Woodworking design - opinions required please :)

[stuffimade]

Ok, so i am thinking about making a shooting board, for the Veritas shooting plane. I have done some research and found the features i like on shooting boards, i want to combine all of these features into one board, rather than two (if can).

The shooting board would have one side for 90 degree edges and an add-on for mitres. The bench hook could be used in the vice or against the edge of the bench, as the direction of planing would suit this.
The other side of the shooting board would be for 45 degree edges and compound mitres. The plane would shoot in the opposite direction and the bench hook would be held in the vice allowing for use at one end of my bench.

Here are some plans i have drawn up, do you see an issues in my designs? I only plan to use this for stock up to 30 mm thick (1 1/4 inches).

thanks Geoff!

 

[bugbear]

I wouldn't make a combined board, and I would make the fence adjustable (either via pivoting or a planing/shimmable planted front face).

BugBear

 

[Glynne]

Your 3rd plan looks like Bob Wearing's design.
Both BernCarpenter (Bernard Billsberry) and David Barron have built shooting boards based on this.
Have a look at Instagram for Bern's and David's blog for his.

 

[custard]

I've never used the Veritas shooting plane, but I have used the LN version (plus the Stanley one it's based on).

They all share one critical feature, which is that the tote is well behind the iron. The reason this is critical is because the iron will tend to drift out of the cut, but with your hand so far behind the iron there's not much you can do to prevent it unless you have wrists like a stud bull.

The bottom line is that to operate accurately and comfortably a shooting board for one of these style of dedicated shooting planes requires two fences to support the plane, one on the left as is normal with any shooting board, but also one on the right to keep the plane on track. In other words the dedicated shooting plane should travel along a channel or chute. Therefore the last photo on your OP isn't really suitable.

Personally I'd recommend the Veritas tracks and build the shooting board around them,

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.a ... at=1,41182

I originally made a shooting board for my LN shooting plane with lignum vitae supports and all manner of fussy details, but to be honest it required too much tinkering to keep it true, where as the Veritas track is simple and gets the job done. The major criticism I'd make though is that once you go down the track route the shooting board ends up being too big and too heavy, where as the full time cabinet maker needs something lighter, simpler, and all together more convenient. Incidentally, the original Stanley cast iron shooting board that I've used also suffered from being too fiddly and way too heavy, it tended to stick in some places and be too loose in others, plus it really needed to live on a dedicated bench.

Good luck!