Guide · Featherboards and hold-downs
Featherboard placement on a router table, and what they cannot do
Where Kreg's manual places featherboards on a router table, how much pressure to set, and why Kreg and Bosch say a featherboard is not a safety device on its own.
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Short answer
Featherboard makers say where to place them and how much pressure to set, and the manuals say plainly that a featherboard is not a safety device on its own. Kreg's manual places them at the infeed and outfeed ends of the bit, never pressing on the bit itself, with the fingers set 1/16 in tighter than the work.
The makers' own limits come first
Before placement, read what the makers say a featherboard is not.
Those two statements come from the makers' manuals. Some featherboard marketing goes much further. We do not repeat promotional kickback claims from product pages, and we make no safety claim for any featherboard, roller guide or hold-down.
Kreg's setup instruction
For all True-FLEX setups, Kreg's manual says to set the finger tips 1/16 in less than the workpiece width or thickness from the fence or tabletop, with the DIRECTION OF FEED arrow pointing the way the workpiece is fed.[1]
In plain terms: with the board out of the way, the fingers sit 1/16 in closer to the fence (or table) than the board is wide (or thick). Pushing the board in flexes the fingers slightly. The arrow tells you which way the fingers lean.
That is Kreg's figure for its own product. Another maker's manual may say something different; follow the one for the featherboard you own.
Where Kreg's manual places them on a router table
For router tables, Kreg's manual allows featherboards in two positions:[1]
| Position | Mounted in | Presses the work |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal | The miter-gauge slot | Against the fence |
| Vertical | A fence T-slot, at the infeed and outfeed ends of the bit | Down on the table |
Kreg says not to press directly against the side of the bit or straight down over it.[1] Kreg also says to use both horizontal and vertical featherboards only when the workpiece is wide enough for a push stick to pass.[1] Those instructions are for edge profiles and non-through cuts on a router table.
Kreg's table-saw placement rules are on a different page of the same manual and differ from these. Do not carry them over to a router table.
Why the limits matter
OSHA's woodworking eTool lists router hazards including contact with the rotating cutter, clothing or hair caught on the cutter head, tool projection, flying chips and kickback.[3] OSHA lists feeding stock into the tool too abruptly or in the wrong direction among the causes of router kickback.[3]
A featherboard holds the work in position. It does not stop the cutter, cover it, or correct a wrong feed direction. That is why both Kreg and Bosch frame it as a holding aid alongside the tool's own safety devices.
Promotional claims we leave out
Some product pages describe their featherboards or roller guides in safety terms. Bow's FeatherPRO and FeatherDUO pages[4][5] and JessEm's Clear-Cut page[6] each use such wording. We report the fit facts from those pages in our featherboard mounting guide and leave the safety wording with the makers. The manuals' limits above are the statements we rely on.
When to stop
Stop and read your router and table manuals if:
- the work is too narrow for a push stick to pass between the bit and a featherboard;
- you cannot place a featherboard without it pressing on the bit;
- you are unsure of the feed direction for your setup.
Featherboards with a published manual limit
Picked for fit only. Kreg's True-FLEX manual is the source of the placement and pressure figures on this page.
Picks that fit2 products
Choose the PRS3010 for one featherboard, or the PRS3020 twin pack for a horizontal and vertical pair.
More on choosing
Both fit 3/4 x 3/8 in miter slots with the wedge lock and T-slots with the bolt, washer and knob. On Amazon, check that Ships from / Sold by is Amazon.com or Kreg.
Choose the Kreg True-FLEX if you want the maker's router-table placement rules in the manual
Next
Questions
Where do featherboards go on a router table?
Kreg's True-FLEX manual allows them horizontally in the miter slot and vertically in a fence T-slot at the infeed and outfeed ends of the bit, never pressing directly against the side of the bit or straight down over it.[1]
Do featherboards prevent kickback?
Kreg's manual says the True-FLEX is not an anti-kickback or safety device, and Bosch says featherboards are not intended to hold the work alone while it touches the bit. We make no kickback claim for any featherboard.[1][2]
How tight should a featherboard be?
Kreg says to set the finger tips 1/16 in less than the workpiece width or thickness from the fence or table, with the feed-direction arrow pointing the way the work moves. Other makers may give different instructions.[1]
Can I use horizontal and vertical featherboards together?
Kreg's manual says to use both only when the workpiece is wide enough for a push stick to pass.[1]
Do table saw featherboard rules apply on a router table?
Not automatically. Kreg gives separate placement rules for table saws and router tables in the True-FLEX manual; follow the router-table section.[1]