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All About Sawhorses

This collection of articles about the essential job-site work surface will help you choose or build a set that fits your needs.

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It’s hard to imagine a job site or workshop with out a pair of sawhorses (or several pairs) because so many woodworking and construction tasks require these solid, compact, and comfortable work surfaces to get things done. But because sawhorses get used for everything from cutting heavy timbers to assembling fine pieces of furniture, different jobs demand that sawhorses have different dimensions and features. Plus, each craftsperson’s preferred style of sawhorse depends on how portable it needs to be, how many different types of tasks it needs to be good for, and whether or not that person wants to just buy the best factory-made model or feels compelled to craft a set of horses that perfectly matches their own sensibilities. Whatever kind of sawhorse you want or need for your next project, there’s a good chance there’s a Fine Homebuilding article that can help you choose or build it, and we’ve collected them all right here.

  • How-To 1
    Building Sturdy Sawhorses

    Learn how to easily build a pair of simple, stackable sawhorses.

  • Tools & Materials 2
    Tool Test: Folding Sawhorses

    We put a stable of store-bought sawhorses through their paces to learn which ones work best on the job site.

  • 3
    Improving the Sawhorse

    The sawhorse is pretty iconic. This simple device comes in a variety of styles and materials, but unless you're buying something fancy, they're all pretty much the same. That doesn't…

  • Tools & Materials 4
    Sawhorse Roundup

    A selection of new and traditional designs for sawhorses that are easy to build, strong and lightweight.

  • How-To 5
    Classic Sawhorse

    A traditional approach to the simple trestle.

  • How-To 6
    Simple Sawhorses

    These knockdown sawhorses are far easier to move from job to job than a conventional sawhorse.

  • Tools & Materials 7
    TS-35 Sawhorse Legs Review

    These premium-priced legs from Trojan simply clamp onto any pieces of 2x lumber to make a sturdy pair of custom-length sawhorses.

  • Tools & Materials 8
    Quick-built T-bench

    Sometimes it just makes sense to build a sawhorse out of job-site scraps.

  • Tools & Materials 9
    Easy-Stow Sawhorses

    These sturdy steel horses adjust quickly for any task or job site.

  • How-To 10
    Portable Three-Legged Sawhorses
    Portable Three-Legged Sawhorses

    This versatile knockdown design sets up quickly and stores flat.

  • How-To 11
    Sawhorse Booties Boost Load Capacities

    A lot of contractors in my area prefer to use a portable fold-up metal sawhorse. You can’t beat them for portability and ease of use, but they have a drawback.…

  • How-To 12
    Site-Built Sawhorses
    Stackable Site-Built Sawhorses

    These sturdy sawhorses serve a multitude of functions around our job sites. They have provided the base for a working-drawings table or improvised miter-saw stand, held walking planks, and supported…

  • How-To 13
    Quick Sawhorse
    Quick Sawhorse

    Scrap 2xs and the cutoffs from I-joists make strong yet quickly constructed sawhorses. Leg spread is determined by the center-web height and the flange width. In my experience, 2x4 flanges…

  • How-To 14
    There's a Better Way: Customize Sawhorses for Easier Clamping

    Make two little modifications that help hold workpieces better

  • How-To 15
    Adjustable-Height Sawhorse
    Adjustable-Height Sawhorse

    Unable to find a factory-made pair of adjustable-height sawhorses, I designed my own a few years ago. Made from scrap pieces of plywood and short lengths of oak and 2x4…

  • Design 16
    making sawhorses
    Faster, Stronger Sawhorses

    One carpenter's favorite sawhorses, made in 15 minutes.

  • How-To 17
    Heavy-Duty Sawhorse Brackets

    Plenty of commercially available sawhorse brackets are on the market, but I’ve found that the ones I weld up for myself suit my needs better than any I have seen.…

  • Tools & Materials 18
    I-Joist Sawhorse

    The drawing shows the details of a new breed of sawhorse that we're building with our leftover I-joists. The sawhorses are light and strong, and they take about 20 minutes…

  • Tools & Materials 19
    Roof Framer’s Sawhorse

    I have been following the endless parade of sawhorses that have hoofed across the pages of your magazine for the past few years. In all but a few there is…

  • Tools & Materials 20
    Hurricane-Tie Sawhorse

    I stole the idea for this sawhorse from the local road crew, which uses a similar type of horse for its blockades. As shown in the drawing, the horses can…

  • Tools & Materials 21
    Steel-Stake Sawhorse

    I never seem to have as many sawhorses on the job as I need. And when I do have enough sawhorses and I've got to pack them up for the…

  • Tools & Materials 22
    Foldup Sawhorses

    Here's a simple and inexpensive design for a foldup sawhorse. And if you hang on to scraps of wood and bits of hardware, you've probably already got a lot of…

  • Tools & Materials 23
    Sawhorse With a Quick-Change Top

    I made the sawhorse shown in the drawing out of scraps, and I like it better than any I've used in the past. Its main feature is a 1-1/2-in. notch at…

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