At the risk of sounding really REALLY dumb .... shooting board question

[Ozziespur]

Hey guys,

As a newbie to the world of woodwork I am still learning many of the basics. My interest currently is in making a shooting board/bench hook with a mitre. I understand the concept of this device and it looks to make a tricky elusive thing like the perfect mitre attainable. I have not seen a shooting board in action (other than online). My dumb question is when running the plane up against the fence approaching the end piece to be squared does the plane not shave the fence ?

I have inherited a Stanley/Bailey number 4 plane (brand new, still in it's box) from my Dad along with another Stanley, a block plane. My Father lives next door to a Bunnings and has never heard of Carbatec or the internet so Stanley it is !

Can the no 4 Stanley work sufficiently well on a shooting board ? I know it's not as long as a no 7 for example but technically it should still work. I'm still tuning the planes at this stage ....

Thanks in advance.

[IanW]

Hey guys,

As a newbie to the world of woodwork I am still learning many of the basics. My interest currently is in making a shooting board/bench hook with a mitre. I understand the concept of this device and it looks to make a tricky elusive thing like the perfect mitre attainable. I have not seen a shooting board in action (other than online). My dumb question is when running the plane up against the fence approaching the end piece to be squared does the plane not shave the fence ?

I have inherited a Stanley/Bailey number 4 plane (brand new, still in it's box) from my Dad along with another Stanley, a block plane. My Father lives next door to a Bunnings and has never heard of Carbatec or the internet so Stanley it is !

Can the no 4 Stanley work sufficiently well on a shooting board ? I know it's not as long as a no 7 for example but technically it should still work. I'm still tuning the planes at this stage ....

Thanks in advance.

This quesion about the plane cutting the guide on the shooting board seems to come up a lot. The answer is simple, yes it will cut it, but not for long! If you tip your plane over & study the sole, you will very soon figure out why - the blade doesn't extend across the whole width of the sole. So the blade will cut into the upper part of the guide, until the bit of sole outside it comes in contact, & then that's it. You are left with a little strip of wood along the bottom of the guide, & this prevents the plane from cutting any deeper into the guide or your workpiece.

A number 4 may not be the ideal choice for a shooting board, but it will work ok. We used 4s or 5s at school. The 4 is a bit short and not super comfortable to hold, and being of relatively low mass does't have the momentum of larger siblings, but with a sharp blade it will do the job. Some folks like to use a 6 or 7 for shooting, to take advantage of the extra momentum, but personally, I prefer a smaller plane with a sharper blade.

Cheers,

[Ozziespur]

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad I'm not the only one to bring that up (don't feel quite so stupid ). I had assumed similarly, actually i thought that the fence before & after the workpice would be shaved but as the plane was so long the sole ensured it remained snug with the unshaved portion of the fence.

Might keep my eye out for a number 7 plane at garage sales or gumtree/ebay etc.

Thanks again Ian.

[derekcohen]

Planes on shooting boards are a personal thing. My preference is a medium large plane, such as a #5 1/2 size. A #5 would be fine as well. Of course, better still would be a LV LA Jack because it has a low cutting angle.

It is not the length that matters (where have I heard that before ) - it is the heft. More mass offers greater momentum through hard end grain.

Here is an article I wrote on shooting boards: Setting Up and Using a Shooting Board

And another on specialist planes for shooting boards: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...sCompared.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[JasonBF]

Can the no 4 Stanley work sufficiently well on a shooting board ? I know it's not as long as a no 7 for example but technically it should still work. I'm still tuning the planes at this stage ....

Ozziespur

I started with my fathers Stanley 220 (Low angle Block) the his Record #4 (That's all I had at the time), tuned both up and they worked fine on softer woods when chuting.

Over time my projects involved harder woods, I purchased a Stanley/Bailey 5 1/2 via Ebay (nearly new, flat and square). Much more heft and easier to hold. Much cheaper then a low angle Jack plane (My Favourite )

Whatever you use make sure you square the sole to the side, and flatten the bottom (These are musts).

[Ozziespur]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Derek, great articles. I did read your 2nd link relating to different planes for shooting earlier today (at work ) but it went a little over my head, however after reading your first link there and re-reading the 2nd it all makes much more sense.

Thanks for directing me to your informative & well written articles. Much appreciated

[codeMunk3y]

This question has been on my mind ever since seeing a shooting board in a book. Glad to have it asked and answered by someone else

[Colin62]

...but personally, I prefer a smaller plane with a sharper blade.

You are allowed to sharpen your No 7's blade too, if you use it

[IanW]

You are allowed to sharpen your No 7's blade too, if you use it

Ah, is that the secret? I thought you just used the weight to slam it through..........

Nah, each to his/her own, but using a #7 for that job doesn't appeal to me any more, I've reached an age where I find it easier to move things around if they're not too heavy.

Cheers,

[Brobdingnagian]

Ah, is that the secret? I thought you just used the weight to slam it through..........

Nah, each to his/her own, but using a #7 for that job doesn't appeal to me any more, I've reached an age where I find it easier to move things around if they're not too heavy.

Cheers,

Likewise, If the work piece is not too thick I prefer it use a low angle block plane on the shooting board, and let the board keep everything true.

[ch!ppy]

Likewise, If the work piece is not too thick I prefer it use a low angle block plane on the shooting board, and let the board keep everything true.

kinda depends if you like to remove anymore material from your shooting board. block planes the blade is usually one or two or more mm (depending on the brand and model) closer to the edge than a larger plane, obviously if you like your shooting board and use it with a larger plane on a regular basis you may not want remove that extra (registration) material from it


cheers
chippy