How to Build Collapsible Sawhorses
Sawhorses are hard to transport or store in your garage unless they can be disassembled and quickly reassembled when you need them. You can make a set of sawhorses that fold up and lay down for easy access whenever you need them.
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Things You'll Need
- 10 two-by-fours, 36 inches
- 4 two-by-fours, 8 inches
- Table saw
- Miter saw with miter gauge
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Band saw
- Drill/screwgun with magnetic Phillips-head tip
- 3/16-inch drill bit
- 16 No. 10 wood screws, 2-inch
- 16 No. 10 wood screws, 3-inch
Instructions
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1
Set the table saw fence at 3 1/2 inches. Raise the blade to 1/4 inch. Lay the 36-inch pieces on the table saw one at a time. Using the miter gauge, run them through the table saw at this setting, cutting a 1/4-inch deep kerf across one side of the two-by-four.
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2
Stand the two-by-fours on their edges. Measure 1/4 inch from the top of the two-by-four opposite the end that you cut the kerf on. Lay a ruler from the top point of the kerf to the mark, and draw a pencil line down the ruler. You should be looking at a steep slanting angle running from the inside stopping point of the kerf to the mark you made 1/4 inch from the edge on top.
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3
Stand the two-by-four on its edge on the band saw and cut freehand along the line until the band saw blade meets the terminating point of the kerf. The angled piece should fall away, leaving you with the correct angle cut on the sawhorse leg for the sawhorse beam. The beam will rest on the kerf. Cut the angles on seven other two-by-fours.
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4
Drill two holes through the angle cuts on each sawhorse leg above the kerf line.
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5
Place a 2-inch screw in the magnetic tip of the screw gun. Lay one of the uncut 36-inch cross-beam pieces on a flat surface. Hold the angled part of the sawhorse leg against the end of the beam. It should be angled up at about a 30-degree angle.
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6
Drive a screw through the predrilled angled legs into the sawhorse beam. Do both sides. Flip the sawhorse over. Put on the other legs by holding them opposite the first leg, seating the kerf against the sawhorse beam. Screw on the legs one at a time. Stand up the sawhorse. Hold the 8-inch piece of two-by-four behind the legs on the inside of the leg for the brace. Using a pencil, mark the angle of the vertical legs onto each side of the 8-inch piece of two-by-four. Cut the angle on the band saw.
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7
Install the 8-inch piece by gluing the cut ends and sliding it up into the crotch of the legs until it seats comfortably on both sides. Predrill and drive two 3-inch screws into the brace on each leg.
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8
Disassemble the sawhorses by removing the screws that hold the beam in place. The sawhorse will collapse. The legs then stack or lay flat. Replace the beam when needed.
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Tips & Warnings
Always wear safety glasses when working with saws or wood.
References
- Photo Credit construction tools, saw image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
