Scrapheap Stitching Horse

[impulse]

Since my husband died money has been tight. Rather than work to an existing plan, I had to build my stitching horse with materials from the scrapheap.

I canibalized an old table for the legs, bracing and seat. The jaws were made from a length of rough-sawn Australian boxbrush. I would rather have bent and laminated strips of plywood for this, but being a Scrapheap Challenge, I had to do with what was available. My plan was to build a hybrid harness/ saddler's horse, ie wider opening than a stitching pony and with a saddler's horse closing mechanism.

The seat I made shorter than standard as it is my preference to have the work clamped between my knees. The slightly "goose-necked" shape allows the jaws to be angled a little, with the height comfortable for my build. Because the shape narrows to 9cm (31/2" - the width between the jaws), I constructed a Y brace under the seat and neck. Rather than weaken the structure by carving the seat to allow for my thighs, I shaped the padding. The leather on the seat was rescued from the back of a throw-out lounge chair.

In all I spent under A$10 on bolts and scews.

[Kevin]

Very nice, I especially like the mechanism.

Kevin

[King's X]

My condolences on the loss of your husband. Your work shows your innovation and use of scrap pieces.

[dbusarow]

Very cool. Doesn't look like scrap to me!

Dan

[dirtclod]

Nice job !! I reuse everthing i can to. I have some cabinets that have been took apart two or three times and rebuilt into different size cabinets.

[Kate]

I think it's BEAUTIFUL! very nice work.

[celticleather]

Brilliant job . . . looks better than any shop-bought horse!

[WyomingSlick]

Bravo! A big, BIG hand of applause!

It is so refreshing to see someone with limited means (financial that is; definately no limit here on brains and ingenuity) produce something that stands up so well in comparison with any stitching hoss I've seen. And I have no doubt that if it needs any "tinkering", you will be up to the job.

This is one of the very best examples I've ever seen of recycling and I intend to use it a referance for those who are under the impression that they need to buy all of their equipment and tools from the dealer man.

Again, another round of applause

Edited April 29, 2010 by WyomingSlick

[impulse]

Thanks for all the encouraging comments! I am finding that the clamping mechanism holds very firmly and I am pleased with the outcome.

Lois (impulse)

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

"Necessity is the mother of invention." You have done yourself proud with the rehab of the "parts bin". I love to see people use inovative talent to solve a need. Very nice job!

Bondo Bob

[Bob Hensley]

What a great looking stitching horse! I am in the "finding out how i want to do it" phase of building one of these, and I have a question - how does this locking/clamping mechanism work???

I am generally pretty good at working out machinery, but something about this has me stumped. I have looked at the photos, back and forth, over and over, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how pulling the bottom edge of the jaw you want to clamp in the direction you want the top to go is going to close it! At least that is what appears to me to be happening when you press the foot bar - the belt over the roller pulls that harness mechanism to the right, which should OPEN the jaw the way it is hinged, right?

Please help me understand this - I know I am missing something, but I will have to ask, I cannot seem to picture this in my head.

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

[MUKE]

this chair seating must be very comfortanble

[impulse]

What a great looking stitching horse! I am in the "finding out how i want to do it" phase of building one of these, and I have a question - how does this locking/clamping mechanism work???

I am generally pretty good at working out machinery, but something about this has me stumped. I have looked at the photos, back and forth, over and over, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how pulling the bottom edge of the jaw you want to clamp in the direction you want the top to go is going to close it! At least that is what appears to me to be happening when you press the foot bar - the belt over the roller pulls that harness mechanism to the right, which should OPEN the jaw the way it is hinged, right?

Please help me understand this - I know I am missing something, but I will have to ask, I cannot seem to picture this in my head.

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

Sorry for the delayed reply Bob. I have added more detail of the closing mechanism. One side of the jaws is fixed, whilst the other is hinged. A spring across the bottoms of the jaws holds it open when the foot bar is released. The leather strap is fixed to the left leg, then over the roller and down to the foot bar. The bracket holding the roller acts as a fulcrum, thus downward pressure on the foot bar pulls the roller downwards and firmly shuts the jaws together and locks in the "teeth" on the right leg. I just used some angle iron and my trusty angle grinder to make the teeth.

Hope this is clear.

Lois

[Bob Hensley]

Thanks for the added photos, now I can see it. I couldn't tell that the spring was a spring in the earlier pics, and couldn't tell the roller was part of a fulcrum, altho I sure hoped it was! A very ingenious mechanism, thanks again!

[impulse]

Thanks for the added photos, now I can see it. I couldn't tell that the spring was a spring in the earlier pics, and couldn't tell the roller was part of a fulcrum, altho I sure hoped it was! A very ingenious mechanism, thanks again!

That's fine, Bob - have fun building!

My idea behind this mechanism was to allow for bigger items to be stitched. The familiar strap-thru-the-jaws closure limits the depth of the work being held.

Lois

[prc77ro]

Thats an incredible design, and looks VERY sturdy.

[Doc Reaper]

100 years from now folks will be on here asking who made this art piece, which is really awesome! Sign your work and date it!

[AndyH]

Very nice job! Mine is of plywood scraps given to me by my cabinet-maker friend- it cost about the same but nowhere near as ingenious as yours! A beautiful piece of work.