Champion the Lumber Horse

[British Red]

I have a great deal of Ash on our place, and it occurs to me that if I season some nice straight lengths, I should be able to make my own axe handles, spade handles etc. Now I am no green woodworker, but I do have a draw knife and I realise that if I want to be able to produce a decent handle quickly, I need to be able to clamp the wood to work on it. So I need a shave horse.

I don't need anything "authentic", nor does it need to be pretty. I would like to be able to leave it outdoors without worrying about it.

Having a nosy about on the net, I came across Mike Abbott's design for "Champion the Lumber Horse" (a shave horse made out of timber).

The plans for the lumber horse are here

http://www.living-wood.co.uk/lumber_horse.html

Now it occurred to me that if I used a load of the left of pressure treated timber I have and stainless fittings, it should be possible to knock together a shave horse that will be happy out doors.

So I hauled out some pressure treated rough sawn 2x4"

Two by Four by British Red, on Flickr

To make this puppy, you will need a way to saw, a way to drill, a measure and way to drive screws or bolts. It can easily be done with hand tools. For simplicity I used a sliding chop saw

Chop Saw by British Red, on Flickr

A Pillar Drill

Pillar Drill by British Red, on Flickr

A rule and square

Ruler and Square by British Red, on Flickr

and a power driver and socket set to drive the stainless coach screws

Stainless Coach Screws by British Red, on Flickr

The plans were great and here is the result

Shave Horse by British Red, on Flickr

I used some deck board offcuts for the seat instead of 2x4, and some M12 threaded bar for the pivot - because I had them, but a broom handle or hazel rod would do for the pivot and any old wood for the seat.

If you want a downloadable plan, there is one here

http://www.permaculture.co.uk/sites/default/files/Champion the Lumber Horse.pdf

Now I'm sure someone with talent, using planed timber, could produce a much prettier version of this. Mine was knocked up with power tools is short order. It seems to work just fine though, so I thought I would share since many of us might find a use for a shave horse - but need to store it outdoors and make it from bought materials.

Red

 

[Clouston98]

Great work mate! Liking the bee smokers in the top of the second picture, we've one just like, though thanks to me ours is now black .

 

[Macaroon]

I made one from this plan a good while ago, and like you I used recycled treated timber for it and galvanised metalwork.
One of the handiest things you can ever have - I use mine almost daily for all sorts of holding tasks. I also have faced the moving face of the clamping piece with heavy-duty velcro and use a variety of abrasives, including an old rasp, to give that extra bit of grip for the more awkwardly shaped items.

BTW, thanks for the ear-worm Hugh, I've got the refrain from Champion the Wonder Horse careening 'round my brain, and it seems likely to be there some time

 

[British Red]

I've got the refrain from Champion the Wonder Horse careening 'round my brain, and it seems likely to be there some time

Like a miiighhhtyyy cannonball he seems to fly.......

 

[slowworm]

Good thread, I need to do the same as I need to start thinning my ash trees and I've got a few logs seasoned for a year waiting to be turned into something useful. My problem is buying timber in when I could use my own; a question of what came first the shavehorse or the shaved plank?

 

[ozzy1977]

They are very good to use, I made mine from 2x4 stuff I had kicking around.