Universal Shooting Board - 2023 Update

[John TenEyck]

A gracious Creeker asked to buy one of my Universal Shooting Boards. The current price for the PlumaPly I had been using made Baltic birch look like an attractive alternative. I had stayed away from BB because I didn't like the friction characteristics of it, and MDF as not having long term durability or moisture resistance. So I settled on BB plus Formica glued to the top of the plane ramps and front and back ends, as well, to reinforce the pin and knob holes. Turns out I like both how well the plane rides on the Formica but also the looks. I had been thinking for some time about improving the pivot stop system, too, so I added a new UHMW bushing for the pivot bearing to ride in. The request also including the provision to add inserts so a LV shooting plane ramp could be added in the future, if desired. I took that opportunity to develop my own, alternative, plane fence guide.

Overall dimensions are 18" x 24", with the bed being 10" wide. This is what it looks like now in miter form:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8CFM7UoBZKXNO5acSrzmJk6MRzHPqAmymL9MdOEeSoguL CQp1ZBMIDd4mzusOsD4PuYoKhnyxELWKz26Ctsuo-eV-FOCjoAL2nH_PSW-K4aksP_5qEoQkAgfGb9ChfYh0AUJyNva8nQG8cV49rnuN9aBQ= w1470-h828-no?authuser=1

The replaceable and adjustable front fences, along with the pivot geometry, assure the edge of the pivot stop remains tight to the plane at all angles to eliminate chipout.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8Bui2z2aalzylZ3YPa-FY5LRkW7ZGMaBGsM_Kz-iKQu2wIjP-rozdu_yvTbcsKLG3IeYJ3N82rRpRiuHamzpS3xkHV17im-PmQVLQLh2QsWL-evosq19iWMWZREoP4jl1d06v7cJ2mjdkPVI265v3NCfA=w1470-h828-no?authuser=1

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8ABUlGSaHJayMuluAzWEJig72-Arfj_HYsveOCcRVx7bGWOBNxmmjf67KjhBmoi20LvosN5zE0-8m7CkiW14MfTcb8kMXvkb5PcvJh_4dBd0_yGecg_Qi8nwxIKeD SThlic42X1yLr8rn75m0_LOOES2Q=w1470-h828-no?authuser=1

In bevel mode the same benefit is achieved using the bevel stop:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8DBmjx76oPDyb4akzREPns0rv-NTlvN3GCMZcOs169tCudfv1XVh2M8oIjb1sFTunaqsKZrC8fF8 F47WzTw0dNu2lF5glGGhpAZ12ojCIxS3K0xi-58dmzP_92aeqkeoiICD8lLm1UJiselF67XtmaZTA=w1470-h828-no?authuser=1

The dowel pins index into holes in the end bearing at 22.5, 30, and 45 degrees, but you can dial in any angle by removing the pin; the hand knobs on both ends hold the ramp tightly. Any angle of miter and bevel, alone or in combination, is possible and easily achieved.

You can see the LV inserts in the plane ramps. I used the outer two to add my own plane fence. It will accommodate planes like my Bailey #6 at 1-7/8" wide up to those 2-1/4" wide.

A fixed 45 deg fence and a length stop system also are available.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8A4bN3VMgCyDJmywNjREwOSBzostVWJsNddKRoyEHudC4 PbUEemQFDujmTBSyoqFU7F-c0cHiIXmYZDlr2bF0nv6TEUox7Db_nSc6gWGZNX_XDLK_DWNJg PAw9hBoEy5NHI0pr2ahuE3terVFWKyUZF_w=w1470-h828-no?authuser=1


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AMWts8CU0n5lZUDIEs5zLjaS3z3PtvcXjBcJCBd5bjSd9CmuN4 RA4zF3F6Ue-10S26n76dJ3YgrZ08vJZRQaPlLHNGAQzK3vVWsSYlUBjwIuUCc x1uuxHB6zeCChkgPbWIqANoGvZrcw9SOj-xeCxKiFEk2bOA=w1470-h828-no?authuser=1

One integrated system that can handle any shooting board need.

John

[Ed Mitchell]

Great stuff, John, that's truly the King of shooting boards

[Michael Fross]

Really impressive John. I love shooting boards, but this takes it to an entire new level. Well done.

[Jim Koepke]

Wow!

jtk

[Mike O'Keefe]

That really looks awesome. Well done. Mike O'Keefe

[Tony Shea]

This is by far the nicest shooting board on the planet. I have been considering making a new shooting board but just haven't found the time. There are some great ideas in this I might integrate into my new one, although they will not be as extravagant as this. I currently use a ramped shooting board which I like but doesn't really seem necessary now that I use the Lee Valley shooting plane. Great work and very impressive execution.

[John TenEyck]

This is by far the nicest shooting board on the planet. I have been considering making a new shooting board but just haven't found the time. There are some great ideas in this I might integrate into my new one, although they will not be as extravagant as this. I currently use a ramped shooting board which I like but doesn't really seem necessary now that I use the Lee Valley shooting plane. Great work and very impressive execution.

Thanks Tony. My evaluation of ramped plane ramps showed very little benefit, even with my standard #6 Bailey. The angle just isn't great enough to provide much shear. This is where a plane with a skewed blade really shines, like your LV shooting plane, but also a standard low angle plane. The disadvantage of the standard shooting planes is they only work on one side. While that is OK for many tasks, you need to be able to work on the other side for some tasks, hence the motivation for my shooting boards.

Here's a link to more about the Universal Shooting Board. There is a short video of its features and benefits near the bottom.

https://sites.google.com/view/jteneyck-woodworker/current-projects/the-truly-universal-shooting-board?authuser=1


Thanks for the kind words, and good luck with your new shooting board. I'm happy to sell you one of mine if you can't find the time to make one!

John

[Derek Cohen]

... My evaluation of ramped plane ramps showed very little benefit, even with my standard #6 Bailey. The angle just isn't great enough to provide much shear. ...


John, I have used a variety of shooting boards, including a flat Stanley #52 and a ramped board, along with a range of planes, both straight and skew-bladed, all of which I own. I have over 20 years experience here, and use a shooting board frequently for fitting inset drawers. In my opinion, although my go-to is a Stanley #52, there is a value with the ramped board.

The time to use a ramped board is with a straight-blade shooting plane. The skew cut from the 5-degree ramp is minimal (it is not a shear cut and it is not going to spread the wear on a blade - those are common misunderstandings), but it is enough to enable the blade to enter the wood progressively, which reduces jarring.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John TenEyck]

Thanks for your input, Derek.

John

[Andrew Hughes]

Awesome looking shoot boards John.
Much better then Derek’s :)

[Derek Cohen]

Awesome looking shoot boards John.
Much better then Derek’s :)

Absolutely!! :D

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Andrew Hughes]

If you saw how pathetic my shooting board is. You would think the nerve of him.
I’m not serious Derek just playing your work is 5 stars.
Good Luck always

[Derek Cohen]

I know Andrew. :) It is all good clean fun. I truly admire the ingenuity of John's design, and my comment was not intended to undermine this, just to offer an opinion about the validity of a ramped board.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John TenEyck]

I know Andrew. :) It is all good clean fun. I truly admire the ingenuity of John's design, and my comment was not intended to undermine this, just to offer an opinion about the validity of a ramped board.

Regards from Perth

Derek

No offense taken, Derek, I assure you. Your work is amazing, especially considering you often use wood about as hard as stone, so I always value your comments and with an open mind.

One of my prior, traditional shooting boards had a 5 deg plane ramp. I wasn't nearly as proficient with a shooting board then, nor even all that good at getting a scary sharp edge on an iron, so this evening I decided to take another look at it. Instead of putting a 5 deg ramp under the plane, I cut a 5 deg bevel on one edge of a piece of mahogany which gives the same geometry. Then I put it on my new shooting board to see if I could feel any difference in how the plane behaved entering the wood on the 90 deg vs 85 deg edge. I could not using my standard bench plane. Maybe it makes a difference with the really hard wood you somehow manage to turn into those amazing pieces, but I can't feel any difference with mahogany.

John

[Bob Jones 5443]

Next time I use my shooting board, I’ll put it away quickly so no one sees how pathetically crude it is.

But the quality I get on the surface of the work is worthy of display.

John, you must be rightfully proud of having elevated this tool to premium status. Thanks for sharing its elegance with us.

[John TenEyck]

Next time I use my shooting board, I’ll put it away quickly so no one sees how pathetically crude it is.

But the quality I get on the surface of the work is worthy of display.

John, you must be rightfully proud of having elevated this tool to premium status. Thanks for sharing its elegance with us.

Thanks for the kind words, Bob. I am pleased with how this shooting board turned out. My pivot system came to me one day after looking at the problems I saw with the few commercial boards that offer a pivot. I sold several boards of that first design, which had the pivoting miter stop and worked on both sides. I still offer that board for sale. People asked if I could add a 45 deg bevel feature, which I did. Others asked if I could make provisions for LV's plane ramps. OK. Then someone asked for a fixed 45 deg miter stop. Another good idea so I did that, too. Yet another person asked for a length stop system. OK, why not.

One day when I was making a 45 deg bevel ramp it dawned on me that I probably could develop a similar pivot system for shooting bevels as I had for miters. Little did I know how long that would take. It almost became an obsession until I finally had the geometry and tolerances worked out.

Shooting boards don't have to be elegant to work well. My first ones certainly weren't. But when I decided to offer them for sale, even the early ones, I knew I could do better than the others I see for sale, and for less money. Usually, that is a winning combination. I'm not sure what more I can do to improve the Universal Shooting Board, but I am open to suggestions from you all, many of whom have far more experience than I actually using one.

John

[richard poitras]

John how much do yours sell for?

[Dave Anderson NH]

Richard, you will need to take that request offline into the private message area or into email. John is prohibited by the terms of service from actual solicitation/selling in the forum and he has been very good about following the rules.

[Jimmy Harris]

I'm not sure what more I can do to improve the Universal Shooting Board, but I am open to suggestions from you all, many of whom have far more experience than I actually using one.

Maybe add a USB charging port? I'm just kidding. I think you've pretty much got it covered. Really good job!