Buying task · Featherboards and hold-downs
Featherboards, hold-downs and starting pins: fit and what makers say
Match a featherboard or roller guide to your router table's miter slot, T-track or fence T-slot, and read what Kreg and Bosch say featherboards are not.
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. How we make money
Short answer
Choose a featherboard by how it mounts: a miter bar for a 3/4 x 3/8 in slot, T-bolts for T-track, or a fence T-slot. Then set it up exactly as its maker says. This page covers fit only: Kreg and Bosch both say a featherboard is not a safety device on its own, so it never replaces the guards and practices in your router and table manuals.
What these parts do
A featherboard has flexible fingers that press the work against the fence or the table as it passes the bit. A hold-down or roller stock guide does the same with wheels. A starting pin is a post in the plate used, on some tables, when routing curves without the fence. Each mounts in one specific way, and that is the first thing to match.
The decisions, in order
1. How it mounts, against your table. Kreg's True-FLEX (PRS3010) has a plastic composite body and Wedge-Lock hardware for 3/8 x 3/4 in miter slots and T-slots, on table saws or router tables.[3] Its manual covers mounting in a T-track or T-slot with a bolt, washer and knob, or in a miter slot with a wedge lock.[1] Bow's FeatherPRO (FP1) comes with a 3/4 in AnchorPRO miter bar for 3/8 x 3/4 in slots and can also mount to T-track.[4] Bow's FeatherDUO (FP3) uses two such bars or 5/16-18 T-bolts that Bow says fit 1/4 to 3/4 in T-track.[5] JessEm's Clear-Cut Stock Guides mount to standard 1/4 in T-slot router fences and are for router tables only.[6] Bosch's RA1181 comes with two featherboards: one bolts into the T-slot on top of the fence, the other into keyhole slots in the miter channel.[2] See featherboard mounting: miter slot, T-track or fence slot.
2. The maker's setup and placement. Kreg's manual allows featherboards horizontally in the miter slot and vertically in a fence T-slot at the infeed and outfeed ends of the bit, but says not to press directly against the side of the bit or straight down over it.[1] JessEm's rollers sit at a 5 degree angle with one-way bearings that turn only in the feed direction.[6] That is a design description, not proof of injury reduction. See featherboard placement and limits.
3. The starting pin, if your table has one. Bosch says the RA1181 starter pin replaces the fence for routing curves, should be used only with bits that have pilot bearings, and must always be used with the starter pin guard, feeding right to left across the front of the bit.[2] Those are Bosch's directions for one table, not permission for unguided routing. See the starting pin.
How to choose
Check what your table has on the table finder: a 3/4 in slot, T-track, or a fence T-slot. Then pick the mount that matches. Measure your slot first with the miter slot guide.
Picks that fit8 products
Miter slot or T-slot: Kreg True-FLEX, the PRS3010 single or the PRS3020 twin pack. Miter slot or T-track: Bow FeatherPRO FP1 (single) or FeatherDUO FP3 (two stacking boards with risers), or POWERTEC 71468 (single) or 71393 (two-pack).
More on choosing
Fence T-track only: Bow FencePRO FP4 (pack of 2) or POWERTEC 71553 (pair). Compare each maker's stated bolt and track size with your own track. Fit only: none of these is a safety device on its own. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.
Choose the Kreg True-FLEX if you want the maker's router-table placement rules in the manual
Choose the Bow FeatherPRO if you need published T-bolt head dimensions
Two stacking boards for taller stock
Two boards, slot or T-slot, stackable
Every page on featherboards and hold-downs
Guides
- Featherboard mounting: miter slot, T-track or fence slot
- Featherboard placement on a router table, and what they cannot do
- The starting pin: what the plate makers say it is for
- The 3/4 x 3/8 in miter slot: actual widths, T-slots and fit
- Router table safety: marks, standards, recalls and the manual
Table
Key terms
Kickback, miter bar, T-track, T-bolt, 5/16-18 thread, bit guard and maker claim.
Everything in this topic
Guides
- Featherboard mounting: miter slot, T-track or fence slotHelps you match a featherboard or roller guide to the slot, track or fence on your router table.
- Featherboard placement on a router table, and what they cannot doGives you the makers' own placement and pressure instructions and their stated limits, before you rely on a featherboard.
- The starting pin: what the plate makers say it is forTells you what Bosch and Kreg say a starting pin is for and its limits, and which plates include one.
Comparisons
- Kreg True-FLEX vs Bow FeatherPRO featherboards: mounts and hardwareHelps you choose between the Kreg True-FLEX and the Bow FeatherPRO by how each mounts on your router table.
Shortlists
- Featherboards with a stated slot and track fitNarrows featherboards to ones whose makers state how they mount, so you buy one that fits your table or fence.
Common questions
Which featherboard fits a 3/4 in miter slot?
Both, by their makers' listings. Kreg lists the True-FLEX for 3/8 x 3/4 in miter slots with a wedge lock, and Bow lists a 3/4 in AnchorPRO bar for 3/8 x 3/4 in slots on the FeatherPRO. More in Kreg True-FLEX vs Bow FeatherPRO featherboards: mounts and hardware
Which one fits my T-track?
Bow publishes its T-bolt as 5/16-18 with a 0.090 x 0.45 x 0.725 in head, so you can compare it with your track. Kreg lists a T-track bolt, washer and knob but gives no head size in the manual. More in Kreg True-FLEX vs Bow FeatherPRO featherboards: mounts and hardware
Is either one safer?
We do not rank them on safety. Kreg's manual says the True-FLEX is not an anti-kickback or safety device and does not replace the tool's safety devices; we make no safety claim for either featherboard. More in Kreg True-FLEX vs Bow FeatherPRO featherboards: mounts and hardware
Can I buy the True-FLEX as a pair?
Yes. Kreg sells the True-FLEX as the PRS3010 single and the PRS3020 twin pack. More in Kreg True-FLEX vs Bow FeatherPRO featherboards: mounts and hardware
Will a featherboard fit my router table's miter slot?
If your slot is 3/4 in wide and 3/8 in deep and the featherboard's maker lists that slot. Kreg's True-FLEX and Bow's FeatherPRO and FeatherDUO are listed for 3/8 x 3/4 in slots. More in Featherboard mounting: miter slot, T-track or fence slot
Can I mount a featherboard on my fence?
If the fence has a T-slot or T-track that takes the featherboard's bolts. Bosch's RA1181 fence featherboard uses 1/4-20 carriage bolts in the fence's top T-slot; Kreg's True-FLEX uses a T-track bolt, washer and knob. More in Featherboard mounting: miter slot, T-track or fence slot
What is the difference between a featherboard and a roller guide?
A featherboard presses the work with flexible fingers angled toward the feed. A roller guide such as JessEm's Clear-Cut presses with rollers; JessEm says its one-way bearings turn only in the feed direction. More in Featherboard mounting: miter slot, T-track or fence slot
Does a featherboard make my router table safe?
Kreg's manual says the True-FLEX is not an anti-kickback or safety device, and Bosch says featherboards are not meant to hold the work alone near the bit. See our featherboard placement guide for the makers' limits. More in Featherboard mounting: miter slot, T-track or fence slot
Questions
Will this featherboard fit my router table?
Check how it mounts against what your table has. Kreg's True-FLEX uses Wedge-Lock hardware for 3/8 x 3/4 in miter slots and also mounts in T-slots; Bow's FeatherPRO comes with a 3/4 in miter bar and can mount to T-track; JessEm's Clear-Cut guides mount to 1/4 in T-slot router fences.[3][4][6]
Do featherboards stop kickback?
The makers we read say they are not safety devices on their own. Kreg's True-FLEX manual states the featherboard is not an anti-kickback or safety device, and Bosch's RA1181 manual says featherboards are not intended to hold the work in place alone while the bit turns.[1][2]
What is a starting pin for?
On the Bosch RA1181, Bosch says the starter pin replaces the fence for routing curves, only with bits that have pilot bearings, always with the starter pin guard, feeding right to left across the front of the bit. Follow your own table's manual. See the starting pin guide.[2]