Folding travel version - building as I go.
Folding travel version
building as I go…
Time for riding horses again or at least building another shaving horse, this time a travel version, that can be folded up and brought with you, or just stored away for later use, without taking up too much space.
I will be making a spoon mule top for it in a later blog, so it can have several uses.
Here I am on the shaving horse.
I made it relatively short and low, so I could keep the weight and size at a minimum, so if you are taller than 185cm, then you might want to make it a little longer and higher.
The drawing is in mm, thats how we do working drawings, here in Denmark.
The blog:
Its not really a how to blog, since I just build it one day, where I was inspired and did not take pictures until I was aware of where it was going.
So I took a bunch of detail pictures after and even made a drawing with measures, so that anyone interested can make a copy, or use for inspiration.
Press here to print or save a highres version:
http://www.felding.net/image/pic/shavinghorsemafesan/horsecolaps.jpg
The project started one day, where I took the trash down, from my apartment.
One of the neighbours had trashed some 2×4s and I took them to the shop, for absolutely no reason, except that I found it a shame, that it would be thrown out
For some time the wood then stood there and looked at me, until I suddenly did not see the wood, but I saw a foldable shaving horse looking at me…, hmmm I must have gone Mad(s)!
The inspiration comes from many seen on the big www, but my main inspiration was the one by Bob Gillis here: https://www.primitiveways.com/shaving-horse.html remember seeing that and thinking; hmmmm that's clever!
Thank you Bob.
Suddenly I found my self on the floor, clamping wood together and the project had taken off.
Here the front leg are being thought out, three leg, since its a stable construction on uneven ground and it will take less space in the horse.
Here the back legs, the two 2×4's were screwed together and the rabbet for stabilizing the back legs could be cut.
The rabbet is cut with a backward angle to make the horse stand solid on its legs, the outward angle, will be cut on the legs.
Removing some wood in a Japanese way ok at least with Japanese tools.
And an Englishman to route out the rabbet.
A hole for attaching the legs.
Now trying out different angles, to see where I will find it stable.
When I had that, it was just a cut, in the legs, I made them a little longer than the rabbet, so the top could be cut flush with the horse and the wedge shape will be strong.
(This might not make sense, so look at the pictures to understand).
For attaching the legs and making them collapsible, I needed holes, that were going from straight, to the angle of the legs.
Like this.
And this.
Cut out for a straight angle, when the bolts comes to hold the legs.
The holes are joined, so the bolt can tilt.
This is how it looks, hope it all makes sense now.
I imagine you were lost for a while…
Next up is the classic leg cut.
Put some scrap wood under the shortest leg, until the horse levels up.
Then some scraps under your pencil and draw a line, all the way around the leg, this is where you will saw after.
Do the same on the other legs.
Taddaaaaa!
Ok a lot happened, since last pictures, as I said I were building, not thinking of a blog.
So lets catch up:
Seat were cut out from a piece of wood, app 25mm / 1 inch thick.
The work surface (slope / ramp, what ever its called) was cut from a plank and a piece of 2X4 put under it, screwed from the top.
Finally a piece of 2×4 between the 2×4 beams, to add stability (the length and placement of this piece, can be set when the work surface is made).
This is the piece that goes under the work surface, a series of holes are drilled for lifting the surface wit a dowel.
Here dowels for the leg vice.
Think it all makes more sense here (also my terible blow out on the dtrilling- lol).
At the front, you can see how the leg is attached at the lower part, so it can tilt up under the horse. On top of it is a spacer and stop block, this holds the leg in the right angle.
The working surface has a hinge under it, in the front, so it can be set at an angle and closed all the way down.
The work surface lifter has a dowel in one of the holes, this will hold it in place.
Finally I got a piece of 2×2 on top, for the first vice leg.
We jump in time again, now the legs are almost made.
The holes in the middle goes on to the dowels on the side of the horse, the rounded end is where the foot rests are mounted, so the distance between these are set, by the distance to the floor.
The two holes on top are for the hold, these are set by trying out, lifting and lowering the work surface, to see what angles will be needed.
You should set it for a comfortable position of your back.
The reason I made two holes is to hold small and large items.
Here I clamped a board to the work surface, to plane a small hollow down the center, this is for getting a good hold on long thin items, since Im planning on some long bow building in the future.
My little hand made plane comes in use here.
Finally here we are!
This is how the back side looks when folded together.
Side.
And finally the front.
Yes I know I jumped again, but Ill post photos of the details, so you can figure it out.
I'll stop for today, with some pictures of my friend Flemming trying the horse out, he passed the shop and we decided it was test time, so we brought it out for some playing arround.
I hope now all the details are better understood, sorry for this mess of a blog, hope the drawing make up for it. ;-D
Only thing I'm not all happy for, is the front leg should have more angle, I might change that, just for stability, but it actually feels perfectly stable like it is.
Here you can see it can be useful, to use the higher holes for the hold, when working thicker pieces.
Thank you for now, I'll be back soon, with more details and even a video or two. ;-)
Links for other horses I build:
Traditional shaving horse - One wild shaving horse: https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/24837
Saving leg, for the workbench: https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/59010
Hope it can be to some inspiration, or a ride on your own shaving horse…
Best thoughts,
MaFe
Folding travel version
building as I go…
Time for riding horses again or at least building another shaving horse, this time a travel version, that can be folded up and brought with you, or just stored away for later use, without taking up too much space.
I will be making a spoon mule top for it in a later blog, so it can have several uses.
Here I am on the shaving horse.
I made it relatively short and low, so I could keep the weight and size at a minimum, so if you are taller than 185cm, then you might want to make it a little longer and higher.
The drawing is in mm, thats how we do working drawings, here in Denmark.
The blog:
Its not really a how to blog, since I just build it one day, where I was inspired and did not take pictures until I was aware of where it was going.
So I took a bunch of detail pictures after and even made a drawing with measures, so that anyone interested can make a copy, or use for inspiration.
Press here to print or save a highres version:
http://www.felding.net/image/pic/shavinghorsemafesan/horsecolaps.jpg
The project started one day, where I took the trash down, from my apartment.
One of the neighbours had trashed some 2×4s and I took them to the shop, for absolutely no reason, except that I found it a shame, that it would be thrown out
For some time the wood then stood there and looked at me, until I suddenly did not see the wood, but I saw a foldable shaving horse looking at me…, hmmm I must have gone Mad(s)!
The inspiration comes from many seen on the big www, but my main inspiration was the one by Bob Gillis here: https://www.primitiveways.com/shaving-horse.html remember seeing that and thinking; hmmmm that's clever!
Thank you Bob.
Suddenly I found my self on the floor, clamping wood together and the project had taken off.
Here the front leg are being thought out, three leg, since its a stable construction on uneven ground and it will take less space in the horse.
Here the back legs, the two 2×4's were screwed together and the rabbet for stabilizing the back legs could be cut.
The rabbet is cut with a backward angle to make the horse stand solid on its legs, the outward angle, will be cut on the legs.
Removing some wood in a Japanese way ok at least with Japanese tools.
And an Englishman to route out the rabbet.
A hole for attaching the legs.
Now trying out different angles, to see where I will find it stable.
When I had that, it was just a cut, in the legs, I made them a little longer than the rabbet, so the top could be cut flush with the horse and the wedge shape will be strong.
(This might not make sense, so look at the pictures to understand).
For attaching the legs and making them collapsible, I needed holes, that were going from straight, to the angle of the legs.
Like this.
And this.
Cut out for a straight angle, when the bolts comes to hold the legs.
The holes are joined, so the bolt can tilt.
This is how it looks, hope it all makes sense now.
I imagine you were lost for a while…
Next up is the classic leg cut.
Put some scrap wood under the shortest leg, until the horse levels up.
Then some scraps under your pencil and draw a line, all the way around the leg, this is where you will saw after.
Do the same on the other legs.
Taddaaaaa!
Ok a lot happened, since last pictures, as I said I were building, not thinking of a blog.
So lets catch up:
Seat were cut out from a piece of wood, app 25mm / 1 inch thick.
The work surface (slope / ramp, what ever its called) was cut from a plank and a piece of 2X4 put under it, screwed from the top.
Finally a piece of 2×4 between the 2×4 beams, to add stability (the length and placement of this piece, can be set when the work surface is made).
This is the piece that goes under the work surface, a series of holes are drilled for lifting the surface wit a dowel.
Here dowels for the leg vice.
Think it all makes more sense here (also my terible blow out on the dtrilling- lol).
At the front, you can see how the leg is attached at the lower part, so it can tilt up under the horse. On top of it is a spacer and stop block, this holds the leg in the right angle.
The working surface has a hinge under it, in the front, so it can be set at an angle and closed all the way down.
The work surface lifter has a dowel in one of the holes, this will hold it in place.
Finally I got a piece of 2×2 on top, for the first vice leg.
We jump in time again, now the legs are almost made.
The holes in the middle goes on to the dowels on the side of the horse, the rounded end is where the foot rests are mounted, so the distance between these are set, by the distance to the floor.
The two holes on top are for the hold, these are set by trying out, lifting and lowering the work surface, to see what angles will be needed.
You should set it for a comfortable position of your back.
The reason I made two holes is to hold small and large items.
Here I clamped a board to the work surface, to plane a small hollow down the center, this is for getting a good hold on long thin items, since Im planning on some long bow building in the future.
My little hand made plane comes in use here.
Finally here we are!
This is how the back side looks when folded together.
Side.
And finally the front.
Yes I know I jumped again, but Ill post photos of the details, so you can figure it out.
I'll stop for today, with some pictures of my friend Flemming trying the horse out, he passed the shop and we decided it was test time, so we brought it out for some playing arround.
I hope now all the details are better understood, sorry for this mess of a blog, hope the drawing make up for it. ;-D
Only thing I'm not all happy for, is the front leg should have more angle, I might change that, just for stability, but it actually feels perfectly stable like it is.
Here you can see it can be useful, to use the higher holes for the hold, when working thicker pieces.
Thank you for now, I'll be back soon, with more details and even a video or two. ;-)
Links for other horses I build:
Traditional shaving horse - One wild shaving horse: https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/24837
Saving leg, for the workbench: https://www.lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/59010
Hope it can be to some inspiration, or a ride on your own shaving horse…
Best thoughts,
MaFe