A traditional letterpress tool used in conjunction with a mallet to lock up a form. The typesetter places the notched end of the shooting stick against a wooden quoin and strikes the other end to wedge the quoin tightly between the furniture and the chase. Metal versions eventually replaced wooden ones for durability.
Tap that top quoin with the shooting stick to make sure the form is completely locked up before we lift it.
Related terms
Quoin
An expandable wedge used to lock metal type securely inside a chase.
Chase
A heavy steel or iron frame used to hold metal type and blocks securely together for printing.
Furniture
Blocks of wood or metal used to fill blank spaces in a chase and establish page margins.
Sidestick
A wedge-shaped strip of wood or metal placed along the side of a type page.