Featherboard

A featherboard is a safety device used when working with stationary routers or power saws such as table saws or band saws. The purpose of a featherboard is to prevent fingers from slipping into the saw blade. A feather board may also help ensure an accurate cut by securing a workpiece against the fence.

Featherboards may be shop fabricated from a small piece of wood with several parallel cuts at an angle to create fingers or "feathers" that flex in the direction of workpiece travel, preventing the workpiece from being dragged backwards by blade friction. Commercial featherboards are usually made of plastic.