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Thread: Universal Shooting Board - 2023 Update

  1. #1
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    Universal Shooting Board - 2023 Update

    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:



    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.






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



    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.






    One integrated system that can handle any shooting board need.

    John
    Last edited by John TenEyck; 03-07-2023 at 1:52 PM.

  2. #2
    Great stuff, John, that's truly the King of shooting boards

  3. #3
    Really impressive John. I love shooting boards, but this takes it to an entire new level. Well done.

  4. #4
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    Wow!

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

  5. #5
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    That really looks awesome. Well done. Mike O'Keefe

  6. #6
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    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.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Shea View Post
    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/jteney...ard?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
    Last edited by John TenEyck; 03-14-2023 at 11:05 AM.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post
    ... 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

  9. #9
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    Thanks for your input, Derek.

    John

  10. #10
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    Awesome looking shoot boards John.
    Much better then Derek’s
    Aj

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Hughes View Post
    Awesome looking shoot boards John.
    Much better then Derek’s
    Absolutely!!

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  12. #12
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    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
    Aj

  13. #13
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    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

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    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
    Last edited by John TenEyck; 03-15-2023 at 10:48 AM.

  15. #15
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    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.

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