Making my own shooting board

[woodbloke]

I'm trying to plane 2ft lengths of inch-thick timber. Is this too big for the shooting board method? Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect it to be easy, but there's no point striving for perfection if I'm going about it all the wrong way.

What sort of plane is recommended for this sort of work? I was trying with my jack, and found it very uncomfortable to use one-handed (the other hand was steadying the workpiece).

Much obliged!

I think you're trying to do too much with the shooting board...they're not really designed for this sort of long grain planing. Better to learn how to plane a datum edge with the timber held vertically in the vice. The shooting board is really better used for planing an end square (as say on a drawer side) once you've established a good datum edge and 25mm is about the max thickness I'd ever use on a shooting board.
A No5 will work well, but a Veritas LA jack will be ever better or even a LN No 9, which is a dedicated shooting board plane - Rob

 

[Mike Wingate]

I already have a ramped shooting board with 90 and 45 degree jigs. Long endgrain for mitred boxes would have needed a Donkeys ear. I saw a picture of a simple device on
http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/wwmitr ... board.html
So I have made one with Tufnol edges for the plane to ride on. I cut the mitres on the Nobex and shot the ends, so quick, foolproof and accurate.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Mk.1 version of above.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... CT0364.jpg[/IMG]

 

[Mike Wingate]

 

[Mike Wingate]

 

[Mike Wingate]

 

[Mike Wingate]

So far so good with the above shooting board. Nice quality mitres. However 2 of my department constructively criticized the MK2 Sb as not being as smooth as the Mk.1 board, so I have quickly made a Mk.3 that runs top and bottom on Tufnol. So much smoother and I have made it so my 5 1/2 plane will be the designated plane for this board. Granted phots shown with my No.6 plane.

 

[woodbloke]

I think you're trying to do too much with the shooting board...they're not really designed for this sort of long grain planing. Better to learn how to plane a datum edge with the timber held vertically in the vice. The shooting board is really better used for planing an end square (as say on a drawer side) once you've established a good datum edge and 25mm is about the max thickness I'd ever use on a shooting board.
A No5 will work well, but a Veritas LA jack will be ever better or even a LN No 9, which is a dedicated shooting board plane - Rob

Having used the LN 51 for some time now, I'd have to say that's it's a lot better that even a No9, and that's pretty good. It's double the mass of the No9 and with the skewed blade, it'll cope easily with stuff thicker than 25mm. However, it is well over £400 ...- Rob

 

[Steve Maskery]

Mike
I have a similar one and all the bearing surfaces are plastic laminate. It does give a very smooth operation whilst being resistant to wear.

 

[Harbo]

I made these others quite a while back - I like the teflon on the top rail Mike.

To be honest the one above gets very little use compared to the attachment on the one below:

Jim - not showing off - photos taken at the same time as the previous one!

Rod

 

[Mike Wingate]

As you have both types Harbo, what makes the Donkeys ear better. Vertical feed? No need to clamp? Why not move your top rail back a it and compensate with some slippy plastic to the front of the top rail. It does make a difference on mine. Nice plane!

 

[Harbo]

The Donkey's Ear fits my normal shooting board - which gets more use.
Plus most of the stuff I miter is not particular wide?

I probably made the other one too long as over-tightening the Bristol levers can cause some distortion to the top rail.

Rod

 

[Mike Wingate]

My latest Sloping Shooting board for use at home with the 5 1/2 plane. The extra mass of the plane plus the quality of the Smoothcut blade, backed with a QS chipbreaker make life easier.I have waxed the plasic runway. One pic, the close-up shows the vertical plastic strip, against which te plane sole seats against.