Shooting Board - Part 1...

Like all the rest of the crazies that get involved with this vintage tool hobby, I have decided to build a plane. Along with this, The Blogbloke has convinced me that a Shooting Board is just the ticket so I decided to combine the two; designing and building a Shooting Board first, then make a dedicated plane for it after. Is there no end to my masochism?


So far, I have come up with some basic dimensions and an idea of how I would like to construct it.

So with this, I have officially started putting together the design for the Shooting Board, but not just any Shooting Board; a Shooting Board to end either all Shooting Boards, or me, whichever comes first.


Here are the “must haves” that need to be included in the final results:

• Combine esthetics with functionality
• Adjustable Runway angle (ramp or parallel)
• A Mitre Fence and a Bird’s House or Donkey’s Ear
• Functional for end and edge grained stock
• Heavy construction

Some “I would like” considerations:

• The esthetics should be “out there” a little bit
• Ramped Runway should angle down on the stock
• All attachments should attach quickly but firmly, with no movement
• Designed and built for the “long-haul”

While I have a few rough drawings of the plane, I do know it will have:

• 12° blade angle
• 2 5/8” wide blade
• Runs in twin slot extrusions that will be let in to the Runway similar to the Stanley No. 51 & 52

As I mentioned earlier, The Blogbloke convinced me that a Shooting Board was the way to go through this article…

http://woodbloker.blogspot.com/2009/08/global-warming.html

Then Derek Cohen over on In The Woodshop added to it with this posting…

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/ShootingforPerfection.html

Then Stephen, over on the FullChisel blog, threw some more usable information into the mix with…

http://www.fullchisel.com/blog/?p=154

The irony in building a Shooting Board is having to shoot the stock for it without a Shooting Board.


What Is It?

And while we are on the subject of plans, here is a section of a plan I recently finished for a separate project I am doing. If you click here, the full plan will display. Any idea what this is?

Peace,

Mitchell