Saw Horse

[Ted in NE-OH]

Anyone have a good design for a heavy duty sawhorse. IF so could you post a picture of the design or a picture of a sawhorse you built.

 

[Russ from MN]

I do, but I'm not home to take a picture of them. The first contractor I worked for as a carpenter had a standard design, that way they were all interchangeable. 2x6 flat on top, all cuts were 15 Degrees, 4 feet long and 24 inch vertical height.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

My dad always made them so the bottom of the legs were 14 inches across so they could pass between studs.

 

[john in la]

Cut a 2x4 into 3 pieces 32 inches long.
Make a I beam out of these 3 pieces.
Cut 4 legs that fit your desired height. How tall you are will dictate their length.
Screw the legs into the web of the I beam and add a small piece of scrap plywood on the end of the legs.
As the I beam gets cut up you can unscrew the legs and flip the I beam over to use again.
If you really rough on a sawhorse bracing can be added at the bottom of the legs.

 

[Dusty MI]

The simplest ones I've seen, were 6 2x4's. The center were 2-2x4 fastened together to form an upside down T, the other 4, the legs.

 

[Moonlite37]

A union carpenter showed me an expedient way to make saw horses. only took about a quarter hour much like Dusty said except he had another 2x4 on the top. No angles to cut. Therese were made for one time use, He made prettier ones to use in the shop

 

[Stephen Newell]

It may not look heavy duty because the legs are 1x4's but I've stacked 1000' of red oak on two of them before. The only one I've ever broken is I run over one with my tractor.

Overall they stand 31 1/2 tall. The top is 6x36. I started using pressure treated plywood because they often get left outdoors. The legs are 31 7/8 long with a 15 degree angle on both ends. The end plates are 7 5/8x10 1/2. There is only 3/4 space between the legs at the top for the cross member and 16 5/8 at the bottom. The cross member is a 1x4 which is 31 1/4 long. Another benefit of the design is they stack well.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I used triple coated deck screws

And treated lumber.

Legs are 4 ft long. I can screw on 8 ft legs

 

[stevieb49829]

mine look just like George's. Two of them have a 3 inch thick maple butcher block on them as my main portable bench, and two of them are floaters, usually with a piece of 3/4 plywood on them as extra horizontal surface. They will hold way more than a ton on them.

 

[MarkB_MI]

> Legs are 4 ft long. I can screw on 8 ft legs

Ladder jacks are a safer alternative. I seldom, if ever, stand on a sawhorse.

For shorter heights, I split my Little Giant ladder into two step ladders and run a board between them.
Ladder jack