Waiting for Santa

[greencat]

I have a BT3100 waiting under the tree - actually its in the garage and I can't wait to start using it. I'm sure you heard this before - this is a great site and DIY people are great people to hang out with.

I have been a DIY person for a long time. I always have a project going on around the house and I now want to get into fine woodworking. I'll be back with more questions after the 25th. One quick question - how important is the feather board? Also where is a good place to get a metal ruler?

Thanks

[LarryG]

quote:Originally posted by greencat

One quick question - how important is the feather board? Also where is a good place to get a metal ruler?

BRRRTTT! Sorry, that's two questions, you are hereby disqualified.



Featherboard: varies from not needed at all to highly recommended, or even virtually mandatory. I guess the best way to say it would be that if it's physically possible to rig a featherboard, it never hurts to do so.

Metal Rule: All the usual vendors (Lee Valley, Woodcraft, Japan Woodworker, Highland Hardware, Rockler, etc) have them, in all price ranges. A lot depends on your personal preferences. I find most "cabinetmaker's rules" to be way too busy-looking and thus hard to read ... I prefer the simply, clean look of Starrett's rules. The downside is that a Starrett is spendy: I paid ~$19 for my 6" rule, which on the face of it seems absurd. But Starretts are accurate beyond question, and their uncluttered scales enhance readability and reduce the chance of making a mistake. When you consider that a good rule is a lifetime investment and will be helping you accurately reduce a lot of very expensive lumber into smaller pieces that ideally are supposed to fit together ... suddenly $19 doesn't sound steep at all.

Welcome to the forum! You're really going to enjoy that new saw.

[lrogers]

Yep, what Larry said. I don't use a feather board often, but when I do, it's absouletly required. I added the miter slots to my Bt so I was able to get a plastic feather board that came in a "standard" safety kit (push block,push stick,feather board).
Christmas is almost here so it won't be too much longer before you can make saw dust. In the mean time (if you haven't do so all ready) go the the "articles" section here and have yourself a good read. Everything there is written by guys who have "been-there-done-that".
Oh, and welcome the group!

[monte]

I find the featherboards to come in really handy when doing any ripping. They help to prevent kickbacks and hold your stock to the fence.

Welcome to the group and enjoy your new saw.

[JimD]

My suggestions are to add a couple of cheap cutting boards from big lots or a place like that to your "under the tree" stash. They make nice feather boards (and they cut nicely on the BT3100 but get all the metal out). There is a piece in the "Articles" section of this website describing how. Rod Kirby also has a couple good Articles on feather boards. Whether to use them depends on how skilled/lucky you are feeling. They are partially safety and partially to keep you from ruining wood. I suggest you make them early and then the excuse of not having any will at least NOT be the reason you do not use them.

I am too cheap to buy a Starrett anything. I use a steel rule from Lee Valley that was less than $10 that is 18 inches long. The only thing I don't like about it is it has metric dimensions on one edge. Fortunately the inch dimensions are on the side I use to set the BT3100 rip fence.

Jim Dwight

[vaking]

I have a measuring set from Costco. Includes micrometer, dial indicator and 6" steel rule in a wooden case. Works nice. I paid $30 for the set recently , since that time saw it at Costco for same price but with $6 off coupon. For $24 for the set - can't be beat.

[Pappy]

I will disagree with Alex. Don't go cheap on steel rules. Starrett is at the upper end of the scale but there are some at Woodcraft and other places that are accurate and close in quality.

[jbalders]

As far as featherboards go, I have a 24" all-in-one clamp, and and a UMHW featherboard. It's almost like they were thinking of the BT3K when they came up with this. If you don't want to mess with clamps and you don't have miter slots, this combination can't be beat.

It's not cheap though. I had other people buy them for me. Pic:



Jeff