by Jim Creasman (ncwoodworker.net member)
I finally got around to making a shooting board. This is a shop accessory that’s been on my list for some time. With no shortage of plans available I downloaded the ones from Lie-Nielsen, then combined some ideas from other sites. I ended up with a base that has a 1/4″ high-density plastic slide. The base has pegs on which to place different fence tops, depending on the particular task. I made two for now, one for 45-degree and one for 90-degree angles. These are the particulars (dimensions are approximate):
- Base is 12″ x 22″, made from 3/4″ plywood and edge-trimmed in oak.
- Plastic slide is 4″ wide.
- Interchangeable tops are 7-7/8″ wide (leaves a 1/8″ gap between slide and runner to clear shavings). These are made of 1/2″ MDF, trimmed in oak. Fences are 1″ thick cherry.
- Pegs to hold the fence plates in place are from a 1/2″ dowel rod. You can see some of these in the pictures.
- Finished everything with two coats of Danish oil.
I used spray adhesive to glue strips of #320 sand paper to the face of each fence. This gives them some “grip” to prevent the work piece from slipping when you’re planing. I tried several bench planes I have to see which worked the best. Overall, I favor the Stanley #62 for the low angle, though a bit more weight would help for this sort of task.
It takes a bit of practice to use it properly, particularly in how you hold and push the plane. In my first few attempts I found myself canting the plane so that it tilted slightly to the left, leaving an upright angle that was not 90-degrees. It’s also best to plane full slices (hard to do if you’re taking too big of a bite). This is where a heavier plan would work better (I’m looking at you, Lie-Nielsen #51).
Here’s a practice piece I did. No glue, just the two pieces placed together. The fit is spot on. I can see why they refer to shooting boards as precision tools. I’m thinking this accessory is going to spend a lot of time on my bench.
The design of having interchangeable tops is proving quite useful. These are a couple more tops I’ve made since the original post.
This isn’t a separate top, but another fixture that sets on the top with the right angle fence. It clamps in place and allows me to shoot a 45-degree across the end of a board.
I made this top to hold a couple of thin pieces in place while you plane the adjoining edges. In this case I’m shooting two pieces of veneer that will be abutted. Once glued the seam is invisible.
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