Carl Calabria’s Magnetic Featherboard: A 3D‑Printed Innovation for Woodworking Precision

Carl Calabria exemplifies a modern renaissance man, blending engineering, photography, and woodworking expertise. As Senior Vice President of Engineering at MarkForged, he has harnessed 3D printing to solve real‑world workshop challenges.

One such challenge was the inflexibility of conventional mitre‑slot featherboards, which limited repositioning and adaptability across machines. The solution? A magnetic featherboard that can be swiftly moved and reset.

Designing in OnShape

Using OnShape, Carl modeled a 7.25‑inch long board that snugly fits his table saw while providing ample surface area to guide workpieces. Both sides feature feathered edges, enabling use on stationary routers, bandsaws, and other machinery.

Printing with Nylon and Continuous Strand Carbon Fiber

The board is printed in nylon reinforced with 16 layers of continuous strand carbon fiber, concentrated at the core to maximize stiffness. The feathers themselves are pure nylon, allowing them to flex against the workpiece and maintain consistent clamping force as the wood passes through the saw.

The magnetic attachment system consists of two Magswitch magnetic jigs from Rockler Woodworking. Turning the knobs engages the magnets, securely holding the board in place. This mechanism offers both efficiency and flexibility, and the board can be stored on a tool cabinet with a simple magnet click.

Specifications

Carl Calabria's Magnetic Featherboard

• Size: 183.75 mm × 96.41 mm × 19 mm
• Estimated print time: ~22 h 8 min
• Nylon cost: $23.20
• Carbon fiber cost: $12.67
• STL download

Available on Thingiverse.