To do efficient and accurate work on a table saw, there are several accessories required beyond the miter gauge and the rip fence that ordinarily come with it. To secure feather boards, stops, and special fences, I’ve used clamps to hold them in place, but the undersides of the table and its extensions didn’t have flat surfaces to accommodate clamp jaws. The same problem makes it difficult to clamp accessories to my bandsaw and drill press tables. When I happened upon Magswitches on the web, they seemed to be the perfect solution, promising they could “secure custom jigs & fixtures anywhere on your table top” with just the twist of a knob.The Magswitch company’s wide array of devices are built as magnets that can be turned on and off. Most of the products are meant for industrial use; the smallest of them, called MagJigs, are designed for the home woodworker. Inside the steel housings of a MagJig are two cylindrical magnets, one fixed to the housing and the other rotated by the knob at the top of the device. When the poles of the magnets are set north to north, south to south, the magnetic field is activated; when the poles are set in opposition, their magnetic fields almost entirely cancel each other. The steel housing takes care of the rest, and a MagJig that is turned off won’t even pick up fine steel filings. The MagJigs I bought include two 60s (upper left), one 95 (lower left), and a pair of 150s with a universal base and reversible feather board.
Photographs by the author
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Excellent review, Chris. Thank you. I like the versatility of the Magswitch. I have just 2 of the 150s as a kit. I make lots of jigs for the band saw. Putting the mesh sponge shelf liner under the jig and a thin soft rubber layer under the magnet means I’ve not had slipping problems. I also make the jig bases from 18mm plywood scraps so the magnet has good reach. I know now if I need more, stick to the good value kit.
Thanks for this review. My situation mirrors your own so when I first read about this product it seemed like a “wish come true”. Perhaps the 235 would stand up to the rigors of ripping on a tablesaw??
Thank you for this thorough review, Chris. At first glance it appears that these clever devices would be the panacea for awkward jig holding. However, after reading your review I don’t think I could depend upon these for any critical hold-downs. Considering the price, I think I’ll stick to homemade feather boards and jigs clamped by an inexpensive C-clamp with long jaws or bolted to track slots.