Featherboard

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title: "Featherboard" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["safety-equipment", "woodworking-jigs", "woodworking-tools"] description: "Woodworking safety device" topic_path: "general/safety-equipment" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Featherboard" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Woodworking safety device ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Shop_Made_Featherboard.JPG" caption="A shop-made featherboard"] ::

A featherboard is a safety device used when working with stationary routers or power saws such as table saws or bandsaws. The purpose of a featherboard is to apply pressure against a workpiece, keeping it flat against a machine table or fence.

Featherboard shapes and sizes vary depending on the tasks for which they are intended. A serviceable featherboard can be shop-fabricated from an approximately 3/4 × 3 × 11 inch piece of straight grained, defect-free wood cut crosswise at a 45-degree angle on one end. Several parallel cuts in the direction of the grain create fingers or "feathers" that flex in the direction of workpiece travel, preventing the workpiece from being dragged backwards by blade friction.

Featherboards are also useful for edge jointing, and making moulding on router tables.

References

References

1. Nagyszalanczy, Sandor. (1994). "Woodshop Jigs & Fixtures". Taunton Press.
2. {{cite magazine. "". (December 2005 {{Title missing). (March 2025)
3. American Woodworker 2003 Tool Buyers Guide

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::