Este es uno de esos proyectos que empiezas un día sin tener muy claro cuando lo terminarás. Hace unos años en el curso de construcción de arcos, además de conocer al maestro García Oliva al que nunca me cansaré de escuchar, tuve en mis manos herramientas que nunca había usado y descubrí que algunas no solo son interesantes, sino casi imprescindibles para llevar nuestros pequeños o grandes proyectos adelante de forma cómoda y segura pudiendo disfrutar cada momento de esos pequeños ratos que les dedicamos.

The first woodworking I ever did was on a shaving horse. I had just turned 20, and a 12-year-old sat me down at a shaving horse with a drawknife and taught me how to make a spatula from a piece of red maple firewood. I was hooked. The simple elegance and intuitive feel of the horse and drawknife completely drew me in as shavings piled up around my feet. Since then I’ve had the good fortune to spend countless hours on shaving horses and to work extensively with other shaving horse aficionados.

The shave horse has been around for donkey’s years, proving its worth time and time again as an inimitable piece of workshop kit. It’s essentially a giant vice, perfect for larger projects that require a bit more strength and a solid working position. Using a few tools, I’m going to show you how to make a continental/American ‘dumbhead’ shave horse. It’s a really good ‘quick release’ vice that leaves both hands free and allows you to sit while working. There are other designs, such as the bodger’s horse, but I like this style. The shave horse is equally useful both indoors and outdoors. It works efficiently, and is easily adjusted for different working angles – allowing you to work precisely and in comfort.