So, it all started with the idea of making a pair of Shaker rocking chairs.  As with all of my projects, there are at least two three prior steps that need to be accomplished.  In this case I needed to bend the splats for the back of the chair and the back legs (which have a slight curve). I was told that having wood soaking in the bath was not an option...

I had planned on cutting down a couple of 4-inch ash trees and had them marked out by a dear friend - but the winter was so brutal that I opted to buy 1-1/4" hardwood dowels and bend them.

Step one make a steam bending box

Note to self: just because the company says they are hardwood doesn't
mean that they are natural solid hard wood dowels.  In fact in this case they were laminated.  - if  I'd looked at these carefully I would have seen the odd grain pattern. 

Anyway - my lathe will not hold 43 inch piece so in order to shape the rear legs I needed a way to hold and 'sculpt' them.  What better way than on a shaving horse [stay tuned]