Thread: Shooting timber - bevel up /down and a mitre jack

The main difference I find is using the chipbreaker to tame more cranky wood. If the wood is nice and well behaved, you can usually get it sorted out so it works with either bevel up or bevel down - you might just have to be more intentional about planing with the grain.

Hi TJ

The post is really just a bit of nonsense. The whole post is an excuse to write some nonsense about mitre jacks. Likely one could come to the same conclusion by flipping a chisel from bevel to bevel down. The plane bodies cloudy the matter.

Yes I agree, Along the grain the bevel downs plus close chip breaker is the clear winner in bevel up and down comparisons. Did modify a couple of planes to high angle of attack but they did not seem better and are a bear to push. The Bailey plane modified with lowered bed was an exploration if it was easier to push while maintaining the chipbreaker's ability to contain tearout-= both is and does. Was tempted to modify a few more more planes but sharp remains the trump card.

The mitre jack, I have, is straightforward design and has plus's over a dedicated shooting plane - can use the whole blade, skew at any angle, any bench plane, gang parts to match lengths, very angle, with an inclometer and so on. A dedicated shooting plane and multi angle shooting board is a "relatively" pricey acquisition, but doubt a lovely plane. The dedicated plane would be easier to build up some momentum's before hitting the timber but I think one needs a plane guide with an outside rail if using momentum. Shooting on the mitre jack, with a bench plane in the intended orientation, is a good position a to apply pressure to overcome stubborn end grain..


Plus a mite jacks handy for hand cutting shoulder joints precisely each side. I also appreciate that the maker of this jack used a thick veneer for future replacement as I will eventually ding it up somewhat.


Cheers M

Hi all


Oh, one more thing I should add- where an Mitre Jack /handtools/shooting plane really shines even in a power tool shop is trimming/adjusting small parts. With small parts at times, in the distance past I have turned timber into missiles, broken a long carbide bandsaw blade cutting an 8mm dowel- (the insert plate collapsed) and no doubt put my valuable fingers far too close powered blades.

I am sure everyone else is far too sensible to have ever done any of the above...

Cheers M

Hi Martin. A Mitre Jack of some sort is definitely on my to do list. I can see it being very handy.

I must admit that I do like the shooting plane I made some time ago.

Shooting for a plane

It is probably the most used planes of the ones I made myself. It used to live at the end of the little side bench. I normally just use that bench as lay down area.

But I found myself using it a lot for small adjustments and bringing it over to the main bench for short periods of time was annoying. So I put a little extension on the side bench. Now it sits there and ready to go anytime. I only bring it over to the main bench if I have a lot to do. For small occasional adjustments on some pieces I now use it there.




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CK

Nice to see your plane with miles under the belt. It is rewarding when something you have built yourself gets used alot. Once you have a nice hand tool that can make small corrections, they do indeed seem to get used alot. My Mitre jack, in use, sets in a similar arrangement, with the planes on shelf just above it.


MA

If you decide to build one, a couple of suggestions.

First one - allow for veneer in the top of the back rail- I will likely make the change at at some point. The veneer I put on will likely be a pastic, such as ultra high density polyethylene. Timber grain runnining normal rounds , eventually, reducing support, for the brittle edge. I may however strengthen the corner with some high strength epoxy. Isn't a Hughe issue but it is nice that edge is crisp as possible. Power tools can blow this particular edge too- and according to Murphys law will do this on the exact part that cannot be hidden.
Second - if your interesting can sketch the bench mount I made for the MJ. Mine is support with hold downs each side. Simple enough in concept but because a mitre jack flips, I found it hard to visulise how the hold downs can pass though the now flipped supports..

On this thread you will find a PDF that Ian uploaded for making a MJ ,The Mitre Jack

Cheers M

Originally Posted by MartinCH

...
On this thread you will find a PDF that Ian uploaded for making a MJ ,The Mitre Jack ....

Credit where credit is due Martin, it was Pacman who dunnit, not me.


And this thread reminds me I've been getting around to making myself one for yonks - I made the wooden screw years ago, so it's well past time I got off my duff & did it!

Cheers

Ahh - I checked, it was definitely Ian - not IanW who uploaded the doc and how could the two ever be confused. When I was deciding to refer to the plans, I did have moment that I was going to ignore the real originator.. but credit is all well and find but I have a deep love of latticework of how concepts/idea' come together. The history is often interesting than the ideas, without the background, ideas can seem flippant.

If you do get make one, IanW, given your track record I am sure it will be a delight to behold.

Cheers M

So... I do most all of my jointing by hand. What I found is that using a squared up blade to parallel stock in a jig is that I concentrated the wear on 1-spot on the plane iron. My solution was simply to incline the stock slightly so the cut started at one side of the iron and ended at the opposite side of the edge. I'm not really aiming for perfect wear so much as trying to avoid the plane iron equivalent of a sharpening stone with a hollow right in the middle. Yeah, because I've done both of those things.

Probably I don't do enough truly cranky wood to justify a custom plane with an iron angled to the bed. Looks neat, though.