Jenny and Ian Make a Shave Horse

by jordash184

20K20811

Intro: Jenny and Ian Make a Shave Horse

My wife Jenny has been getting into green woodworking and bushcraft type skills.

This started with some training to become a forest schools teacher (an initiative in the UK to gets kids outside and learning so basic bushcraft skills, like shelter building and fire making, along with craft work). Anyway, she did a week long course on green woodworking skills and was bitten by the bug. She had asked me after the course, could we make a shave horse, I’d said yes, but never gave it any further thought. Anyway whilst we were both off work over Christmas Jenny suggested that we make a shave horse. So we started watching some videos on YouTube, and were surprised at the relatively low number, so decided to make our own (video).

STEP 1: Knock Up a Quick Design on SketchUp

So we started off by designing a shave horse on Sketchup, which like all could designs was a mash up of other designs we’d found.

I used a ‘stretched’ chassis from the saw horses and added the pivoting components that make it a shave horse. For me to really enjoy what I’m doing I like to work hard and push myself. The project itself wasn’t particularly difficult, but instead I put a lot more effort into the filming and videography. No more lazy timelapse videos with a GoPro! We didn’t get it perfect, but we did have a lot of fun making the videos and I’m really pleased with the outcome.

STEP 2: Video Part 1


So to try and describe the process see the first video.

Part 1 covers:

  • Cutting the stock to length
  • Cutting the leg joinery
  • Building the shave horse chassis

STEP 3: Video Part 2


Part 2 covers the following detail:

  • Cutting the legs to length
  • Attaching the pivot mechanism
  • Short demonstration of shave horse in use.

STEP 4: Conclusions

We had a really good time building this project, which we did in a weekend

We hope you've enjoyed watching it.

If you'd like more detail, or want the SketchUp model, please let me know.

STEP 5: SketchUp Model Link

Here is a link to the Shave Horse SketchUp model that I've uploaded to the 3D warehouse in SketchUp. If you want dimensions open up the model and measure the bits you need.

SketchUp Download link

10 Comments

erikaavellaneda 7 years ago

Thank you guys for taking the time to do such good videos and also for providing the google sketch up design. I am going to attempt to make this one for myself....really keen to get into greenwood craft. I am only 5'1 should I shorten the legs and the the bench or just the legs?

Thank you

jordash184 7 years ago

Thanks for the feedback! Jenny is also around 5'1" and I don't think it's too tall for her. I think it should be an OK size for you as it is.

sphalerite 8 years ago

Excellent horse! I have waited for good plans. By the way, did you make the wood chip collector for the drill press?

jordash184 8 years ago

Thanks, the chip collector came with the drill, it's an after market bolt on unit, but I don't know where it came from. I'm going to try and work out the best way of sharing the sketch up model, probably just stick it in the 3d warehouse and then update the instructable with a link.

Rottedroots 8 years ago

Cool guys I'mm so glad I stumbled onto this build. I was given a couple of spoke shaves but without a shave horse they just don't have many uses or much value. The horse also fits right into my current tangent of timber frame joiner. The problem wasn't with the wanting it was with the lack of available plans out there. I will have one of these built in short order. What would you do differently if you were to do it again. Space is a bit limited in my nest so do you think it would matter much if I condensed the whole thing by a 5th or 6th. Ill hold off on my build while I see what sort of feedback you get. Rocks on guys and if it wasn't getting late I would be checking on my wood and hardware inventory.

jordash184 8 years ago

Thanks for the kind comments, it's really encouraging us to do more. I don't think there's much that we'd change. You could shorten it a bit as long as your legs aren't too long. I'm quite tall (just over 6 ft), but I think I could have made it a touch shorter. If it's too short you could end up not being able to use the full range of motion in your arms. We took our sizes from plans of old Shave horses on the Internet.

Rottedroots 8 years ago

Cool guys I'mm so glad I stumbled onto this build. I was given a couple of spoke shaves but without a shave horse they just don't have many uses or much value. The horse also fits right into my current tangent of timber frame joiner. The problem wasn't with the wanting it was with the lack of available plans out there. I will have one of these built in short order. What would you do differently if you were to do it again. Space is a bit limited in my nest so do you think it would matter much if I condensed the whole thing by a 5th or 6th. Ill hold off on my build while I see what sort of feedback you get. Rocks on guys and if it wasn't getting late I would be checking on my wood and hardware inventory.

jlepack 8 years ago

A shavehorse is a wonderful piece of equipment. Good job!