# Making sawhorses, the easy way



## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Got a project coming up that I will be wanting four sawhorses for. Not going to buy any. I can make a sawhorse, but I want something simple and fast for this. I could make some simple take-apart horses from plywood, but besides taking more time than I want to spend, I don't want to use that much plywood. So, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, google is our friend. And found this, in several places actually, but this one is possibly clearer to understand.
How to Build a Sawhorse | The Art of Manliness
I like it, simple crosscuts, no angle cuts, no detailed instructions by some idiot, and I have some old 2X4s, so don't have to buy a thing, unless I'm out of nails, not checked on that yet. For what I want, these will be about 22-24" tall probably, and maybe 2' wide. May use double headed nails, so can take them apart easily later - no screws, I very seldom, if ever, use screws for any of my work, too much of a PITA. I would possibly also make the bottom pieces maybe 6-8" or so, rather than going the whole length of the underside of the top - depends on how far my 2X4s go. I give this two thumbs, and two big toes, up.


----------



## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Nice and simple, and they look sturdy too. Wouldn't work for me because I don't have room to store them. I have four folding sawhorses with metal legs that I've used for over 25 years - probably weigh more than when new from all the lacquer overspray on them.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I like the design Theo.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

excellent find Theo...


----------



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Great post Theo. :smile:


----------



## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

I made mine using hte sawhorse brackets and a little less of 4x2. They're great as I can collapse them down for storing. I not got a lot of room in my workshop. The timbers I use across the top are 3'6" long to support my plywood cutting table in the back yard.


----------



## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

I didn't see a plywood gusset or stretcher on the legs. Maybe I missed but they are most necessary.


----------



## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

A framer who used to work for us would do that first thing as soon as the lumber package arrived. But he didn't use the top of the "I-beam". I like this idea better. Thanks.


----------



## Garyk (Dec 29, 2011)

In my commercial construction days the saw horses was the first thing constructed when we started a new job. Didn't have the miter saws then either so we made our own jig for that too. Two pieces of one by, a saw horse top, tri square and a regular hand saw worked just fine. Remember cutting crown molding upside down & backwards?


----------



## roxanne562001 (Feb 5, 2012)

I have made this type several times they work very well and very sturdy and they last a long time. They may be manly but Ladies can make them too . Just like my father made and showed me how to many years ago. I always use carriage bolts to mount the legs so I can break them down for storage.


----------



## RÖENTGEEP (Feb 18, 2014)

vindaloo said:


> *I made mine using hte sawhorse brackets and a little less of 4x2. They're great as I can collapse them down for storing.* I not got a lot of room in my workshop. The timbers I use across the top are 3'6" long to support my plywood cutting table in the back yard.


Same here. :smile:


----------



## Dan3103 (Feb 12, 2014)

I made two of these several years ago. They are inexpensive and sturdy and easily stack when not in use to reduce the footprint in my garage. Thanks for the link, my son was wanting to build two for his house and now I can point him to the plans without having to rely on my google-foo...


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I occasionally use sawhorses for painting platforms. Try putting a cross piece about halfway down one of the legs on each horse. Gives you an easy way to step up onto the platform, and also lets you put a lower platform (2x12) for that bit of extra reach indoors.


----------



## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

I've got a large set of something similar that I keep outside, but I love these little guys from HF, for in the shop. Cheap (12 bucks I believe, but caught a sale twice, years apart 2 for 12), they are sturdy, and takes up just a little room in the shop, when folded. I have 4!! Also great to make some extra table space for parties. Throw a piece of ply on them and a table cloth.


----------



## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

paduke said:


> I didn't see a plywood gusset or stretcher on the legs. Maybe I missed but they are most necessary.


Especially when nails are the only things holding the legs on. Instead of nails, power driven 3" screws would make a significant difference in strength and safety. I don't like the way the top 2 X 4 is attached either. No metal should be anywhere near the top surface. I would think that short pocket screws up into this piece from below would be the right way to attach it. You don't want a saw blade to come into contact with any metal if you set the cut a little too deep and cut across the top of your saw horse.

I have built many very similar saw horses, but I use 1 X 6 material for the legs. 2 X 4s are not needed for strength here, and the weight reduction is a blessing when it comes time to moving them around. My saw horses are screwed and glued together with construction adhesive. With screws and glue assembly, they can be stood on quite safely and will last for many years, even with the usual job site abuse. No plywood brace is needed either, but I have sometimes added the braces to the tallest if they will be used to hold up a scaffold plank. I can easily turn out 8 of them, even in pairs with different leg lengths for each pair, in less than a day. Two with long legs and a door make a great job site work bench. Shorter ones have many uses, including doubling as chairs when eating lunch. If made just below knee height they are great for cross cutting when you want to use your knee to hold the piece down. If all of them need to be stored, just stack the tallest first, then the next shorter on top, etc, with the knee high ones the last to be put on the stack. 

I have also built several "cutting tables" to use when breaking down full sheets of plywood or other sheet goods. Using saw horses for this is dangerous and wastes material, because the whole sheet isn't being supported. When you rip a sheet the full length it's easy to have the off cut break from the main piece before the cut is complete. When cross cutting the situation is even more dangerous.

My cutting tables are just an open frame, originally made from 2 X 4s that are about 30" wide and 70" long, but the size isn't very critical. I now use 1 X 4 on edge to reduce the weight for the outside perimeter of the frame . Five 2 X 4 pieces are cut the length to fit inside this frame, one for a center brace and the other four placed near the ends where needed to attach the legs. All of these are installed flat and even with the top edge of the frame. Only glue and biscuits are used to build this table frame. No metal is used.The legs are metal banquet table legs that can be purchased in pairs from Harbor Freight and Northern for about $20 per pair and are attached with the included short screws to the bottom side of the 2 X 4 cross pieces. There are two additional screws driven through some pieces of plywood scrap off center in the scrap, but centered on one side of the frame. This allows these pieces to be rotated so they extend above the frame surface or can be rotated 90 deg to be below the frame surface. These are the only metal pieces used in the wood parts of the frame. 

When cutting a sheet of plywood, I turn these two pieces of scrap so they extend above the table frame, lay the table on it's side with these pieces against the ground, and stand the sheet of plywood against the table with the bottom edge sitting on these plywood scraps. I then reach under the plywood edge and the table frame and lift the two together until the table is standing in it's legs with the plywood laying flat on top of it. 

I use aluminum straight edge clamps and my 7 1/2" circular saw, set to cut through the plywood plus about 1/4" below it, to make all of my cuts. I shift the plywood sheet around some between cuts so that the main piece and the off cut are not hanging beyond the edges of the table enough for them to fall when cut free. I don't worry about cutting 1/4" into the table frame since there is more than enough wood remaining to prevent the table from collapsing any time in the future. If enough cuts are made that the top gets too rough to use, I'll just make another frame and transfer the legs to it. When I'm finished cutting, I fold the table legs and stack the table against my plywood stock in my shop. The legs fold into the recess of the frame, so it stacks against the plywood easily without the legs marring the adjacent plywood.

Attached are pictures of my previous cutting table that's made entirely of 2 X 4 stock. As I've aged (now 74), this table has become too heavy, so I rebuilt it using 1 X 4 for the frame and 2 X 4 material for only the needed cross pieces. It's much easier for me to use and carry now as it's about 20 lbs lighter. I have no pictures of the newest version, but these of the older table should give you a good idea of how it's made. I don't have any pictures of my saw horses, because I don't have them any more. I gave them all away after retiring, and just use the cutting table now.

Charley


----------



## AndyL (Jun 3, 2011)

That's a neat design Charley, especially the idea of tipping the sheet over with the table.


----------

