Selfbow building and shavehorses. Anyone else use/build one?

Tire_Iron

FNG
Joined
Feb 6, 2023
Messages
16
Hi all. I posted in another thread about my first real selfbow project. I thought I'd start another thread to discuss shavehorses and designs. Here is the one I built out of some repurposed materials and about $40 worth of hardware. I still want to add a more comfortable seat, but just sitting on the rails, It's actually not too bad.
It is a z-horse design adapted from the book "Country Woodcraft: Then and Now" by Drew Langser. I originally designed the height adjustment mechanism off of the cam system he recommended in the book, but then switched to the racheting system he also pictured for faster wider-range adjustability.
I have a round roller for the hold down, and it seems to work well and not dent things it holds.
I may switch to a more square block that doesn't roll its way up the workpiece as much.

I would love to see how others' bow building equipment is designed!
 

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SliverShooter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
203
Location
Bozeman, Montana
Here is my shave horse, built it in 2006, used a left over timber from one of my construction projects to build it.
 

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Last edited:
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Tire_Iron

FNG
Joined
Feb 6, 2023
Messages
16
That looks really solid! I am a big fan of the old tractor seat.
Is there anything you really like or anything you would change if you built one again?
 

SliverShooter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
203
Location
Bozeman, Montana
I would/will sleeve the adjusting bolt holes on both the arm for the head/foot treadle and the upper timber with ent or conduit. The holes started getting wallowing out (got loose) after several dozen bows, now the holes are really loose/sloppy after over a hundred bows.
 
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Tire_Iron

FNG
Joined
Feb 6, 2023
Messages
16
That is good insight. I was wondering how long it woul take to need bushings in the pivot point. Over a hundred bows is pretty good. Even several dozen will take me a long time. I am still on number one.

Anyone else have a picture of their shave horse?
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2017
Messages
957
Location
West-central MN
Another option to consider is a face vise similar to the one Dan Santana uses. You can buy a vise screw for about $50 and then you just need wood for the handle, the top vise jaw, and something to mount it to. I'm planning to build a similar vise and either mount it to my workbench build a bench to mount it to, similar to a shavehorse.
 
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