First, some sort of explanation for what I’m talking about.
A “shooting board plane” is a type of hand plane used in woodworking. It’s specifically designed for use with a shooting board, which is a jig or fixture used to accurately trim or square the edge of a piece of wood.
The shooting board plane typically has a low-angle blade, often skewed at an angle, which allows it to slice through end grain cleanly and accurately. It’s used by woodworkers to achieve precise, square edges on boards or to trim joinery for a tight fit. The shooting board plane, in combination with the shooting board, enables woodworkers to achieve precise cuts that are difficult to achieve with other tools.
You can use a normal plane (generally a low angle one) with a shooting board, but it could be awkward holding it.
This is the shooting plane I picked up of eBay several years ago.
The metal sole & side (one piece) is cast bronze that has been machined smooth and then been nickel plated. There are a couple of spots where the plating has worn off.
The handle is supposedly Australian Red Cedar – but I haven’t been game to sand part of it to confirm.
Holding the handle onto the sole & side is a screw at each end.
The blade is low angled (8 degrees), bevel up & skewed coming out at the side of the plane. An old metal file has been used for the blade.
The plane weighs a hefty 1.3 kg.
Here are a few more views of my plane.
I haven’t tried using this plane, but am tempted to make a shooting board to suit it. The handle could have been at more of an angle because it’s a bit tight to get fingers around.
As a final word – this plane seems too well made to be a one-off but lack of any manufacturers identification makes you wonder.