For extra grip while planing, against a stop, woodworkers have traditionally used toothed, metal hardware that bites into a board’s end grain. Conventional stops are either metal versions mortised into the benchtop and flipped up when needed or blacksmith-made accessories that are driven into a wooden stop. Both work, but neither is particularly versatile or accessible. The BT&C stop addresses both issues.

This stop has a sharp, scalloped edge cut into a thin steel plate that can be screwed down. I tested it with boards 4 in. to 12 in. wide and with different degrees of twist. The teeth bit deeply and securely into wood, making their grip as effective as any I’ve used. I tested the mild steel version; BT&C also has a hardened model. I had no issues with the teeth dulling. The three countersunk holes allow it to be affixed almost anywhere and easily moved. I screwed it to the top of a benchdog, a block mortised into my bench, and a board screwed to the end of my bench, and all worked well. Just be mindful when screwing into end grain, as the screws can work loose. However, mine didn’t fail even after hours of use.

—Bill Pavlak is the supervisor at the Anthony Hay Cabinet Shop at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

From Fine Woodworking #275

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