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Default Feather Board

I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?


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Default Feather Board


HotRod wrote:
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?


the fingerboards I make I just use whatevers available , usually pine
or I think fir.

Fingers should be along the grain . The idea is a slightly flexible
finger that wont break .

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Default Feather Board

Hey, it sounds like you are figuring out your Woodmaster. It is just
crazy that they don't sell a featherboard for this thing isn't it?

I haven't made one yet but I've had some ideas. Did you get the
slippery base? If so, you'll understand idea #1. This idea is to use
some of that slick material to create a fence along one side and have
it spring loaded with little 1/2" x 1 -1/2" coil springs that would
allow about 1/4 of spring action.

A second idea I had is using spring steel pieces lapped one after the
other. Without a picture it's hard to explain. I also have another idea
for something that looks like a feather board where each finger is
actually on a hinge or pivot and again spring loaded.

To do effective work on this unit it really neeeds some sort of
feathreing but these guys don't have a solution.

I'll try to do some sketches tonight and post them.


HotRod wrote:
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?


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Default Feather Board

You need a straight grained piece of wood for this. Hardwood makes stiffer
longer lasting feathers, but I've got a few made of 2 by_ stock that work OK
too. Wood choice isn't too critical so long as the grain is straight, so
don't waste high dollar wood to make one. Poplar and oak work fine, or a 2
by _ when it's all you have around. Plywood and MDF don't make good
featherboards. The feather cuts must go with the grain, not across or
diagonal to the grain. The end of the board should first be cut at about a
30 degree angle (not critical). Then make the feather cuts in from that end
of the board 4-6 inches long, about 1/8-3/16" apart and parallel to the
grain (and not perpendicular to the 30 degree cut). Longer cuts make the
feathers weaker and more flexible, shorter makes them stiffer. The rest of
the board length is used to clamp the featherboard to a convenient point on
the machinery. In use the feather ends should push slightly (like fingers)
on the board being machined, angled in the direction of the board travel, to
hold the board against the table, fence, or machine guide that determines
the machining dimension. It's sometimes beneficial to use more than one, to
push your work down and to the side at the same time or inline one after
another to hold your work for a longer distance. (Think of them as
expendable fingers to hold your board that don't hurt if the machine cuts
them or they get broken)

--
Charley

"HotRod" wrote in message
...
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to

cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?




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Default Feather Board

Glad someone mentioned cutting the feathers on an angle, I probably would
have forgot. I was hoping to make a fingerboard that could be mounted in the
middle of the planer and then used on both sides. In order to do this the
fingers would need to be straight, not cut on an angle, what do you think?
Do they need to be angled? I'm not to worried about kick back.

P.S. I didn't end up ordering the Woodmaster molder, I ended up getting a
25" dual drum sander and planner/molder for the same price as the
woodmaster. That saves me from constantly changing the drums and the stuff I
bought is really industrial. I ended up with a Powermatic PM15 / 5hp. I made
the bed board out of some great / slippery stuff that we had in the shop...


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?





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Default Feather Board

"Straight" fingers won't have any flex. You might as well just clamp a board
there. The flex is necessary to account for minute changes in thickness of
your work, in addition to providing resistance to kick back.

--
Charley


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
Glad someone mentioned cutting the feathers on an angle, I probably would
have forgot. I was hoping to make a fingerboard that could be mounted in

the
middle of the planer and then used on both sides. In order to do this the
fingers would need to be straight, not cut on an angle, what do you think?
Do they need to be angled? I'm not to worried about kick back.

P.S. I didn't end up ordering the Woodmaster molder, I ended up getting a
25" dual drum sander and planner/molder for the same price as the
woodmaster. That saves me from constantly changing the drums and the stuff

I
bought is really industrial. I ended up with a Powermatic PM15 / 5hp. I

made
the bed board out of some great / slippery stuff that we had in the

shop...


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder

and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to

cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?





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Default Feather Board

I guess I might be making two or adding fingers to both sides.



"Charley" wrote in message
...
"Straight" fingers won't have any flex. You might as well just clamp a
board
there. The flex is necessary to account for minute changes in thickness of
your work, in addition to providing resistance to kick back.

--
Charley


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
Glad someone mentioned cutting the feathers on an angle, I probably would
have forgot. I was hoping to make a fingerboard that could be mounted in

the
middle of the planer and then used on both sides. In order to do this the
fingers would need to be straight, not cut on an angle, what do you
think?
Do they need to be angled? I'm not to worried about kick back.

P.S. I didn't end up ordering the Woodmaster molder, I ended up getting a
25" dual drum sander and planner/molder for the same price as the
woodmaster. That saves me from constantly changing the drums and the
stuff

I
bought is really industrial. I ended up with a Powermatic PM15 / 5hp. I

made
the bed board out of some great / slippery stuff that we had in the

shop...


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder

and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to

cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?







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Default Feather Board

Nice move.

What sander and how is it working out?

HotRod wrote:
Glad someone mentioned cutting the feathers on an angle, I probably would
have forgot. I was hoping to make a fingerboard that could be mounted in the
middle of the planer and then used on both sides. In order to do this the
fingers would need to be straight, not cut on an angle, what do you think?
Do they need to be angled? I'm not to worried about kick back.

P.S. I didn't end up ordering the Woodmaster molder, I ended up getting a
25" dual drum sander and planner/molder for the same price as the
woodmaster. That saves me from constantly changing the drums and the stuff I
bought is really industrial. I ended up with a Powermatic PM15 / 5hp. I made
the bed board out of some great / slippery stuff that we had in the shop...


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?


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Posts: 129
Default Feather Board

I bought the stuff from Federated tools in Lodnon, ON, actually from David
F. E on this very group but honestly I'm having a"moment" becuase I can't
remember the name of the sander for the life of me. All I can say is it's
heavy... Once I figured out that it's not a planer, and got a heavy dust
collector it worked great. I also found out that the once the sand paper is
shot you can soak it in a bucket of hot water and give it a quick pressure
wash, everything is nice and clean again.

I wonder if my wife would notice it in the dish washer ;-)



"SonomaProducts.com" wrote in message
ups.com...
Nice move.

What sander and how is it working out?

HotRod wrote:
Glad someone mentioned cutting the feathers on an angle, I probably would
have forgot. I was hoping to make a fingerboard that could be mounted in
the
middle of the planer and then used on both sides. In order to do this the
fingers would need to be straight, not cut on an angle, what do you
think?
Do they need to be angled? I'm not to worried about kick back.

P.S. I didn't end up ordering the Woodmaster molder, I ended up getting a
25" dual drum sander and planner/molder for the same price as the
woodmaster. That saves me from constantly changing the drums and the
stuff I
bought is really industrial. I ended up with a Powermatic PM15 / 5hp. I
made
the bed board out of some great / slippery stuff that we had in the
shop...


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder
and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to
cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?




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Posts: 2,091
Default Feather Board

Nice. Heavy? Maybe a General?
HotRod wrote:
I bought the stuff from Federated tools in Lodnon, ON, actually from David
F. E on this very group but honestly I'm having a"moment" becuase I can't
remember the name of the sander for the life of me. All I can say is it's
heavy... Once I figured out that it's not a planer, and got a heavy dust
collector it worked great. I also found out that the once the sand paper is
shot you can soak it in a bucket of hot water and give it a quick pressure
wash, everything is nice and clean again.

I wonder if my wife would notice it in the dish washer ;-)



"SonomaProducts.com" wrote in message
ups.com...
Nice move.

What sander and how is it working out?

HotRod wrote:
Glad someone mentioned cutting the feathers on an angle, I probably would
have forgot. I was hoping to make a fingerboard that could be mounted in
the
middle of the planer and then used on both sides. In order to do this the
fingers would need to be straight, not cut on an angle, what do you
think?
Do they need to be angled? I'm not to worried about kick back.

P.S. I didn't end up ordering the Woodmaster molder, I ended up getting a
25" dual drum sander and planner/molder for the same price as the
woodmaster. That saves me from constantly changing the drums and the
stuff I
bought is really industrial. I ended up with a Powermatic PM15 / 5hp. I
made
the bed board out of some great / slippery stuff that we had in the
shop...


"HotRod" wrote in message
...
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder
and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to
cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?





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Default Feather Board


HotRod wrote:
I need to make a 27" long feather board for use with my planner/molder and
was wondering if someone could tell what wood is the best? Do I need to cut
into the grain length or can I cut across it?


Have you looked at magnetic fingerboards . These are usually plastic
and attached to a pretty strong magnet . They provide a good solution
where you have a metal surface to anchor them .

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Default Feather Board

Go out and cut one and then come back.

"Charley" wrote in message
...
"Straight" fingers won't have any flex. You might as well just clamp a

board
there. The flex is necessary to account for minute changes in thickness of
your work, in addition to providing resistance to kick back.



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