Time to retire the old mule

[Badger]

      I have made a lot of bows over this shaving mule but I think it needs a few design changes I have been putting off. Going to miss you old girl! The 4 staves I roughed out in the picture I decided to weigh so I could keep track of the moisture loss. Every single one of the weighed exactly 36 oz. I got a kick out of that.

[HighEagle]

I'm in about the same boat with my shave horse. You going to use the same design or use a different plan? Like to see what you come up with, Thanks Chuck

[Badger]

I'm in about the same boat with my shave horse. You going to use the same design or use a different plan? Like to see what you come up with, Thanks Chuck

  This is actually called a shaving mule because of the type of adjustment it uses where the stave rests. I am going to slightly change the height and the angles of the legs and the angle on the stave holding block. Very close to indentical with only very minor changes.

[George Tsoukalas]

It served you well, Badger!

[HighEagle]

Hope you post it when finished, Chuck

[TolkienFan]

Looks nice, I'll take it haha.  Is there a tutorial on how to make one of those?  It would save my back, which has been getting very sore for shaping my staves. 

[bradsmith2010]

looks like its got a few more bows in it

[Badger]

looks like its got a few more bows in it

   It would probably out last me.  I want the new one about 8" longer, about 1/2 the angle you see not on the bow sitting in it. A little higher so I can use a longer foot petal. The seat slides and with another 8 inches I could work an entire limb without moving the bow. I am also considering just working in a vice and standing. As a retiree my legs need the exercise, amazing the workout you can give your legs hogging wood off of a stave while standing. Sitting on the horse almost makes it too easy.
 

[mikekeswick]

I must say I prefer the precision of a vice and solid bench. I've used shave horses a few times and never really got on with them, what I do like is the fact that you aren't tied into a workshop with a shave horse especially when the sun is shining 

[Del the cat]

I get a lot of people asking me for 'plans' for my one... Plans??? I didn't use no steenking plans
Fitting the seat at an angle worked for me so that I can let the stave pass by my left side... handy with some of those V long warbows.
When I'm doing fetes/fairs etc I tell the kids it's called a shave horse 'cos it's got the 3 legs like a horse ... maybe a kid will laugh one day?
Del

[Pappy]

I also use a vice  and standing but on occasionally I just want to set and use mine, a good vice set up or bench is like an old friend, you get use to them and them to you. Mine got more use when you was in Tennessee than it has in a long while. 
   Pappy

[Marc St Louis]

I guess they can be useful down South but up here in the North they are not very practical so I stopped using mine some 20 years ago.  Do all of my tillering indoors, don't have to fight with the bugs in the Summer and I don't freeze my a** in the Winter

[Badger]

I guess they can be useful down South but up here in the North they are not very practical so I stopped using mine some 20 years ago.  Do all of my tillering indoors, don't have to fight with the bugs in the Summer and I don't freeze my a** in the Winter

  I always wondered about that Mark. I live on the coast, seldom ever hot, never cold and no bugs. I actually envy the guys with 4 seasons but might change my mind if I lived in it.