The Shavehorse Project, Part 1
The shaving horse aka shavehorse is a sit-down workbench for holding stock while it’s worked with a drawknife orspokeshave. This device has a long history of useful making and I believe deserves a place in the modern workshop alongside the workbench.
The horse or ‘mule’ centres around a quick release foot powered clamp, that holds the workpiece firmly while you are able to shape with both hands free to hold the shaping tool.
By moving the treadle bar back and forth the user is able to engage and disengage the clamping action of the crossbar against the incline board.
There are two different styles: the British or bodger’s style which has two pivot arms, and the German, which has only one arm that pivots through a slot in the bench. I am building the British style for this article, as shown in photo 1 on p.74.
Timber choice
You can use any solid seasoned board around 45mm thick and 190mm wide. A 1.7 metre length will give you the seat and
