Over the years, I’ve seen a variety of bench-mounted stops, some designed for planing and some for sawing. One of my favorite designs is this dual-purpose stop that mounts out of the way on the end of a bench to serve for small planing and sawing tasks. To use as a planing stop, rotate either stop so that it projects above the benchtop. To use as saw stops, place the overhanging workpiece against the appropriate stop–one suiting push saws, and the other pull saws. For strength, make the stops from a dense wood, like hard maple or rosewood, and take your time locating and installing the parts so that they rotate correctly into position. For proper tension, place a drop of thread-locking adhesive, such as Loctite®, on the screw that holds each stop, then tighten the screw until the stop rotates easily but without play.
—Andy Rae, Asheville, North Carolina
