Replies

1. 
   gpasewicz | Oct 21, 2004 04:10pm | #1

   What are they?

1. 
   BArnold | Oct 21, 2004 06:29pm | #2

   http://www.right-tool.com/yelboarbudfo.htmlBill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

2. 
   RickL | Oct 21, 2004 07:06pm | #3

   Was working in a shop years ago when board buddies just came out. We bought a set for the saw used them a few times and put them away forever. I've been in several more shops over the years and I always discover a set of board buddies in some forgotten corner. Too much trouble to set up and I find that knowing how to feed the boards with the proper and safe techniques is far faster and easier. Home made feather boards work better than BB on shapers.

3. 
   scooter1 | Oct 21, 2004 08:05pm | #4

   I bought a pair, used them for a month, and they are now sitting in a drawer somewhere. I should probably throw them out. I think feather boards are better and don't get in the way.

   Regards,
   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

4. 
   robkelly | Oct 21, 2004 08:19pm | #5

   My experience same as above 2 posts. I used them a few times, they aren't necessary, and they've been in the back of the cabinet for years.

1. 
   BArnold | Oct 21, 2004 09:08pm | #6

   Rob, Boris, Rick,

   Thanks for your quick replies.  Your comments are not unexpected.  I, too, use featherboards in some situations, but have seen the BB's advertised so much that my curiosity was aroused.  Based on your comments, I'm not wasting any money on them.

   Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

5. 
   pockethole | Oct 21, 2004 09:51pm | #7

   I must be a duck out of water.  I've used board buddies mounted on an Incra fence for years and find them indispensible.  If they get in the way of an operation I can remove them in seconds.  Reinstallation is just as easy.  They are especially useful when ripping long boards or long lengths of plywood by securely holding the stock flat on the table and tight against the fence.  They also eliminate kickback.  They are one of the best woodworking investments I've made. 

1. 
   BArnold | Oct 21, 2004 10:55pm | #8

   "They are one of the best woodworking investments I've made."

   I knew there would be two sides to the story.  I can see their usefulness when making wider cuts as when ripping sheet goods.  My concern is that with narrow cuts they would be in the way of pushing the piece past the blade.Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

1. 
   BrianF | Oct 21, 2004 11:29pm | #9

   Bill,If you want to try them you are more than welcome to mine. :) They are sitting on a shelf in my shop collecting dust. I too think they get in the way except for wide boards. The first couple of times I used them I thought they were great but the novelty wore off and eventually they fell out of sight.Brian

1. 
   BArnold | Oct 22, 2004 12:41am | #12

   Brian,

   Thanks for the offer, but that would be quite a trek to borrow them from you.  :-)

   Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

1. 
   BrianF | Oct 22, 2004 02:49pm | #13

   But Bill the weather up here is..... uh, we could go to a Packer game.... on second thought maybe Florida would be better right now.

2. 
   BArnold | Oct 22, 2004 04:10pm | #14

   "the weather up here is..... uh,..."

   Just checking the forecast....let's see...Tampa Bay...Saturday night low all the way down to about 62*...Green Bay...60* also...but, wait...that's the high.

   See ya next May!Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

2. 
   pockethole | Oct 22, 2004 06:34pm | #15

   My concern is that with narrow cuts they would be in the way of pushing the piece past the blade.

   I make cuts as narrow as 3/4" with no problem.

3. 
   forestgirl | Oct 22, 2004 06:59pm | #16

   Bill, have you considered the Grip Tite magnetic featherboard system?  The two-unit kit that includes rollers (and a fence plate if you need it) works well with both wider stock, including sheet goods,  and very, very narrow ripping operations.

   Pardon if it was already mentioned above, I didn't make it through all the mssgs.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   BArnold | Oct 22, 2004 11:34pm | #17

   FG,

   Yes, I've been looking at Grip-Tite also.  Do you have the kit you mentioned?  If so, from which vendor did you buy it?

   Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

1. 
   forestgirl | Oct 23, 2004 02:04am | #18

   Yes Bill, I have the kit, and bought it directly from Mesa at one of the WWing shows awhile back.  They usually have a price-break at the shows.  Have you had trouble finding a vendor, or just can't decide?  LMK -- I have some links bookmarked on my other computer.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   BArnold | Oct 23, 2004 11:11am | #19

   FG,

   I saw the kit on Woodcraft for $130.  The individual pieces are available at other sites also.  This looks like the route to go after I check a few more vendors for comparison.

   Thanks,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

3. 
   forestgirl | Oct 23, 2004 07:52pm | #21

   Good Morning Bill.....  That's a good price.  You might want to call them and find out if it includes the instruction video CD.  The tape I have has some critical information about proper placement for safely performing different types of operations.   Some of it is not necessarily "intuitive."

   There is a video on their web site, but I don't know if it's just marketing or if it's instructional.  Their prices are equal to what you saw at Woodcraft.  However, the "Pro System" is $149.95 + $10 shipping.  Makes me wonder if the Woodcraft system is a little different.  My kit included all the featherboard and fence stuff, plus a video, plus a "rotating splitter holder" and splitter pin.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

4. 
   BArnold | Oct 23, 2004 10:30pm | #22

   Hi, FG.

   After checking a bit more, looks like Amazon has the best deal.  Sounds like the same kit as on the Mesa site at the same price, but with free shipping.

   Thanks for your help.Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

5. 
   DennisS | Oct 25, 2004 06:04pm | #25

   Bill -

   Like Jamie, I bought the Grip-Tites at a ww show, the "set". Included a length of sheet metal that mounts to my wood faced fence so the top or hold down unit can be mounted to the face of the fence.

   They work quite well but I took the metal plate off the fence and generally use a feather board clamped to the fence instead. Didn't like that metal getting next to the blade on narrow rips is all. Plus, on the 'T' type fences, Bies and so forth, the back end of the fence has to be clamped down for them to be truely effective. Hard to do with an outfeed table on the back of the saw.

   For holding work against the fence they're very, very easy to position and use. I keep two 'stuck' on the cabinet where they're easy to grab and put into use. But, like the Board Buddies, keep them *behind* the blade to avoid pinching the kerf closed.

   Keep the magnets and the top of the saw, jointer, whatever clean of fine sawdust. It interferes with the magnets' holding power. That's about the only criticism I would have of the Grip Tites.

   ...........

   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.

   Dennis

6. 
   BArnold | Oct 25, 2004 06:30pm | #26

   Thanks for the pointers, Dennis.

   Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

6. 
   Pondfish | Oct 22, 2004 12:05am | #10

   Bill,

   I have them and use them always when ripping.  Sometimes a featherboard can't be used; if it can, I'll still use both.  The buddies do a good job keeping the board being ripped snugged up to the fence.  I also never, repeat never have had a kickback when using them.  They require only a few moments to adjust before use.

   The only thing to be careful of is that the rear buddy is not set outside of the kerf--it will pinch the board onto the blade and we all know what happens next.

   Cheers

   Paul

   ps I used your cherry su tanning advice and mentioned it in my recent gallery posting.  Too bad I don't live in Florida--the weather here in NJ is cold and grey.  No more outdoor sanding or setting up a lacquer booth in the garage until spring...

1. 
   BArnold | Oct 22, 2004 12:39am | #11

   Paul,

   Thanks for your input about the BBs.  I'll probably go ahead and give them a try soon.

   I just looked at your Gallery post.  Very nice work.  I'll be back to some cherry items tomorrow -- tops for a couple of end tables for my wife's mother.  One of these days I hope to be finished with stuff for her and my wife so I'll have time to build some revenue-producing items!

   Yeah, we're starting to prepare for the change in seasons down here too.  We'll have to break out the winter shorts soon.  :-')

   Regards,Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

7. 
   billsams | Oct 23, 2004 01:56pm | #20

   Bill,

   Here's a photo of the green buddies on a router table. For my router I use them quite a bit. The difference between the "yellow" and "green" is that the green will spin both directions and the yellow will only spin in one direction.

   I use the yellow ones for my tablesaw occasionally for straight ripping but one cannot use the "yellow" for bevel ripping to the left of a right tilt saw, one has to use the "green" as it spins the opposite direction.

   So if you were to buy one pair, buy the green and they will universally serve you better.

   As a second note to this post, this photo of a 45 degree jig for crown molding works quite well. After making the cove on the tablesaw and not wanting to build up the back for molding the edges, this made life simpler for creating complete crown molding

   hope this helps

   Bill Sams

   
8. 
   mike4244 | Oct 24, 2004 05:25pm | #23

   I use them for ripping on the table saw. In my opinion they are better than feather boards.They are easily adjustable for height , they slide off the track in a couple of seconds when they are not needed.

   mike

1. 
   BArnold | Oct 24, 2004 06:45pm | #24

   Thanks to all of you for your comments.  As always, the Forum folks help clarify what direction to go.Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting

   Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

9. 
   mudman | Oct 26, 2004 08:46pm | #27

   I used them a lot on my old contractors saw. Now with a unisaw and large outfeed table I find that I rarely want to mess with putting them on. I use them when I will be cutting a lot of ply. They don't cost much so if you are having trouble managing large sheets they are a good acessory.

   Mike

   please excuse my spelling.