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Besom brooms, tent pegs, wooden spoons: all these and other items are made on a shave horse - which is a foot operated vice. Making a besom broom is not about binding a bundle of sticks to a handle. It is about making the head with the 'spray', binding it with a 'bond', finding a suitable tail and putting it in shape on the shave horse with a draw knife. Driving the 'tail' into the 'head'. Putting in the 'spick' to stop the head twisting and 'dressing' the broom. A besom is also a term for a disagreeable women - always sweeping up dust! But every besom has a good side and a bad side and should be set by the door with its best face to the world!
Traditionally the head of a besom broom is made from coppiced birch. Here in New Zealand we do not have coppiced birch so I make my besoms from Manuka (leptospermum scoparium) and Kanuka. The handle of a broom is known as a tail and almost any suitable straight stem will do but for preference I prefer to use willow. Tail and head are made separately and then driven together. The head is held together to prevent spreading with a flax tie (phormium tenax). I make my besoms on a shave horse and use a drawknife to prepare the tail.
Assembling the 'spray' for the head of the broom
Binding the head with a 'bond'in this case rope
but bass ( bark rope), wire or split willow
is sometime used.
Cutting the head to size
De-barking the tail
while holding the tail in a shave horse.
Joining the head to tail
Driving in the 'spick'
Making the flax tie for the head while
holding the flax in a shave horse
Putting the tie on the head
to prevent spreading
Completed besom made at
Taumarunui for Black Powder Gathering 2007
The Shave Horse
A shave horse is a foot operated vice. It is operated by the feet so the hands are free to work on the task be it a besom broom, a tent peg, or making a spoon - or any task that requires a vice such as preparing wood for the pole lathe.
The benefits of this ingenious device are:
- the shave horse can release the work piece quickly - all you have to do is take your feet off the bar.
- quick repositioning and clamping of the work
- easy to adjust for different pieces of work
- can be customised for different tasks
- comfortable working position.
- it is simple to make requiring no screw threads.
I made my shave horse to suit my requirements after working with several different types.
My shave horse has three legs not four. Why? Because a three legged stool stands evenly on uneven ground unlike a four legged stool which rocks.
Point of interest: that is why milking stools have three legs!
A Shave horse
Looking at the picture above. The worker sits on the platform to the right, a foot on each end of the bar where it protrudes from under the horse on each side. The work is clamped between the bar above and the sloping plank when the feet are pushed forward. When the feet are off the bar the work is released.
Shave horse. Plank removed to show wedge
The picture above shows the wedge exposed between the guides, the plank having been removed.
or,
- The wedge can be slid forward between the guides away from the operator, decreasing the gap between the bar and the plank to clamp smaller work.
- the wedge can be slid back between the guides towards the operator increasing the gap between the bar and the plank to clamp larger work.
Plank fixing detail
The plank is secured to the horse by a large dowel that rides in one of two holes at the front of the horse in front of the wedge. (See previous picture) Note the wedge holding the dowel in place in the plank - it runs across the grain, if the wedge went the other way, it would split the plank.
Shave horse from the operator position.
Wedge removed to show guides
guides fixed with round dowels.
Bearings fixed with square pegs
driven into round holes.
The next two pictures have the wedge removed. The top picture shows the guides on either side of the horse between the arms. The wedge slides between the guides with the plank on top of it.
When I made my horse I wanted to use as few iron fixtures as possible and make it with traditional fixing. I fixed the guides in position on the horse with round dowels.
Bearings
In picture two a bearing protrudes through the arm to the right of the picture. I wanted to use wood where ever I could - an iron bolt would have been a simple solution. I turned my bearings out of hardwood. Living In New Zealand, I chose a local hardwood wood - Matai. The bearings are fixed in holes in the side of the horse. A round hole goes through the guide, the horse and the bearing, emerging under the horse. Square pegs have been driven into these holes to hold the bearing in place. ( there is one bearing on either side of the horse) Why a square peg? Have you ever heard the expression: "A square peg in a round hole."? It is used when something or someone doesn't fit. That's why I used a square peg, it takes up tight but can be driven out if I ever need to replace the bearing. Had I used a round peg in a round hole, it could have dropped out releasing the bearing.
Point of interest. Many old barns are held together with square pegs driven into round holes - it works and it costs little!
How the shave horse works.
Firstly, I adjust the position for the wedge, so that it allows me to reposition the work quickly as required when the foot clamp is not engaged. I then put the work between the plank and the bar and push down with my feet and start work on the task at hand.
The tools used with a shave horse.
The Draw Knife or Shave
Draw knife and case.
Draw knife blade protected in a case.
Several tools are used with the shave horse, but it is traditionally associated with the draw knife - also known as a "Shave."
My draw knife was bought second hand. I don't know how old it is but the handles needed replacing. These can be bought from a hardware supplier (ask for file handles or similar and specify wood if you want an authentic look.) The handles need ferrules which clinch the handle in place when fitted. I worked the blade up with a file, stone and lastly a diamond honer. This took time and when I was finished the blade was very sharp so I made a case to protect the edge, myself when carrying the knife - and inquisitive onlookers at broom making demonstrations!
Draw knives come with straight or curved blades, another related tool is the inshave ( which is a tool used by a Cooper - a maker of barrels, casks and other coopered items. The scorp can also be used with a shave horse. The cooper uses a "cooper's mare" which is closely related the shave horse.
Point of interest: Why is it called a draw knife? I don't know, but it could be because the blade is drawn towards the crafts person on the shave horse. This makes the draw knife the exception to the rule, generally, blades are driven or pulled away from the body not towards it.
Bookmark this page for up-coming information on shave horse work:
Customising the shave horse : how to expand the usefulness of the shave horse.
About the author:
Richard Lees has worked in many crafts for over thirty years; pottery, clay pipe making, shave horse work, woodwork and many more. His interest is in all things Victorian in particular Victorian toys and traditional crafts. (See also Clay pipe making , pole lathe and Victorian toys )
RPL
Copyright © 11/2/2007
