Have you put a finish of some kind on the base of your shooting board (the MDF)? It appears darker than the original MDF shooting board. My shooting board (made to your specs), has some “grooves” in it that were made by a Stanley Sweetheart Jackplane (I know, I know..I only use a 5 1/2 now). Do I need to remake the shooting board because of the grooves? Thanks for the help.
I made a shooting board after watching yours but something was telling me something was not right and yesterday I finally figured it out after watching you. I need to put an extra piece of board on the shooting board to raise the the piece I'm planing so the plane will hit the whole side and I will use a clamp to fix the piece I'm planing
Rob this is another great video. Thank you for sharing this and I'm glad I subscribe. I just got a table saw for the first time, actually invested the money in a really good one. I like to make small furniture items around the house and for family like cradles, etc. Looking toward retirement in the next few years God-willing And I'm so happy to have videos like yours to enrich my woodworking and take the fear out of it, as well. Bless you, brother!
I just finished making a shooting board using the steps you taught in your livestream a while back. I appreciate the tips to make the best use of it now. Thanks for the great instruction!
Learning when to stop planing is true in most aspects, not only for when you reach the chamfer while shooting. Its the same when straightening an edge, if ya keep planing its gonna turn into a hump again. It took me a long time and some frustration to learn when to stop haha :P And then sometimes I just want to use a plane...... so I get some scrap and cut grooves in an edge with my plow, I plane them away with my 6, cut more grooves with my plow, take em away again, and so on........ive planed more pieces of wood into non-existence doing this than I care to admit :P Thanks for the video lads :)
Great video, I was trying out ways to get that chamfer but your technique makes the most sense. I may throw a knife wall at the end of the board as well just in case I go too far, and to cut to, but probably isn't required.I was also running into the issue of not cutting enough, I mostly get something like fine sawdust rather then a chip. I may need to be exposing more blade and take that heavier cut. I find having a "practice" piece of wood handy for that first run/check of the shooting board. I do this as a hobby so it can be some time between using the shooting board so it is good to get the technique down again, and check that everything is still square and true before touching a project board. Also good as check after sharpening the blade if in heavy use.
Some say that the sides of their new Woodriver No. 5-1/2 is not quite perpendicular to the sole. Are they supposed to be? What to do if the lateral adjustment is not enough? Have you ever ground down the sides of your plane to make it square?
Great Video Rob, thanks. I’ve never used a shooting board so might be a dumb question but what prevents the plane from shaving down the edge of the shooting board?
Thanks once again Rob. But you also raised my attention when using your 5 1/2. Where do you find a plan e with a "star wheel" for adjusting? Keep on smiling.
Rob, You sold me on the 5-1/2 and it's an amazing tool. The lateral adjustment arm on my particular tool (from the factory) is extremely tight to pivot even without the iron installed. QUESTION: Is there any way to adjust this arm-to-frog pinned/riveted connection ? Maybe you could do a video that shows how easily yours pivots without the iron? side note: My #6 older Stanley lever arm will pivot very easily without the iron and when the iron and and cap are installed the arm pivots with the correct amount of pressure just perfectly. 65 degrees Fahrenheit in Redding, Ca today! You inspire me greatly.. Thank you for all that you do.
The cheek of my plane is not perfectly square to the sole. Any issues with that? I really dont want to have to worry about keep playing with the lateral adjustment lever every time i use it. I was thinking layering painters tape in whichever area to raise it to be square?
Would it be worthwhile to build a board fashioned with a tall fence for workbench sized joints? Say 1-1/4” thick material. Like if a man intended to use Southern Yellow pine for his bench.
A couple of years back I bought a 'factory seconds', bevel up Jack plane from Axminster. It was all I could afford at the time and considered the small amount of fettling a reasonable compromise. It turned out to be a piece of cr-... er, not for me. Many months later I realised it'd be good as a stand alone shooter and eventually modified it to include a kidney shaped grip, bolted to the side and removed the tote. But I tell you what, the fact that it doesn't have a lateral adjustment level is a small, but significant annoyance. It'd be unfair of me to slag off the blade too, but it readily loses the ability to effortlessly cut slivers off end grain. A quick test on the long edge proves it can cut fine, but I end up bruting it through some end grain. I even went as far as building a ramped board to see if it'd improve the entry of the plane into the wood. Results varied. I would bet my life it's my sharpening, but considering the history of the plane, it's hard to look at it kindly.
I'm confused. If the plane rides against the shooting board upper base then it'll cut into it. If it doesn't, then it's not guaranteed to be perpendicular to the fence. What am I missing?
The plane only rides on the lower edge of the upper base that is proud of the rest because of the rabbet. Remember, the lower edge of the plane base doesn't have plane iron to cut, the base edge (3/16" or so) rides on that proud edge.
As always great Rob, I love how you learn 1 question, I haven't plane 5 1/2. Which is better jack plane 5 low angle stanley or plane 6 faithfull for my shooting board? Thanks
the chamfer trick is really interesting !!! I was thinking of making a new shooting board , and most sources show plans on how to make the fence movable so it acts as "backer board" to prevent tearout ... this method makes building the shooting board a bit easier and quicker as you can just glue it without having to cut a dado for the fence !!! .... we always learn something from your videos !!
Rob, I just retired and am inspired by your 💜 project and appreciate your methods of teaching in exciting detail, assuming that we know little too nothing. Even for pros, there is always something to learn and I think you force us to slow down, pay attention to detail EARLY in the project today pays off later in quality and time saving. Now, I'm off to the shop to build my first project; a Buddhist shrine for our backyard. Many, many thanks for your teachings.
Fantastic learning experience, many thanks Rob. This covers so many points all of which will help me when I have finished my shooting board. I'm not sure even Paul Sellers has covered all these teaching points and that is something!!
If your fence is slightly out of square, how would you recommend removing it? Since it is glued, I am thinking removing the fence with a scrub plane is my best option. Do you have any other recommendations for removing it without compromising the rest of the shooting board?
I have been watching so many Rob Cosman videos that last night I literally had a dream I drove up to Canadia to attend one of his classes only to discover I forgot to bring my hand planes...
You have planed a rebate into you shooting board the rebate can clearly be seen this means the plane is able to tilt, it may also now not be square. There should always be an overhang with the work piece. Above all don't attempt to instruct others when your technique is incorrect.
Care to explain your comment further? The rebate is intentional and not done with my plane (don’t correct others with improper facts), and it most definitely is square.
Great video! I've seen many about building a shooting board. I think this is the first I've seen about using one correctly to get the best results. Thank you.
So if your plane bed is not fully square to the side, would you recommend sanding it to square or just use the lateral adjustment to square your cut? Mine is out a few degrees.
my ever growing collection of shooting boards gets just as much use at my bench as does my Woodriver 5 1/2 if not more. it is an essential piece of kit and has accelerated and advanced my precision tremendously. Thxs Rob.
Great video yet again, Rob. The quality of these videos is an amazing aid to learning. Being able to see precisely what to look for when planing to a knife line as demonstrated here (we first saw you do this several months ago, IIRC) has transformed the precision of my woodworking. Also, the audio is a huge help... believe it or not, when I first started using my shooting board a year ago, I learned to “tune” the depth of my cut by the sound of the blade cutting the wood to match the sound your plane made in your videos. There are a lot of great tips in this short video. BTW, I just installed the Adjustar my wife bought me for Christmas on my 5-1/2 plane, and it’s fantastic. Keep it up! You and your crew are transforming home woodworking.
excellent and informative. thank you for taking it back to the basics. it may seem rudimentary to some, but i would bet most people were able to pick up at least a pointer or two. many people have issues working with shooting boards. i cant imagine a more helpful tutorial on the subject.
Thanks so much for your so many advices Rob and greetings from Italy. 🇮🇹 As per the wax and to avoid mashing up with dust give a try to PTFE lubricant (just a bit... we care of environment). Cheers, Alberto
Hopefully Rob will see this...I've noticed that you don't tend to adjust for backlash when you back the blade off. I'm guessing it's because a sharp blade will not scoot back?
What is your view in using tallow or mineral oil instead of wax? By the way, your trick to give better grip to the handles of f clamps using hockey tape is the bomb!
Rob, what do you think about shooting boards that have the flat part (the mdf on yours) slanted downward front to back when compared to the base (the plywood on yours)? It seems like this would make the angle of attack be a slight skew. I haven't tried it, but I see designs like that out there. It does make building it more complicated, but maybe it is worth it?
A ramped shooting board. IMO, not worth the effort. If you are doing it to spread out the wear on the blade, sharpening is under a minute, not worth the construction time. If you are doing it to skew the cut, not enough angle to make a difference.
Learn how to make a mini shooting board here: ua-cam.com/video/IVrKjjjZ50M/v-deo.html
Have you put a finish of some kind on the base of your shooting board (the MDF)? It appears darker than the original MDF shooting board. My shooting board (made to your specs), has some “grooves” in it that were made by a Stanley Sweetheart Jackplane (I know, I know..I only use a 5 1/2 now). Do I need to remake the shooting board because of the grooves? Thanks for the help.
@@danaparish1644 rrdt
@@toivorivis7321 rrdt?
Thanks Rob - that was really helpful.
I check back on technique occasionally to keep those good results on the shooting board - Thanks Rob.
Lots of helpful tips in this one! I've been having a lot of frustrations with my shooting boards and this was very helpful. Thank you!
You bet
I made a shooting board after watching yours but something was telling me something was not right and yesterday I finally figured it out after watching you. I need to put an extra piece of board on the shooting board to raise the the piece I'm planing so the plane will hit the whole side and I will use a clamp to fix the piece I'm planing
I have seen your explanation on shooting boards so often and every time I learn something new. Just fantastic and thank you so much.
Thnaks for watching and commenting
Great tips. I especially like the tip on how to tell if the blade is parallel to the sole of the plane, but they're all great. Thanks so much.
Rob this is another great video. Thank you for sharing this and I'm glad I subscribe. I just got a table saw for the first time, actually invested the money in a really good one. I like to make small furniture items around the house and for family like cradles, etc. Looking toward retirement in the next few years God-willing And I'm so happy to have videos like yours to enrich my woodworking and take the fear out of it, as well. Bless you, brother!
Thanks a lot for this really informative series. Your style of teaching is motivational.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Rob. Just purchased a Veritas Shooting Plane....this will help me so much...
I just finished making a shooting board using the steps you taught in your livestream a while back. I appreciate the tips to make the best use of it now. Thanks for the great instruction!
Send me a pic at contact us on robcosman.com
@@RobCosmanWoodworking - will do!
Perfect tips for accurate work.
Thanks Rob
Glad it was helpful
Another excellent video...thanks Rob.
I’m using a 62. Enjoy the knowledge you pass on. Thank you.
Glad to help
I just finished my mini shooting board tonight and this video came out at the perfect time. Thanks for the tips!
How is your mini SB working?
You do a beautiful job of explaining the procedure. Thanks
Your welcome
Thank you so much for your knowledge and your experience. I have bought several of your products they all work as well as it does on the video!:)
Thanks
Great teaching! Thanks a lot 👍
Learning when to stop planing is true in most aspects, not only for when you reach the chamfer while shooting. Its the same when straightening an edge, if ya keep planing its gonna turn into a hump again. It took me a long time and some frustration to learn when to stop haha :P
And then sometimes I just want to use a plane...... so I get some scrap and cut grooves in an edge with my plow, I plane them away with my 6, cut more grooves with my plow, take em away again, and so on........ive planed more pieces of wood into non-existence doing this than I care to admit :P
Thanks for the video lads :)
Somtimes you just gtta make shavings!!!!
The sound the plane makes when pulling shavings on a shooting board is almost as satisfying as hearing a V8 or V12 roar.
Super informative!!
Great tips, and explanation of the process.
Thanks
Great video, I was trying out ways to get that chamfer but your technique makes the most sense. I may throw a knife wall at the end of the board as well just in case I go too far, and to cut to, but probably isn't required.I was also running into the issue of not cutting enough, I mostly get something like fine sawdust rather then a chip. I may need to be exposing more blade and take that heavier cut.
I find having a "practice" piece of wood handy for that first run/check of the shooting board. I do this as a hobby so it can be some time between using the shooting board so it is good to get the technique down again, and check that everything is still square and true before touching a project board. Also good as check after sharpening the blade if in heavy use.
Love these tips. I’d love to see the lessons done with hardwood.
I really needed this one.
Thank you!!!
You bet
Nothing better than a nearly transparent ribbon of walnut end grain from my shooting board...Thanks Rob and crew (family)
Your welcome
Thank you so much, I needed that lesson for sure.
Your welcome
Great tips. Now all I need is a good plane!
A good plane is essential
Great info as usual.
Glad you enjoyed it
Some say that the sides of their new Woodriver No. 5-1/2 is not quite perpendicular to the sole. Are they supposed to be? What to do if the lateral adjustment is not enough? Have you ever ground down the sides of your plane to make it square?
Great tips!!
Glad you liked it
Thank you!
You bet!
Rob, how do I know how far out to position the work material? 1/16”, 1/8”??
Great Video Rob, thanks. I’ve never used a shooting board so might be a dumb question but what prevents the plane from shaving down the edge of the shooting board?
I cut a small rabbet on the edge of the plywood, the bottom of the rabbet rides on the plane sole below the blade.
@@RobCosmanWoodworking - Thanks, I plan to build one this weekend. Go Canes!
Thanks once again Rob. But you also raised my attention when using your 5 1/2. Where do you find a plan e with a "star wheel" for adjusting? Keep on smiling.
Its an adjustar. We sell them for WoodRiver and Lie Neilsen planes.
@@RobCosmanWoodworking I don't have my Woodriver yet but it's on it's way. I'll check your web when it's here. Thanks.
Rob, You sold me on the 5-1/2 and it's an amazing tool. The lateral adjustment arm on my particular tool (from the factory) is extremely tight to pivot even without the iron installed.
QUESTION: Is there any way to adjust this arm-to-frog pinned/riveted connection ?
Maybe you could do a video that shows how easily yours pivots without the iron?
side note: My #6 older Stanley lever arm will pivot very easily without the iron and when the iron and and cap are installed the arm pivots with the correct amount of pressure just perfectly.
65 degrees Fahrenheit in Redding, Ca today!
You inspire me greatly.. Thank you for all that you do.
Try lubing it, also work it back and forth
Hey Rob, why does the blade of the plane not cut into the top board (of the shooting board)?
It's either not tall enough to reach the plane mouth, has a rabbet or after being used a bit the plane will make the rabbet
Rob do you recommend finishing your shooting boards with any kind of shellac, etc? If so, what finishes would you recommend. Thank you!
thanks
Welcome
i have a wood river 5 but doesnt have square sides, so thats great...
The cheek of my plane is not perfectly square to the sole. Any issues with that? I really dont want to have to worry about keep playing with the lateral adjustment lever every time i use it.
I was thinking layering painters tape in whichever area to raise it to be square?
Rob, Have you ever tried using a thin teflon strip on the shooting board to reduce the friction?
No. I have never needed it
Ty
Would it be worthwhile to build a board fashioned with a tall fence for workbench sized joints? Say 1-1/4” thick material. Like if a man intended to use Southern Yellow pine for his bench.
Hi, do you make 25 or 30 degrees bevel knife plane to uses the shooting board?
Im having trouble because the plane doesent take a shaving eventough the blade is out
A couple of years back I bought a 'factory seconds', bevel up Jack plane from Axminster. It was all I could afford at the time and considered the small amount of fettling a reasonable compromise. It turned out to be a piece of cr-... er, not for me. Many months later I realised it'd be good as a stand alone shooter and eventually modified it to include a kidney shaped grip, bolted to the side and removed the tote. But I tell you what, the fact that it doesn't have a lateral adjustment level is a small, but significant annoyance. It'd be unfair of me to slag off the blade too, but it readily loses the ability to effortlessly cut slivers off end grain. A quick test on the long edge proves it can cut fine, but I end up bruting it through some end grain. I even went as far as building a ramped board to see if it'd improve the entry of the plane into the wood. Results varied. I would bet my life it's my sharpening, but considering the history of the plane, it's hard to look at it kindly.
Sounds like sharpening or blade quality to me
Good overview Rob. Do you ever do classes in Minnesota? I would love to attend your sharpening class. I just can’t seem to get mine to cut like yours
get your local woodcraft to request me
@@RobCosmanWoodworking I’m going there this weekend. I’ll talk to them!
Please let us know if you get to Minnesota. I’m next door in SD and would make the trip to see you.
Would a low angle plane like a 62 work on a shooting board? Thank you.
it does but not my choice. Too light and not enough surface area on the side, 5 1/2 is a better plane and a better choice for the shooting board.
@@RobCosmanWoodworking Thank you.I was assuming the angle was more important for cross grain. Learning here.
Who in the world are the four people who have said no! Nice talk, thanks
How do you avoid shaving down the shooting board ??
shallow rabbet on the side, runs on the sole of the plane below the blade.
I'm confused. If the plane rides against the shooting board upper base then it'll cut into it. If it doesn't, then it's not guaranteed to be perpendicular to the fence. What am I missing?
The plane only rides on the lower edge of the upper base that is proud of the rest because of the rabbet. Remember, the lower edge of the plane base doesn't have plane iron to cut, the base edge (3/16" or so) rides on that proud edge.
Hey Rob 👋 are you still selling your style iron adjuster knob for the old Stanley's? I can't find them on your site. Matt
you mean the adjustars...yes, currently out of stock but coming soon
As always, there is a lot to learn ...
Thank you very much Rob.
Take care of yourself there. :)
I meant shooting board
Hi Rob, have you ever concidered adding a donkeys ear to your shooting boards?
First!
When you said “when students are first learning” I thought you said “when dudes are first learning” 😂
“Dudes” would cover it!
Thanks
No problem
As always great Rob, I love how you learn
1 question, I haven't plane 5 1/2.
Which is better jack plane 5 low angle stanley or plane 6 faithfull for my shooting board? Thanks
Another great video. I clamp the cleat in my face vise. Steadier than just hanging over the front of the bench and simpler than a clamp.
Thats a great technique
This tip, "How to Tell if your Blade is Parallel to the Plane's Sole" is fantastic.
Glad it was useful to you
Hi.
I am wondering why the fence isn’t giving the board support all the way out to the plane in order to avoid chamfering? Thank you so much!!
the chamfer trick is really interesting !!! I was thinking of making a new shooting board , and most sources show plans on how to make the fence movable so it acts as "backer board" to prevent tearout ... this method makes building the shooting board a bit easier and quicker as you can just glue it without having to cut a dado for the fence !!! .... we always learn something from your videos !!
probably just because he's on camera,,, but the use of the feeler gauges...obviously incorrect in a funny way
I think I've decided. This weekend, I'm going to make a shooting board. I'm glad to have this as a resource!
Rob, I just retired and am inspired by your 💜 project and appreciate your methods of teaching in exciting detail, assuming that we know little too nothing. Even for pros, there is always something to learn and I think you force us to slow down, pay attention to detail EARLY in the project today pays off later in quality and time saving. Now, I'm off to the shop to build my first project; a Buddhist shrine for our backyard. Many, many thanks for your teachings.
Fantastic learning experience, many thanks Rob. This covers so many points all of which will help me when I have finished my shooting board. I'm not sure even Paul Sellers has covered all these teaching points and that is something!!
If your fence is slightly out of square, how would you recommend removing it? Since it is glued, I am thinking removing the fence with a scrub plane is my best option. Do you have any other recommendations for removing it without compromising the rest of the shooting board?
My first choice would be to fix it without removing it. I do this with a shoulder plane. You can remove material to bring it into square
I have been watching so many Rob Cosman videos that last night I literally had a dream I drove up to Canadia to attend one of his classes only to discover I forgot to bring my hand planes...
Dont worrey,we would sell you new ones!!!!
Leandro, you ain’t the only guy dreaming of getting up to New Brunswick to take Rob’s class!!!
You have planed a rebate into you shooting board the rebate can clearly be seen this means the plane is able to tilt, it may also now not be square. There should always be an overhang with the work piece. Above all don't attempt to instruct others when your technique is incorrect.
Care to explain your comment further? The rebate is intentional and not done with my plane (don’t correct others with improper facts), and it most definitely is square.
Great video! I've seen many about building a shooting board. I think this is the first I've seen about using one correctly to get the best results. Thank you.
Thanks for watching and commenting
So if your plane bed is not fully square to the side, would you recommend sanding it to square or just use the lateral adjustment to square your cut? Mine is out a few degrees.
Lateral adjustment is fine but a pain to have to always do and remember to “undo”! Plane fix is a better solution.
What keeps the plane from cuting into the side of the surface and the fence
Purpose cut rabbet that runs against the sole of the plane before the blade.
my ever growing collection of shooting boards gets just as much use at my bench as does my Woodriver 5 1/2 if not more. it is an essential piece of kit and has accelerated and advanced my precision tremendously. Thxs Rob.
You gatta love shooting boards
Great video yet again, Rob. The quality of these videos is an amazing aid to learning. Being able to see precisely what to look for when planing to a knife line as demonstrated here (we first saw you do this several months ago, IIRC) has transformed the precision of my woodworking. Also, the audio is a huge help... believe it or not, when I first started using my shooting board a year ago, I learned to “tune” the depth of my cut by the sound of the blade cutting the wood to match the sound your plane made in your videos. There are a lot of great tips in this short video. BTW, I just installed the Adjustar my wife bought me for Christmas on my 5-1/2 plane, and it’s fantastic. Keep it up! You and your crew are transforming home woodworking.
Glad you find our videos helpful. Keep watching
excellent and informative. thank you for taking it back to the basics. it may seem rudimentary to some, but i would bet most people were able to pick up at least a pointer or two. many people have issues working with shooting boards. i cant imagine a more helpful tutorial on the subject.
Thank you for watching
Wouldn't a sacrificial fence help to prevent the tearout when cutting end grain?
Great video on using the shooting board. I never realized there was so much technique involved. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your so many advices Rob and greetings from Italy. 🇮🇹
As per the wax and to avoid mashing up with dust give a try to PTFE lubricant (just a bit... we care of environment). Cheers, Alberto
Hopefully Rob will see this...I've noticed that you don't tend to adjust for backlash when you back the blade off. I'm guessing it's because a sharp blade will not scoot back?
Awesome tutorial! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Im from South Africa and I just Subscribed
I learned something new! Never thought about using my lateral adjustment lever to adjust the plane
I really learned a lot here. Thanks !
Watching again cause I love your teaching n insight
Rob, what wood is your fence? Osage orange?
Thx Rob, again a very well explained and useful tutorial👌
What brand planes are you using? Thanks
WoodRiver, Woodcraft brand
@@RobCosmanWoodworking thank you sir
Clutter, the craftsman's Bane
Thanks so much!
ooohhhh...new shooting board. Nice Rob. Excellent video. Covered all the bases I think.
I hope so
Thanks👌
Thanks for the upload: very useful.
Can you recommend the kind of magnifying lenses you use?
Optivisor
@@RobCosmanWoodworking Thanks!
What is your view in using tallow or mineral oil instead of wax? By the way, your trick to give better grip to the handles of f clamps using hockey tape is the bomb!
Tallow works for lubrication as does mineral oil. I prefer a chunk of wax, easier to carry in your apron
I need to visit so I can spend 2- 3 thousand dollars on the best wood working equipment!, I’m tired of trying to make alright tools “WORK”
Many mock the concept but those that invest recognise the value every time they use them.
Do you think a low angle plane like a LN low angle jack plane is beneficial? Or does the bed angle not end up mattering here?
bed angle does not matter
Rob, what do you think about shooting boards that have the flat part (the mdf on yours) slanted downward front to back when compared to the base (the plywood on yours)? It seems like this would make the angle of attack be a slight skew. I haven't tried it, but I see designs like that out there. It does make building it more complicated, but maybe it is worth it?
A ramped shooting board. IMO, not worth the effort. If you are doing it to spread out the wear on the blade, sharpening is under a minute, not worth the construction time. If you are doing it to skew the cut, not enough angle to make a difference.
I've made your shooting board after following the build video you made, I just wish I could afford a plane.
Just save up, it will come