Old school horsing around

[johnnyb]

Thought you guys might appreciate this old fashioned clothes horse build.
I used beech uprights and redwood rails( to cut down the weight) I highly recommend this as a pre cursor to say window making or any joinery items as if your techniques can make this well square and neatly then much confidence will be instilled. Its quite fussy as it needs to be square otherwise the hinging becomes a farce. It's very durable and will last decades having through wedged tenons on top and bottom rails and 1 inch tenons on the 2 mid rails.

 

[johnnyb]

It's not really a full build tbf as I'd done most preparation weeks ago. I started by marking the uprights for morticing all together. Can also sing the praises of the little traversing stops for repetitive joinery on a sedgwick there at the back like 2 fiddly buttons on a bar. These aren't essential but are very desirable as they allow perfectly sized mortices only needing lining up to one edge. This then allows rapid and accurate rail/ tenon making because there is no variation in size. The reverse of the through tenons is flared to accept the wedges. Mark 3mm further than the main mortices plunge the chisel on the line then operate the traverse wheel to form the wedge space.(the traverse stop must be loose for this btw!

 

[johnnyb]

This shows a mortice and the top of the horses gothic arch

 

[johnnyb]

This afternoon I tenoned all the rails at the same time only cutting 6 off to one inch(the 2 mid rails ×3 frames)
I glued them all up and wedged them checking for square using a lovely simple tool from the victorian era that's really useful on things that haven't been cut off or in this case with decorative things as it checks diagonal from the inside faces.

 

[johnnyb]

Showing through and blind tenons. Unfortuneatly the previous photo doesn't properly show the squaring device in use.ill take a better pic tomorrow.

 

[johnnyb]

They all seem to be square and flat and they should be relatively easy to hinge together.

 

[Jacob]

They all seem to be square and flat and they should be relatively easy to hinge together.

Looks good!
Are you going to use the trad clothes horse hinge; flaps of webbing nailed on?

 

[johnnyb]

I am intending to use French linen webbing for the hinges as is tradition. Although I prefer old inner tube offcuts but they look a bit utilatarian!

 

[Jacob]

I am intending to use French linen webbing for the hinges as is tradition. Although I prefer old inner tube offcuts but they look a bit utilatarian!

Ours had government surplus khaki webbing.

 

[johnnyb]

That was really tough material to be fair. We used to get school backpacks made from same stuff in blue green and khaki.

 

[Keith Cocker]

Are you going to use it for a tent with an old blanket on it as we did when we were kids

 

[johnnyb]

It's amazingly evocative of childhood if your a certain age. They aquired a certain patina in use. They were always pine. With a few brads in the tenons. I thought leather might make a nice hinge as well. There certainly a challenging project as a one off because each bay has 16 separate joints that's 48 in total. I'd suggest its very nearly as challenging as a window but easier to mentally picture. Anybody else made a similar one?any pics?

 

[johnnyb]

Ps I love any project like this as it so unpompous and practical and something that truly benefits from being well made( the next one will be very delicate I think)

 

[triker64]

Looks good and takes me back to childhood. I currently have a metal one at present but when that gives up will make one.
Thank you for the inspiration

 

[Cabinetman]

Nice, and a good job to practice skills on as you say, another piece similar is a freestanding towel rail, but no hinges on that of course.
I remember our clothes rack had that dark grey and white chair webbing. The other webbing I have used on stretchers is seat belt material.
Ian

 

[johnnyb]

I have productionised this design now. So it's all pine for a start. No through tenons either. Just glue and brads. The hinges are linen but double acting so three bays can be configured a few ways (N or Z)

 

[gold_bantam]

It’s a beautiful piece, love it painted too. I am intrigued by this ‘squaring device’ though. Any more info or photos?

 

[johnnyb]

I think I first saw it in an old joinery book. Super simple. It's got a chamfered point that pushes into the opposite corner and rests on the work via a cut away. Marks are made denoting each diagonal length and the frame knocked to the middle of the 2 marks.

 

[gold_bantam]

Thank you. Makes a lot of sense and as you say very simple!

 

[Jacob]

When we were kids the preferred design was the two piece. This could be turned on its side with a sheet draped over, to make a tent.