Carl Calabria's Composite, Magnetic Featherboard

thingiverse

Carl Calabria is an embodiment of a renaissance man. As a Senior Vice President of Engineering at MarkForged and a talented photographer, he's also an accomplished woodworker. His shop showcases a mix of standard equipment and ingenious customized solutions that he designs and builds himself. One challenge Carl addressed with a 3D printed solution was crafting a magnetic featherboard. Conventional mitre slot attached featherboards lacked the flexibility he needed. He recognized that the ideal featherboard would be one that combines magnetism with adjustability, making it simple to reposition and reset as required. The featherboard is fabricated from nylon with sixteen layers of carbon fiber reinforcement for added strength. The continuous carbon fibers are strategically placed in the middle of the board to maximize its rigidity. By contrast, the feathers are made entirely of nylon, allowing them to bend freely against the workpiece while maintaining the necessary pressure as the wood moves through the saw. The magnetic holding mechanism consists of two Magswitch jigs from Rockler Woodworking, which engage when the knobs are turned, securely grasping the board in place. This setup offers both flexibility and efficiency, plus convenient storage. To keep things tidy, Carl simply positions the magnet on a tool cabinet's edge and it locks into place.