shooting boards: Do I really need both directions of 45 miter angles?

[Günter VögelBerg]

I ordered a veritas shooting board plane, so this weekend is a good opportunity to make new shooting boards. I have always had two--one at a 90 and one with a track on either side to cut either side of a 45. I could do that with a conventional bench plane but with the new plane I will only be able to have a track on the right side. Looking back I cannot recall ever using the left side of the 45 because I could always flip the work piece over to get the correct angle. Help me think this through. Under what scenarios would I need to have both sides of the 45? The only one I can think of is if I have some kind of moulding that will not lie flat on one side.

[Jim Koepke]

Günter, it is easy to make your board so it can handle the occasional need to shoot from the other side. Make an ambidextrous shooting board:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?244777

In the 12th post James Pallas shows one way to set up a 45º wedge to accommodate shooting from either side. Of course the Veritas plane will only shoot from one side. For the other side you will need to use a different plane.

In my case the Veritas is a purchased planned for the near future and will likely be the left hand version. If there is a need for shooting right handed it can be done with my LA Jack or a block plane for that matter.

jtk

[Paul F Franklin]

Günter, there are several scenarios: Door or window casing is one. Even cove molding mitered on both ends (like if you were wrapping a square post) cannot simply be flipped unless you want to try to balance it on the thin edge instead of the flat face. Granted, using a dedicated shooting plane complicates making one for both angles, but it's not much more effort.

[Jim Koepke]

Here is another option with a "Seller's style" shooting board to enable shooting miters from one side > https://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?38208-Shooting-Board-Paul-Sellers-Style

jtk

[Tom Bussey]

I made a picture frame for my wife out of rough cut ash I had from a saw mill. The frame was for a poster that she got from the Cheyenne Rodeo. To make a long story short I managed to flatten the back and get one straight edge. I couldn't flip it and I couldn't turn it around so I needed a left and right shooting board. I do not have a Miter saw in my shop which in this one instance would have helped. with a frame of that size no matter how careful you are it will still need twerking. While you are at it why not make it for right and left hand then you will have it if you ever need it. When you need one it is not a good time to make it.

Ps: When I was finished with the parts I ran the one good edge through my band saw from the back with only one side of the teeth touching and got a good enough rough surface that one wouldn't see a smooth surface.

[Jim Koepke]

This is the shooting board that was eventually reworked to be an ambidextrous shooting board:

422360

With a fence at either end it was simple to turn it around for right or left hand use.

jtk