm seeking recommendations for one that works well & adjusts easily. No bells & whistles. It doesn't need to core a apple. Just do its job. I love the cam-shaped one I'm seeing but it seems to only present a few fingers to the work piece at a time. I'm too easily attracted to gimmicks.

Anyway, keeping this simple -- is there a simple feather board any of you recommend?

This Bow featherboard is great for those with smaller saws, thus smaller tabletops. The fingers grab well, prevent reverse movement of the workpiece, and the single knob adjustment is great. I was looking for something that fit my jobsite saw and the limited tabletop space, and this one works really well. Highly recommended.

It's the Bow FP5:

https://bow-products.com/product/portab ... therboard/

Neat! That's unconventional looking and I would not have given it much thought. But your actual hands-on review is everything.
Thank you!

Jon,
If you have scrap boards you can make your own. Here's a video that explains shop made feather boards simply built.
Looks like they used a band saw to cut the fingers. If you don't have a band saw you can use your table saw.
You can use the miter gauge with the table saw to cut the angle if you want. The deeper you go down this rabbet hole
the more complex finger boards you'll need. Most you can build yourself if you want to take the time.

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/woodwor ... ds-3537009

I checked out the Bow FP5 that Randy proposed, and I like the engineering on it. Looks to be a good value, also concerning the price.

Greg

Greg, thanks. I actually have an old wooden featherboard I made exactly like that, cutting the fingers on a small band saw. But it requires clamps which I don't even know if I can make work on the bed of this new saw. I'm more than willing to spend a few bucks for an rig that works in the miter slot and tightens down quick and easy. Bow has an Amazon store and I've got one on its way for delivery tomorrow.

Rabbet Hole. I see what you did there. Well played.

Greg Forsyth wrote:Jon,
If you have scrap boards you can make your own. Here's a video that explains shop made feather boards simply built.
Looks like they used a band saw to cut the fingers. If you don't have a band saw you can use your table saw.
You can use the miter gauge with the table saw to cut the angle if you want. The deeper you go down this rabbet hole
the more complex finger boards you'll need. Most you can build yourself if you want to take the time.

https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/woodwor ... ds-3537009

I checked out the Bow FP5 that Randy proposed, and I like the engineering on it. Looks to be a good value, also concerning the price.

Greg

Greg Forsyth wrote: ......rabbet hole........

zoooooom. Went right past me. Ha!

Clamping to the table of a table saw is part of the rabbet hole. I think the money you spent on the Bow FP5 is well spent and will help relieve some of the stress of using your table saw.
A table saw is the most versatile stationary power tool you can have in a wood shop and there is a vast amount of hardware out there that make it more user friendly. Some work as stand alone and others work with shop built parts. Some work well and others don't. All part of the rabbet hole!