Shooting Board Version 2

2012.01.14

Eventually the fence went out of alignment on my shooting board.  I had not really provided for a way to adjust it.  So I decided to build a new one.  This time, I did not bother with a ramp.

The new shooting board is mostly 3/4 MDF, but I added a cherry strip for the edge that the plane will ride along.  I drilled and then screwed in two brass threaded inserts.  These along with a couple 10–24 brass bolts will hold the fence and allow it to be adjustable.

I reused the fence from the old shooting board.  I drilled the holes oversize, so there would be some room to move the fence around to adjust for square, then tighten the brass bolts to lock it in position.

2012.05.13

At least that was the theory.  But in practice, I made the fence too adjustable.  It was constantly slipping out of square any time I bumped it with the plane, or just looked at it funny.  A quick mallet tap or two would bring it back in line, but I had to remember to check every time I used it, or risk messing up my work pieces.

So I finally added a wedge behind the fence.  If I were to build another one, I would only make one bolt hole oversize, leaving the other as a fixed pivot point.