Donkey Ear Shooting Board
Brian Cargnelli
>Evening everyone
So I finally got around to building one of these for some boxes that I am building. Problem was that the angle was slightly off once I got it all built. Maybe 1/10 of a degree, but enough to really bother the final fit. Well I left the thing for the last day as I tried to figure out how to fix the problem. I came up with all sorts of complicated ways including trashing the one that I had built and starting again. Final solution, I added a small piece of painters tape to the slanted part of the shooting board so that the top of the piece being planed is slightly tilted downward. Viola, a perfect fit. I had contemplated all sorts of solutions, but the acronym KISS (keep it simple stupid) kept running through my mind. Sometimes the final solutions to our most troubling problems are the simplest.
Does the final shooting board look great, not really. Made it out of MDF since it was cheap and available. Does it work for the job I want it to do yes. I'll post some pictures if anyone wants to see what I did. I am sure that there will be those that will like my solution, others that don't. But in the end, I think that I have a shooting board that works and that's what is important isn't it.
My point? Simple solutions are to be had for most things. I think that we sometimes over complicate things. As I was reading the Jan. issue of Pop Woodworking and especially Chris's remarks in the opening article, I really think that he has hit the nail on the proverbial head. Simple solutions to simple problems using hand tools. And the joy of woodworking is the most paramount reason we do what we do.
Take care and have a good safe woodworking Holiday Season.
Brian in Meritt BC