Router Table as shooting board ?

[Bob]

I have recently taken interest in doing some box making and I am trying to gather as much information as possible to be sure I have the necessary tooling to go in this direction.

Miter ends are really nice on boxes and I have been digging around on how to make the joints really flush and seamless. It appears that a shooting board has been the tool of choice for this task, but I know little about shooting boards. I have the Oak-Park router table and all the fences in addition to their miter jig. I was wondering if end grain clean up on miter joints could be achieved equally as well using the router as using a shooting board. It seems like it would be one less tool to have to keep up with in the shop if I could just use what I already have and not have to add something else.

Any opinions, suggestions or even pictures on a set up to do this would be much appreciated.

[bobj3]

Hi Bob

"shooting board" , a very old tool (Roy Underhill type tool) and been used a long time the norn is for picture frames I had one that was a tank so to speak, it was about 3 ft. long and about 2ft. wide made of cast iron (125lbs.) but it would put a clean cut on any type of wood, but I sold it off when I found a new way to do the same thing on the router table with a Lock Mite Bit.
They make two ,one for 3/8" to 5/8" and one for 5/8" to 1 1/8" thick stock, I have both and they are neat bits,they also make them for 22 1/2 deg. and the 45 deg. ends.
The only hard part about the bits is the setup BUT Marc Sommerfeld made a tool to set them up quck and easy without making any firewood.

If you want a link or two for the best price I found for them just ask and I will post them.
Note*** the shooting board will only take off about .005 thick cut so to say you need to precut all the stock and that can be a pain if it's not done right.
But the router bit will do it all in a pass or two but the norm is one pass.

I should note that many picture frame shops still use them but in a newer type.
http://www.amgron.clara.net/planingp.../rampindex.htm
http://www.whitemountdesign.com/ShootingBoard.htm
http://www.amgron.clara.net/planingp...teingindex.htm
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http://cgi.ebay.com/1-pc-1-2-Shank-2...QQcmdZViewItem
Best buy below for the full set. ▼
http://cgi.ebay.com/3pc-45-Lock-Glue...QQcmdZViewItem
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Small one below
http://www.grizzly.com/products/c1712
http://www.grizzly.com/products/C1331
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Link to Marc Sommerfeld magic setup up tool,it will setup the full set of locking bits in the 2nd eBay item listed above.
http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/item.asp?n=EZSET&f=1
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Bj

[Joe Lyddon]

Bob,

Where is the router used there?

[bobj3]

Hi Joe

Not to sure what you mean BUT if one use the router table as shooting board all it would take is a jig to hold the stock at a 45 deg. and use a shear trim router bit and offset the out feed of the fence by .001 but it would be tricky setup at best.
The jig would need to be dead on and the fence as well.

The shooting board removes a paper thin part from the End grain and it's smooooth and clean as whistle with no rip out the norm, just like using a hand plane on stock with the grain.

Bj

[Joe Lyddon]

Just funnin with you Bob...

I thought he was wanting to do the same thing but on a router table top...

[Woodnut65]

Hi Bob: If you want to make 45 degree angles on the sides of boxes, using the router table, it could be done with a 45 degree chamfer bit. It could also be done with the miter slide unit that Oak-Park sells for dove tail joints, using the pin fence it the 45 Degree position, with a straight bit. Woodnut65

[Bob]

I reckon in order to get a good answer, I should have asked a better question, but I think Woodnut may have had the magic to read between my lines. Pretty bad when one isn't knowledgable enough on a project to even ask a proper question

Let me attempt to rephrase my intended goal. I was thinking of cutting mitered ends with a miter saw or some other wood butchering machine and then cleaning the ends with a shooting board, but wanted to use the router to do so instead. From what was posted, it appears that I should cut the miters on the router table itself thus eliminating not only the need of a shooting board but the saw as well. Is this the correct assumption on the best approach?

Great information and links otherwise Bj.

[bobj3]

Hi Bob

You are correct do the job on the router table BUT use the Lock Miter Bit it will but on the 45 and put in a key to lock the joint.
That's always the hard part when do 45 deg. joints to get them to line up true without a over hang on one or the other part.

Bj

[Bob]

Thanks Bj..... I think I'll get one of these on order right away. This is going to be fun after I defeat the learning curve.

[bobj3]

Hi Bob

Sounds like a winner, if you get one from the guy on eBay you should see it in 3 days or less, he ships FAST ! but go the extra mile and get the set you will be glad you did

Ya I know it's more than you want to spend BUT you are saving over 50% on the bits.
Check the going price on MLCS or Grizzly or WhiteSide or CMT it will blow your mind what they get for them.
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shops...routerbit.html
http://grizzly.com/
http://woodworkersworld.net/router_bits.shtml
http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/dept.asp?d=1

Bj