Tool Review: Veritas Shooting Board
Chris Gochnour takes a look at Veritas's new shooting board which features an adjustable fence and track
Traditionally, shooting boards were used to trim and fit board ends and miters cut with handsaws. But even boards cut on a tablesaw can benefit on occasion from refinements made using a shooting board.
The Veritas shooting board has a 24-in. track that guides the plane smoothly and precisely during use. The track adjusts from 21⁄32 in. to 21⁄4 in. wide and is coated with low-friction adhesive strips that enable the plane to glide freely.
While the track directs the plane, the adjustable fence registers the board. It can be quickly and easily adjusted and locked at angles from 0° to 60° off of square, with positive detents at eight common angles: 0°, 18°, 22.5°, 25.7°, 30°, 36°, 45°, and 60°. There’s also a microadjust to let you fine-tune the angles. To help prevent blowout, the fence includes a sacrificial movable backer block that can be easily and quickly moved close to the track to support the stock during the cut. The fence and track are secured to a base made of 3⁄4-in.-thick Baltic-birch plywood. A cleat underneath registers against the edge of the bench to hold the base in place.
The shooting board comes in right- and left-hand configurations. For those who prefer to build their own, the fence is available separately for $109 and the 24-in. track for$49.50. A plane is not included. I have wanted an adjustable shooting board for years. Not many have been available, and the vintage models were too expensive for my liking. I’ve already added this one to my bench accessories.
—Contributing editor Chris Gochnour is a hand-tool aficionado.
From Fine Woodworking #279
Comments
How is this a review? You talk about features that can be gathered from the manufacturer's website. How did it perform? Did the plane glide smoothly? Did you find the adjustable fence to be accurate? Was it easy to use and adjust?
If you are going to label an article as a tool review, you should review the tool. Don't just regurgitate the product specs.
imjustabill Absolutely agree. Take a look at the Lee Valley website where you can see a closeup of the shooting board fence. The irony is that the vernier is so accurately engraved in comparison to the primitive, imprecise markings that are in the fence castings.
Indeed this is not a review at all. Gochnour says he wanted an adjustable shooting board for years; why on earth didn't he make one? There are plenty of examples of user-made ones out there, from quick and dirty to complex.
Perhaps he didn't want one too badly and when this one turned up on his doorstep, it was rather like the thing you say when an aged aunt gives you a pair of horrendous socks for Christmas. "Oh, how great, I have wanted a pair like these for years"
Hmmm. Seems that some are not happy with CG's review. Well , I've been using the shooting board and Veritas shooting plane for about one year. The shooting board was easy to set up on arrival. The plane needed a slight hone. The duo work very well on end stock up to about six inches, then things become a bit testy. The adjustment screws tend to slip after a time and the plane gets a bit loose in the track, but that's easily fixed. I spent decades using a dedicated Stanley Bedrock 5 1/2 with a shooting board made from L/N's plans. Worked OK but....when funds became available I splurged and it's very nice to get a spot on 90 degree or any other slope that my work requires. I won't be going back though my old Bedrock is now hooked up to a Stanley 386 jointer that beats the Veritas shooting plane flip. Bottom line, the Veritas shooting plane and shooting board give me better results the first time. I'd buy it again. 5 stars for end grain, 3 stars for jointing.
@Findelarue2 thanks for the review! The quickest and easiest way to joint a board I have found, is to place the stock on another (flat) board of suitable width and use a couple of hold downs to pin it to the bench, then shoot the edge with the plane riding on the bench. This works especially well for thin stock where it becomes difficult to balance a plane when working the edge with the stock held in a vice.
Findelarue2 - Thank you for the review. I'm still playing around with a shooting board I made but was looking forward to hearing how this one panned out.
Would the L-N No. 9 miter plane fit the track? Thank you.
I checked with Veritas service and the guide can be repositioned on the track very easily. The track is aluminum, easy to drill through, and the steel guide already has holes in it.
As other comments stated, that wasn’t a review, it was a description that could be obtained from Veritas’ website. Glad someone posted an actual credible review.
I just received this shooting board and I have to say I am disappointed. Read the description carefully...it really is designed to work only with their shooting plane or shooting sander. A Stanley or WoodRiver plane contacts the aluminum channel. The adjustable steel channel does not have enough adjustment to reach the plane body. The Veritas Low Angle jack plane does clear the aluminum track though the steel channel falls short by about 1/4" from reaching it. If you drill and tap new adjustment holes closer to the plane you gain enough adjustment for the LAJ and Stanley planes. Shaving down the aluminum track with ta file should allow a Stanley style plane to work...Easier to fix than to return. The wood needs a coat of finish if you are so inclined. The board is very heavy and stout
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