{"id":6032,"date":"2019-11-21T16:25:06","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T21:25:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/?p=6032"},"modified":"2020-06-26T23:22:03","modified_gmt":"2020-06-27T03:22:03","slug":"planes-for-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/21\/planes-for-shooting\/","title":{"rendered":"Planes for shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"570\" height=\"361\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5157_edited-2.jpg\" alt=\"Veritas shooting plane\" class=\"wp-image-6034\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5157_edited-2.jpg 570w, https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5157_edited-2-150x95.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Shooting is a gateway skill to precise hand tool woodworking. So get started by shooting with the planes you have.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The basic requirements are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Mass.<\/strong> You want substantial momentum to firmly and steadily carry the blade through the cut after you get it started, especially for end grain shooting.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The side of the plane should be <strong>square<\/strong> to the sole. If you only have a not-so-great plane, use tape to shim the side. I did this with my old Record jack plane when it was the only one I had.&nbsp;[Please see in the Comments section reader Michael&#8217;s germane point and my lengthy reply for more details on the squareness issue.]<\/li><li>It helps a lot to have a comfortable, secure <strong>grip<\/strong> to consistently apply pressure where it is needed. Dedicated shooting planes have this feature.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The blade must be sharp. <strong>Sharp!<\/strong> A dull blade is not only harder to push through the cut, but accuracy will suffer as the plane and the blade itself deviate from a true path.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For end grain shooting:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Best:<\/strong> a dedicated shooting plane.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"570\" height=\"346\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5158_edited-2.jpg\" alt=\"Veritas shooting plane\" class=\"wp-image-6035\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5158_edited-2.jpg 570w, https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5158_edited-2-150x91.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I use the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Veritas shooting plane (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leevalley.com\/en-us\/shop\/tools\/hand-tools\/planes\/70926-veritas-shooting-plane\" target=\"_blank\">Veritas shooting plane<\/a>, and love it. Comfortable and accurate to use, it meets all the requirements above. The adjustable-angle handle properly and comfortably directs pressure, and the <strong>20\u00b0 skew<\/strong> really eases the blade through the cut. The bevel-up design is easy to set up and adjust, and provides excellent support to the blade close to its edge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is it worth spending about $350 dollars on a plane just for shooting? In view of all the other expenses involved in woodworking, yes, it is. (See the first sentence of this post.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lie-nielsen.com\/products\/no-51-shoot-board-plane-?path=joinery-planes&amp;node=4169\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Lie-Nielsen (opens in a new tab)\">Lie-Nielsen<\/a> also makes a great shooting plane, which I have had a chance to use briefly. This massive tool uses a bevel-down design and a skewed, Bedrock-style adjustable frog. Personally, I like the Veritas design and features, but both merit consideration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I use a straight edge blade for end grain shooting \u2013 no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/tag\/plane-iron-camber\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"camber (opens in a new tab)\">camber<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Good:<\/strong> a bevel-up bench plane.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"570\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5160_edited-2.jpg\" alt=\"Veritas jack plane\" class=\"wp-image-6037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5160_edited-2.jpg 570w, https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5160_edited-2-150x112.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leevalley.com\/en-us\/shop\/tools\/hand-tools\/planes\/bevel-up\/49708-veritas-low-angle-jack-plane\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Veritas BU jack plane (opens in a new tab)\">Veritas BU jack plane<\/a> is perhaps the most versatile plane of all, and a good shooter. The BU design gives good blade support, and makes it easy to swap dedicated blades for its varied uses. You can get a decent grip on this plane for shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Adequate:<\/strong> a bevel-down bench plane.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I used a BD jack and jointer for shooting for years. I do not consider these ideal but they can get the job done. Don&#8217;t let anyone tell you that you &#8220;can&#8217;t&#8221; cut end grain with a bevel-down plane. Use a sharp blade, and set the chipbreaker close to the edge to reduce deflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"570\" height=\"373\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5161_edited-2.jpg\" alt=\"bevel-down jointer and jack planes\" class=\"wp-image-6038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5161_edited-2.jpg 570w, https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5161_edited-2-150x98.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Gripping a bevel-down bench plane for shooting may be a bit awkward for some. With the jack, I squish the base of my thumb behind the side hump and plant four fingers on the lever cap. A grippy glove can help. (So then you&#8217;ll have one on <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"both hands (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/11\/three-practical-tips-for-shooting\/\" target=\"_blank\">both hands<\/a>.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For long grain shooting:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Compared to using a plane with the blade on the bottom (the &#8220;regular&#8221; way) this is just a matter of different manual mechanics. The plane is not running in a track as in end grain shooting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, <strong>a BU or BD bench plane is fine<\/strong>, as long as it has decent mass and stability, the side is square to the sole, and you can get a decent grip. And . . . the blade is sharp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like my <strong>Lie-Nielsen #9 &#8220;iron miter plane,&#8221;<\/strong> which I&#8217;ve dedicated to long grain shooting, because its beefy, boxy design makes it stable through the stroke, and it handles exceptionally well with the &#8220;hot dog&#8221; grip. This is a bevel-up design with a 20\u00b0 bed. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/tag\/bevel-up-plane-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Hmm . . . (opens in a new tab)\">Hmm . . .<\/a> ) Unfortunately, I don&#8217;t see it on their website any more. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Veritas (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leevalley.com\/en-us\/shop\/tools\/hand-tools\/planes\/miter\/73208-veritas-miter-plane\" target=\"_blank\">Veritas<\/a> sells a somewhat similar plane.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"570\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5159_edited-2.jpg\" alt=\"Lie-Nielsen #9\" class=\"wp-image-6036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5159_edited-2.jpg 570w, https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IMG_5159_edited-2-150x101.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I keep the #9 set up with a straight edge blade, mostly because it is easier to maintain and works well for the thin stock that I&#8217;m usually using when long grain shooting. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/30\/plane-iron-camber-part-1-three-guidelines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"mild camber, such as for a jointer plane (opens in a new tab)\">mild camber, such as for a jointer plane<\/a>, is also a good option, especially if you will be long grain shooting thicker stock, or if you are also using the same plane and blade for general tasks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shooting is a gateway skill to precise hand tool woodworking. So get started by shooting with the planes you have.&nbsp; The basic requirements are: Mass. You want substantial momentum to firmly and steadily carry the blade through the cut after you get it started, especially for end grain shooting.&nbsp; The side of the plane should [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,6],"tags":[42],"class_list":["post-6032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jigs-and-fixtures","category-techniques","category-tools-and-shop","tag-shooting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6032","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6032"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6136,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6032\/revisions\/6136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}