Some Shop Appliances

[ken hatch]

A lot of time in the shop I take things for granted. As an example my jointer push appliance. If you use a powered jointer you need a good and safe way to push the work over the cutting head. The best I've found is one I've used for several years, well may be more than several. It is easy to cut out and keeps the hand and fingers safe.

jointerPushAppliance.jpg

Another are doe's foot sticks to help hold wood for planing. A stop, a doe's foot and a holdfast is all that is needed to hold work flat on the bench. It is much faster than using a tail vise. The top appliance is for holding a board vertical for planing the edge, also faster than using a vise to hold the work. Another advantage of the appliance is immediate feedback if your technique sucks.

doe'sFoot.jpg

Just some simple shop made appliances that are in almost daily use in my shop.

ken

[Phil Mueller]

Ken, I find the doe’s foot sticks work perfectly as well. I’ll add a couple; in addition to thicker planing stops, I made a quick little board for planning down to 1/8”, which I use frequently for small box parts (probably looks backwards to most...I’m left handed). And of course the fret saw birds mouth thing. Makes fret saw work much more enjoyable. Both clamp into the leg vise.

5AD13F5C-39A5-49EF-8399-910EA78AD720.jpg

[Bob Jones 5443]

Phil, I like the thin-planing fixture. I think I'll make one. I'm forever hunting around for something thin enough to nudge up against bench dogs, and wide enough to provide room for the plane toe at the end of the shaving. Past a certain thinness, the thing often buckles up on me.

I copied your photo and flipped it horizontally to suit my right-handed mind.

Thanks for the idea.

[Bob Jones 5443]

A lot of time in the shop I take things for granted. As an example my jointer push appliance. If you use a powered jointer you need a good and safe way to push the work over the cutting head. The best I've found is one I've used for several years, well may be more than several. It is easy to cut out and keeps the hand and fingers safe.

jointerPushAppliance.jpg

ken

Ken, I agree the two little humps in your block are very good ideas. My makeshift pusher is just straight along the top, and to tell the truth, I'm apprehensive every time I use it about whether my hand is going to slip forward on it. No doubt about it: time to make a few like yours.

I do like to double them up when pushing wider boards. So I might make your version as a thin one and a couple of 3/4" wide ones.

For anything about 3" and wider, I revert to these:

jointer push block.jpg

They're grippy and feel safe. I haven't found the need to opt for the expensive Gripper gadgets.

[ken hatch]

Ken, I agree the two little humps in your block are very good ideas. My makeshift pusher is just straight along the top, and to tell the truth, I'm apprehensive every time I use it about whether my hand is going to slip forward on it. No doubt about it: time to make a few like yours.

I do like to double them up when pushing wider boards. So I might make your version as a thin one and a couple of 3/4" wide ones.

For anything about 3" and wider, I revert to these:

jointer push block.jpg

They're grippy and feel safe. I haven't found the need to opt for the expensive Gripper gadgets.

Bob,

On wide boards I use both, The pusher to motivate the piece and a push block to provide downward pressure on the out feed.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken, I find the doe’s foot sticks work perfectly as well. I’ll add a couple; in addition to thicker planing stops, I made a quick little board for planning down to 1/8”, which I use frequently for small box parts (probably looks backwards to most...I’m left handed). And of course the fret saw birds mouth thing. Makes fret saw work much more enjoyable. Both clamp into the leg vise.

5AD13F5C-39A5-49EF-8399-910EA78AD720.jpg

Phil,

Simple shop made appliances can make things easier but they tend to disappear into the background and we forget other folks may not have thought of 'em. Thanks for showing your two.

ken

[David Publicover]

The thin stock planing stop is a great idea! Thanks!