Magswitch for Table Saw

[Orcamesh]

I recall someone recommending a magswitch for use with featherboards on a TS, but which magnets do you recommend : 30 or 50mm versions? Obviously (at Axminster) there is a big price difference, £30 & £89, for the magswitch magsquare alone.

So just wanted to check if the £30 version is adequate for TS use?

cheers
HM (still got all his fingers!)

 

[Orcamesh]

OK, my assumptions were wrong!

Reading further the magswitch featherboards seem to have magnets already installed so all you need is either the fence or table version of this I guess. The magsquares I presume are for making your own jigs and fixtures or for welding (not my scene!).

I'll crawl back under my rock now... :roll:

 

[RogerS]

....
I'll crawl back under my rock now... :roll:

Don't worry..it's not obvious....nor is the fact that the vanes point in different directions depending on version....DAMHIKT

I see the table saw version with the more powerful magnet. It's brilliant. The only downside being that depending on timber width, I may need to fix it where the magnets coincide with the mitre slot and so don't work very well.

To get around this problem, I bought the smaller version with weaker magnets. Not as good as the larger magnet but OK. It's a shame they don't have a shorter version with more powerful magnets.

On the subject of making up your own jigs, don't get caught like I did in thinking that I could by a 'cheap' TS magnet and then strip it down to use the magnets in a jig. They are missing a key bit of metal to make them usable in this configuration.

 

[TheTiddles]

If you have a baby tablesaw then the width of the big featherboards can be an issue, the magnets ending up on your MDF extensions or routertable section, where they don't work so well...

If you get a thin'ish sheet of steel you can clamp that t the table or run it your mitre track and mount the magswitches onto that, simples!

Aidan

 

[woodbloke]

I recall someone recommending a magswitch for use with featherboards on a TS, but which magnets do you recommend : 30 or 50mm versions? Obviously (at Axminster) there is a big price difference, £30 & £89, for the magswitch magsquare alone.

So just wanted to check if the £30 version is adequate for TS use?

cheers
HM (still got all his fingers!)

In my view, not necessary on a table saw. Make yourself a pair of proper push sticks, 450mm long with handles set at about 30-40deg and save a pile of fundage - Rob

 

[RogerS]

I recall someone recommending a magswitch for use with featherboards on a TS, but which magnets do you recommend : 30 or 50mm versions? Obviously (at Axminster) there is a big price difference, £30 & £89, for the magswitch magsquare alone.

So just wanted to check if the £30 version is adequate for TS use?

cheers
HM (still got all his fingers!)

In my view, not necessary on a table saw. Make yourself a pair of proper push sticks, 450mm long with handles set at about 30-40deg and save a pile of fundage - Rob

Don't agree with you on that, Rob. That's two hands to worry about. I'd rather stick on a magswitch which takes care of keeping the stock tight against the fence. Then I only need to focus on feeding the stock through and can use two hands.

 

[woodbloke]

I recall someone recommending a magswitch for use with featherboards on a TS, but which magnets do you recommend : 30 or 50mm versions? Obviously (at Axminster) there is a big price difference, £30 & £89, for the magswitch magsquare alone.

So just wanted to check if the £30 version is adequate for TS use?

cheers
HM (still got all his fingers!)

In my view, not necessary on a table saw. Make yourself a pair of proper push sticks, 450mm long with handles set at about 30-40deg and save a pile of fundage - Rob

Don't agree with you on that, Rob. That's two hands to worry about. I'd rather stick on a magswitch which takes care of keeping the stock tight against the fence. Then I only need to focus on feeding the stock through and can use two hands.

Beg to differ there Rog...push the timber against the fence with one stick (left hand) and push it through with the other. Nothing easier - Rob

 

[Orcamesh]

Thanks for all your inputs. I have a Scheppach TS4020 so not exactly small, but I see your point about the mitre slots, Roger. To be honest I am not expecting this to be the be all and end all solution, these kind of tools seldom are. But if it can handle most operations then it is worth providing that push against the fence whilst I focus on pushing thru, so I agree on that point. I also have a Sch 5-2 bandsaw so I'm hoping that it will be useful on this too. Anyway, thanks for your input. Magswitch featherboard now on order...

 

[RogerS]

I recall someone recommending a magswitch for use with featherboards on a TS, but which magnets do you recommend : 30 or 50mm versions? Obviously (at Axminster) there is a big price difference, £30 & £89, for the magswitch magsquare alone.

So just wanted to check if the £30 version is adequate for TS use?

cheers
HM (still got all his fingers!)

In my view, not necessary on a table saw. Make yourself a pair of proper push sticks, 450mm long with handles set at about 30-40deg and save a pile of fundage - Rob

Don't agree with you on that, Rob. That's two hands to worry about. I'd rather stick on a magswitch which takes care of keeping the stock tight against the fence. Then I only need to focus on feeding the stock through and can use two hands.

Beg to differ there Rog...push the timber against the fence with one stick (left hand) and push it through with the other. Nothing easier - Rob

Try doing that with a lump of oak 6 ft long, 6 inches wide and 2" thick. The last thing you want to be worrying about is a tiddly push stick in your left hand.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I recall someone recommending a magswitch for use with featherboards on a TS, but which magnets do you recommend : 30 or 50mm versions? Obviously (at Axminster) there is a big price difference, £30 & £89, for the magswitch magsquare alone.

So just wanted to check if the £30 version is adequate for TS use?

cheers
HM (still got all his fingers!)

In my view, not necessary on a table saw. Make yourself a pair of proper push sticks, 450mm long with handles set at about 30-40deg and save a pile of fundage - Rob

Don't agree with you on that, Rob. That's two hands to worry about. I'd rather stick on a magswitch which takes care of keeping the stock tight against the fence. Then I only need to focus on feeding the stock through and can use two hands.

You could 'roll yer own,' so to speak. There are very strong magnets in hard disks (for reasonable values of 'very strong') in the head actuator assembly. Even the ones for 3.5mm disks aren't bad, but if you can find some 5 1/4" dinosaurs to break, the magnets are usually enormously strong.

I use them for holding stuff for welding, and getting filings off the floor (filings puncture vacuum filters like little darts). I keep them on the garage roof girders, and they need two hands to liberate for use. Tip: put a business card between the magnet and its keeper, and don't get in the way when you put them back either, ere you get blood blisters or worse!.

They'll take Araldite well (into a hardwood block, for example). onto a cast iron machine table, you're probably best sleeving them with something strong and non magnetic, otherwise you might never get them off again!

There are also incredibly strong magnets in magneto-optical disk drives, but these are a lot rarer, and almost completely extinct nowadays. They're also physically smaller and an unhelpful shape for this purpose, whereas disk magnets are nearly perfect.

 

[wizer]

I can't get on with using two push sticks or paddles. If I can't use at least one hand I feel like I've not got control. I was thinking about it at the planer today. I tried using the paddles but it just seemed to make it harder. With the TS, I always reach for the push stick near the end of the cut. I must get one of these feather boards.

 

[Digit]

I use magnets from micro wave ovens.

Roy

 

[Eric The Viking]

I use magnets from micro wave ovens.

Roy

It's a good idea, but, IIRC, magnetrons have Beryllium in them, which is poisonous, causing respiratory symptoms akin to pneumonia.

I think you're only exposed if the actual magnetron resonant chamber is broken open, and I assume the magnets are external to the chamber assembly. But take care anyway!

 

[woodbloke]

Try doing that with a lump of oak 6 ft long, 6 inches wide and 2" thick. The last thing you want to be worrying about is a tiddly push stick in your left hand.

Some of us dainter lumps of oak Rog :lol: - Rob

 

[Orcamesh]

Well, it arrived and can be seen here...

I havent used it in anger yet but it looks fine for majority of featherboard tasks. I'm sure it will fall off the edge for really big bits of wood but I dont often cut pieces that wide (well not so far anyway!).

I think this will be most beneficial for thin ripping of stock.

There is a vertical hold down you can buy which bolts onto this so you have both side and top pressure. Probably get that next to give extra options. Only problem is the direction of the fingers is only useful for the TS. The bandsaw needs them going the other way! Bit of an oversight on my part and I found out afterwards that there is a cheaper and somewhat smaller featherboard with two sets of opposing directional fingers which is much better for bandsaw with a smaller surface too. This f/board is about £30 whereas the one I bought as shown here was £43. However, the magnets in the cheaper one are not as powerful as this one.

You can see in the photo that the magnets are right over the slots in the table and it is well and truly held down, I cant shift it.

 

[stevieC54]

I am looking at one of these for use on my bench planer for keeping the wood against the fence when squaring up, but I don't know which version to go for.
The 'Pro' version has 30mm magnets and can take riser blocks and a second featherboard which I like but I think it may be too big for my planer.
The 'Universal Featherboard' has 20mm magnets but seems a better size but cannot use riser blocks / second featherboard.
Can you tell me the size - width / length of the version you have.

 

[Orcamesh]

I am looking at one of these for use on my bench planer for keeping the wood against the fence when squaring up, but I don't know which version to go for.
The 'Pro' version has 30mm magnets and can take riser blocks and a second featherboard which I like but I think it may be too big for my planer.
The 'Universal Featherboard' has 20mm magnets but seems a better size but cannot use riser blocks / second featherboard.
Can you tell me the size - width / length of the version you have.

Hi Steve

I have just measured the "Pro" up and it is as follows :

Overall dimensions of yellow plastic body = 200x177x21mm

177mm is from edges of featherboard to the two plastic protrusions or arms on which the magnet switches are mounted at the end of.

The length of the featherboard contact edge is about 130mm.

Length of featherboard feathers are about 80mm.

The height including the magnet switch knobs is about 56mm.

I have to put my bandsaw fence on the right hand side of the blade now if I want to use this, but to be honest for quite a few bandsaw jobs I dont need a featheredge. The Universal version has feathers on both sides for each direction so is more versatile but as you say has smaller magnets. Not sure if this is even a major disadvantage though, but for a table saw I prefer to have the best magnets possible, maybe planing is not quite as important so you should be ok with the Universal.

Having said all of that I have never needed such a device so far when planing, is it for planing very small stock? I have had no problems planing stock using my hands and I still have all my fingers!

I hope this helps?

cheers
Steve

 

[stevieC54]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the info, as I thought, the 'Pro' version is too big for my planer, (SIP 6" bench planer) so I think I will go for the 'Universal' version.

It's only for planing small stock maybe 30mm x 30mm max so it should be OK.
I just find it easier to use the featherboard when squaring up so I can concentrate on keeping the work flat to the bed, and with only small pieces I would like to keep all my fingers.


Cheers
Steve

 

[Harbo]

I have not got any Magswitches but had to resort to using my Rockler one (which is normally used on my Router table) when cutting up some 9' long oak boards the other day.
No way a push stick would work with them especially single handed

Rod

 

[Tim Nott]

I got the bigger one - very good for spindle moulding too, but we use it a lot for anchoring the far end of the saw rip fence especially when cutting big lumps of wood or dheet materials