Can you buy shooting boards?

[wizer]

Is there anywhere that sells shooting boards? I don't really feel confident enough to make one that is dead accurate. I want to make some picture frames and a mirror but don't trust the SCMS to get the mitres 100% right.

TIA

 

[woodbloke]

As far as I'm aware, no. However they're easy to make...see Pete Newtons fully adustable one here which I've copied. Easy enough to make from a couple of oddments of mdf and a quick visit to Tesco's :lol: - Rob

 

[wizer]

That's a shame. I just don't feel confident enough to get everything square and true. Seems like a chicken and egg situation. If I could make dead accurate mitres, I wouldn't need one.

Oh well. I'll persevere with the SCMS

 

[Paul Chapman]

Have a go, Wizer At its simplest, just two pieces of MDF glued or screwed together and a planing stop - which can be fitted with bolts, wing nuts and over-size holes so that it can be adjusted to give an accurate cut.

You know you can do it :wink:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[tnimble]

They once did, for instance the Stanley #52 discontinued in the 1940ies.

I understand why you would want to buy one, also why others think its way to easy to make to justify buying it.

[rant]I just spend the entire day so far to drill 1 hole and cut a piece of silver steel in two which is still not finished. Spend most of the time moving stuff around, locating the tools, finding a blade that was now dull on the full length. The silver steel is now cut about 1/4 of the way. Holding the piece in some nuts in the machinist vice, which sits upon a small wheeled bathroom drawer closet. Me standing in the doorway with the door knob in my side and hitting me elbow on the door on each stroke.

Drilling was also fun, trying to hold the round thing in not so accurate V blocks I made for this job with my LN shoulder plane. With the piece on the drill press table at the lowest position the 10mm drill bit is to close to the table for the piece to fit under it. With the piece on the drill press foot and the drill fully extended down its to high to even touch the piece. So the piece has to sit on top of a stack of scraps. Finding the centre without tripping the stack while looking directly into the sun is not that easy also.

Without the right tools, everything you need at hand and enough place to work things are much much much easier.[/rant]

 

[dennis]

Wizer

If you are only doing 45 mitres why not do a very basic one for a start get 3 pieces of mdf one at say 400mill long by200mill wide glue and screw a piece 50mill narrower than this on top to form a rebate at say 20 mill from the centre put a 45 mark with a mitre square then get a piece with a 90 corner on it place on the 45 mark slightly overhanging the rebate glue and screw then trim the overhang you then have a very basic right and left handed shooting board

Dennis

 

[Brent]

Apparently you can buy a shooting board. I googled it and came up with this from HNT Gordon, though making one is not hard at all.
http://www.hntgordon.com.au/shootingboards.htm

 

[andyavast]

I made my first shooting board recently, and it was easier than I thought it would be. It took me a while to get round to it because I was well aware of the accuracy issue and wasn't sure I would be able to make it good enough with my limited resources, but I eventually took the plunge.

It is made of mdf and a bit of cherry that I planed square and true all round and its held together with brass screws. Form followed function but it turned out quite pretty... it works well which is a bonus also I just use fag paper shims to adjust the workpiece to make up for the tiny errors which crept in during the build but I can square up stock to my satisfaction with no problems.

Next bit to build is a mitre fence. I'm sure I can do it now I have built the board to my satisfaction... Have confidence in yourself pal, and do it like there ain't nothing to it! :roll:

Andy.

 

[Harbo]

Wizer - have a look at David C's one on Alf's web ( she has a lot of different ones featured but David's is the simplest to make).
You can make it out odd bits of ply or mdf - I have one made from a melamine surfaced kitchen unit door!
You will need two bits of panel about 20" to 24" long and the one going on top to be about 2" narrow - this needs to have a straight edge as the plane runs along it. Screw/fasten one to the other. The only other really straight bit is for the stop. Fasten this with one screw and then using a square, set the stop at right angles to the running edge - secure firmly with some more screws. The bench support underneath does not need to be that accurate.
You can make a simple mitre using a 45 degree set square. Cut it out as shown on the plans and then if it is not accurate, using the set square against the stop to get the correct angle, you can true it up accurately by shooting.
It's really easy - honest!

Rod

 

[wizer]

Thanks guys. I do have quite a few good links on making them. Maybe I was being a little lazy too. I might have a go tomorrow.

Is there an ideal plane to use? I only have a No.4 Stanley. Is it really worth getting a dedicated plane?

 

[Harbo]

As long as the sides are at right angles to the sole any reasonable sized plane should work.
As you are generally planing end grain, low angled planes are better.
I got fed up taking skin off my knuckles with my other planes and bought a dedicated mitre plane - a LN No. 9.

Rod

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi Wizer

I have quite a comprehensive article on my website that covers types of shooting boards, tuning them up, using them, and making a simple one. I am sure that you should be able to turn out a usable accurate tool from this.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Setting Up and Using a Shooting Board4.html

(It is also on the FWW site, but I struggle to find things there).

If you are still desparate to buy a shooting board, then try Michaul Connor (in Australia): http://www.michealconnorwoodwork.com.au/workbenchesaccessories.htm

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Wizer,

If you buy one what's to say it won't be 'out of truth'?


Have a go at making one.

Regards
John

 

[Benchwayze]

I like Newt's shooting-board. He even incorporated a form of 'donkey's-ear' for 'box-mitres'. Nice one Newt. You've given me an idea.
Thank you.

Regards
John

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks guys. I do have quite a few good links on making them. Maybe I was being a little lazy too. I might have a go tomorrow.

Is there an ideal plane to use? I only have a No.4 Stanley. Is it really worth getting a dedicated plane?

Wizer,
If you mean which plane to use for truing the running edge of your board, I would say a good jack would do the job on the length you would use for a shooting board. I made my very first one using a No. 4 smoother 'cos it was all I had.

Regards
John

 

[Joe]

I like David Finck's version on the Fine Woodworking site. This has a two-piece planing stop - one part is fixed, the other part, which fits over it, is movable. The advantage of this is that not only can wear be compensated for, but shims can be placed between the fixed and moving parts of the fence, rather than the fence and the work-piece. In the latter case, a shim towards the end of the piece being planed would lift it away from the fence, increasing the risk of "spelching". With Finck's design this problem is avoided.

Joel

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

This has a two-piece planing stop - one part is fixed, the other part, which fits over it, is movable.

Hi Joe

I consider the alignment of fence end with work end is over-rated. The fact is, with a "tight" set up, that occasionally the plane will cant a smidgeon and the blade will glance (best case) or hit (worst case) the edge of the fence.

I shudder to think what would happen to the blade if this occurred on my Stanley #51/52! :shock:

I am able to plane end grain very cleanly by making sure that the rear end of the board has a small bevel. I work to plane up to, but not over, the base of this bevel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Benchwayze]

This has a two-piece planing stop - one part is fixed, the other part, which fits over it, is movable.

I shudder to think what would happen to the blade if this occurred on my Stanley #51/52! :shock:


Regards from Perth

Derek

Do I sense a gloat? You lucky beggar!

Regards
John

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi John

The #51/52 was a gloat about a year ago. It was also the subject of much restoration. Today it is a working tool - well, then, so is my ramped shooting board.

The story of the restoration is here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRestorations/Restoring a Stanley 5152.html

So, no, I was not trying to gloat - just make a point about the alignment of fence and work. But my thanks for the reminder that it is indeed very gloatable.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Joe]

I consider the alignment of fence end with work end is over-rated. The fact is, with a "tight" set up, that occasionally the plane will cant a smidgeon and the blade will glance (best case) or hit (worst case) the edge of the fence.

For minute adjustments in length I find it difficult to use the beveled rear edge method. But I guess if I'm honest Derek, I never really achieve the "tight" set up. I always end up tipping the plane a bit at some point, and don't often bother readjusting the fence. It's a nice theory though.

Regards

Joel