Shooting Board Made with Solid Wood?

[Patrick Cox]

Hello,
I am thinking about making a shooting board but most of the versions I see online are made from plywood or MDF and I only have hand tools. So would I be better off trying to cut MDF or Plywood with a hand saw or should I make one out of solid wood? My only worry about solid wood is whether or not it will stay square. And if solid wood, which species would you recommend? I am in the southeast / midwest. (Kentucky.)

Thanks!

[Reinis Kanders]

It should be ok. I have a simple Ash board. If it gets out of square you can shim it.

[Joe Kasier]

As an alternative if you have a Lowes, Home Depot, or similar go to their closet section. They have small lengths of MDF for shelving. I paid 5$ for one that was 12" x 24". It comes with a plastic like veneer on it, which helps the plane glide a bit better. I left it as that size but I do have good results cutting MDF/plywood with a hand saw. Just sharpen up first.

[Stanley Covington]

Solid wood is the only way to go IMO. Plywood and MDF are fine, but once you wear through the outer layer of veneer, either through friction or truing efforts, the board is garbage. For that matter, plywood, and to a greater degree, MDF, are nearly garbage when new, and after a little while their true nature outs and they revert to obvious garbage. Also, plywood has sandpaper grit embedded in at least the outer layers of veneer during the thickness sanding process, which is not good for planes.

You need to use a stable wood. Quarter sawn white oak is my first choice (the quarter sawn part is important). There are tougher, harder, more stable woods such as Ipe, but the silica particles they contain is hard on tools. I suggest using a thicker board with several deep cross-grain battens attached underneath with tight sliding dovetails to restrict warpage. This will be a substantial tool when done, but will last.

There are Japanese versions that are smaller and more lightweight, but I don't have time to go into them now.

With maintenance, a shooting board like this will last for many decades of daily use.

Stan

[Jim Koepke]

Patrick,

Make it out of the least expensive scraps you have. As Reinis said, shim it if and when needed. I use masking tape for fine adjustments.

I have made mine out of pine and one with a piece of oak.

My most recent one uses a thinner piece of wood for the deck so more of the blade can be used.

Here is that board:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?244777

jtk

[Patrick Cox]

Solid wood is the only way to go IMO. Plywood and MDF are fine, but once you wear through the outer layer of veneer, either through friction or truing efforts, the board is garbage. For that matter, plywood, and to a greater degree, MDF, are nearly garbage when new, and after a little while their true nature outs and they revert to obvious garbage. Also, plywood has sandpaper grit embedded in at least the outer layers of veneer during the thickness sanding process, which is not good for planes.

You need to use a stable wood. Quarter sawn white oak is my first choice (the quarter sawn part is important). There are tougher, harder, more stable woods such as Ipe, but the silica particles they contain is hard on tools. I suggest using a thicker board with several deep cross-grain battens attached underneath with tight sliding dovetails to restrict warpage. This will be a substantial tool when done, but will last.

There are Japanese versions that are smaller and more lightweight, but I don't have time to go into them now.

With maintenance, a shooting board like this will last for many decades of daily use.

Stan

Thanks for your reply Stan. Unfortunately I don't really follow the part about the battens and the sliding dovetails. Do you have a picture you could share? Thanks!

[Stanley Covington]

Thanks for your reply Stan. Unfortunately I don't really follow the part about the battens and the sliding dovetails. Do you have a picture you could share? Thanks!

Patrick:

No way to get pictures right now.

A batten is a stick of wood attached cross-grain to the bottom of a board and, in this case, is intended to keep the board from warping.

For example, if the board for the shooting board is 1" thick, you should attach at least two battens cross-grain (oriented at 90 degrees to the board's grain's direction) a bit back from each the plank's ends. Three would be better. Their dimensions might be, for example, 1-1/4" wide and 2-1/2" deep, and the same length as the board's width. Again, they would be attached cross-grain to the board.

One method of securing them is to use screws with slots in the battens to let the board expand and contract with humidity changes.

But a far better and more durable solution is a sliding dovetail, which is a dovetail slot (female) cut the full width of the board, and a matching dovetail (male) cut into the batten. If cut properly, the batten's dovetail will slide into the dovetail slot in the board with a bit of friction. This will ensure the batten will constrain the board's tendency to warp (perhaps not perfectly, but usually quite adequately) without constraining the board's increase and decrease in width with humidity changes.

Of course, if the battens are fixed cross-grain, glued and nailed for instance, without some provision to accommodate movement, the board will warp, perhaps even more than if there were no battens attached.

This is a truly ancient and reliable solution, and one that has many applications in woodworking. It can be done with either power tools or handtools. The sliding dovetail is one joint every serious woodworker must become proficient at making.

Stan

[Derek Cohen]

I've used solid wood shooting boards for more than a decade ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/ShootingBoardsfortheLNHandtoolEvent_html_m26ce620f .jpg
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingaStrikeBlockPlane_html_71a1e942.jpg


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/BuildingaMitredPencilBoxwithaShootingBoard_html_m5 36ec68c.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[john zulu]

I made mine of solid wood too. No warping so far. Completed it a few years ago.

[Stanley Covington]

I've used solid wood shooting boards for more than a decade ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/ShootingBoardsfortheLNHandtoolEvent_html_m26ce620f .jpg
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingaStrikeBlockPlane_html_71a1e942.jpg


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/BuildingaMitredPencilBoxwithaShootingBoard_html_m5 36ec68c.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

A beautiful shooting board and a beautiful plane too!

[Patrick Cox]

Patrick:

No way to get pictures right now.

A batten is a stick of wood attached cross-grain to the bottom of a board and, in this case, is intended to keep the board from warping.

For example, if the board for the shooting board is 1" thick, you should attach at least two battens cross-grain (oriented at 90 degrees to the board's grain's direction) a bit back from each the plank's ends. Three would be better. Their dimensions might be, for example, 1-1/4" wide and 2-1/2" deep, and the same length as the board's width. Again, they would be attached cross-grain to the board.

One method of securing them is to use screws with slots in the battens to let the board expand and contract with humidity changes.

But a far better and more durable solution is a sliding dovetail, which is a dovetail slot (female) cut the full width of the board, and a matching dovetail (male) cut into the batten. If cut properly, the batten's dovetail will slide into the dovetail slot in the board with a bit of friction. This will ensure the batten will constrain the board's tendency to warp (perhaps not perfectly, but usually quite adequately) without constraining the board's increase and decrease in width with humidity changes.

Of course, if the battens are fixed cross-grain, glued and nailed for instance, without some provision to accommodate movement, the board will warp, perhaps even more than if there were no battens attached.

This is a truly ancient and reliable solution, and one that has many applications in woodworking. It can be done with either power tools or handtools. The sliding dovetail is one joint every serious woodworker must become proficient at making.

Stan

Thanks for the follow up Stan.

[Patrick Cox]

I've used solid wood shooting boards for more than a decade ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/ShootingBoardsfortheLNHandtoolEvent_html_m26ce620f .jpg
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingaStrikeBlockPlane_html_71a1e942.jpg


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/BuildingaMitredPencilBoxwithaShootingBoard_html_m5 36ec68c.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

Wow! Beautiful examples! Thanks for sharing these.

[Robert Engel]

Plywood and MDF are fine, but once you wear through the outer layer of veneer, either through friction or truing efforts, the board is garbage. For that matter, plywood, and to a greater degree, MDF, are nearly garbage when new, and after a little while their true nature outs and they revert to obvious garbage. Also, plywood has sandpaper grit embedded in at least the outer layers of veneer during the thickness sanding process, which is not good for planes.

With maintenance, a shooting board like this will last for many decades of daily use.

StanI disagree with the rather dogmatic opinion which is not founded in reality IMO. For example, I have a crosscut sled made of MDF which has served me well for years. (Actually, the only weak points are the solid wood runners and fence which move with the seasons).

My shooting board is a simple plywood base and solid wood fence. I keep it waxed. It serves me quite well. I expect it will take many years to wear through the veneer. Ply or MDF covered with laminate is also a good option.

I also have a nice tenon jig, panel cutting jig and several fences all made of good quality plywood which serve me quite well.

IMO you will be fine to build all your jigs and appliances out of ply or MDF. Seal and keep them stored properly.

If, however, you prefer these items to be better looking, or have a mindset like the poster regarding sheet goods, by all means, use solid wood.

BTW, very nice looking shooting boards.

[Patrick Cox]

I disagree with the rather dogmatic opinion which is not founded in reality IMO. For example, I have a crosscut sled made of MDF which has served me well for years. (Actually, the only weak points are the solid wood runners and fence which move with the seasons).

My shooting board is a simple plywood base and solid wood fence. I keep it waxed. It serves me quite well. I expect it will take many years to wear through the veneer. Ply or MDF covered with laminate is also a good option.

I also have a nice tenon jig, panel cutting jig and several fences all made of good quality plywood which serve me quite well.

IMO you will be fine to build all your jigs and appliances out of ply or MDF. Seal and keep them stored properly.

If, however, you prefer these items to be better looking, or have a mindset like the poster regarding sheet goods, by all means, use solid wood.

BTW, very nice looking shooting boards.

My main concern with plywood, MDF, melamine... is that I only have hand saws and I don't want to dull my saw blades too quickly. Other that that I would be OK with those materials for a shooting board.

[Pat Barry]

I'm in the camp of using whatever you have available that fits the need. For example, solid wood. If you have a piece big enough (wide enough) then go ahead with it. Hopefully its hardwood, not softwood like pine. I had a piece of MDF with the melamine coating and used it and it works great. I don't find it to be abrasive and I will never do enough shooting to wear it down. On the other hand, if I had used solid pine I probably would have had to re level the track by now. Derek's is a great example of a solid hardwood type even though the board holder is sloped the wrong direction ;)

[Derek Cohen]

The board I showed above is 5 years old. There has been nil movement.

It is important that you choose your materials well. Stable wood, stable grain direction and reliable construction methods.

It does not need to look like furniture, but it needs to be built like furniture.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Robert Engel]

My main concern with plywood, MDF, melamine... is that I only have hand saws and I don't want to dull my saw blades too quickly. Other that that I would be OK with those materials for a shooting board.I wouldn't think you have that concern with ply or MDF. I wouldn't use melamine. I think its OK for the plane to slide on, tho.

I think pine, butternut, or basswood are other excellent choices that won't add extra wear to the saw.
I do think the fence needs to be a good, stable hard wood.

I agree with Derek re: whatever you build it out of, put some craftsmanship into it.

[Mark AJ Allen]

As everyone has warned ... choosing straight grain is important. Personally, I use plywood because I'm not drowning in nice straight grained wood and it's easier to guarantee square edge and flat right from the vendor.

I would also recommend not using glue to assemble. I had an odd result from gluing and the thing warped on me, screwed up a number of things before I noticed. I can't recall what the wood was (was not plywood) but I assumed it was due to the difference in drying over the large board surface. I only construct with screws now.

[Stanley Covington]

I disagree with the rather dogmatic opinion which is not founded in reality IMO. For example, I have a crosscut sled made of MDF which has served me well for years. (Actually, the only weak points are the solid wood runners and fence which move with the seasons).

My shooting board is a simple plywood base and solid wood fence. I keep it waxed. It serves me quite well. I expect it will take many years to wear through the veneer. Ply or MDF covered with laminate is also a good option.

I also have a nice tenon jig, panel cutting jig and several fences all made of good quality plywood which serve me quite well.

IMO you will be fine to build all your jigs and appliances out of ply or MDF. Seal and keep them stored properly.

If, however, you prefer these items to be better looking, or have a mindset like the poster regarding sheet goods, by all means, use solid wood.

BTW, very nice looking shooting boards.

I was once of the same opinion, but I am in the days since I was a young man, my work has required me to spend a lot of time in production furniture, cabinet, door, and window factories in the US and various countries. In fact, I just returned from a factory and mockup inspection of three production shops in Hokkaido making wood flooring, built-in cabinets, and loose furniture for the large construction project I am currently running. Most production shops I have visited, especially cabinet shops, use primarily MDF and/or plywood for their jigs and sleds. These fall apart after a few years of constant use, beginning at the corners and then where friction wore through the top/bottom lam. There are always a pile of worn out units laying around the shop under a thick coat of sawdust. Not so with the solid wood jigs and sleds I have seen. These seem to be more common in shops that make solid wood furniture, and are used for a long time.

Most people on SC will never subject their shooting boards to production shop levels of usage, but that is the "reality" I found my decisions on.

Once school of thought is to make jigs and things like shooting boards out of the cheapest materials on hand, and then to replace them when they break or wear out. Use and discard disposable tools. Few people work at the same job for more than a few years anymore, and so they are not interested in the longevity of their employer's tools. And when turnover is high, and employees have zero interest in maintaining the shop's tools, and even casually abuse them, being able to quickly and cheaply replace damaged tools makes perfect economic sense. There is nothing wrong with this approach.

The other approach is to build such jigs out of better materials and to invest the time necessary to make them last longer. If you work for yourself, tend to take care of your tools, and dislike replacing perfectly good ones over and over again, then using better materials such as solid wood, and investing the time required to employ enduring construction methods makes sense.

Everyone will decide on an approach for themselves, either by default or by careful deliberation. I think most talented woodworkers get tired of the disposable approach for their own tools if they really enjoy woodworking. But that is an individual choice. I choose solid wood because I think it makes more sense.

Despite popular opinion, it isn't the glue in plywood that dulls even carbide blades quickly, it is the abrasive grit. Retract the blade on a metal bodied plane you don't like and press down hard while sliding it around on some fresh plywood. Notice the scratches. Repeat this test on solid wood. I think the results will be informative.

Stan

[Kevin Adams]

Derek, that plane needs to be on my shooting board!! :)

Take care,
Kevin

[Mike Brady]

I recommend baltic birch ply, even if you are using a hand saw. You can apply packing tape to the bottom side to prevent splintering or simply score the cut line with a knife. Baltic birch planes fairly well too, but will blow out at the far edge if the plane catches it.

[Jim Koepke]

Patrick,

As is usual with an inquiry to the best approach there are as many theories as there are people answering the question.

Stanley and Derek make good points in the build to last forever approach.

My latest shooting board is actually a rebuild of a previous shooting board.

It is possible to make a shooting board out of almost any material at hand.

Do not fall into the abyss of paralysis by analysis. You should be able to build a useable shooting board in less than an hour from what ever scrap material you already have.

Use it and see what improvements you can incorporate into your next shooting board.

You can even use plywood with a strip of solid wood for the edge on which the plane registers.

Good luck, have fun and show us some pictures when you are done.

jtk

[Andy McKenzie]

Mine is made out the scrap wood I had handy at the time: 1x8 pine, with 2x2 cedar for a fence. It certainly isn't as stable as plywood or MDF would have been, but I've been using it for a few years with no problems. I use the other side as a bench hook for cutting small boards, and that's the side that's wearing out. I figure I'll need to replace it in the next six months or so, but that's not bad for something I put together in 15 minutes for free.

[peter Joseph]

Mine is a high ply piece of cabinet grade Plywood, doubled up. Adjustable oak fence, and a waxy piece of bocote as a runner to keep the plane in registration.
No problems after 10 yrs.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Timothy Rousseau's (Fine Woodworking) you tube on mastering the shooting board might interest you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwYJhfChDdM.

[Brian Sommers]

The board I showed above is 5 years old. There has been nil movement.

It is important that you choose your materials well. Stable wood, stable grain direction and reliable construction methods.

It does not need to look like furniture, but it needs to be built like furniture.

Regards from Perth

Derek

did you build that plane or buy it? If built do you have plans? If bought, from where?

[Derek Cohen]

did you build that plane or buy it? If built do you have plans? If bought, from where?

Hi Brian

That is a strike block plane. It has a 38 degree bed, which creates a low cutting angle (same as a low angle plane).

I built it. There is a pictorial of the construction on my website:
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingaStrikeBlockPlane.html

I bet Steve Voigt would build one for you, but give it a go yourself. It's a great shooting plane.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingaStrikeBlockPlane_html_6e20bb98.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Kees Heiden]

I am firmly in the camp of keeping it as simple and cheap as possible. The fear to wear through veneer layers is unfounded in a typical amateur workshop. A shooting board is a usefull thing but it is not like you use it constantly for 8 hours a day. Mine doesn't get used for weeks in between typically very short jobs. It doesn't take much to square up a drawer side or so.

Making adjustable fences is a good way to make the shooting board suspectible to getting out of square a whole lot quicker then with a fixed fence. Glue that sucker down and when it gets out of square eventually it is eassily readjusted with a shoulder plane, or you can use shims.

Get some decent quality plywood and have it sawn at the supplier, and you are allready almost done. It takes less time to make a shooting board then reading this thread!

Here's a link to my video about making a shooting board in 10 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeauYkg6T-8

[Stanley Covington]

I am firmly in the camp of keeping it as simple and cheap as possible. The fear to wear through veneer layers is unfounded in a typical amateur workshop. A shooting board is a usefull thing but it is not like you use it constantly for 8 hours a day. Mine doesn't get used for weeks in between typically very short jobs. It doesn't take much to square up a drawer side or so.

Making adjustable fences is a good way to make the shooting board suspectible to getting out of square a whole lot quicker then with a fixed fence. Glue that sucker down and when it gets out of square eventually it is eassily readjusted with a shoulder plane, or you can use shims.

Get some decent quality plywood and have it sawn at the supplier, and you are allready almost done. It takes less time to make a shooting board then reading this thread!

Here's a link to my video about making a shooting board in 10 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeauYkg6T-8

Since when did you start believing that a shooting board is even a useful tool? I can remember a time when you argued against owning one at all!

[Kees Heiden]

That was fun, but actually I never claimed that the shooting board was useless. I think it is hyped up a bit, like many things (want to buy a 400 dollar shooting board?). You don't need to 6 square every single board in your shop and you could do a tremendous amount of work without ever touching one. And through a bit of research I found that they are probably a 19th century invention and even then only used for very thin stock at first, like in the veneering trade.

Especially for dovetail work they are actually quite usefull.

[Stanley Covington]

That was fun, but actually I never claimed that the shooting board was useless. I think it is hyped up a bit, like many things (want to buy a 400 dollar shooting board?). You don't need to 6 square every single board in your shop and you could do a tremendous amount of work without ever touching one. And through a bit of research I found that they are probably a 19th century invention and even then only used for very thin stock at first, like in the veneering trade.

Especially for dovetail work they are actually quite usefull.

Flip flop, flip flop.

[Derek Cohen]

Kees, this crops up frequently, and begs the question, what is "good" and what is "good enough". The process of discovery requires a good (good enough?) shrink? :)

A $10 plane can produce as good a result as a $1000 plane. A scrap wood shooting board can produce as good a result (at the time) at a $400 shooting board. So what should one do?

I decided that it is just more pleasure to have a good plane and a good shooting board. Is it necessary to justify?.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Kees Heiden]

Luckilly it is not my duty to decide for someone else what to buy. I highly admire the work from Holtey, but we can safely assume that his perfectness is way beyond "good enough".

Stanley: not flip flop, but grayscales between black and white. This is not politics, you know.

[Stanley Covington]

Luckilly it is not my duty to decide for someone else what to buy. I highly admire the work from Holtey, but we can safely assume that his perfectness is way beyond "good enough".

Stanley: not flip flop, but grayscales between black and white. This is not politics, you know.

When it comes to the specific subject of shooting boards, your credibility falls clearly within the boundaries of politics. :p

[Kees Heiden]

Who knows :D