I mostly reach for my LA jack because it's so pretty. I'm trying really hard to ignore that which is why I started making my 5 1/2 work better. That LA does take a nice shaving.
Member
I mostly reach for my LA jack because it's so pretty. I'm trying really hard to ignore that which is why I started making my 5 1/2 work better. That LA does take a nice shaving.
Contributor
I made a hotdog handle of sorts, mine's more of a square beef patty, for my Stanley #5 and use it as my primary shooting plane. I also have LN 60-1/2 low angle block plane that definitely trims end grain better, but I make do with the #5 and just sharpen it more often. The block plane is often too small for a lot of the stuff I do.
I'll probably get a #62 one day, as I just don't use the shooting board enough to justify spending all of that cash on a dedicated shooting plane. Even when I do use the shooting board, it's usually just a couple of quick swipes, unless I messed something up.
Contributor
It was a bad biking accident that messed up my shoulder that gets sore with a lot of shooting board work.I spend more time on bikes than I do doing anything else besides maybe sleeping.
Even with great saw skills:Originally Posted by Richard Hutchings
Clean Edge Saw Cut.jpg
A shooting board Can make end grain much better looking:
Spalted Holly End Grain.jpg
It can also be helpful on angled cuts:
Pyramid Needs a Sharper Blade.jpg
This looked better after the blade was sharpened.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
Like Mike Stenson says, it softens the wood fibers. Makes for a smooth cut. Alcohol by itself works, but it evaporates quicker than an alcohol/water mix. I use a squirt bottle with a small angled nozzle that feeds up a tube. A small spray bottle would also work but it might make the surrounding air uncomfortable.
Contributor
IF one wants to show off end grain....which I try not to do..
A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use
[OP]
Member
So riddle me this (for making boxes)-
Let's say I have a not square plank of walnut. I plane it to the right thickness.
Then I plane one long edge as the edge so that all other edges are referenced against this.
After the board is cut into 4 pieces for the sides of the box- I use my donkey's ear to create perfect 45d miters. (Why don't I use a miter saw? Since they aren't accurate enough for a deep box. Though they are great for photo frame type sizing. I have used a miter saw/box, then used the donkey's ear to clean it all up)
So picture one side of this soon to be box- I use a plane to create a miter on one side.
How the heck do I then miter the other side? Well, if you have the skills, you can imagine that the edge opposite the base edge is perfectly parallel to the reference/base edge. But mine aren't. They're as close as a knife wall and planning can make it w/ my skills, but not perfect.
And so, when Im shooting that other side of a box wall into a miter, I don't use the non-base edge. My donkey's ear has a second fence that allows me to shoot this other edge using this second fence. And so- a #62 will flip over and then shoot using it's other side. Which a Veritas shooting plane will not do.
So- if you're using a Veritas shooting plane, how would you solve this riddle? If your donkey has one fence, and your plane has one direction it can shoot- what now?
Ole Bobby Cosman "has some great experience... he's been working wood for over 700 years..."
No matter what he thinks- Im still so happy shooting endgrain w/ that 62. But maybe his genius on that topic will make more sense in a few years.
Also- I tried the alcohol today- that's an impressive trick. I'll keep it handy for that especially tough endgrain.
Last edited by Peter Daniels; 10-26-2023 at 7:31 PM.
If your chute doesn't open, you have the rest of your life to fix it.
Contributor
If you got it why not flaunt it?
The Beauty of End Grain Mallet Handle.jpg
Some end exposed grain can be an enhancement.
There is a lot of exposed end grain in the work of Greene & Greene.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
To quote another poster..."End grain is like your belly button, and no I don't want to see either.."
August Box, Tuesday, leveling high spots.JPG
Maybe with dovetails...
A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use
Contributor
Some people enjoy nicely done end grain, some don't.
Everybody doesn't have to enjoy the same thing.
My using a shooting board doesn't mean everyone should.
Someone not using a shooting board doesn't mean everyone shouldn't.
Many who use them find them beneficial in many ways.
Many who do not use them have no idea of how useful a shooting board can be.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
Cosman has skills far beyond I ever will, but remember he has tools he either makes (saws, chisels, etc.) or he represents, Woodcraft/Woodriver. Like all advice, if it works for you, great! If not, look for other methods.
If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.
Member
Ole Bobby Cosman "has some great experience... he's been working wood for over 700 years..."
This cracked me up. We really need Peter to make a video proclaiming the opposite. Only a 62 will do.
Contributor
It also works on difficult grain, knots, or even with the grain issues. Have fun.
Contributor
+1. Do what works for you.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Contributor
Their solution was pure genius. Why sell a plane that can shoot in both directions when you can sell two planes, left and right, for twice the price.
Rafael
Contributor
The key to using a oneway shooting set up is to make sure your stock is as perfectly square with parallel edges as possible. This is an important part of making boxes whether one is using mitered corners, dovetails, half laps or tenons.
One way to learn and build skill in this is to make a pair of winding sticks and a straight edge.
Here is an old post of mine on this > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?290331
Of course one can purchase a well made pair of winding sticks and a straight edge that is guaranteed to be accurate to within a ten thousandths of an inch. Doing so does absolutely nothing towards building a personal skill.
My main shooting board is ambidextrous and a few others have been shown by other members. Mostly over the years shooting boards have been one sided with ways of shooting both sides of mitered corners from the same side.
Sometimes it just takes a little finessing or extra body language. Other times a few layers of tape in a strategic location can change the angle enough for a tight fit.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
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