Shooting Board Concept

[Jonathan Spool]

Anyone ever utilized an Incra Miter Gauge on a shooting board?
I use one on the tablesaw and its dead on for replicating angles.

[Casey Gooding]

I'm not really sure how you would use it. On a shooting board the material is stationary and the cutting edge moves (which is the opposite of a table saw). I guess you could plow a groove through the middle of the main body of the shooting board. Then you would run into the problem of the material moving away from the miter gauge as there would be no support behind it (in my mind, anyway). Maybe your mind works differently and you have another idea.

[Bob Strawn]

Anyone ever utilized an Incra Miter Gauge on a shooting board?
I use one on the tablesaw and its dead on for replicating angles.

I am planning just such a shooting board using miter t-track. (http://www.ptreeusa.com/ttrackproducts.htm#1033)

Here is what I am thinking. First off, it will spend most of it's life as a plain 90 degree shooting board. But I also want an adjustable squaring or parallel fence so I can joint and thickness a small board. I want the ability to lock down odd shapes. Additionally I want to be able to do the whole angle thing. But I don't stick to common angles, I go all over the place all the time.

http://toolmakingart.com/images/Shooting%20Board/Miter%20Slot%20Shooting%20Board%201.jpg

I am also planing to use aluminum angle for fences.

http://toolmakingart.com/images/Shooting%20Board/Miter%20Slot%20Shooting%20Board%203.jpg

The fence will be able to lock down at angles as well.

http://toolmakingart.com/images/Shooting%20Board/Miter%20Slot%20Shooting%20Board%204.jpg
This is just a rough layout, but I fully intend to use my Incra Miter Gauge on the shooting board, as soon as I get some track in. I will probably put a plane chute on both sides, to avoid some grain issues. I may just use the gauge to set the fence angle with.

Bob

[Jonathan Spool]

Sorry I wasn't clear with my vision. Picture a normal shooting board with a 90 degree fence, except that the fence is attached to a incra miter that will not slide, only pivot. This would allow me to set the angle as acurately as the Incra jig is (which is very accurate), and then return to 90 degrees without question.

[Jim Koepke]

You may find the miter fence will not survive the stresses of planing.

Each time the angle is changed you may have to use a new fence.

Take a look at Derek Cohen's site for some ideas:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/index.html

Specifically:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/TheCarouselShootingBoardFence.html

jtk

[Jonathan Spool]

Thanks Jim,
Derek's Carousel is exactly along the lines I am thinking, except for replacing his beatifully crafted fence for an Incra. Guess I'll have to try it in order to see whether the repeatability is there or not.

[brian c miller]

I might pick up some of the L brackets used with the Miter 5000 to help "lock" the fence in place.

[Jim Matthews]

What will be used as the sacrificial material along the brackets?
My shooting board takes a lot of abuse at the exit end...

You'll also need to inset the tracks 1/16th or so, as the blade will cut along the side rail.
If the track is solid, and the angle iron is sturdy, it should work well. An offset clamp in each rail would help hold the workpiece in place, something my board can't do.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21387

[Jon Toebbe]

I'd be concerned about it's ability to withstand planing forces, too. Maybe some surface clamps to back up the fence and take some of the load? I'd skip the hold-downs on the fence itself. I'm adjusting the workpiece with nearly every pass when I shoot endgrain. Adhesive-backed sandpaper works well to give the fence a bit more grip without making adjustments a hassle.

[Ed Looney]

Jonathan

Thanks

That concept gets my mind working. If one were to turn the miter gauge around the opposite way that it is used on a table saw so they would be facing the fence. Then cut a 3/4 wide by 3/8 deep slot in the face of the shooting board and screw the 3/4 by 3/8 guide rod into that slot so it would not move. At that point the fence would be fixed and the only movement would be in the change of the angle to the path of the wood plane. At this point a person could set about any angle they wanted on the fence in relation to the cutting path. The only thing that I would add is an adjustable support for the fence. After the angel is set this support could be moved against the back of the miter fence right next to the path of the plane. At that intersection is where the majority of the force would be applied during the shooting process and if the fence wasn't supported properly some deflection of the desired angle is possible.

Ed