Shavehorse Build

[pkinneb]

Trying to knock out a few things over the next few weeks. I am way behind on some cribbage boards but can only do the chip carving for short periods of time so decided I should knock out the shavehorse I have had planned for sometime. I am using Plate 11's plans and kit, the wood will be ash 

Here is a shot of what I hope to end up with...

The lumber, I might have to get another chunk for the seat

All the parts for the base milled up. 

Next up I will prep the rails and shape the legs.

[pkinneb]

Tonight I started by laying out the legs. The front is pretty straight forward with just lines. The rears have a curve incorporated on the outside edge so I laid those out first. The small block is just there for a place to land the point to create the arc

Once laid out I went to the bandsaw and rough cut them. FWIW if you ever have a chance to take Michael Fortune's two day bandsaw class I highly recommend it. Not only does he go through how to sdet up your BS he shows you how to get pretty straight cuts free hand 

Next up was some handtool work to clean them up. The long straight edges with planes, then rasps for the curves, and finally clean up with a card scraper

With the rears complete I will knock out the front tomorrow.

After that I will start working on the rails. I will need to clean them up, mark and cut the ends, then make the mortises to accept the rear legs.

[Mark J]

How do you like that compass?   Does it hold a setting well?  Does the point "stick" where you put it?

[Chet]

Nice start.  I have always thought that this would be a fun project but I personally don't have a use for it when finished, sooo...

[pkinneb]

On 5/17/2023 at 8:15 AM, Mark J said:

How do you like that compass?   Does it hold a setting well?  Does the point "stick" where you put it?

Definitely better then my old dimestore one my only real complaint would be its kind of bulky.

On 5/17/2023 at 11:35 AM, Chet said:

Nice start.  I have always thought that this would be a fun project but I personally don't have a use for it when finished, sooo...

Thanks! Definitely plan on a couple more rockers and possibly a set of kitchen chairs but we shall see. So many projects so little time 

[Chestnut]

This looks like an interesting build. I like the ash you choose, such a pretty wood and hopefully it doesn't disappear.

On 5/17/2023 at 8:15 AM, Mark J said:

How do you like that compass?   Does it hold a setting well?  Does the point "stick" where you put it?

I have one as well. It holds ok but still leaves me wishing there was a better option.

[pkinneb]

Got some more shop time this weekend so back on the shave horse 

First up was to cut the angles on the front of the rails

Then I laid out (incorrectly the first time) the marks for the assembly bolts

Luckily no harm done as the forstner bit reliefs will take care of it

Then off to the DP to drill the forstner recesses. My Delta DP is the oldest machine still in my shop. It is the first and only DP I have ever owned at 32 years and counting. The only issue is the stop moves but nothing a couple nuts can't fix   

With the recesses drilled I clamp both sides together to drill the 3/8" through holes (at the DP) to insure everything lines up

Then I clamp the front leg and mid block in place and use the holes cut on the DP to guide the drill as I go through them

Final step before gluing the back block in place is to finale plane, scrape, and add a slight bevel to the rails 

Then glue up

After it dried I cut the back angle on the bandsaw...very poorly I might add LOL which left a fair amount of clean up. So after sharpening my block plane I got after it.

All cleaned up and nice and square to the face

With the rail assembly cleaned up and ready to go next up will be to route the mortises for the rear legs

 

[pkinneb]

Working on the shavehorse build today, fresh back from Greg Pennington's shop after building another continuous arm rocker. Hoping to get this knocked out so that it is ready to go this fall. I have a couple other projects I would like to get finished between now and then as well but once it cools down I look forward to getting a log and having a go at a Windsor chair build on my own.

While in TN I picked up an extra seat blank from Greg to make the shavehorse seat out of, how's this for a wide board? White Pine from the UP in Michigan.

Today I will be insetting the rear legs. First up mark the back side of the leg

I also marked the top and bottom

Then I drilled the mounting holes so if there was any tear out it would be cut away while cutting the recess

I used a palm router with a quarter inch spiral bit to clean out most of the waste. You can see my temp fence in the pic below. Once I had the majority of the waste cleared I finished up with a router plane

That should work!

I then realized I needed a longer 3/8" bit to finish the install so I set the base and the legs aside after ordering a bit on Amazon, I will finish this later in the week.

Next up was to mill some more parts so I switched the J/P into planer mode and got busy. I like the Oliver spiral head for little jobs but when I have a lot its hard to beat the Hammer

With the swingarm and center block milled to thickness I started working on the stage sides, which due to the fact that my board was not wide enough required a glue up.

I should be able to hide that glue line, at least that's the goal since this is a very noticeable piece

Next up more work on the stage sides, top and swingarm

[pkinneb]

Tonight more work on the stage. First cut the stage center to size m, then the sides.

I have a couple questions for the group. First how would you cut the hole for the wedge? its 1" square, thought I would just drill it out then square it up with a chisel any other thoughts?

Second for the 45 degree bevels in the top just cut them on the table saw? Thanks!

[Coop]

I would cut the square hole with a mortising machine if you have one.

[wtnhighlander]

The drill and chisel method works, if you don't have a mortiser as @Coop suggested. Another option would be to rip the part in halves, cut opposing dados with the table saw, and glue it back together to get a square hole.

I'd probably drill & chisel. And do the bevel edges on the TS, for sure.

[Immortan D]

For the v-grooves you could use a core box router bit, something like this: https://www.amazon.com/60°-V-Groove-Router-Bit-Yonico/dp/B07W72WM52?th=1

[Mark J]

Mortiser was my first thought.  But if you go the drill and chisel route you can use more than one bit.  A bigger one for the middle and four smaller satellites in the corners.

[Mark J]

Do the "V" grooves have a function, or are the decorative? 

[pkinneb]

On 7/6/2023 at 7:45 AM, Immortan D said:

For the v-grooves you could use a core box router bit, something like this: https://www.amazon.com/60°-V-Groove-Router-Bit-Yonico/dp/B07W72WM52?th=1

Thanks! I like this I think it will give me a cleaner cut and I have a bit 

On 7/6/2023 at 7:57 AM, Mark J said:

Do the "V" grooves have a function, or are the decorative? 

Yes. As you take the spindles from rough to square, then to octagon, and finally round you use the grooves to hold the spindles tight.

[Tom King]

This has to be the fanciest shave horse I've ever seen.  I think most of the ones I've sat on were made with a hatchet.

[Chestnut]

Man that ash looks pretty. It's too bad that there isn't a better avenue to turn ash trees into lumber. With EBA killing a good portion of the ash in the US it created a good opportunity for lumber, it's just too bad the logistics of getting lumber from trees is so labor intensive and difficult.

[pkinneb]

Thanks Tom certainly more than one needs to get the job done but It looks nice so there is that 

Received my long drill bits so drilled the holes through the legs tonight

Then I had to cut the back legs to length. First I made a blank that matched the finished front leg length, then sanded a carpenters pencil in half to mark the back legs, marked the legs, and finally cut them with a handsaw.

I will glue the crubber on the high vise, with hide glue, when I glue the leather to the shavehorse head 

...and with that the base is complete (how's that for a chair cameo LOL)

 

[pkinneb]

Today started by cutting down the base bolts. I felt they protruded a bit to much so I took about 1/4" off each of them. Whenever I do this I screw the nut on, cut the bolt off, and then file a slight bevel on the end before removing the nut. Doing this insures the nut will go back on without issue.

Next up was to cut the mortise in the stage center. After drilling a 1" hole using a forstner bit I used a couple chisels and a 6 degree guide block to work through this. Chopping and pairing from both sides.

Sandpaper helps keep the guide block in place

First one side

Then the other

That should work

Mocked up on the base

After drilling the swingarm pin holes I drew some layout lines for some dominoes to help align the glue up. Tight on top and wider slots on the bottom

Ready for glue up

Next up was to work on the stage top. First I planed it down to thickness

Then routed the v grooves in it. Thanks @Immortan D the v groove router bit worked great

After adding a 45 degree bevel to the outside I cut the center out at the BS for the swingarm to pass through

I still need to bevel the inside back edge but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Here is a quick pic of where I am at

 

[Mark J]

That's a "fine furniture" build .

[Ronn W]

Fascinating project.  I love the cutting-the-carpenters-pencil-in-half trick.

[pkinneb]

On 7/9/2023 at 10:33 AM, Ronn W said:

Fascinating project.  I love the cutting-the-carpenters-pencil-in-half trick.

I picked it up on a Plate 11 video and thought it was pretty slick 

[pkinneb]

First up today is to clean this mess up...

...ahh that's better 

Now to lay out the swing arm...A lot going on here so I transfer everything from the plan to the blank. I use a piece of copy paper to copy the curves .

There hard to see but everything's laid out

Now I decide rather then cut away the space for the height adjuster on the bandsaw I should get out the Shaper and spend 3 hours getting done what could have taken a few minutes LOL In my defense Greg Pennington advised last week that the design was a bit flawed and should be altered anyway which doing it this way would solve. I also need to get better at the shaper and projects like this definitely help.

First I designed it in Shaper Studio

 

Then a test run to get the offset right

Finally I knocked it out on the swingarm

Now I just need to clean up the corners etc the old school way

...and just like that that part is complete. I will add the screw holes once the rest of the shaping is complete

[Chet]

On 7/9/2023 at 6:13 PM, pkinneb said:

First up today is to clean this mess up...

You are tougher then me, I'd have the worst case of heebie jeebies, would of been twitching all night if I left my bench like that.

[Chestnut]

I really want to try out a shaper to see what they are like. I feel like for the little bit of CNC work I'd want to do they are perfect, but by no means inexpensive.

Also the bolt cutting trick is great. I never learned that for the longest time and getting the nuts back on was always a PITA.