Tips/Tricks for shooting board with cup?

[Tony Wilkins]

Have a yellow pine 1x12 with a bit of a cup that I want to shoot the end of. What are the tips or tricks to help me accomplish this task?

here’s the board…
485564

[Derek Cohen]

Why do you want to shoot the end of a cupped board? Seems like a waste of effort.

Rip the board down the centre, flatten each half, joint and glue together. Then shoot the end.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tony Wilkins]

Why do you want to shoot the end of a cupped board? Seems like a waste of effort.

Rip the board down the centre, flatten each half, joint and glue together. Then shoot the end.

Regards from Perth

Derek

It’s thin and flexible enough as is that I don’t think that’s necessary. The joinery should keep the cup at bay and I don’t want it to get too thin. Ripping and rejoining seems a lot more work than finding a way to hold it straight while I square the end but maybe I’m thinking wrong.

[John TenEyck]

I don't see a problem. Put it on the shooting board with the cup facing down and have at it, as normal.

John

[Tony Wilkins]

I don't see a problem. Put it on the shooting board with the cup facing down and have at it, as normal.

John

now that you say that, I guess it would not matter about the cup as long as the plane moves squarely along the edge.

[Jim Koepke]

now that you say that, I guess it would not matter about the cup as long as the plane moves squarely along the edge.

+1 for John's suggestion as long as your plane is wide enough. That should be no problem.

I have blocks of wood the same thickness as my shooting board to use for support on long boards.

jtk

[Tom M King]

The way the grain arc's over in that board, it's going to be arguing with something at every atmospheric change. At some point, it will probably crack if it can't otherwise move. I try not to get in arguments with boards. There are reasons it's called Woodworking, and not just building stuff.

[Tony Wilkins]

The way the grain arc's over in that board, it's going to be arguing with something at every atmospheric change. At some point, it will probably crack if it can't otherwise move. I try not to get in arguments with boards. There are reasons it's called Woodworking, and not just building stuff.

The fear of that is what got the project out back against the wall to begin with. It’s a Dutch tool chest by the way. Should I give up on these boards?

[Derek Cohen]

Tony, dovetailing may hold the ends flat, but the cup will add extra tension to the joinery. Further, it will remain cupped away from the case sides. I would rip, flatten and rejoin so that the board is as flat as can be.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

Nothing teaches so well as going ahead with your plans and seeing how the wood laughs at you over the years.

A board like this will have its way with any joinery you choose.

jtk

[Tom Bender]

This may be a case of perfect being the enemy of good. If the end result is not going to be a problem you could just clamp it to the shooting board and move on.

Another thing to consider is if it might flatten itself a little with more acclimatization. It may have been left with uneven exposure, laid flat on the floor or bench or another board. A day's sunshine on the convex side might do the trick.

[Tony Wilkins]

Cup ended up not being a problem. The huge tear out and loose knot in the middle ended up being why I didn’t use it.