90 & 45 Degree Shooting Boards

[Rush Paul]

People like Clint Jones, David Weaver and Stan Covington were not hanging by a thread. They were serious contributors to the pool of information many come here to seek. They are still around. Though they are no longer on this forum to share their years of wisdom.

Some very good sources of information have left over flippant remarks. Some very good people seeking information have also been pushed away by frivolity and mockery when seeking help with the same problems many of us asked about when we were new to woodworking.

Jim, thank you for this reply. I greatly appreciate the gentle push to cordial conversations that you make here. Sawmill Creek has not been a favorite site for me to pose questions or share thoughts because of responses I often see. It is a pleasure seeing your comments.

[Ed Mitchell]

Making shooting boards and other bench accessories is one of the ways to learn woodworking. If a person can not make simple bench hooks, shooting boards or other simple bench helpers how will they ever be able to make a cabinet or other furniture?
jtk

Potentially, very easily and sometimes with great results, too. I think it depends on the reason behind your "can not make simple bench hooks...".

I've met amazingly talented woodworkers who absolutely hate making jigs. Simply will not make them, period. Hey, to each their own, right? Well, there's your answer. They can't make jigs because they despise jig-making so, but they can and do make beautiful furniture.
As you said, it's merely one of the ways to learn, not the only way.

But people who don't like to do things will often erect barriers, ergo my suggestion. Now we have the OPs response, so we know it's not applicable in this case, and the many other excellent suggestions can be followed.

[Adam Cruea]

It sometimes makes me wonder how many people, new to the hobby, have given up after receiving such a reply. One who occasionally communicates with me through email did after being mocked on this forum after asking for help.

jtk

The response you're referencing is one reason I really don't come here any more. I got tired of some of the BS. From some of the other posts on this thread, I can see that my time is yet again limited here and I shall remain in different pastures.

Anyway. . .for Rick. . .

On the bottom of the fence for your shooting board, take some Loctite or contact cement and put a thin layer on the bottom of the fence, then put some 80 or 120 grit sandpaper on the bottom of the fence, making sure you have no bubbles and stuff. Trim to fit so there's nothing overhanging the edge of your fence.

I had to do this for my hickory shooting board as the surface on plane-finished hickory is almost glassy. I use a 1/4 bolt with a hand-twist knob to tighten mine down.

[Robert Eiffert]

I also tried an adjustable fence.

Easier/more consistent to use a piece of blue tape at one end or other, it seems.

[Derek Cohen]

Just to clarify, in case this was not understood: the reason for a microadjustable fence is to set it up at the start - in other words, hopefully once only - so that it is accurate. Then crank the bolts down. It is not used to adjust the fence for angled shooting. The microadjust simply makes it easier to get it accurate. It is a pain in the butt to have to use shims each time because the fence is not perfectly square. It is many years since I last adjusted the fence.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

It is many years since I last adjusted the fence.

It has been many years since having to add or remove tape from my shooting board's fence.

jtk

[Dan Hulbert]

I made my shooting board after watching Paul Sellers video. No need for a shop full of electron eaters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ypbvcxb-8M

[Anuj Prateek]

Hey all,

I am trying to put together a shooting board (first one), and I have followed Derek Cohen's images and outlines on his website. I am having a difficult time getting the fence on the 90 degree deck to remain square. I have put a bolt through, with an oversized hole to allow for clearance, but I find when I go to tighten it down, it still wants to pull the fence out of square ever so slightly. I have left the blade out the way I normally would have it projecting when in use, as noted in the article by Derek, but I am still finding when I lock it down, it wants to pull out of square. Any idea what I might try to do to hold it in place without movement when I go to lock it down?

My second shooting conundrum comes in the form of long edge case miter work. I have tried to make a doney's ear, with little success, and I am finding it very difficult to fine tune it to get the 45 degree angle to be square in all planes, as well as hold the donkey's ear contraption against my fence. As a result, I am thinking about going to a 45 degree shooting board, where the plane is running against a 45 degree angled runner, and the piece lies flat on the deck of the shooting board, as it would on a 90 degree setup. My concern with that one comes in the form of getting the fence square to the runner, since I am struggling on the 90 degree fence already. I think I would have an easier time setting the long runner up at 45 degrees since I can work to a 45 degree angle along its length with a handplane, and so that would take some of my donkey's ear trouble away I think.

It would be greatly appreciated if someone could give some input on donkey's ear adjustment, and or, some input on the 45 degree runner shooting board alternative; effectiveness and ease of setup.

I have been through the forums and the internet, it hasn't helped much lol

Thanks for your input,
RB

I built a basic shooting board. Fence is attached using bolts through one enlarged hole and one tight fitting hole. If my fence moves slightly then a gentle tap with small hammer fixes the alignment. Said that I prefer putting tape as shim as required. Same fence moves into separate holes for 45°. I get it mostly correct and then shim if needed.

Shim: Usually I use painters tape or clear tape. But they are thicker than required on occasion. I bought a assorted set of shim stock (few dollars) long back and that has selection of thinner shims if needed.

Donkey ears: Never built one. I use fence on hand plane for the purpose.