A Basic Sawhorse
T
HIS BASIC DESIGN WILLproduce a sawhorse that is adaptable to
several workshop tasks, sturdy, good-looking, and a pride to own.
To build a basic pair of sawhorses you’ll need one 8-ft. 2x6, three 8-ft.
1x6s plus a few 1x6 scraps for braces. Fir or pine is the usual choice
because of its strength and light weight. All operations in sawhorse
construction can be performed with hand tools, but power tools make
the job faster and easier.
Start by cutting two 42-in.-long pieces of 2x6 for the saddles. Some
people prefer to use a saddle 48 in. long, but the 42-in. length is hand-
ier for working on doors and still gives plenty of support to a 4x8
sheet of plywood. Next cut eight legs 28 in. long from the 1x6 stock.
Once the sawhorses are assembled, the legs will be trimmed to give an
overall height of 24 in. Taper the legs on one edge, starting full width
at a point 8 in. from the top and tapering down to 3^1 ⁄ 2 in. at the bot-
tom. This makes the horse lighter and more stable.
CHAPTER TWOFir 2x6Pine legs