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Thread: Some day I will build a decent shooting board..........that day has arrived!

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    South West Ontario
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    1,502

    Some day I will build a decent shooting board..........that day has arrived!

    That day has arrived for lots of things........
    2D69A387-4C12-4E74-AFCE-61826BA7957A.jpg
    Used hickory for the guide, rail, support blocks and edging. This time of the year it’s moisture content is 6%, most woods in my shop plateau at 10 to 12%. When hickory dries it twists, bends and contorts; however then it is stable. It’s hard wearing qualities mean it will last a long time on the guide. Tuned the rail with my shoulder plane for precise vertical 90 degrees.

    All angles were carefully checked before assembly. The 90 degree support was extended for greater accuracy. The end grain was tuned with my Lee Valley low angle jack, not so easy, end grain hickory is tough.
    5E453454-19A3-4ABA-8C1E-0BB984092EEE.jpg
    Not much point if you can’t do 45 degrees! Also hickory, an open through mortice and tenon, dadoe for 3/4” plywood. Somewhat awkward but after assembly the angle can be tuned with a plane very precisely.
    41E3E760-1073-409E-A56E-01B18DC2B883.jpg
    To attach it I added a 1/2” brass rod. The hole had to be drilled last with it clamped. Needed a long drill, my Stanley hand auger was perfect. The hole was drilled at 15 degrees to ‘hook’ into the support with less tendency to pull out than a 90 degree hole.
    BEE7A55F-06A8-49AD-A029-E08B42CABC12.jpg
    To stop work pieces sliding on the 45 degree angle I added stick on gator grip. Firm high friction, no compression.
    48210C7B-61E5-4809-B616-B08C8894493C.jpg
    Tuned this with the plane blade extended further than usual. So all angles very precise, hard wearing, and varnished to minimise humidity changes. Guide rail waxed. Ready for many years service.
    Also made a cross cut bench jig, truly disposable, mixed some paint to get a Shaker blue to hide the motley collection of scraps used to make it!
    F8044388-B6AC-45EE-ADE8-C181038A0DAF.jpg
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
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    8,973
    Very nice! Much nicer than any of my quickly thrown together ones.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Longview WA
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    27,347
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    Looking good.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Lafayette, CA
    Posts
    832
    A fine tool added to your shop, William. Mine is two slabs of 3/4" plywood glued together with a fixed 90º maple fence. You'll enjoy using yours every time you pull it out.

    Well done.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,469
    William, that is a very nice shooting board. I do note that you have not incorporated a side fence for the runway. I began advocating for these a long while back having taken inspiration from the Stanley #52 chute board.

    Article: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...tingBoard.html






    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    3,222
    Well done, William. The brass rod to attach the 45* is a nice idea. You’re going to enjoy using that.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    South West Ontario
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    Thought I would wait to see if I need it, I do have a strip of hickory ready. I will need two, one for each plane I may use. I have added a containment rail for the strips on the right. I will simply dowel each rail so it drops in. The two planes are substantially different so that seems simpler.
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,469
    Quote Originally Posted by William Fretwell View Post
    Thought I would wait to see if I need it, I do have a strip of hickory ready. I will need two, one for each plane I may use. I have added a containment rail for the strips on the right. I will simply dowel each rail so it drops in. The two planes are substantially different so that seems simpler.
    William, the side fence will change everything about shooting. In the best possible way! What it does is enable you to concentrate on pushing the plane forwards and not also have to be concerned about pushing the plane against the side of the platform.

    If you make it adjustable (slots in place of holes for the screws), then it can be used for a range of planes. Look at my second picture.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Last edited by Derek Cohen; 03-26-2020 at 10:34 AM. Reason: spelling spelling spelling

  9. #9
    That runway guide Derek shows - no why didn't I think of that!!

    I'm glad I read the thread!!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    South Coastal Massachusetts
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    6,824
    +1 on the mechanical fixture.

    Like most clever solutions, it's elegant.

    Kudos

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    South West Ontario
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    Discovered a machine shop run by four guys just round the corner from my workshop in a sub division. Over 100 years old, this is a machine shop to die for, more than 30 lathes, many run from a central drive shaft in the ceiling! The biggest lathe must weigh four tons. Four old guys run it, for fun and profit. They gave me the brass rod just for going to see them. I did tell them about reducing their COVID risk so they would still be around!
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
    Posts
    8,973
    There was a machine shop, that sounds like that one, not far from here when I was a teenager, although only a couple of lathes. My best friend, and I built telescopes when we were teenagers. Those old machinists helped us a lot by machining pivots for telescope mounts, and even making one good sized diagonal mount for a 12-1/2" telescope. They always seemed to enjoy seeing what we were making, and never would let us pay them anything.

    Sadly, it closed in the late 1970"s, as those guys were old in the '60's, when we were teenagers.

  13. #13
    What planes do you use on your shooting boards?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    South West Ontario
    Posts
    1,502
    Two planes Nathan, the Lee Valley bevel up jack and a Clifton 5&1/2 jack plane. The Clifton is much taller so it has better registration with the runway, also much heavier which helps.
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

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