Shaving horse

This is a not a four legged animal with tidy facial hair. It is a kayak building tool. A clamping device for use with a drawknife or spokeshave.

http://www.qajaqusa.org/cgi-bin/GreenlandTechniqueForum_config.pl/read/1299

My "horse" is a thick board (the width of a Greenland paddle), elevated at one end by a step-stool. To work the paddle I place it on this plank, and "lock it down" by sitting on it, with my knees on the ground. Not very elegant, but it works. I do a fair amount of work on the ground (for lack of worktable space). I was happy to learn that this is also the Japanese tradition, it gives me an excuse for not building more counter space. For some work I clamp the paddle blank to a workmate.

I like Gabriel Romeu's description of his setup, an elevated Japanese planing board, using a rope and foot pressure to hold the work. Eventually I will make a dedicated horse, but the idea that my "projects have projects", is not appealing at the moment, and means that it will have to wait until I have more free time (the curse of living in a warm climate - never an excuse not to be outside playing).

Some horse plans and information on the web can be found at:

Photo[1]

Photo[2] http://www.countryworkshops.org/CWshavehorse.html

Photo[3] http://www.greenwoodworking.com/shorse.htm

Photo[4] http://www.primitiveways.com/shaving-horse.html

Photo[5] http://www.berea.edu/GalleryV/ShHorse.HTML

Photo[6]