Shooting Board Made with Solid Wood?

[Patrick Cox]

Hello,
I am thinking about making a shooting board but most of the versions I see online are made from plywood or MDF and I only have hand tools. So would I be better off trying to cut MDF or Plywood with a hand saw or should I make one out of solid wood? My only worry about solid wood is whether or not it will stay square. And if solid wood, which species would you recommend? I am in the southeast / midwest. (Kentucky.)

Thanks!

[Reinis Kanders]

It should be ok. I have a simple Ash board. If it gets out of square you can shim it.

[Joe Kasier]

As an alternative if you have a Lowes, Home Depot, or similar go to their closet section. They have small lengths of MDF for shelving. I paid 5$ for one that was 12" x 24". It comes with a plastic like veneer on it, which helps the plane glide a bit better. I left it as that size but I do have good results cutting MDF/plywood with a hand saw. Just sharpen up first.

[Stanley Covington]

Solid wood is the only way to go IMO. Plywood and MDF are fine, but once you wear through the outer layer of veneer, either through friction or truing efforts, the board is garbage. For that matter, plywood, and to a greater degree, MDF, are nearly garbage when new, and after a little while their true nature outs and they revert to obvious garbage. Also, plywood has sandpaper grit embedded in at least the outer layers of veneer during the thickness sanding process, which is not good for planes.

You need to use a stable wood. Quarter sawn white oak is my first choice (the quarter sawn part is important). There are tougher, harder, more stable woods such as Ipe, but the silica particles they contain is hard on tools. I suggest using a thicker board with several deep cross-grain battens attached underneath with tight sliding dovetails to restrict warpage. This will be a substantial tool when done, but will last.

There are Japanese versions that are smaller and more lightweight, but I don't have time to go into them now.

With maintenance, a shooting board like this will last for many decades of daily use.

Stan

[Jim Koepke]

Patrick,

Make it out of the least expensive scraps you have. As Reinis said, shim it if and when needed. I use masking tape for fine adjustments.

I have made mine out of pine and one with a piece of oak.

My most recent one uses a thinner piece of wood for the deck so more of the blade can be used.

Here is that board:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?244777

jtk

[Patrick Cox]

Solid wood is the only way to go IMO. Plywood and MDF are fine, but once you wear through the outer layer of veneer, either through friction or truing efforts, the board is garbage. For that matter, plywood, and to a greater degree, MDF, are nearly garbage when new, and after a little while their true nature outs and they revert to obvious garbage. Also, plywood has sandpaper grit embedded in at least the outer layers of veneer during the thickness sanding process, which is not good for planes.

You need to use a stable wood. Quarter sawn white oak is my first choice (the quarter sawn part is important). There are tougher, harder, more stable woods such as Ipe, but the silica particles they contain is hard on tools. I suggest using a thicker board with several deep cross-grain battens attached underneath with tight sliding dovetails to restrict warpage. This will be a substantial tool when done, but will last.

There are Japanese versions that are smaller and more lightweight, but I don't have time to go into them now.

With maintenance, a shooting board like this will last for many decades of daily use.

Stan

Thanks for your reply Stan. Unfortunately I don't really follow the part about the battens and the sliding dovetails. Do you have a picture you could share? Thanks!

[Stanley Covington]

Thanks for your reply Stan. Unfortunately I don't really follow the part about the battens and the sliding dovetails. Do you have a picture you could share? Thanks!

Patrick:

No way to get pictures right now.

A batten is a stick of wood attached cross-grain to the bottom of a board and, in this case, is intended to keep the board from warping.

For example, if the board for the shooting board is 1" thick, you should attach at least two battens cross-grain (oriented at 90 degrees to the board's grain's direction) a bit back from each the plank's ends. Three would be better. Their dimensions might be, for example, 1-1/4" wide and 2-1/2" deep, and the same length as the board's width. Again, they would be attached cross-grain to the board.

One method of securing them is to use screws with slots in the battens to let the board expand and contract with humidity changes.

But a far better and more durable solution is a sliding dovetail, which is a dovetail slot (female) cut the full width of the board, and a matching dovetail (male) cut into the batten. If cut properly, the batten's dovetail will slide into the dovetail slot in the board with a bit of friction. This will ensure the batten will constrain the board's tendency to warp (perhaps not perfectly, but usually quite adequately) without constraining the board's increase and decrease in width with humidity changes.

Of course, if the battens are fixed cross-grain, glued and nailed for instance, without some provision to accommodate movement, the board will warp, perhaps even more than if there were no battens attached.

This is a truly ancient and reliable solution, and one that has many applications in woodworking. It can be done with either power tools or handtools. The sliding dovetail is one joint every serious woodworker must become proficient at making.

Stan

[Derek Cohen]

I've used solid wood shooting boards for more than a decade ...







Regards from Perth

Derek

[john zulu]

I made mine of solid wood too. No warping so far. Completed it a few years ago.

[Stanley Covington]

I've used solid wood shooting boards for more than a decade ...







Regards from Perth

Derek

A beautiful shooting board and a beautiful plane too!

[Patrick Cox]

Patrick:

No way to get pictures right now.

A batten is a stick of wood attached cross-grain to the bottom of a board and, in this case, is intended to keep the board from warping.

For example, if the board for the shooting board is 1" thick, you should attach at least two battens cross-grain (oriented at 90 degrees to the board's grain's direction) a bit back from each the plank's ends. Three would be better. Their dimensions might be, for example, 1-1/4" wide and 2-1/2" deep, and the same length as the board's width. Again, they would be attached cross-grain to the board.

One method of securing them is to use screws with slots in the battens to let the board expand and contract with humidity changes.

But a far better and more durable solution is a sliding dovetail, which is a dovetail slot (female) cut the full width of the board, and a matching dovetail (male) cut into the batten. If cut properly, the batten's dovetail will slide into the dovetail slot in the board with a bit of friction. This will ensure the batten will constrain the board's tendency to warp (perhaps not perfectly, but usually quite adequately) without constraining the board's increase and decrease in width with humidity changes.

Of course, if the battens are fixed cross-grain, glued and nailed for instance, without some provision to accommodate movement, the board will warp, perhaps even more than if there were no battens attached.

This is a truly ancient and reliable solution, and one that has many applications in woodworking. It can be done with either power tools or handtools. The sliding dovetail is one joint every serious woodworker must become proficient at making.

Stan

Thanks for the follow up Stan.

[Patrick Cox]

I've used solid wood shooting boards for more than a decade ...







Regards from Perth

Derek

Wow! Beautiful examples! Thanks for sharing these.

[Robert Engel]

Plywood and MDF are fine, but once you wear through the outer layer of veneer, either through friction or truing efforts, the board is garbage. For that matter, plywood, and to a greater degree, MDF, are nearly garbage when new, and after a little while their true nature outs and they revert to obvious garbage. Also, plywood has sandpaper grit embedded in at least the outer layers of veneer during the thickness sanding process, which is not good for planes.

With maintenance, a shooting board like this will last for many decades of daily use.

Stan

I disagree with the rather dogmatic opinion which is not founded in reality IMO. For example, I have a crosscut sled made of MDF which has served me well for years. (Actually, the only weak points are the solid wood runners and fence which move with the seasons).

My shooting board is a simple plywood base and solid wood fence. I keep it waxed. It serves me quite well. I expect it will take many years to wear through the veneer. Ply or MDF covered with laminate is also a good option.

I also have a nice tenon jig, panel cutting jig and several fences all made of good quality plywood which serve me quite well.

IMO you will be fine to build all your jigs and appliances out of ply or MDF. Seal and keep them stored properly.

If, however, you prefer these items to be better looking, or have a mindset like the poster regarding sheet goods, by all means, use solid wood.

BTW, very nice looking shooting boards.

[Patrick Cox]

I disagree with the rather dogmatic opinion which is not founded in reality IMO. For example, I have a crosscut sled made of MDF which has served me well for years. (Actually, the only weak points are the solid wood runners and fence which move with the seasons).

My shooting board is a simple plywood base and solid wood fence. I keep it waxed. It serves me quite well. I expect it will take many years to wear through the veneer. Ply or MDF covered with laminate is also a good option.

I also have a nice tenon jig, panel cutting jig and several fences all made of good quality plywood which serve me quite well.

IMO you will be fine to build all your jigs and appliances out of ply or MDF. Seal and keep them stored properly.

If, however, you prefer these items to be better looking, or have a mindset like the poster regarding sheet goods, by all means, use solid wood.

BTW, very nice looking shooting boards.

My main concern with plywood, MDF, melamine... is that I only have hand saws and I don't want to dull my saw blades too quickly. Other that that I would be OK with those materials for a shooting board.

[Pat Barry]

I'm in the camp of using whatever you have available that fits the need. For example, solid wood. If you have a piece big enough (wide enough) then go ahead with it. Hopefully its hardwood, not softwood like pine. I had a piece of MDF with the melamine coating and used it and it works great. I don't find it to be abrasive and I will never do enough shooting to wear it down. On the other hand, if I had used solid pine I probably would have had to re level the track by now. Derek's is a great example of a solid hardwood type even though the board holder is sloped the wrong direction