Playing Around with Carving #8: Mads Inspired Spoon Horse

I’ve seen wedges used to hold flat workpieces to a bench. Just a thought…

It might help for the bowl, but you won’t be able to shape the handle.

-- It must be jelly baby, cause jam don't shake like that...

Something like this?

The operation I am trying to perform is to use a spokeshave or drawknife off of the front of the bench. Clamping it is not stable.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Nice going with the carvings! Keep at it!

-- "Make something you love tomorrow...and do it slowly" JLB

I use an F clamp in my bench. I take out a square bench dog, slip the head off the clamp, and connect it together again underneath. I attached a block of wood on the bottom side of the bench to anchor that half of the clamp.

Blocks of wood get the workpiece up off the bench.

At times, I’ll put the workpiece in the wood jaws of the vise, with the handle sticking up in the air.

-- It must be jelly baby, cause jam don't shake like that...

Thanks, I will take a look at it tomorrow and see how big a hole I would need for one of my F Clamps. I’m pretty sure they will not fit through one of the 3/4” round bench dog holes.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I’m really liking spoon making. My lathe is my best vise for holding my workpiece. I can roll it around to where I want, and lock it in place. There’s plenty of room for spokeshaves and drawknives. When I start with a piece of firewood, I put it between centers and use a drawknife to get it roundish before starting the lathe.

I leave some wood on the ends for a good hold, and cut them off at the end. I can’t find any spoon pics, but this is the same process.

-- It must be jelly baby, cause jam don't shake like that...

Interesting idea Hairy. I have two lathes. One with an indexing head…. I will have to give it a try.

I will still probably try to build a jig for the bench. I’m trying to find a way to make it hold the work effectively and also to be quick to release and reset.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Maybe what you need is a shaving pony?

-- Mike P., Arkansas, http://mpounders1.blogspot.com

MAN, look at Hairy’s bench. I never get tired of looking at that well-worn friend.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

Does this mean that you have found use for your lathe at long last ;)

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Lol. Tony, they get used if I get in the shop. Been challenging lately.

Thanks Mike, that is exactly what I am looking for. I had not thougth about using it seated. I was thinking of using a clamp because I currenty have a broke right leg. Seated I could use my left leg.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Wayne, this is very good. BTW, you should go to McMaster Carr# and MSC and check out all of their hardware for jigs and fixtures. I use a lot of their stuff in our machine shop for various things.

Here’s some at the bottom of the page from Mcmaster.

The both have what are called cam lever clamps that might work good on this application. Now these shown on this page are a little pricey but very heavy duty. However, you might get an idea by studying the pictures. They are very quick. However, if you have access to a welding machine and a grinder you could build one of these for your purpose. No matter what, every one should have both of these catalogs if you can get them. But even if you can’t you can order from them on the internet.

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

Thanks Charles, I had not checked these vendors. I actually have these sitting in my Lee Valley shopping cart at the moment.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,43455,61994&p=45034

I’m thinking I may want to build a shave pony similar to the one Mike linked above. They look pretty simple to make. I would need to adjust the way they mount to adapt them to my carving bench.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~dmatt/shavepony/

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Hi Wayne,
Yes I think also the pony is the thing. It is simple and fast clamping. most other solutions become ‘semi’.
I have this on my list also, since I wan’t one for my tiny shop, and my horse is too big there.
Looking good the progress with the carving.
Best thoughts,
Mads

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

I’ve been playing around with some drawings for a shave pony. One design change I am thinking about is to make the length of the leg adjustable. The main driver for this is so I can put my carving bench on a variety of surfaces and still use the pony. I would like to get 10-15” of adjustment. If I get some time I will convert the paper drawings to electronic versions and post them…

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov