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| The
jig, a wooden grip, slides on and off the plane as needed. |
I like my shooting board, particularly its accuracy and ease
of use. But if you've used a regular bench plane on a shooting
board, chances are you've suffered the discomfort of holding
the plane in the necessary "death grip". This is why
my eyes lit up when I saw the addition the late Alan Peters,
English furniture designer and maker, had made to his jointer
plane: an improved and comfortable wooden grip that simply slipped
on and off the plane as required. I had to make one for myself.
The
first step was to make a sandwich of wood that would slip over
the side of the plane. The dimensions can vary quite a bit.
Mine seemed to naturally gravitate to somewhere between 5"
and 7" long, 1" thick and 1-1/2" to 1-3/4"
tall. Larger hands will appreciate the larger size. I used short
scraps from my offcuts box, but if you're milling up stock specifically
for the job, prepare enough for at least a couple of attempts.
Chances are you'll want to experiment, and having spares is
never a bad idea.
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Drawing outline onto filling |
By
the nature of their manufacture, the thickness of the side walls
varies among planes, so measure your designated shooting plane
and make the filling of the sandwich to fit. It's a good idea
to make it slightly fat and plane to fit later in the process.
Draw around your plane onto the filling and cut it out with
your saw of choice; it doesn't have to be perfect, just close
enough.
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