Heat Problem with featherboard

mmcneil · Post by **mmcneil** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:21 pm

Wondering if anyone has had the problems I'm experiencing and has a feasible solution. Some of my Shopsmith parts and accessories fail due to heat. For example, my feather boards get brittle and the feathers break off with minimal pressure after about 6 months or so and my sanding disc paper loses all of its adhesive power in no time. I suspect it is from the heat in my garage ... I live in the Phoenix metro.

Anyway, I'm frustrated because I'm in the middle of a project and all three of my featherboards are junk. I bought replacements at woodcraft, but they won't fit my mitre slots. The 5/8" slides are too small and the 3/4" are just too wide. I've tried Milescraft, but not Kreg or Jessum. Anyone have any feedback or suggestions. I would like another option other than just ordering more from SS that break down too quickly.

Thanks.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:32 pm

I can sympathize. I lived about 50 mi. south of you for 18 years.
I finally built my own feather boards and miter track runners and, stored all the pressure sensitive adhesive backed sheet in the house.

That's one option. Option two would be A/C in the shop.

Or, DO AZ I DO, move to Snowflake.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:17 pm

You can drop shims out of something like poster-board down in the slot with those too narrow ones. You can also use the slot cleat as a pattern and make a wooden one a bit wider to fit your miter gauge slot.
Personally I like wooden feather boards best anyway. I am about to drill and tap the cast iron top on my TS-3650 tablesaw so I can bolt one down to the top instead of clamping. I have used the one on my TS-3650 since I got the saw a few years ago. The one on my "old" Craftsman saw is probably 30+ years old. They both were just cut out of a piece of scrap. If I were picking a wood specifically for a feather board it would probably be ash or hedge (Osage Orange). Hedge (aka Bois D'Arc) is often used in bow making (springy).

thedovetailjoint · Post by **thedovetailjoint** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:14 pm

I don't think you need to resort to "peeing" on them, but plastic is hydroscopic and storing your featherboards in a container water might not be a bad idea. Either that or make wooden ones, or continue to buy new ones every 6 months. I LOVE the SS featherboards, so I think I would try the water storage method.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 6:54 pm

Just saw Shopsmith has jig parts on sale. Here's their price on sliding "T" nuts.

555916 (4) Sliding T-Nuts
Regularly: $21.25 Email Special: $15.94 -- You Save $5.31 (this price is only good until midnight of this Thurs.)

With these and some thumb screws you can mount any brand of feather boards.

ddvann79 · Post by **ddvann79** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:29 pm

robinson46176 wrote:... Hedge (aka Bois D'Arc) is often used in bow making (springy).

Bois D'Arc? As in horse apple? That's what hedge is?

I'm thinking about making a straddle fence to fit over the 500 fence that will accept t-slots for affixing feather boards and guides.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:42 pm

I believe it's also known as Osage orange.

ddvann79 · Post by **ddvann79** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 9:56 pm

beeg wrote:I believe it's also known as Osage orange.

Sorry to chase a rabbit here but I'm a little surprised. Goes to show I don't know what I don't know. Around here, horse apple trees are considered a step above weeds. And I would have thought it a soft wood. When we lived in College Station there was a HUGE Bois d'Arc tree in front of our place that was topped out in a lightning storm. Wish I'd have saved that wood now. Three people couldn't reach around that thing.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:17 am

ddvann79 wrote:Sorry to chase a rabbit here but I'm a little surprised. Goes to show I don't know what I don't know. Around here, horse apple trees are considered a step above weeds. And I would have thought it a soft wood. When we lived in College Station there was a HUGE Bois d'Arc tree in front of our place that was topped out in a lightning storm. Wish I'd have saved that wood now. Three people couldn't reach around that thing.

Adding to their notes...

On workability... It can be very hard to get it through a planer without the surface chipping out. Planer blades must be sharp and cuts must be light.

On color... It will darken in light. Their pictures are all much darker than how it planes out. I wish they had included a pic of it when it is still bright Gold/yellow.

I have pulled 100 year old hedge fence post that were still very solid even under ground. It is almost getting scarce around my local area just from being sprayed out of fence rows.

.