Which plane for shooting board?

[pgrbff]

Although I still have a few western planes they are packed away in boxes and more often than not I pick up a Japanese plane.
I have never used a shooting board and want to try one. Is it possible to pick a single western plane that works well with a shooting board?

 

[Just4Fun]

I use a #4, #5 or #6. Whichever is close to hand and sharp. I guess I prefer the #5 but it doesn't matter much.

 

[paulrbarnard]

#5 is a good option. It has enough heft to keep moving but isn't too big to be awkward. Of course a 51 is designed for the job. I eventually bought one and made a dedicated shooting board with a veritas guide track and 90 and 45 fences. It gets a remarkable amount of use given it is a very specific plane

 

[pgrbff]

All the 51's I have seen have been a tad expensive. Someone suggested a 5 1/2 but I can't remember why.

 

[paulrbarnard]

All the 51's I have seen have been a tad expensive. Someone suggested a 5 1/2 but I can't remember why.

For sure they are expensive and a bit of a luxury buy. Certainly not something to rush out and get if you just want to try shooting. I used my #5 for about 30 years before getting the 51.

 

[Ollie78]

A number 5 is good. It is really the only case where the squareness of the side to the sole actually matters. So a slight gamble on ebay specials.

Ollie

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A number 5 is good. It is really the only case where the squareness of the side to the sole actually matters. So a slight gamble on ebay specials.

Ollie

It doesn't matter a jot. Compensate with the lateral adjuster. Even if the side is dead square the actual worked edge should be checked for squareness anyway, as you cannot guarantee the cutting edge to be at right angles even if the side is.

 

[Adam W.]

@paulrbarnard Have you got a photo of that shooting board set up, as I'd like to make one for the LN 51 that I'm not selling ever.

 

[thetyreman]

I like a 5 1/2, the extra mass is good, obviously needs to be razor sharp and cap iron set very close to the edge.

 

[paulrbarnard]

@paulrbarnard Have you got a photo of that shooting board set up, as I'd like to make one for the LN 51 that I'm not selling ever.

It's very simple. Just MDF with the veritas guide and two fences that get located in bushes and held in place with magnets

The not in use fence gets stored at the end of the board.

Bushes and pins that locate the fences. I have a lathe so turned these myself. The magnet is one of the standard twist lock type used for jigs.

The MDF is rebated to accept the edge of the veritas guide track. I need to replace the slippy tape at some point.

A cleat on the bottom to grip in the vice or simply rest against the bench edge top stop it from sliding

The 45 degree fence in place

 

[Adam W.]

Thanks Paul, it works ok with the LN 51.

 

[D_W]

I don't use anything to shoot ends often as it's usually a sign that something inefficient is being done.

But long edges, a record 8.

I have a good shooting plane that I made (skew infill shooter), but never use it.


It's a hammer, but the sole length of the 8 makes it better for shooting long edges accurately, and back to the comment about efficiency. The except for shooting would be making small things that can't be cleaned up because there isn't any bearing surface.

Actually, I made another one before this - it doesn't work well and would need to be confined in a track - the lack of friction on waxed wood makes it bad for shooting. It would work well confined in a track or used as a long edge shooter.

Shooting in general is a poor way to deal with plane design, too - a plane will cut hundreds of feet of end grain upright with the stock in a vise, but edge life will be fairly short shooting as you're supplying a large amount of force laterally just to get the plane to work well.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Thanks Paul, it works ok with the LN 51.

Works a treat. The veritas guide rail is adjustable for width so it will work with LN, Veritas and the Stanley shooting planes. My board is not as fancy as the adjustable fence original but actually a better option for usabilty. If i regularly did octagonal boxes or the like I could make up another fence block to suit. Hand planning the fence blocks to get perfect angles was a labour of love

I should have mentioned the reason the guide rail is rebated into the MDF, it is so the plane sole runs against the MDF not the aluminium guide rail.

 

[Orraloon]

I have used a 4 a 7 and 5&1/2. The 5&1/2 was best all round. Since then I made a wooden one for shooting with the blade set BD at 37*.

The lower blade angle does a better job on end grain. I would like a 51 but can not justify the cost for the small bit of shooting I do.
Regards
John

 

[Craig22]

I entirely agree that MDF is the right material for a shooting board. Flat, and stable. Mine uses a beech fence, and I have a couple of angle jigs that fit onto it.

I got some PTFE tape, which I stuck to the track with aggressive double sided tape. That makes the plane glide really nicely.

I just use a 5 1/2 plane. But I really like the idea of a homemade shooting board plane - that looks really nice, John. What wood did you use?

Craig

 

[6x4]

All the 51's I have seen have been a tad expensive. Someone suggested a 5 1/2 but I can't remember why.

A bit of heft helps, so 5 1/2 or possbly a 6 although that’s rarer and tends to be more expensive. For further info I use a No 62 for the low angle with a LN hot dog handle, also an expensive combo but it’s a good option for me and has many other uses.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Although I still have a few western planes they are packed away in boxes and more often than not I pick up a Japanese plane.
I have never used a shooting board and want to try one. Is it possible to pick a single western plane that works well with a shooting board?

When starting out, and down the shooting board trail, I recommend making a simple shooting board and using an existing plane, something along the lines of a #5 or #5 1/2.

A flat board is just fine.

An article I wrote in 2008: Setting Up and Using a Shooting Board

There are shooting boards for edges and for ends. Edges are useful for jointing boards, and edges for fitting parts, such as drawer fronts to drawer spaces.

Once you find that shooting end grain is important, you can look for a more specialised plane. A low cutting angle is helpful with end grain, and a LA Jack works a treat here. I used the Veritas for many years with an A2 blade honed at 25 degrees. This will surprise you how well it can work. You many never feel the need to upgrade further.

If you are really taken with this method, then build a better shooting board. My rule of thumb is a ramped board for a plane with a square blade, and you have a wider options when the shooting plane has a skewed blade. A ramped board does not create a skewed cut, but it does permit a skew entry to the wood, which reduces impact. A skew blade creates a slicing action, which is preferred for end grain.

Ramped board with square blade low angle plane (37 degree cutting angle) ...

In 2006 I lucked into a Stanley #51/52 on eBay and paid about $400 for it. It required a total restoration, but turned into the joy of my life (even though the #51 came with a braised frog - the design was notoriously poor in this area) ...

Five years later I was able to upgrade this combination with a LN #51 ...

This plane is very special to me as it was one of the first made by LN, and was signed by Thomas Lie Nielsen (the only one he signed).

Review of the LN #51 here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/LN51ShootingPlane.html

Review of the Veritas Shooting Plane here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/LVShootingPlane.html

The point is that one can take this fixture to higher and higher levels. That does not necessarily make it work any better than the starting point. More enjoyable perhaps .. definitely.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Vann]

The Record T5 was designed for shuting. It has wide 'wings' and a tapped hole in the sides for a thumb handle (or if you're lucky, your T5 may come with the orginal thumb handle).

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I always fancied one with a braised frog.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I always fancied one with a braised frog.

Very French