{"id":20159,"date":"2011-09-15T14:25:22","date_gmt":"2011-09-15T19:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artofmanliness.com\/?p=20159"},"modified":"2021-06-02T16:12:21","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T21:12:21","slug":"how-to-build-a-quick-and-easy-sawhorse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/featured\/how-to-build-a-quick-and-easy-sawhorse\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Quick and Easy Sawhorse"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-20218 size-full\" title=\"sawhorse\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2011\/09\/sawhorse2.jpg\" alt=\"Vintage sawhorse ad advertisement illustration tools.\" width=\"500\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/sawhorse2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/sawhorse2-320x211.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/>A few months ago, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.craftsman.com\/\">Craftsman <\/a>&nbsp;flew me up to Chicago to visit their&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.craftsman.com\/craftsmanclub\">Craftsman Experience<\/a> shop for a blogger summit. (If you&#8217;re ever in Chicago, I definitely recommend stopping by the Craftsman Experience and checking it out. It&#8217;s free and open to the public.) I spent the day playing with tools and learning how to build various projects under the tutelage of several DIY bloggers. One project that I really enjoyed and found pretty dang useful was from Timothy Dahl, owner of the DIY blog <a href=\"https:\/\/charlesandhudson.com\/\">Charles and Hudson<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy showed us how to make a simple, yet sturdy sawhorse that even a handyman noob like myself could build without screwing up too much.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Why Do I Want to Build a Sawhorse?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Good question. Sawhorses come in handy in a variety of situations. The first and most obvious&nbsp;situation&nbsp;where a sawhorse is useful is when you need to saw something. Duh. A sawhorse gives the board you&#8217;re sawing the support and elevation you need to make a clean cut.<\/p>\n<p>A pair of sawhorses can also be used to make a makeshift work table or scaffold. Just use the two sawhorses as the legs, and place a sheet of plywood over it. When I worked as a painter one summer back in high school, my boss would use a pair of sawhorses and an old door he found on the side of the road to make his worktable. Makeshift tables from sawhorses particularly come in handy when you&#8217;re setting up for a garage sale.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s see. Other reasons you should build a sawhorse&#8230; How about for a makeshift seesaw? Or what about using it as the fulcrum for a home defense catapult? Just spitballin&#8217; here.<\/p>\n<p>And while you can certainly buy ready-made sawhorses at your local big box hardware store, you miss out on the fun and satisfaction of building a piece of equipment that will serve you for years to come.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Materials<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here are the materials Tim recommends for his sawhorses. It&#8217;s enough to make a pair.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Six 32\u00bd-inch 2x4s (for the I-beams)<\/li>\n<li>Eight 30-inch 2x4s (for the legs)<\/li>\n<li>Twelve 3-inch wood screws<\/li>\n<li>Thirty-two 16D galvanized nails<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<h3><strong>How to Build a Sawhorse<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Building a sawhorse is super easy. It makes for a great starter project for the man who has never really worked with tools, but wants to become handier around the home.<\/p>\n<p>Note: This is <em>one <\/em>way to build a sawhorse. I know there are plenty of other ways to do it. This plan is great for everyday use in a typical suburban garage. If you plan on using your sawhorses for heavy work, you might try another design.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Measure and Cut Your Timber<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20174\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20174\" class=\"wp-image-20174 size-full\" title=\"measure1\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/measure1.jpg\" alt=\"Cutting and measuring wood for DIY homemade sawhorse.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20174\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The 2x4s I bought came in lengths of sixteen feet, so I had to cut them down to the needed sizes. Here I am measuring and cutting 32\u00bd-inch pieces for the I-beams and 30-inch pieces for the legs. Remember to measure twice and cut once!<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_20175\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20175\" class=\"wp-image-20175 size-full\" title=\"mitersaw2\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/mitersaw2.jpg\" alt=\"Cutting wood for DIY homemade sawhorse for garage.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20175\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Here I am using a portable compound miter saw to cut the timber. You can use a hand-held circular saw or even an old-school <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/lifestyle\/gear\/toolmanship-how-to-use-a-handsaw\/\">handsaw<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_20176\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20176\" class=\"wp-image-20176 size-full\" title=\"cuttwood1\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/cuttwood1.jpg\" alt=\"Pile of 2x4 woods for DIY homemade sawhorse.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20176\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ready to be turned into a sawhorse<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>2. Build I-Beams<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20187\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20187\" class=\"wp-image-20187 size-full\" title=\"ibeam2\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/ibeam2.jpg\" alt=\"2x4s made into I beam formation for DIY homemade sawhorse.\" width=\"500\" height=\"318\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20187\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Take three of your 32\u00bd-inch 2x4s and screw them together in an &#8220;I&#8221; formation.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_20178\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20178\" class=\"wp-image-20178 size-full\" title=\"pilothole1\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/pilothole1.jpg\" alt=\"A man drilling with machine into a wooden pile.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20178\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I found it helpful to drill a pilot hole before driving the screws in.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_20177\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20177\" class=\"wp-image-20177 size-full\" title=\"screw2\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/screw2.jpg\" alt=\"Making holes for a screw in a wood.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Drive three wood screws right down the middle on top and bottom of the I-beam. Place two of the screws near each end and drive the other one right in the middle of the I-beam.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"ibeam\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2011\/09\/ibeam.jpg\" alt=\"Finished I beam for DIY homemade sawhorse.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Finished I-Beam<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>3. Nail the Legs to I-Beam<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20181\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20181\" class=\"wp-image-20181 size-full\" title=\"hammer4\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/hammer4.jpg\" alt=\"Striking nail into the I-beam with hammer.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20181\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Butt the end of the 30&#8243; 2x4s into the top of the I-beam like so. Hammer two nails at the top of the leg so that they go into the middle I-beam piece.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_20182\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20182\" class=\"wp-image-20182 size-full\" title=\"hammer3\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/hammer3.jpg\" alt=\"A man joining sawhorse leg with nails and holding hammer.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20182\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nail two more nails into your leg so that they go through the bottom I-beam piece.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_20183\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20183\" class=\"wp-image-20183 size-full\" title=\"boxpattern\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/boxpattern.jpg\" alt=\"A man holding wooden pile.\" width=\"500\" height=\"407\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20183\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">If you&#8217;ve done things correctly, you should form a box pattern with your nails. Notice my hammer dings in the wood. I need to practice.<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"hammer2\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/\/2011\/09\/hammer2.jpg\" alt=\"Joining the other leg of sawahorse with nails.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Repeat for each leg.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>Completed Sawhorse<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_20188\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20188\" class=\"wp-image-20188 size-full\" title=\"sawhorse\" src=\"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/sawhorse.jpg\" alt=\"Completed sawhorse is being displayed.\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\"\/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20188\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">My finished sawhorse. Rinse, wash, and repeat to make your second sawhorse for a pair. To store these bad boys, just stack &#8217;em.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Have fun!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A few months ago, Craftsman &nbsp;flew me up to Chicago to visit their&nbsp;Craftsman Experience shop for a blogger summit. (If you&#8217;re ever in Chicago, I definitely recommend stopping by the Craftsman Experience and checking it out. It&#8217;s free and open to the public.) I spent the day playing with tools and learning how to build [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,42259],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-20159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-skills"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/sawhorse2-500x280.jpg","aom":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/sawhorse2-372x230.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2011\/09\/sawhorse2-320x211.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20159"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":173617,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20159\/revisions\/173617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20159"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=20159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}