Poor Man's Hammer Finger Board

[patriot]

I got myself in a situation where I had to have a finger board for my new Hammer and this is what I came up with. Actually, the finger board proper was not the issue, how to attach it to the slide was the real challenge.  Luckily, I came up with a solution for that as well. Here are a few shots of the new finger board.

View attachment 1

I had to bond up several 1-inch boards to get the real estate I needed to make the feather board.

View attachment 2

Here is the finger board and all of the 5/16-inch hardware.

View attachment 3

Here it is in use.

View attachment 4

Above image shows a 5/16-inch screw and a cross-dowel in the slide groove.

View attachment 5

This is a shot of the 5/16-inch screw and cross-dowel.  I think a bolt would work just as good I just did not have one, but was glad to have the SS screws.

I have no doubt someone could improve on this or already has.  Thus far, my rig has worked perfectly. 

P.S.  I forgot to add that the fingers are 3-inches in length and approximately 1/8-inch thick.

 

[derekcohen]

I do like that you have made your own. Did you consider using a T-bolt?

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[bigmoguls]

Looks very similar to the featherboard that comes with shopsmith.

It is funny to read "poor man" and "hammer" in the same sentence  8)

 

[patriot]

[member=62614]bigmoguls[/member]

Somebody is paying attention.  [big grin]

 

[deepcreek]

I use a Magswitch magnetic featherboard.  Works great!

Amazon Link -http://a.co/aHLQmGl

 

[patriot]

[member=6237]deepcreek[/member]

I could be wrong, but I believe that those require a ferrous surface to work.  The Hammer slide is aluminum so it would not work on that.

 

[grbmds]

No reason to buy one when you can make it! (Sometimes my reason is I just want it fast and don't want to spend the time figuring it out.) Great job!

 

[patriot]

[member=19734]grbmds[/member]

Thanks for the thumbs up. 

In truth, I kept putting this task off until the very last minute.  Ripping stock is something that I have very little experience with since my original (and only) TS was a Craftsman Contractor's model whose rip fence was an accident just waiting to happen due to its very poor alignment which I could not improve on.  The Hammer's rip fence, on the other hand, is a joy to use, but one which I take a great deal of caution with.  However, I would not use it until I had a working feather board. Now, both ends of my board are equal in width after being ripped.  Who woulda known?  [thumbs up]

 

[ChuckM]

The Poor Man's approach is always a welcome exercise regardless of what is made. And the satisfaction can not be measured against money spent.

Cost-wise, of course, shop-made accessories are not necessarily the best when the labour time is taken into account. For example, you can get this for just $22 Cdn or so at LV:
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=60022&cat=1,240,45884,60022

Even less if this works:http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=30069&cat=1,240,45884

Assuming your labour rate was $13.60 Cdn (min. in my province) and your knob supplies were a few bucks, you saved nothing to a cup of coffee after an hour's work.

If the surface is ferrous, no solutions are better than the magswitch versions, which are restricted by the mitre gauge slot. I use a hybrid approach: the wooden finger boards ($2 each from an estate sale) plus the magswitches that had been lying idle in my shop.

 

[deepcreek]

[member=6237]deepcreek[/member]

I could be wrong, but I believe that those require a ferrous surface to work.  The Hammer slide is aluminum so it would not work on that.

You are 100% correct.  I didn't think about the Hammer slide being aluminum.

 

[Bob D.]

ChuckM, do you always place your featherboards as shown in the photo?

I have kept the featherboard in front of the blade so as not to pinch the
workpiece around the blade because I thought the blade might throw it
up in my face.

 

[J0hn]

Don't you have clamps that attach to the slot in the slider?

I just use my regular Kregg fingerboards.  Remove the hardware and let the clamp hold it in place - they have a nice flat service.  That way I can also use them on my other machines
https://www.amazon.com/Kreg-PRS3020-True-FLEX-Featherboard-Pack/dp/B000VRML5Y

 

[patriot]

[member=19713]J0hn[/member]

I like those fingerboards. Will they fit in the Hammer slider slot?  I can't tell by looking at the product images on Amazon.

Thanks for the info.  I appreciate it.

 

[J0hn]

Maybe I didn't explain it very well

I don't use the slot - I use the clamps that fit into the slot to hold the fingerboard.  You probably could use a T nut like you did with your home made version, but I find this way a lot quicker/easier because I usually keep one of my clamps in the slot. 

Here is an example that I just rigged up to show you what I mean
[attachimg=1]

 

[patriot]

[member=19713]J0hn[/member]

I bought  these Kreg clamps, but I found that when I tightened them down the board slipped.  I think that whatever board I clamped down using these clamps would have to have sandpaper glued to it to keep it from slipping.  So for this reason, I did not use the clamps and built my own featherboard.

That's one heck of a clamp you have. I've never seen anything like it.

Thanks for the feedback. 

 

[J0hn]

I am not that familiar with Hammer - I know that every little thing is 'extra and cost $$$$$$

I found this pic of one of their shapers with a similar type clamp for their slider

 

[patriot]

I am not that familiar with Hammer - I know that every little thing is 'extra and cost $$$$$$

You're right about that. [big grin]

Thanks for all the info.

 

[HarveyWildes]

It is funny to read "poor man" and "hammer" in the same sentence  8)

Before or after you've made the purchase?