The miter jack is a versatile tool designed for precision joinery. Its jaws and base are coplanar, allowing workpieces to be held securely for accurate planing, paring, or sawing of square and mitered surfaces, shoulders, and moldings. The jack is reversible, with jaws positioned at 90 degrees on one side and 45 degrees when flipped. Although it functions similarly to a shooting board, it offers greater capacity and allows the workpiece to be approached from multiple directions and angles while planes are used in their normal, upright position. Tenons can also be pared on both sides in a single setup for a precise fit. Students will build a miter jack based on those manufactured by La Forge Royale in France during the early 1900’s. Metal hardware will be provided by Benchcrafted. The class will begin by gluing stock together to create the thick jaws and machining the base. Once assembled, the base will feature an inverted T-shaped slot that holds the jaw retainers in place. Splines will be added across the ends for reinforcement. The jaw blocks will then be squared and separated into individual jaws. A milling machine may be used to square the large blocks and complete other portions of the project. Students will cut dados into the base and jaws, key the jaws to the base, and fit them for smooth operation. The nut block will be secured to the base with a double mortise-and-tenon joint and tapped for the wooden screw. The screw will then be attached to the moving jaw with the included brass garter. Students will work with a partner to complete portions of the jaw construction while the blocks are still square. After the jaws are cut individually at 45 degrees, each student will continue working independently. Next, students will create the mounting bracket, whose various pockets and surfaces will provide an interesting challenge. Once assembly is complete, the jaws and base will be carefully hand planed to achieve precise angles on both sides.

Daniel Schwank has been woodworking for over 30 years, with a keen interest in period furniture making and methods of work. Daniel started making period tools, which led to the founding of Red Rose Reproductions in 2014, which focused initially on molding planes. Since 2017, it has been his full-time vocation, and the tool offerings have expanded to an extensive array of hand tools for woodworkers wanting to explore traditional woodworking techniques. He has been teaching tool-making classes at Marc Adams School of Woodworking since 2025.