A featherboard is a great way to safely get consistent results for many jobs at the table saw. And proper setup is the key. Where you place the featherboard depends on the task at hand. The most common use for a featherboard is to hold the workpiece firmly against the fence during a ripping operation like you see here.
As you set up the featherboard, it’s important to avoid pinching the waste piece against the saw blade at the end of the cut. This could result in kickback. To avoid this, you’ll want to be sure to position the featherboard just ahead of the blade.
The next step is to make sure the featherboard provides the correct pressure. The goal is to force the workpiece against the fence, yet still allow it to slide smoothly.
To help with the setup, the first finger on some commercial featherboards is slightly shorter than the others. You simply set the featherboard against the workpiece so this finger just contacts the edge. As the workpiece slides past the rest of the fingers, they gently bend to provide the right amount of pressure.
Note: For a featherboard without a setup finger, simply adjust the featherboard so all the fingers have a slight bend as shown.
Cutting a rabbet along the edge of a workpiece is another common operation where a featherboard really helps. It ensures that the entire rabbet is cut to a consistent depth and results in a great-fitting joint. For this task, it’s okay to locate the featherboard directly above the saw blade.
The goal here is to force the workpiece flat against the table during the cut instead of the fence. Here again, the process for establishing the correct pressure is the same.
Note: For some rip fences, you’ll need to clamp the outfeed end of the fence securely to the table to prevent it from raising up as you cut the rabbet.
