Shooting board
- Thread starter newt
- Start date
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woodbloke
Established Member
Harbo wrote:
Rod - easily done...it's an age thing! :lol: :lol: - Rob
Steve Maskery
Established Member
I know I'm coming to this a bit late but here is my 2p.
First of all, I think the idea of having the inserts adjustable is an excellent one. I can see how that would give you very high levels of accuracy and precision. Excellent. I also like the fact that one board can be made to do several jobs - it saves on storage space.
Personally I would want a board longer than 300mm. If I am shooting with my No7 I don't think that 300mm would be a comfortable length, especially if the workpiece was wide. I've used cutting board material for other taks, like zero-insert plates, and as you say, it's not easy to find large cutting boards. But AX and Tilgear sell UHMW material which would, I think, be perfect for this sort of application. My own shooting boards are faced with Formica, which also works well to reduce friction, and of course, size is not a problem.
My bench is up against a wall, and the bench itself is not that deep, so sometimes I have a problem if I am using a long plane pushing away from me - it's easy to hit the wall. I intend to make my next one skewed at 45 degrees, so that I have more space ahead of me. It also means that very long boards will need to be supported on a a stand, but at least they won't be fouling my SCMS, which is what happens at the mo. I need more space!
Mine also has an adjustable sacrificial fence, which reduces breakout. I nudge it out then plane it away until the plane stops cutting. At this point the lateral margin of the plane is rubbing on the shoulder of the runway. When the workpiece is mounted now it will be supported right up to the end of the cut.
Finally, I keep a separate blade for shooting. It has a square grind, no camber at all, which gives me a perfectly flat end to the board.
I have an article on shooting boards that I started yonks ago and never finished. I thinks it's probably time to revisit it, especially as I need a new one myself.
First of all, I think the idea of having the inserts adjustable is an excellent one. I can see how that would give you very high levels of accuracy and precision. Excellent. I also like the fact that one board can be made to do several jobs - it saves on storage space.
Personally I would want a board longer than 300mm. If I am shooting with my No7 I don't think that 300mm would be a comfortable length, especially if the workpiece was wide. I've used cutting board material for other taks, like zero-insert plates, and as you say, it's not easy to find large cutting boards. But AX and Tilgear sell UHMW material which would, I think, be perfect for this sort of application. My own shooting boards are faced with Formica, which also works well to reduce friction, and of course, size is not a problem.
My bench is up against a wall, and the bench itself is not that deep, so sometimes I have a problem if I am using a long plane pushing away from me - it's easy to hit the wall. I intend to make my next one skewed at 45 degrees, so that I have more space ahead of me. It also means that very long boards will need to be supported on a a stand, but at least they won't be fouling my SCMS, which is what happens at the mo. I need more space!
Mine also has an adjustable sacrificial fence, which reduces breakout. I nudge it out then plane it away until the plane stops cutting. At this point the lateral margin of the plane is rubbing on the shoulder of the runway. When the workpiece is mounted now it will be supported right up to the end of the cut.
Finally, I keep a separate blade for shooting. It has a square grind, no camber at all, which gives me a perfectly flat end to the board.
I have an article on shooting boards that I started yonks ago and never finished. I thinks it's probably time to revisit it, especially as I need a new one myself.
woodbloke
Established Member
Steve M wrote:
My original shooters were also faced with Formica, great stuff, except that after a while the runway became convex, so the plane would never run true, hence the reason why I've changed to acrylic perspex which is screwed down. So far, it's stayed flat - Rob
Here's my take on Robert Wearing's "Improved Mitre Shooter" using a piece of nylon cutting board as running strip
Here's my original shooter (using old melamine surfaced kitchen unit door) with very thin nylon chopping sheet as runner:
A version of "Newt's design"
The problem with this is that it will only cut very thin boards due to height - will have to raise running section for this one?
All made from odd bits of stuff which I had to hand - utilitarian but they work!
Rod
Rod
Here's my original shooter (using old melamine surfaced kitchen unit door) with very thin nylon chopping sheet as runner:
A version of "Newt's design"
The problem with this is that it will only cut very thin boards due to height - will have to raise running section for this one?
All made from odd bits of stuff which I had to hand - utilitarian but they work!
Rod
Rod
Harbo, very nice job looks nice and solid, you did not take long to make it. I could mitre 35mm boards on mine using my LA Jack although at that thickness, I think would be a struggle with any plane. One of the other reasons I configured mine so that the board was sloping down, it seemed more logical than others that slope up at 45 degrees, on a longish board it must be difficult to have to push up and take the weight of the board at the same time.
Newt - as I used 20mm veneered mdf, and my plane is 60mm wide, I can only trim about 15mm thick boards without raising the running board.
It's not very clear from the photos but the plane is supported on the nylon running strip which forms a groove. So it is just a matter of pushing back and forwards as any other board. The top mitre was designed to give about 10mm of running edge. As it is based around the No.9 it will manage a board just over 25mm thick.
Dennis - have not tried it with a picture frame, but my original board is long enough to take a longer right angled board to cut the opposite end. See third photo and imagine a triangular piece sloping from LHS to meet shooting edge?
Rod
It's not very clear from the photos but the plane is supported on the nylon running strip which forms a groove. So it is just a matter of pushing back and forwards as any other board. The top mitre was designed to give about 10mm of running edge. As it is based around the No.9 it will manage a board just over 25mm thick.
Dennis - have not tried it with a picture frame, but my original board is long enough to take a longer right angled board to cut the opposite end. See third photo and imagine a triangular piece sloping from LHS to meet shooting edge?
Rod
woodbloke
Established Member
Rod - excellent, I've yet to do my Donkey's Ear attachement 
..it's on the tuit list - Rob
..it's on the tuit list - Rob
A
Anonymous
Guest
Rod
how does the top one work for you? I made one and found its performance very poor, so it went into the Chimnea in the end.
how does the top one work for you? I made one and found its performance very poor, so it went into the Chimnea in the end.
Tony what problems did you have with yours, I found mine ok. I make a lot of boxes so I really need this, I do not even bother with a rough cut for the miter as it does not take to long with the LA jack. I have use it on stock up to 15mm all in hard wood.
A
Anonymous
Guest
newt":35dt7b2q said:
Mainly alignment I think, and it was difficult/awkward to use. Possibly if i made another with slightly different dimensions, it might work better.
I recently bought a large 45 degree router bit from Axminstr (around 1 " cuttting length) for use in the table and that is proving to be a good investment
