Why your Shooting Board won't work | and how to fix it!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Check out Rob's Shooting Board playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PLqUOljnY0d9fw2gCf5bXc7nqEQMX7O2NY&si=pfw8NMUKlpSVfsUF

[@jimdoe1694]

Holy Hair Cut Rob! It's been a while and I need to catch up.

[@MostlyIC]

Awesome !!!, I'm mostly a metal shop machinist, but when I have to work on wood I prefer all hand tools, one of the reasons I subscribed to your channel 🙂 !!! I am also contemplating a 45-deg mitering shooting board for making miter jointed boxes, as in your other video "vertical miter shooting board" So the question is, would you be interested in adding such a shooting board to your website offerings (I only see the other kind of 45-deg miter in your website, the kind for making picture frames) ?

[@StumpyNubs]

An unpaid endorsement: I have all of Cosman's shooting boards. They are worth every penny. I know a lot of folks make their own, and I applaud that. But making one of true quality is a more complicated task than a lot of people realize. If it's in your budget, buy one from someone who knows what he's doing (Like Rob), and spend your time using it instead of making it. Just my take :)

[@victoryak86]

Yours and Rob’s are definitely 2 of the very best woodworking channels. I watch most anything you guys put out there.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thanks Jim!

[@jimmietsmith3125]

I watch both of you and I appreciate this comment as I am considering getting a shooting board as my attempts at making one has been a failure.

[@bertaboy]

All of them? Well, that's just being selfish. I would leave at least two, maybe even three, for your viewers to purchase using an affiliate link that they click on by accident when trying to get to mywoodcutters 😉

[@SoundsToBlowYourMind]

Lots of great tips as always Rob, thanks! One idea I came up with for problem number 4: If your plane has sides that are out of square, so the sole of the plane isn't plumb when the plane is on it's side, what you could do, instead of adjusting the angle of your blade, you could glue on a thin wood shim on top of the mdf surface that the plane sits on, but first plane the shim so that it's slightly thicker at one edge than the other to compensate for your plane sides being out of square! So instead of the plane sitting directly on the mdf, it's now sitting on the tapered wood shim, which tilts the plane left of right to get the sole at 90 degrees to the shooting board! If you use a really hard wearing wood that is also quite oily / slippery, such as Bubinga or African Blackwood, then you will also reduce the amount of friction between the plane and the shooting board in comparison to pushing it along the mdf surface. You could also plane it with a slight dip in the middle (from edge to edge) so the plane only touches at two points and you could even plane it with a hump in the middle (from end to end) instead of making the whole shooting board convex, only the shim that the plane runs along would need to be convex.

[@heystarfish100]

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Square Lumber. Thanks for all you do Rob.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Pie are square....right?

[@mightymorka]

Hey Rob, you have no idea how this video has helped me! I have made my shooting (couple of years back) board and have never got good results and this kind of deflated me after all the effort I had put into it. It was only after I saw this video that everything kind of made sense and where I was going wrong. The number one takeaway for me was to work on the side (I make a pencil tick) that is has the straight cut and keep checking this over with the square. Added with all the gems that you put in this video I was able to get great results, as a matter a fact when I put the square over the edge there is no light appearing under it and before that I was kind of chasing my tail. Hallelujah, thank you, Rob!!!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

So glad we were able to assist you

[@DavidDryer-ue3wx]

I’ve been watching your videos for a few years now. Finally took your advice and made a shooting board. I needed a perfectly square piece for the bottom of a small box I was building. Wow, it was so easy with the shooting board. Now to get one made for miters.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

shooting boards are great

[@benjaminadair9548]

I live on the South Texas Coast with extremely high humidity i have to put a strip of wood underneath cross ways and a 5lb box of screws on both ends to keep a slight bow in my shooting board all the time. Once again thanks again for all the information ,great videos along with the work you do wit our veterans.

[@jeffbourne6015]

Extremely comprehensive video detailing how to resolve 6 potential problems when using or making a shooting board. Clear advice and explanations on how to use this simple but most important piece of kit to achieve accurate work was provided.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thnaks for watching and commenting

[@michaelhaywood3106]

I made one following your instructions and it works perfectly. Thank you, Rob!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Good to hear

[@VinceEspositoJr]

Excellent video, Rob. Having finally embraced this tool, I still occasionally find myself tipping the plane toward the work perhaps in anticipation of making contact with the piece.When you finally put it all together, the sound of that plane slicing through the wood is very satisfying.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Its music to the ears

[@VinceEspositoJr]

@@RobCosmanWoodworkingDo you have any vids on miter sleds? I have not seen one, although I suppose I can adapt your small cross cut sled. I'm looking for something to cut miters on small boxes and molding before I head to the shooting board. Thank you.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnXLi4uFe7eNpqc

[@Ron-FabandBuild]

Always love the information you have passed on to the rest of us. Have been a follower for years. Thanks again Rob.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Keep watching and commenting and we will keep filming

[@Ron-FabandBuild]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking Always.

[@dkbuilds]

Great video Rob! Love the grip idea. I wonder if you could use a CNC to carve the hand-shaped part out of wood and attach it to the aluminum base. Or you could sell just the base aluminum and allow people to carve their own hand shape as a kit (which could attach to the base with screws or something).

[@davidmontgomery1016]

I watched your sharpening video (multiple times) then tried it. After a few retries and rewatches I got it right. Then I saw your shooting board build video. I built one the with that slight bow in the middle and worked real hard to make sure it was square. I have to say, the sharp plane with a good shooting board are not only fun to use but the results are incredible. Boxes work out so much better when the ends are square. Enjoy your channel and learn a lot. Thanks

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Take a look at my vertical miter shooting board. Works great for boxes

[@TheAturner1971]

That's the very best innovation I've seen and I have been watching tons of products that shooting grip is an amazing idea.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Its on our website for purchase....

[@Mikey__R]

One of the nice things about owning a specialist shooting board plane, is you don't have to keep setting it up for the shooting board. I bought the Veritas shooting plane after using one at a Chris Schwarz class years ago, and based the design of the shooting board off of the one they had at the school. I'm very happy with it - the pleasure of using a well built tool will last far longer than the sticker shock buying it!

[@AlexDiesTrying]

5:56 Wow, that's a keeper. Thank you.

[@michaelallenyarbrough9503]

Thank you for the video Mr. Cosman. I’ve had a ton of frustration trying to shoot miters in 1.75 inch thick pieces of walnut for a picture frame. I’ve addressed all these issues and more, and my plane would nearly always skips across the surface completely or take out just a little bite. (I’ve used a shooting board for 2 years and have some experience.) Mitering softer woods on the other hand takes seconds. I’ve given up and chosen redwood instead, and I’m nearly done after a few hours. My hunch is that there is some source of vibration or flex. When I feel up to it next time, I’ll check the flatness of the bed the plane rides on - the toughness of the walnut could push the plane into any wrinkle. I need to explore how to make sure my frog is flush - I’m not experienced with this and couldn’t determine this confidently. Could be something with the chip breaker. Or, if anyone here has knowledge, is it particularly difficult to miter walnut and hard woods, and on thick pieces, 1.75 inches? Here’s to chasing down that imperceptible flex and the photons through our joints!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Well that is a think piece of wood but you should be able to go through it with a sharp blade and vey minimal balde projection. Also I would use your biggest plane,preferabbly a #7 or #8 that has lots of mas to help you go through that big hunk of wood.

[@MechanicalMind7]

I built one of these a while back and works well. A tip for gluing the fence to the board - you can dot a few drops of super/CA glue on the fence next to the wood glue before pressing in place. The super glue will grab almost immediately so you can clamp or screw the fence down without shifting from square, and the wood glue will dry over time to make it more permanent. Also handy for gluing on any small pieces where clamping can be tricky.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yes I should have mentions that. The CA glue with the PVA glue is a good trick

[@stevenkingma9228]

Love the plane grip. One of the best purchase I've made. I drilled all my plane's to use it on...

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Great to hear!

[@daveengstrom9250]

Good video. A little FYI for you: Osage Orange is a preferred wood for making long bows for us archery hunters.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Cool....I had always hear Yew was what you guys liked

[@ashgiles4401]

Great video Rob as always. We are so lucky we have you sharing the master skills from Allen Peter's and yourself. Still waiting for an idea on marking dovetails on the tailboard using a moxon vice. Cheers and thankyou

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Its in the works...it takes time we have many irons in the fire

[@glencrandall7051]

An excellent explanation of the workings of the shooting board. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

same to you

[@dougdavidson175]

Thanks Rob. Take care & stay safe.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thnaks

[@TonKuipers134]

Thx Rob, good video👍

[@LivingTheLifeRetired]

I didn’t even know what a shooting board was until this video popped up. Great, something else I need that I didn’t know I needed. Thanks.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

A must have hand tool jig

[@soofihasan]

Thanks Rob, as always valuable knowledge that helps us better the craft. God bless

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

same to ya

[@designsanddimentions]

Thanks Rob. Super informative video. Now I'm confident will sort out why my shooting board not working 👍❤️

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

good to hear

[@TheAturner1971]

Mine is because I have to build it still. Jus got my crosscut sled tuned up pretty darn square. And I have to get a set of cabinet carcasses built before I start building fine furniture but I am on the way!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

What method did you use to square your sled?

[@Matt-nv2qg]

So that's where I went wrong, used Willie Nelson instead of CCR when gluing... Thanks Rob!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Arggggg!!!! Mavericks also work well

[@remyvallieres6428]

Again so useful video! Thanx Rob for all the detailed explanations you give us!!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

thanks for watching

[@timviering9559]

Always fantastic instructions. I wish I was able to take your class.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

We always release next years class in November

[@robohippy]

Some one said that it takes about 5 years to learn how to use the hand planes. I thought I might get lucky because hand skills come easy to me. Not in this case.... My biggest hurdle at present is getting the blade square to the sole of the plane. Just eyeballing it doesn't seem to work well for me. I do have one plane where some one notched a line in it for square, but the line is rather wide, and that can make a big difference. At present, what works best for me is to get a wider board, like 2 or more inches and take a tiny shaving off of one side and then the other. That seems to get me pretty close. I can generally eyeball the shavings and at present, that is 'close enough'. I did try with calipers for a bit, but it was just a bit too much. I do have to shave down the middle once or twice to get a full width shaving and then try again. Once I can take a full width shaving and it feathers well to the edges, I figure I am good. Like my Kung Fu teacher said, "10000 more times". But teacher, that is what you said last time. "Well then, 10000 more times!"

[@MikeAG333]

It really is a lot easier than you'd think. Place a board in the vice, with an edge up. Plane along the edge of the board keeping the middle of the blade over the work, and adjust the blade in or out as necessary. Then, take a shaving using the near edge of the blade, then a shaving using the far edge. These shavings should be the same. If they're not, push the lateral adjusting lever a little towards the side which is taking the most off, and try again, and again, until the shavings are the same for both edges. This should be your routine every time you sharpen your plane iron, and it doesn't take a second.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I would have to disagree with you. In our one week class folks who have never used a plane come out of that class being able to sharpen, set the blade, properly plane, six square a board by hand. it is all about getting quality instruction. This is where in-person instruction trumps video or books

[@robohippy]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking Rob, that is a some times yes, and some times no for me. For sure, having good hands on mentoring is a huge help.. I have taught many people to turn. The thing is they still need to go home and practice, and as an instructor, you hope they can remember at least half of what you tried to teach them in the class. Then they need to return so you can see how much they remembered, and how much they practiced. I learned to turn before You Tube. We did have a local club start up, and that was a huge leap in my learning. I have watched countless videos about using hand planes, both eastern and western, and things are fairly similar. What does not seem to be out there are a bunch of beginner exercises. With jigs, sharpening is the easy part. Learning to figure out what is wrong with the board just by the feel of it as you are hand plane it requires experience. I need a lot more time with it..... Unfortunately, I can't spend days in a row with it, only a few days a week. Too many other things to do....

[@MostlyIC]

Awesome !!!, I'm mostly a metal shop machinist, but when I have to work on wood I prefer all hand tools, one of the reasons I subscribed to your channel 🙂 !!! I am also contemplating a 45-deg mitering shooting board for making miter jointed boxes, as in your other video "vertical miter shooting board". So the question is, would you be interested in adding such a shooting board to your website offerings (I only see the other kind of 45-deg miter in your website, the kind for making picture frames) ?

[@darrensmall4313]

Great tips. Thank you for the video.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

You are so welcome!

[@michaelmccann3012]

Good Day Rob! Not a very experienced woodworker but I do have a question about squaring the board. At 18:07, you mention that if you had to square the "hook" (the Osage Orange piece) the other way that you would plane a little at the close end and lift, repeating and extending the distance each time as you go until you get through the entire length. Wouldn't it be easier to just reverse the board and do exactly what you did to the first way? Then there wouldn't be any chance of the "skin tag."

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

You could if grain direction allows. I find it easier to work what is more natural for a right handed person.

[@michaelmccann3012]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking thanks for the clarification!

[@dbarpuck]

Random question, not sure if you have said it before but ive watched a lot of your content, love it and love your teaching methods, have you ever made a guitar??

[@budm9982]

Excellent instructional technique, Rob. Not only is this great in explaining the shooting board but there are so many tips to pick up on using a hand plane. Nicely done! One question: which plane was it that you used with the shooting board in this video? I'm not sure if you mentioned that. If you did and I missed it, I apologize.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Woodriver 5 1/2

[@dale1956ties]

Yay!!! A new RC video!! Is that a new grip? I just checked the web site and don't see that version there.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Its the same grip thats on our site but with out new cover (its not glued on like I said in the video - a slip of the tongue) that silicone cover will be up on the site in a few days

[@dale1956ties]

@@RobCosmanWoodworkingThanks Rob. Excellent video BTW. Good info as always.

[@jasonbrooks8521]

I think the biggest problem I have now (after watching this video, thank you Rob) is the effect of crud like small shavings. Cleanliness is key...

[@raw123yt]

Lots of valuable info, thanks

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glad it was helpful!

[@charlesgarrison9724]

What magnifier do you use? What magnification are they also? Im trying to find a nice set to try.

[@ianpearse4480]

Great video yet again.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glad you liked it

[@david25876]

Good tips

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glad you think so!

[@fosho1029]

So I have a question about the creating the cupping when gluing together the shooting board, 5 pieces of masking tape in the middle, couple inches to each side goes 3 pieces, a couple inches more 1 piece, maybe increase each by 1. but just to make sure I'm thinking of this right, those pieces of tape are going on the bottom of the mdf which pressed against a plum work bench top and then the baltic burch is glued atop the mdf and its all clamped down hard against the bench top?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

You are correct. Watch the video linked in the description and end screen which walks you through how to build one

[@fosho1029]

Thank you very much sir@@RobCosmanWoodworking

[@williamhanna5224]

Excellent !

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Many thanks!

[@brownboy6844]

are the feet on your benches 16 7/8ths wide ? also is the base 3/4 ply or 1 inch

[@bobmeister9]

The sides of my WR 5 1/2 aren't square to the sole, but by the time I noticed, it was way too late to return. A strip of blue tape along the part of the shooting board where the plane rides was enough to square it back up.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Thats a great solution. I will keep that in mind

[@mrfirestop415]

Wouldn't have mattered if you returned it, 6 out of 6 of the newer V3 WR planes I've bought had sides not square to the sole. That's the trade-off for saving money on Chinesium. Luckily the rest of the plane is OK once you replace the junk blade with a quality steel.

[@jimweisgram9185]

​​@@mrfirestop415that's not a good sign. I hope they can get that production / quality control problem fast. I wonder which is cheaper? Have a machinist true it up or get a Lie Nielsen instead of a Woodriver?

[@BinManSays87]

Nice plane/grip man I'm still a fan of my record T5 but it's about time someone modernised the idea they tried selling to schools many moons ago

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

T5 is nice....but the grip is nicer

[@מעייןהמלבלבתחייםםםם]

Thanks!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

You bet!

[@ragcell]

One comment / suggestion I have is small 'stuff' interfering with wood from riding tightly against the fence. As such, I create a small chamfer at the base of the fence, just as I did with my table saw sled.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yes that works well. I just make sure there is no debris in the corner before I use it

[@SRG216]

When making a shooting board, does it tend to bow because the glue shrinks as it dries? If so, do you think using epoxy would midigate thie issue?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I’m sure the glue line is the culprit but I can’t explain why.

[@paulcoy7292]

Hi Rob, I'm interested in upping my game. Will you recommend my first plane? Thanks

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Easy...5-1/2 bedrock style (Lie Nielsen or a WoodRiver).

[@paulcoy7292]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking thank you!

[@dpmeyer4867]

Thanks

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

you are so welcomed

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

Problem 4- insetting brass strip in the slide part of the shooting board (both bottom and side), and then milling this flat and square in the milling machine gives both low friction and reliable accuracy. #5 mounting the support on a metal frame with adjusting set screws allows perfect alignment to be achieved. The support can also be moved sideways, so that it can be used to prevent tear-out- when worn just move slightly to get a new end. #6 Not hard to arrange a sprung side pressure fixture. Allows user to concentrate on the cut.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

very interesting

[@timviering9559]

I would be really interested. How long are the classes? Days or a week?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

6 days, 7:30am to 10pm each day, no slacking!

[@harindergill7221]

Excellent tips, thanks. Stay Blessed

[@JamesLaing-mz2rx]

Rob. Do you think that your cambered blade makes any appreciable difference to the squareness of the cut?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Actually I think a cambered blade makes it harder to get a square cut. This is a age old debate cambered blades vs straight blades

[@MichaelAndersonakaBear]

What plane do you use for the shooting board?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I prefer the 5-1/2

[@Mark-jd1fr]

I use as often for the long grain edge. Slightly different technique keeping a sliding pressure with the wood.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Same here. I do the long graieb edge too.

[@robhunt9055]

Hi Rob, is it the camera angle, or do you have a very small set back between the end of the fence and the plane blade? And if so how much? I have watched your video on building a shooting board, but I didn't notice it covered? Kind regards Rob 🇳🇿

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yes we do. The fence DOES NOT go all the way to the blade. That works the very first time but as soon as you shoot your first time you plane off the end of the fence. Nullifying why you put the fence all the way to the blade. As I explained in the video the better way to prevent blow out of the wood you are shooting is with my chamfer method. See problem #3 in the video

[@seanjoynt2605]

I really only see you do end grain. Is there anytime you do long grain with thinner stock? I have seen other videos of guys joining wood for gutar tops. Would there be any situation where you might do something thin like that?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Yes I do, and I have several videos where I do that, especially when I make boxes or dovetails

[@OlDirtyBandit]

Wasn’t expecting a CCR reference when I clicked on this video but I sure got it

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Got to love CCR

[@MikeAG333]

You missed one of the major problems. Pushing the plane backwards and forwards over a restricted track for months and years will wear down the lower board, particularly in the area adjacent to the stop. Every so often I use a home-made depth gauge (a screw through a batten) to check that the two boards are co-planar. If they're not, I plane down the lower board with a number 10 rebate plate.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Very good tip, thanks

[@J.A.Smith2397]

I couldn't cut but so far , my plane was dull... lol took me a while to figure out cause I didn't think it was that long since last sharpening...

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Not having a sharp plane blade is about 80% of every problem

[@Rick-mp9zj]

All the guys at my local woodcraft store are excited you’ve gotten haircut. Bunch of old timers. Love the info though!

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glad I cut my hair too

[@cameronalexander359]

Lol

[@tintansigloXXI]

Pueden mandarme dos a México???

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

We ship world wide.

[@jimweisgram9185]

I don't understand the reason the shooting board might cup. Where is that tension coming from?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Glue line.

[@jimweisgram9185]

Have you (Rob) or anyone here considered HDF instead of MDF?

[@skwalka6372]

Testing...

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

receiving you

[@BakerVS]

One piece of wisdom I've come across: If you're wondering whether you need to sharpen, then you need to sharpen.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

Luther says that all the time....sage advice

[@hermit84]

Couldn't you just take a thicker MDF board and mill a rabbet to one side instead of glueing to boards on top of each other? This would prob. prevent the board from cupping?!?

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

The inner core of MDF is very soft compared to the outside surfaces. As a result it would be a very poor running surface for the plane and wouldn’t last very long.

[@hermit84]

@@RobCosmanWoodworking Aha, thanks!!

[@arthurmccutchan7000]

Th

[@arthurmccutchan7000]

Thank you

[@billbucktube]

I shot my shooting board... I misunderstood the name. Thought it was a target.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

that works too!

[@JohnPatersonAu]

Why won't my shooting board work? Wait... I don't have a shooting board! 😯

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

and there you go....!!!!!

[@GarageShopWoodworking]

Making one first helps, of course buying from Rob also helps

[@CorbyQ]

I miss the hair.

[@RobCosmanWoodworking]

I dont