Shavehorse Finished

[ken hatch]

Other than maybe a little Tung oil the shavehorse is finished and works a treat. I may need to remake the swing arm after some use, it works fine but I do not trust the Honey Locust to not split out and I had rather make a new one in the shop vs. on the road.
The finished shavehorse:

shavehorseFinishedA.jpg

Rear view:

shavehorseFinishedB.jpg

Platform and dumb head:

shavehorseFinishedC.jpg

The metal rod is the swing arm pivot pin.

If you do chairs, spindles, spoons, or just like to turn bigger hunks of wood into smaller hunks a shavehouse is a good tool to have. If I had been working with a better wood instead of trying to rid the wood pile of future firewood it would have been an easy, quick build and most important it will break down and store in a corner with the portable Moravian workbench.

One last thought, I've used twin swing arms and now this dumb head with a fixed platform, first impression is the dumb head is an easier build and a better system.

ken

[John Keeton]

Well done, Ken!! Functional and handsome - the two attributes of a successful build.

[ken hatch]

Well done, Ken!! Functional and handsome - the two attributes of a successful build.

Thanks John,

Because of the wood used (and failings on my part) there are some mistakes in the build but none should be fatal except maybe the swing arm/dumbhead. I expect a new swing arm will be made before we leave for the Summer in Oregon.

ken

[Phil Mueller]

Congrats Ken. You’ll have a good amount of time to work with it before the summer trip. I’m sensing a good amount of shavings and smaller scrap pile will work out any bugs.

Figure out a way to strap this baby on and you’ll be shaving for hours....

16AB72F1-5555-4680-A4D7-E5395F6AA2FD.jpeg

[ken hatch]

Congrats Ken. You’ll have a good amount of time to work with it before the summer trip. I’m sensing a good amount of shavings and smaller scrap pile will work out any bugs.

Figure out a way to strap this baby on and you’ll be shaving for hours....

Phil,

Too funny. I've a Iron Butt and have the certificates from the "Iron Butt Association" to prove it , so what I really need is a cup holder on it.

ken

[Curt Putnam]

re: cupholder

We have found that pitcher of margaritas a great conversation starter in a campground. A pitcher next to the shavehorse while you are actively shaving spindles and incidentally making kindling (maybe fires will be permitted) should make an incredible conversation starter.

[ken hatch]

re: cupholder

We have found that pitcher of margaritas a great conversation starter in a campground. A pitcher next to the shavehorse while you are actively shaving spindles and incidentally making kindling (maybe fires will be permitted) should make an incredible conversation starter.

Curt,

Great idea . I expect most of the work on the shave will be making conversation and kindling.

ken

[Dave Seng]

That's pretty cool, Ken. My only other concept of a shaving horse came many years ago from one of the "Foxfire" books. The shaving horses that they showed were MUCH more rustic, but did the same jobs. (Side note - the mention of making kindling just clicked on a light bulb for me - I should be saving the shavings from hand-planing rather than putting them in the trash - they'll work great for starting the morning fire in the wood stove!)

[Christopher Charles]

Looks great Ken and Phil beat me to the cupholder suggestion! Dave, definitely!. I heat with a wood stove and find the best plane shavings for starting fires are from a scrub plane-thin enough to catch and thick enough to burn for awhile.

[ken hatch]

Looks great Ken and Phil beat me to the cupholder suggestion! Dave, definitely!. I heat with a wood stove and find the best plane shavings for starting fires are from a scrub plane-thin enough to catch and thick enough to burn for awhile.

Thanks Chris,

Not much need for a shop stove here but the occasional fire in the fire pit is usually started with shop scrap.

ken

[ken hatch]

That's pretty cool, Ken. My only other concept of a shaving horse came many years ago from one of the "Foxfire" books. The shaving horses that they showed were MUCH more rustic, but did the same jobs. (Side note - the mention of making kindling just clicked on a light bulb for me - I should be saving the shavings from hand-planing rather than putting them in the trash - they'll work great for starting the morning fire in the wood stove!)

Dave,

I've seen some pretty primitive horses, my guess they all work about the same. Whatever it is enjoyable sitting and working with a sharp draw knife or spokeshave.

ken