Here's how I do my Featherboard operations. As you know, Featherboards are spring boards meant to hold the workpiece against the fence snugly to ensure accurate rips while freeing both your hands for hand over hand and push stick smooth, even feeding of the workpiece to avoid burning and sawmarks.

The Feather board is the classic one that they suggest you make.... Mine was made 20+ years ago, apparently a 1x4 piece of pine wood with one end cut at 30 degrees. 15-16 inches long 3 to 3-1/2" long fingers. See the picture with ruler for example dimensions.
The end was feathered by raising the blade quite a bit to make the end of the cut more vertical and less shallow. Mark a parallel 30 degree line where the blade cuts should end then repeatedly make a partial rip with the cuts about 3/8 to 1/4" apart. With a thin kerf blade I'd go 3/8" increments (use the rip fence measure tape)

Then I slotted the center of the featherboard with a 3/8" slot using a 3/8" straight grooving router bit and a router fence and stop blocks, Raise the bit about 1/8" per pass. If I was fdoing it again I'd make the slot about 1/2" longer at each end than my picture.
You will need to buy a 5/16-18 x 2" hex head bolt and 5/16 flat washer and a female 5/16-18 thru-threaded knob of some sort, a 2-1/4" dia star knob at my local hardware store (Ace),




How to use it - Refer to the picture:

• I lock the SMT in position with a F-clamp on the left hand side, just squeeze the SMT to the base so it doesn't slide after placing it where you want it. More on that in a minute.
• I set the Miter fence to 30 degrees (makes the edge of the featherboard flush to the workpiece.) The Fence just as far to the left as you need to pass the workpiece past the right end of the fence. You can move the SMT to the left more if there is not enough room. Lock the fence securely.
• Thread the bolt, featherboard, washer and knob in that order, Leave about 1/2" slack. Drop the bolt head thru the hole at the top of the slot in the SMT and then slide it down until the featherboard is against the miter fence, Take up the slack in the knob making it just sliding tight.
• Set the rip width you want with the rip fence; Then adjust the cutting height of the blade to the desired height.. About a half inch taller than the work for thru cuts is what I would use.
• Slide the featherboard so that it just touches the left side of the workpiece which is flush against the rip fence.
• Adjust the SMT position (you will have to loosen and move the F-clamp) so that the upper tip of the feather board is just before where the blade exits from below the table.
• Now move the Featherboard about 1/16th to the right so that it will engage the workpiece with a little side pressure. Lock it down securely. If your feather board is stiff, you may want less, if your board is flexible you can use more. Mine is good with about 1/16th. There should be some feel-able resistance as you push the board, enabling a steady feed and it helps keep the workpiece from lifting off the blade.