Shooting Board

[Josh Bowman]

I built this shooting board with a couple of angle jigs, I think one is called a donkeys ear. I have to admit it works very nice. It works very well for thin stuff and will even correct the angles on 3/4" stock.
If your like me and didn't think it would be worth building, you should try one. It only takes a few scraps to get a basic one up and going.

[Jim Koepke]

Of course, if one is right hand dominate, they may want to build it backwards from yours.

jim

[Frederick Gross]

I will have to try and make that attachment for my shooting board. I have a detachable fence for face/picture frame miters and that would work slick on the moulding miters am going to be doing on upcoming projects.

[Jeff Burks]

Some useful links:

Shooting Miters: Two Hand-Plane Jigs for Gap-Free Corners - By Mike Dunbar

The Shooting Board: An Age-Old Jig for Planing Straight, Square Edges - By Mike Dunbar

Mitreing Appliances chapter of Modern Practical Joinery - By George Ellis

[Eric Brown]

I like using my miter vice as I can also use it to clean up shoulders.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=115347

Not hard to build either.
Eric

[Derek Cohen]

That is well done Josh!

There are a bunch of articles on my website, if anyone is interested:

Setting Up and Using a Shooting Board
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...%20Board4.html



Advances in a ramped shooting board
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...g%20board.html



Shooting for Perfection
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...erfection.html



Building and Installing the Carousel Shooting Board Fence
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...oardFence.html



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Josh Bowman]

Of course, if one is right hand dominate, they may want to build it backwards from yours.

jim

I agree Jim....sometimes I forget the world is right handed.

[Derek Cohen]

Originally Posted by Jim Koepke
Of course, if one is right hand dominate, they may want to build it backwards from yours.

jim

I agree Jim....sometimes I forget the world is right handed.

Of course you could build the "Carousel" version (above) and use it right and left.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Josh Bowman]

I like using my miter vice as I can also use it to clean up shoulders.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=115347

Not hard to build either.
Eric

I want to make one of these and wonder how useful they are? Wonder if anyone else uses these?

[Scott Watson]

I too am looking at building my own shooting board and would be very interested in opinions on options. I was pretty captivated by Derek's carousel shooting board, as well as the rest of his boards. Seems like a nice balance between simplicity and options. It would be nice to have the miter option self contained. You would still need a donkey ear for doing box miter joints. Anyone try a carousel or have opinions or keys for a good shooting board?

[Jim Koepke]

I too am looking at building my own shooting board and would be very interested in opinions on options. I was pretty captivated by Derek's carousel shooting board, as well as the rest of his boards. Seems like a nice balance between simplicity and options. It would be nice to have the miter option self contained. You would still need a donkey ear for doing box miter joints. Anyone try a carousel or have opinions or keys for a good shooting board?

It really depends on whether you want one shooting board to do it all or if you are willing to make a few.

My suggestion is that you make a few. Different sizes for different work. Also, since it will have a cleat on the underside, may as well get some use from that if you can. It can be a simple bench hook for cutting stock square or have slots for cutting angles.

This could be difficult if you make them like Derek and have an inclined ramp. Also notice on Derek's that there is a small slot along the edge of the piece the plane rides against. This keeps dust and other debris from effecting the plane's path. If you have a fixed cleat for the stock to rest against, it doesn't hurt to have a little slot along the bottom of the cleat for the dust and chips to fall into and out of the way.

jim

[Scott Watson]

It really depends on whether you want one shooting board to do it all or if you are willing to make a few.

My suggestion is that you make a few. Different sizes for different work. Also, since it will have a cleat on the underside, may as well get some use from that if you can. It can be a simple bench hook for cutting stock square or have slots for cutting angles.

This could be difficult if you make them like Derek and have an inclined ramp. Also notice on Derek's that there is a small slot along the edge of the piece the plane rides against. This keeps dust and other debris from effecting the plane's path. If you have a fixed cleat for the stock to rest against, it doesn't hurt to have a little slot along the bottom of the cleat for the dust and chips to fall into and out of the way.

jim

I'm definitely thinking about making one for all. Unfortunately I'm just getting started, and my "shop" consists of a front porch, kitchen table and unfinished spare bedroom. So I'm going with the less is more philosophy until I can get my garage built. Even then I'd rather keep things neat, tight and small.
I definitely like the idea of a cleat on the bottom front. I could use that as a bench hook or later lock in place with a vise on a workbench. I was thinking about securing it with bench dogs and a tail vise, but a cleat may work even better. Any input from anyone?
I also liked the carousel's ability to be both a straight and miter shooting board. I don't know about any possible weakness of that design. Please let me know if there is something I miss about that design.
Thank you for pointing out the slot I had missed that in the design.
Does anyone have any take on incline versus flat board? I know the idea is to spread wear on the plane blade, but how well does it work and is it worth the extra effort. Also would the carousel and incline work together? I'm not seeing a reason it wouldn't but I'm a bit near sighted.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Scott

There is a very long thread on WoodNet on the issue of a ramped versus flat shooting board. It is uder the heading of "Matched Chip Breaker and Blade set from Woodcraft... ". I know I cannot add links here to another forum (I cannot understand why the prohibition - it's all information, which is good), so just a point or two I made (I came in late to the thread, which changed direction after a brief discussion of the Rob Cosman's blade).

The ramped board may spread wear but really this is slight and not the advantage of this design.

It is also not the "skew", per se, that some believe is added - the amount of skew cutting is very slight and again not the issue. One obtains the smoothness of a cut from a low cutting angle. A skew blade does reduced this as well, but you need a plane such as the Stanley #51 to realise it.

The issue is that a ramped board is the equivalent to a "soft start". It reduces the amount of board one hits with the blade, and the entry has, thus, significantly less jarring. When you use a flat and ramped board alongside each other, then you will understand why those with ramped boards hold prefer the design. However they are more complex to build and most people do not want to go to the effort.

Anything that can be done with my earlier shooting board fences (such as attaching accessory fences) can be done with the Carousel fence. The latter fence since reduces the number of accessories needed, plus adds a facility for shooting mitred joints from both directions. More work and so it is up to you whether it is important enough to build.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

I was thinking about securing it with bench dogs and a tail vise, but a cleat may work even better.

Depending on what is being done, mine is either held in a vice for pieces that are not real long. For pieces that are long and need support, it is held with bench hooks or clamps along the apron.

If only a little shooting needs to be done, then it is held in place by just the cleat and hand pressure on the work piece against the fence.

jim

[Russell Sansom]

A very simple shooting board is a great place to start, especially if you have a simple shop. It's very easy to make a basic one and once you use it, you'll never go back. The special boards can follow as you need them. And you can use the first one to make the next ones. Hardly a day goes by that I don't used the straight jig.

I personally can't think of any way to make perfect miters without the the clamping miter jig I inherited from my grandfather. But it sits sometimes for years, taking up a shelf. Ditto for the donkey's ear.
I have always wedged mine between dogs on the bench and the tail vise. For a quick job I just push it against the far dog only.