More Shavehorse

Work on the shavehorse stopped over xmas week because it is also MsBubba's B-Day week. Today was my first chance for shop time and as expected the Honey Locust bit my butt like I knew it would before finishing the shavehorse. While chopping the mortise for the rear leg wedge a big chunk blew out, the wedged mortise will hold the leg OK but it sure is ugly.

Left to do: fit the treadle to the swing arm, glue and peg the dumb head, cut and shape the swing arm pivot, and clean up and oil the whole thing.

A couple of photos:

 

ken

Patagonia Lake State Park

MsBubba, Sweet Maggie Dog, and I spent TMIDFTY (the most important day of the year, MsBubba's B-Day) "camping" in Patagonia Lake State Park. The park is between Nogales, AZ and Patagonia, AZ just a look see north of Mexico. The area was a major Wintering site for Native Americans and is one of the most beautiful parts of Southern AZ. 

Just one problem T-Moble coverage in the area is sparse and the Park's WiFi is spotty, our camp site for a couple of the days was missing WiFi. The satellite receiver worked so we were not totally cut off from the world but even MsBubba mentioned missing her cell phone. We somehow managed to survive the five days of roughing it in the motorhome by walks around the lake, throwing rocks into the lake for Maggie to retrieve, birding, talking, playing cards, cooking, eating and drinking way too much. I expect MsBubba would say it was one of the best TMIDFTY.

ken   

Venn Diagram of Sharpening

 The Good, Fast, Cheap, pick any two, Venn diagram applies to sharpening with the minor change of Sharp, Fast, Durable for Good, Fast, Cheap.

I wish there were some magic where you could get a sharp, durable cutter quickly. The closest I've seen is the Unicorn profile folks are posting about on Wood Central. I've had mixed results using it, maybe I need more practice or it could be as I've seen posted the most noticeable results come from improving cheaper chisels, making them act more like a premium chisel.

The shavehorse build is coming along, the day job (guess I should call it the night job ) went into the backside of the clock last night and will for the rest of the week and MsBubba's B-Day is next week so progress will be slow.

I'm working on fitting the dumbhead and swing arm.

Once the swing arm and dumbhead are fitted I'll need to shape a treadle, chop a few mortises and made matching wedges to finish it up. 

ken

Rear Leg For The Shavehorse

The roughed out rear leg on the shavehorse:

Slow progress, mostly because the day job is a little crazy, but whatever it will be finished around the 1st. Things left to finish are installing the swing arm and dumb head, mortises in the platform arm and the rail to hold the wedges, making a new seat, and shaping the rear leg along with general breaking of edges and clean up.

ken

Still More Shavehorse

 Shavehorse platform:

Gluing up the rails:

Rails glued up with front leg and platform in place:

 

The seat is off my old horse and will need remaking. Next up are the rear legs and "dead head" with swing arm. After finishing those the fat lady can sing her song.

Shavehorses are kinda like work benches, make one and work on it until something about the horse drives you to barking at the moon mad, then make another fixing the problems. This is my second rodeo and I expect at least one or two more before I have a horse that is an easy build and works the way I like. 

 ken

Gave Notice Today

 I'm going to do it, I told the suits I would give notice for the 1st of February but may work either full time or part time until June. By giving notice they can start the process of hiring my replacement. Dumb system, I just need to give a month's notice but the new hire once found and in the door will take 18 to 24 months to be fully qualified and at least a year after that to take over the "Super" TCE duties, if the Feds agree.  

What ever, I'm hanging up the blue blazer and gray slacks soon, the Kool-Aid is finished and it is on to being MsBubba's boy toy.

More Shavehorse

 I glued up the platform that holds the table and the dumb head today.

 

 

The rails are sized, the build should go quickly said the fool with the keyboard.

 

I should add: I first stated the build would be with Osage Orange but it is Honey Locust. Brain fart on this end although from a working stand point not a lot of difference, both are miserable to work.

ken