Explain shooting board to me like I'm 5 years old!

[Rafael Herrera]

Just a few thoughts to add to the discussion, each act of measurement includes an error. It can be above or below the desired value, so repeated measurements as a method to check on your work will be detrimental to achieving well fitted parts. It's more efficient and accurate to use reference pieces or story sticks. Also, that's the objective, to fit the parts square and straight, not that they be an exact length to the thousandth of an inch. That's the realm of machine assembly line processes.

Finally, pieces with a design that exposes end grain is not attractive, besides, it allows moisture into the wood. If one strives to hide the end grain, it is not necessary to fuzz over it a great deal.

[Robert Hazelwood]

Normally you use shooting boards to trim tiny amounts to make something fit. The amounts are smaller than what can be meaningfully measured with standard tools, so we are subjectively determining the amount to be removed based on experience and intuition (i.e. guessing). A part is a little too long to fit between two other pieces- give it five strokes and then see if it fits. That sort of thing.

But, you can also use it like you are thinking, to make a batch of parts a consistent length. If you start with a pile of parts that are oversized by an amount small enough to be reasonably planed off, then you can affix a stop block to the shooting board fence and then simply plane the part until the plane stops cutting, grab next part and repeat. I have never used a shooting board this way, but if you were not particularly good with a handsaw and had no good power tool for cross cutting, and you *really needed* a bunch of parts to be exactly the same length, it could be useful. Especially if the parts are really small.

I have used a long grain shooting board in this way, for sizing a bunch of boards that will go in a tongue and groove panel. The widths need to be precise and there are a lot of them to do. Cut them a 1/32 or 1/16 oversize on the bandsaw, then shoot to width. No need to use a marking gauge on each board, just set the fence on the shooting board with a combo square and then plane until it stops cutting. You can also do a similar concept to repeatedly plane small strips to thickness, by gluing down two strips of wood onto a flat board that are the thickness you want to produce, with a gap between them to accept your stock. Band or handsaw the stock a bit oversize, then set it on the thicknessing board between the strips and plane until it stops cutting. I use this for producing splines and such that are too thin to run through a planer.

[Jim Koepke]

Normally you use shooting boards to trim tiny amounts to make something fit.

[edited]

If you start with a pile of parts that are oversized by an amount small enough to be reasonably planed off, then you can affix a stop block to the shooting board fence and then simply plane the part until the plane stops cutting, grab next part and repeat.

You can also do a similar concept to repeatedly plane small strips to thickness, by gluing down two strips of wood onto a flat board that are the thickness you want to produce, with a gap between them to accept your stock.

The mention of planing small strips to thickness reminded me of this:

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?289180

There are some block planes that have had a slot milled in the base for making fly rods. (why should they have all the fun?)

If my workpiece is much over 1/16" long, it is trimmed with a saw. Consider 1/16" is 0.0625" and your plane is removing 0.005" on each stroke, that is about 12 strokes. Of course 0.005" is pretty hefty for shooting end grain if you want to avoid spelching.

Before using a stop block, make sure the end against the stop has been cleaned up as much as needed. It wouldn't be good gauging to a splinter or non-square end.

jtk