Better Push Stick for Ripping on the Bandsaw

Some folks use standard push sticks for keeping fingers safe on the bandsaw, and others don’t bother. I find that this push-stick design gives me better control, helping me push the piece forward and against the fence at the same time, with enough width so that its handle (and my hand) passes easily to the right of the blade guides. Make the handle to fit your hand comfortably and screw it on from the bottom. The lip is about 1⁄4 in. wide. It gets chewed up after a while, but it’s easy to cut a new flat edge and lip and renew the stick. By the way, I use similar handles and bases as push sticks for the planer, jointer, and router table, varying the location of the lip from the side to the bottom of the base.

—Andy Westerhaus, Burnsville, Minn.

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