The problem with featherboards is they aren't feathery enough. Meet the bristleboard.

We are redecorating and it's up to me to produce miles of trim. I bought a load of nice 1 x 4s, but I really needed 1 x 2s and ½ x 2s. There was a lot of ripping to be done, and I wanted it to go well. This jig was a big help, so let's go.

You will need a scrub brush, some scrap plywood, a pair of screws, a utility knob, and a functional workshop.

Step 1: The Business End

Take an old bristle brush or pick up a new one, and cut into nice chunks. I used a hacksaw with the bristles held loosely in a vice, and this step was over before I could capture an action shot.

Step 2: Make the Board Parts

You know all those bits of scrap plywood you've been saving because you knew they would be useful someday? Their day has arrived!

Cut a strip to compression fit into your saw slot and wider one that will span the distance to the blade. It would be good to make that width have something to do with the width of your brush piece. But don't waste any time measuring.

Then cut a slot to slip the bolt on your knob. Center-ish and parallel-ish is good. I used a router and did a really bad job. It didn't matter.

Step 3: Connect the Pieces

Screw the back of the brush to the end of the board. Of course you'll want to drill and pilot the holes. Or not.

Once again, center-ish and parallel-ish is good.

Step 4: Thread and Go

Since my knob had a threaded stub on it, I simply drilled an undersized hole somewhere near the center of the slot board and spun the threads into it. I tried to think of a reason to make this more complicated, but I gave up.

If you find featherboards tedious to make and annoying to use, you'll love the bristleboard. The bristles provide more consistent pressure over a wider range of flex, so this is much quicker to set up and works far better. Plus it's so freaking ugly, you have to give it a home.

Cheers from Sarasota.