I have wanted to build a shave horse for some time but I just cannot justify the space it would occupy in my small shop. So a compromise is in order that I call the shave pony. This is basically a bench top shaving horse.
This will be a great stop gap solution until I can make a more complete shave horse.
That’s a nice workaround for the short term. However, you might not need to construct a shave horse. But, I guess that depends on if you concur with Mike Dunbar or not. See link below.
http://thewindsorinstitute.com/blog/?p=136
Dean this is exactly what Mitch is referring to in the comments below. Call me nostalgic but I like using a shavehorse and it suits my idiom better than standing at a front vise to shave spindles. Maybe once I have built as many chairs as Mike I’ll think differently but seeing as I have only built 3 of them so far, I’m still loving the shave horse.
May I make a couple of suggestions that may enhance your draw knife techniques –
1) Try using the draw knife with the bevel up. That can eliminate its tendency to dig in.
2) Rather than pull the draw knife straight back, use a slicing motion – pulling the blade to the side as you cut.
I hope you find this useful.
Joel
The top piece which holds the workpiece could probably be a or 1 1/2″ or 2″square instead of a board. That would expose more of the piece you are drawknifing and the clamping pressure really only occurs in that one spot anyhow – and the rest of your board really isn’t accomplishing much. If you cut the notch into the square then it’ll hold round pieces.
You could even have a variety of clamping shapes for different pieces and interchange them as needed.
Nice idea. I just find the height to be a bit awkward. I like the workpiece lower down.
