# The Best Sawhorse I've Ever Used.



## johnv51

I've gone through several iterations of sawhorses including those finger pinching plastic @#$%'s. I've built some that weighed more than I do. I found these in an old Shopnotes and made a set. They're light, they stack and they'll hold up an incredible amount of weight. 

All of the angle cuts are 20 degrees. The legs are attached to the rail with 1 1/2" screws through the top of the leg into the center rail and lower through the leg and into the bottom rail.


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## scottieluv81

*how about a DWG*

Would you care to export to a DWG? Much appreciated!


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## johnv51

The forum structure doesn't allow dwg files as attachments to posts.
Download the free version of sketchup and it will let you export the file to a dwg format.
One other thing, I make these from construction grade 3/4" plywood.


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## Ghidrah

No personal insult but that pigmy pony won't ride a day on a construction site. 
Horses are used for staging, stacking large amounts of lumber for cutting and the ground is rarely even. 

2X4 PTSYP with leg and stabilizer brackets will last for decades and if built right can be nested and left outside.


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## johnv51

That's what I thought till I built one and used it. It WILL surprise you.


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## Ghidrah

The 1st pic shows the 2 oldest regular horses built in 96
The 2nd pic shows 2 of the 6 Big boys built in 94-95, they'll do the eave sides of most houses freeing up pipe and pumpjack staging for gables.
The 3rd pic shows 3 of 6 Camels, built in 93, I use to use them as ground staging for roofing.

I rarely use the BBs or camels anymore since I began buying pipe staging, they don't stack well like pipe. 

Both the BBs and camels are adjustable for 8' and 10'+ walls.


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## johnv51

I've built a few similar to the first ones in your post. They are sturdy and last forever but they are heavy. The one's I've shown here weigh less than 15 lbs and will support over 200 lbs of wood or woodworker ( I can testify). They are great in my shop for holding a piece while finishing or putting a couple of boards across a couple of em to do some painting on a high wall. I've set a piece of plywood on top of a couple of em and had an instant assembly table. They don't compare to your large scaffolding because that's not their purpose.


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## Ghidrah

I don't question the design can hold 200 lbs vertically I'm sure they can, but that isn't much. Most of the guys I work with or around are in the 190 to 240lb range, put 2 guys, a couple 16' planks, tools and a square of W/C shingles and you're 500lbs plus.

Regardless, the main issue with the design is the stresses of lateral movement, the design doesn't address it. Once the 2 guys above actually begin moving around and working the design would collapse. The horses would be fine for painting or as a work sta. miterbox TS light fabrication.

Lastly, all carpenters/framers require daily anaerobic exercise, (weight lifting) to stay healthy agile and strong.


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## johnv51

That explains the difference in our designs. I build furniture, you build homes. I get my exercise by banging my head against a wall after a client explains exactly what they want.


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## Ghidrah

I know how you feel, wifey is a hair dresser, oops sorry cosmetologist and gets that sinking feeling all the time too, mostly Saturdays. 

"I want it to look like that actress in the movie!", "What actress in what movie?", "Oh you know, the movie that was in the theater last month, you know the blond one with the hair, she was going to marry the guy with the thing on his face....." 

My last head banging came in the form of a really nice older couple with an emo wife who decorated their home from pictures in magazines showing affluent country homes and Rockwell renditions.


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## magicthinktank

*New sawhorse brackets*

These brackets are great! You can configure your sawhorse to any dimension and they are made in the U.S.A. Product is called TaskHorse and I purchased mine online from the manufacturers website...they are quite possibly the last sawhorse brackets I will purchase. :smile:


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## georgewoodie

The people who built my shop had simple and effective saw horses.

Legs attached to a beam using door hinges.

The horses fold together and store easily.

They are held in place when set up using a web strap across the lower leg brace.

Woodie


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## TexasTimbers

John, like you I like to have a pair of light duty horses in the shop in addition to the heavy duty. My light duty are the plastic fold-ups from big box and they are nice for mobility, but cost a lot more than yours. 

Ghidrah, I think you're missing his point if you're saying he shouldn't build light weight horses at all. I built two pair of timber framed horses years ago. The first set I made with Loblolly pine and thought dang these are too heavy they weigh about 150 pounds each are aren't fun to move. So the second set I made of eastern red cedar and they still weigh close to 100 pounds per horse. Of course they are designed to hold a timber weighing up a ton or more. Heck I could drive my 10,000 pound 1 ton truck on top of them and they wouldn't bat an eye but who wants to use those things for building a door? 

John, I'm not knocking the design you showed because if they work for you who cares what others think of them, but I do agree with Ghidrah they could use some cross bracing - even if it was 1 x 2's since you want to keep the weight down. Glad you shared your design though that's what it's all about. 

Now for a poll: Who besides me thinks poster #11 is the owner of the company - and thus A SPAMMER! :laughing:


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## cabinetman

The installer for our verticals (free installation) had these sawhorses.

They were pretty trick. I thought they were cool with the adjustments and weight capacity. Every time I've checked HD, they were sold out.


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## wolfmanyoda

TexasTimbers said:


> Now for a poll: Who besides me thinks poster #11 is the owner of the company - and thus A SPAMMER! :laughing:


:thumbsup: That was the first thing I thought as well.


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## Ghidrah

Texas T,

I'm not saying Johnv shouldn't make them. I know/knew many finish carpenters that used a type like Johns pic, for their work stations. Finish work stations its pretty much all straight down gravity weight and those horses will be fine for that purpose.

However even the finish carpenters made and used the common type I showed when they're used to support workers. Workers create considerable lateral stresses on horses by weight, climbing and jumping up to and from and or moving around each other. Most framers I've worked around build them basically the same way, (some don't build to be stackable) but all with bracing. 

I know too many smart people, (I thought they were) who were hurt when their poorly built horses and staging collapsed, too many worker compensation claims and too much missed work. 

12 yrs ago one of my 1st employers in the trade and his long time friend and foreman fell from wooden staging, (he never bought pipe or pump jacks) we always built on the job then tore it down and used it for something when no longer needed. 

Maybe 14 to 15' high the staging collapsed, sot sure why, the ground was still soft from excavation and landed on both feet, however a chunk of 2X something had sheared off in the collapse to a long point stood in the ground below him and embedded itself from just above the knee deep up into his inner thigh.

His foreman's career ended with a broken back, (2 yrs younger than me). Darrel closed the company. This was the man that scolded me back in 1981 for sloppy staging and said, "You build it as if your life depends on, cause it does!" 

Texas maybe not 100lbs, try PT SYP they're lighter around 70lbs a pair wet, spruce lighter still at about 30lbs a pair and just as strong. I also know too many no longer in the trade because they got hurt carrying too much, (clumsy or showing off out of shape and old enough to know better) 

We need constant weight bearing exercise to stay strong and maintain balance. I'm not saying for one to try to act like 25 or 35 but when one forgos the aerobic and anaerobic aspect of construction you become a danger to yourself and the others around you at work.

Back in 96 I had a local metal welding shop weld me up one of their racks, (my long time wooden rack recently wracked a bit too much and collapsed as I came to a stop (at an intersection). I had a 1/4 of the deck frame material on it that fell to the side and or slid over the cab and into the street. 

The welder had a junk Toyota pick-up sitting on an example of his signature rack at least a yr and more in his compound, (don't recall model) maybe 6500lbs. I said big deal my horses can do that too. My parents have known him and his family forever.

Mr. Vidal made a deal, for every day my horses held the truck up he'd knock off $50 if they collapsed before the 1st day was out I owed him an extra $50. I brought them down the next day, set them on steel plates then he laid 2 10X10 creosote beams on them and fork lifted the truck onto them. 

I got a $700 rack for $500 and I'd be willing to bet someone pushed on the truck to force it to fail.


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## Texas Sawduster

*Bummer*

After reading all this,.......
I don't think I will use or look at a sawhorse the same way again. :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## Chippin-in

My grandfather was a carpenter and I remember saw horses like that (that Johnv posted) in his shop. Man he had a collection of tools too...hand tools, I dont remember ever seeing a power tool. He had one of those hand crank drills (I'm sure he had a power drill, but I never saw one). He had tools that I'm sure were from early 1900's.

When he died about 20 years ago, they had his tools available to family members (just come get what you wanted). I wasnt interested in woodworking at that time and didnt get one single tool. Man I wish I would have, but thats my fault. 

I got a double barrell shotgun and my brother got the 20 ga. single shot that we both learned to hunt with. 

Well I guess I got off point, but anyway, I guess your saw horse has to fit the application...heavy duty/light duty etc.


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## sanchez

cabinetman said:


> The installer for our verticals (free installation) had these sawhorses.


I have had those sawhorses from HD for years. I lucked out one day and got them for $30. They are great for my use!


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## buchhakj

we use a set or mortise and tenon together saw horses nothing stronger.

wish i could find a picture


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