# Featherboard alternative



## Adgpdx (Jun 11, 2020)

I rigged this featherboard alternative for ripping on my small table saw, to keep the straight side of a board tight against the fence when the waste side is too uneven to use a featherboard. The bungee cord makes the wheel put pressure on the edge of the board, and the arm pivots on a small lazy susan. I'm curious - since I've never seen this setup out there, what do people do as an alternative? Do you just do your best to press the board against the fence with a push stick as you feed it through? Am I doing something wrong that I needed this in the first place? Does this setup seem inherently unsafe?


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## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

Looks like a pretty good use of things on hand to solve a problem.

My only comment would be that it looks like the wheel is going to contact the blade. I would move it back a bit and tie a new knot on the bungee to shorten it if need be. Or, drive a screw behind the lever arm to act as a stop. Seems like you're using the knob right now, but that become an issue if you go the the extreme ends of your slots.

I rarely use feather boards, so I may not be the best source of advice.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

A good featherboard flexes enough to account for most rough edges. Are yours not flexible?


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

Looks like a MacGyver type solution.

I subscribe to the KISS feather board.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

I like it because it's unique and very cleaver. 
I don't think it's unsafe but not very practical.
I hardly ever use feather boards on my tablesaw. When I do it's a ripcut that absolutely cannot go bad or it would be fatal to the piece I'm working on.
Good Luck


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## Adgpdx (Jun 11, 2020)

> A good featherboard flexes enough to account for most rough edges. Are yours not flexible?
> 
> - SMP


Good point, SMP. I realize now that the featherboard I was using was way too stiff for the waviness of my board, so I made a softer featherboard - and it does a better job than my contraption, since it puts even pressure along its length instead of all in one spot like my wheel. I'll save my wheel for when the board is so wavy that I'm really trying to cheat and use the table saw as a jointer instead. Thanks for the input everyone.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

I like my Bench Dog feather boards. Just saying. I use it on almost all rips.


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