Building "sawhorses"

[Engineer]

I need to build four or six ultra-heavy-duty sawhorses for timber framing work.  I know I've seen them somewhere, but I can't find them.  I also know they're not called sawhorses in timber framing terminology.

Can anybody help me out with a link to a picture or plans of these things?

Thanks.

[BrianSimmons]

http://www.northernlightstimberframing.com/sawhorse%20class%20january%202004.htm

[sawinmontana]

If you need quick easy ones I built some from a book by Steve Chappell. He refered to them as ponys.

[jeepman]

Here are a couple pics of some horses I made and use. Sorry the pics are dark, it was dark when I finished building em. They were built from 6X6 and 4X6 poplar timbers. The measure about 48" X 24" high with 18" feet. The mess on the horses are the tools it took to build them.

[Engineer]

Thanx y'all for the posts, got what I needed.  Weekend project, here 8) I come.

[raycon]

I make mine out of spruce(light) and cut the tenons on the mill. While the timbers still clamped on the mill I cut the mortises and  make the cross cuts (with hand saw).

[Jim_Rogers]

I have a set of ponies, too. I use when I need to bore a hole with a boring machine. It's nice to place the timber on the ponies then place the boring machine on the timber, line it up and sit down and bore the hole. Using ponies your feet are on the ground as you bore, sitting down on the machine. Other wise you're up in the air on the machine on top of the timber. I've had to use a step ladder to get up there to get on more than once. :D

Making the heavy duty style sawhorses out of light weight spruce is a good idea. Maybe when I make a set I'll use spruce and see how they come out.
Right now I have quite a herd of sawhorses over in the "corral" for people to use during workshops.
Some of them can be seen in my thread about using horses or ponies.
I like the design of the heavy duty horses, and I've seen that design before in use at different timber framing shops.
Thanks to the "ghost" who lighten up the photos.
Jim Rogers

[FeltzE]

I took some 4x6 pine and 2xwide oak and whipped these together in about an hour and a half with a helper. They knock down for easy storage using tapered pegs the center board is locked in to use and pulled out in seconds for storage.

I've got a long center board for working on timbers and a short board to set up as a work table in the shop.

The pine cross members are mortised fully thru and the oak upright has about 1 1/2 inch shoulders and tennons thru to a flush surface. This provides a very strong central work point that transfers the load straight thru to the ground or floor. The cross board (tressel?) also has large shoulders and plenty of relish to allow a good wedging to make it sturdy.

When I made it the process also served to show how various tools and techniques were used in timber framing. ( A good starter project!)





Eric

[Gilman]

Thanks for the ideas.  I have some 4' x 42" dia poplar that I didn't know what I was going to use it for.  Looks like the saw horses would be a perfect use.

[Jim_Rogers]

I emailed the people in the above link about there sawhorse design.
They suggested that the top height of the heavy duty saw horses be 28".
I designed a set, which I haven't built yet that are similar to the ones pictured above.
I made my design same as his 24" tall. As we are about to start working on 8x8's and I figured that would bring the top of the 8x8 up to 32" around the right height for layout and a little tall for chiseling.
He suggested 28" and said it was short for layout of small timbers like 6x6 and right for chiseling.
I though I'd try 24" first and see if that's right for me and then if not I could always add more to the top beam or push the pegs out and put in longer legs.

Here is a drawing of my design:




What do you think?
Jim Rogers

[beetle]

I am cutting 8x8's and built mine at 24", I felt that was a happy medium so I did not need two sets at different heights.
I am 6 foot, and the 24" height is just slightly high when sitting using my boring machine, however, not uncomfortable. My feet touch, but not flat on the ground.

When I am chiseling the tenons on the ends or crosscutting with a hand saw, I seem to be bending over alot and always grabbing my stool to sit on, I notice this because of back issues.

[Jim_Rogers]

When using a boring machine, I place my timbers on "ponies" so that my feet are on the ground and comfortable.
I have back issues as well, I know if I do to much I'm in deep trouble.
I was trying to think up a catchy name for these heavy duty horses. I was thinking as the small ones are called ponies, we could call the big ones "draft horses" or Clydesdales? ;D

Jim Rogers

[L. Wakefield]

   Those are some rugged hosses, alright! Some could probably do double duty as a balance beam for budding gymnasts, I shouldn't doubt!  lw

[Gilman]

Jim,
About how wide are those feet on your new design?

[Jim_Rogers]

Gilman:
The top beam and the feet are 6x6 and the leg is 4x6.
I have a detail drawing of these in pdf format if you want one, I can email it to you.
Jim Rogers

[Gilman]

That would be great Jim.  Thanks again!

[FeltzE]

Sharp design Jim!  Great drawing too. What program did you draw that in?

Eric

[Jim_Rogers]

Eric:
That's Dietrich's D-CAM. It's a 3d timber frame drawing program created by timber framers for timber framers.
This is a screen capture of a openGL rendering showing the wood texture as well as the lines.
I like to show people drawing in a style that is familiar to them, as we are all use to looking at wood grain, it makes it nice. And it's fun.
Jim Rogers

[Dave Shepard]

I like the design Jim. I cut out some red oak 6x6's this afternoon. When it warms up a little in my garage I'll give them a try. I hate trying to pare across a timber and the timber just wiggles back and forth with the slick. I don't think a real set of sawhorses are going to do that.


Dave

[ironstumper]

Jim, Could I request a copy of that PDF file as well?

[Brad_bb]

I also built cribbing ponies per Steve Chappell's book.  Small and easy to move around, they don't take up much space in storage either.  You can sort of stack them too.  They are much lighter weight than the big heavy saw horses.  It can be done because you use two of your timbers across them to make the timber bed.  It seems most efficient to me.

[Jim_Rogers]

Making long cribs for placing many timbers on can work, but it has it's draw backs too.
First of all you don't have anyplace to have a tool table for storing your tools within arms reach.
And when you have several timber framers working on one crib and one person rolls his timber over it upsets all the other timber framers who are on the crib. It is procedure to announce that you are "rolling" so that all other framers on that crib can stop working while the rolling is taking place. This disrupts their work and concentration and can lead to problems.
Although several timber framing schools and companies due use this method.

Personally I like to have tall horses for layout, so I don't have to bend over to far to draw lines and scribe joints.
If chopping a joint you need to have some horses that are somewhat shorter than layout horses. This is so that the top of the chisel handle is at the right height for hitting with your mallet. If the timber is too high then there can be problems getting the correct swing with your mallet.

I like ponies for boring with a boring machine or using a chain mortiser.

Jim Rogers

[Brad_bb]

I'm actually building a separate roll around 2X3 cart for my timber frame hand tools.  It will hold squares properly, and chisels so they can't fall on the floor.  It will have carpet on the top to lay chisels etc and slots either in the cart top or sides of the cart for holding chisels.  It will also have a drawer.  This cart will also also have an area built into the top or a separate tray that fits on the top to hold my glass for sandpaper sharpening and a place to hold water stones.  The tray will then lift off and get stored in the cart under the drawer (open front except for the drawer).   The cart will have a place for everything - chalk line, calipers, pencils and a sharpener, razor knife, drink holder...etc.   My blog will have pics when it's done.  I've also build roll around power tool cabinets for all my power tools.  It will have a build in charger station for my cordless tools too.  I have a pic on my blog now.  I'm not done partitioning the inside yet though.
Brad
http://www.bradstimberframeprogress.blogspot.com

[shinnlinger]

Hi,

Here is a shot of the horses I use in action.


They are light and easy to move around and not so high you cant run a tall chisel into an 8x10.  I inherited a set of oak timber frame horses, but as you can see they aren't in the picture.  They are only used for storage as they are too big. 

My vote is Keep it light and easy and build at least two sets so you can always work on your own horse and the extra sets comes in handy if you have to shuffle beams by yourself from one spot to another.

[swampfox]

Nice sawhorses, when I build some new ones I think I might taper the ends from the legs out to possibly help the power cord move off the sawhorse instead of getting stuck (especially when ripping).  I hate that.

[ljmathias]

Swampfox: not following you on the taper- you mean you want to slope the leg so it's not straight up and down?  If that's correct, doesn't that put more stress on your joints (nails and reinforcing braces)?

I just build several pairs for the workshop coming up here in a couple of weeks and used my own design which almost certainly is the same as someone else's that I saw on the forum or elsewhere.... I used treated 2X6 for the legs, top and strongback (under the horse top and tied into the legs) plus a pair of 2X4 angle braces running slantwise between the legs.  Used a 15 degree miter on all legs top and bottom so everything fits well and has a pretty solid "stance" if that's the right term.  Went for fast and furious on these (only two weeks to get ready) so I used a nail gun rather than mortise and tenon (plan on doing that shortly to make a couple more pair of sawhorses for timber framing).

Sorry, didn't mean to go on so- let me know what you plan on that taper idea- getting power cords and air hoses stuck seems to take up way too much time when you're trying to build something (at least when I work...).

Thanks and Happy President's Day (whatever that is)!

Lj

[zopi]

Nahh..he wants to round off the ends of the top piece to help @#$% extension cords go around them...a good idea..in theory.

I hate extension cords...they exist to torment me...air hoses too... ;D

[moonhill]

In responce to Jim, and others in the shop knocking the timbers around and jarring others work, this is true.  With a one or two man crew it isn't much of a problem but add a third or fourth and it can be.  I haven't tried this but if you use ponies and light 6' bunks, in a row, to stop the transfer of motion to some where else, I could see it working.  I like everything all layed out at once to check for mistakes and orientation issues and what-not.  I can pile a lot of timber on my ponies and they hold up.  If everyone in the shop is calm and cool it should work out, you have to have a understanding with each other so as not to be irritated by the jarring.  This doesn't sound much like of an endorsement but ponies have my vote.  Oh, electrical cords?  What electrical cords.  Tim B.

[StorminN]

There was an article in one of the latest Mother Earth News magazines, with plans for building "trestle timber ponies"... they use 6x6's for the feet and 4x6's for the rest. They have the horizontal top beam and a horizontal trestle about halfway down the legs. I started building a pair, but haven't yet finished.

-N.

[Jim_Rogers]

See post #9 on first page.......

[shinnlinger]

Can some one explain to me the logic behind big heavy horses?  I have some big oak ones with interchangeable 4 ft and 8 ft tops they weigh a ton and I never use them.

These light weight ones can hold all the weight and aren't hard to move around.

[ljmathias]

I think the idea of building them like the post and beams to sit on them is more for "visual balance" than outright utility- it just looks better somehow to have heavy timbers sitting on heavy sawhorses... Anyway, yours look to me like the feet are spread fairly far apart- does this put a lot of force on the joints of the sawhorses to resist the spreading caused by the downward weight of the timbers?  I may be wrong- can't make out the details of yours with my computer resolution.

Lj

[shinnlinger]

Yeah,

My legs are spread so they will be stable...but I have a 1x6 or so holding it together.   I had input from a local TFer on the design(we thought about it for at least 10 minutes), and I think we got it about right on the angle and height.  It is stable, but not so wide you trip over it all the time and a good height for working 8x10's w/a chisel.

I might have glued and screwed the thing together, or maybe just screwed, or maybe air nailed it, I cant remember.

I have the pattern in the shop still and will post it if anyone has interest.  I slapped my together with white pine I had, which is obvously one of the worse choices for a horse, but they have held up fine to abuse.  Just make a few more than you think you will need, they come in handy.

Personally, Id rather save my energy to move beams around than sawhorses.

[witterbound]

I like my heavy horses because I can bar clamp shorter timbers I am working on to them, and the horses act like an anchor to give me something solid to work against.  For example, when I'm working on a brace, I clamp the brace to one of my horses, and it's solid for me to chisel or saw.  I think folks who do this for a living set up shop and they don't ever their horses.  It makes sense for them, as from time to time they often have a lot of timbers on their horses.  Hmmm, wonder if there's an OSHA angle??

[zopi]

  Hmmm, wonder if there's an OSHA angle??

Of course there is..but I bet it is an obtuse angle...

prolly have to paint them bright orange and have handrails all the way around, and you must wear a safety harness when
sitting on a timber...it might roll.  :D

[shinnlinger]

Witterbound,

That does make some sense to me,  you would have to clamp a windbrace to two light horses to get the same stability. 

By the way, I don't think you "heavy horse" people are idiots or anything, I am just trying to represent the "light horse" people.

Oh I measured my horses and they are about 2 ft tall and 40 inches wide at the base and 4 ft -5ft long.  The main cross peice also doesnt overhang the edges much at all to help reduce cord snagging.  I have found them to be about right for working timbers, but I am 6'4" so if you are shorter than that you might want them 20" tall or so

[StorminN]

Hey shinnlinger,

I think a big part of it is that a lot of people build the timber horses as their first "starter project"... that's why I'm doing them. I already have other "light" wood horses, but I wanted to see if I liked the timber work, and a small project like this seemed like a good start...

-Norm.

[witterbound]

shinnlinger,
I think everyone should make and use what work for them.  I first built, and used, 4 ponys.  I like them a lot, but found that they moved when I was working braces.  So then I then built my heavy horses.  I use both sets for different kinds of work. 

[Jim_Rogers]

Although, I designed the horse shown in Post #9 on the first page, I never have built any for myself.
But at the after school program that I teach, we had the students build some as an introduction to the timber framing process.
Plus we needed the horses to work on the 7x9x24 hemlock sills.
After the horses were constructed they were tested:



And it passed the strength test, and the stiffness test also. As this isn't a movie for utube you can't see me attempting to rock it from end to end, but that's what I'm trying to do up there.

Jim Rogers

PS. oh, yea, that's isn't me up there without my harness on, or safety railing.... in case osha is watching.....

[witterbound]

Jim, that's quite a picture!  I'm worried about your spotter, as it looks like he's wearing sandals.   Surely he's not.

[Jim_Rogers]

Yes, he is wearing sandals but he was just visiting; not doing any work with tools or timbers.
He was a former school committee member who was "just checking" on what was going on at the after school program that he had approved.
He was only there one or two afternoon seeing what the kids were up to.

Jim Rogers

[witterbound]

Sure he was Jim.   :D

[zopi]

I oughta airbrush some boots to look like sandals...just for these kinds of pictures...maybe some chainsaw chaps painted to look like bermuda shorts...

[Brad_bb]

**Just reposting the pic of my cribbing ponies now that I know how to post pics of FF.  thanks JIM!

I also built cribbing ponies per Steve Chappell's book.  Small and easy to move around, they don't take up much space in storage either.  You can sort of stack them too.  They are much lighter weight than the big heavy saw horses.  It can be done because you use two of your timbers across them to make the timber bed.  It seems most effecient to me.


PS.  Please tell me if I did this wrong.  I uploaded my pic to my FF gallery, then copied the address and put it between two image tags here. When I hit the "Upload or Insert Photo" it wasn't obvious how I was supposed to insert a photo that was already in my gallery.  So I assumed that I could copy the address.

[Jim_Rogers]

Looks like you did it right.....

[Dave Shepard]

I've started on a pair of Jim's saw ponies. I'm using all 6x6's, even for the legs. They will be 3' wide, 28" tall, with 24" feet. Here's a very bad pic of the first foot:




I'm using pine, it's what I've got handy. This is the first time I've used my chisels and slicks since I started using the ceramic polishing stone. They are DanG Sharp! ;D 8)


Dave

[Mooseherder]

Dave!
You started another project! :D
Nice start. ;D

[Dave Shepard]

I actually have more projects in the planning stages than actual projects. Most of my currently started projects run into a lack of money problem. I've got all the pieces for the horses ponies, so they should get finished. ;D


Dave

[Radar67]

My planned project list is rather large too Dave. My problem is not so much the money (although it helps to have plenty) as it is the time.

[shinnlinger]

Remind me again why you want to spend 40 hours making a set of horses that will make you slip a disc when you want to move it????

I'm playing devils advocate on this as if you want to do that it is obviously your perogative, but for a curious horse builder it may be good to spell out the pros and cons of heavy horses.  I am really not trying to be a complete @$$hole on this (but realize my opening remark puts me in that category....sorry).

Obviously, I think light is the way to go myself.  Save the heavy lifting and the fancy joints for the frame itself.  Some one said they liked a heavy horse so they could clamp a windbrace to it and it wouldn't move around.  Well I have done a few frames, and not once  have I been working up windbraces where there hasn't been at least an 8x8 handy to clamp braces to if you are worried about wiggling, which again, I heve never found to be a problem.

Now as to having a work of art as opposed to a slapped together junk for a horse, well I can see that argument and it does look good so far Dave.

[Dave Shepard]

There are a couple of reasons I'm going with a "framed" horse. I don't like slapped together horses, I don't want any wiggle in them, they are pine, and will weigh nothing, and they aren't going to take that long to make. I have always been a firm believer in buying or making tools to last a lifetime. I don't want to look at something thats been cobbled to work just ok for the rest of my life. When I get a permanant shop setup, I may even make some out of oak, you really don't have to move them that often, as they will always be in the layout and cutting area of the shop. I guess I have an aversion to light horses, especially the ones made from those cheesy clamps and two by fours or the folding metal ones.


Dave

[Jim_Rogers]

I have made some light weight horse, as you can see in other posts about saw horse heights.
And some of them were put together with nails. These horses loosen up right away in normal timber framing use during workshops. And they were repaired with screws.
And every set I made after that was made with screws.
Some of the set made with screws have loosen up as well, and will need to be repaired or replaced.
These horse are several years old as least, but still having to repair or replace something you made once is a bother.
If you make it right the first time then it's done forever and you won't need to repair or replace them later on after some years of use.

I have traveled to many shops and most have heavy equipment to move timbers around and when needed the use these "fork lifts" to move the heavy horse, should they be that heavy that they need to use a fork lift, that is.

And most shops have them small enough to be strong and stable without having to move them will fork lifts.

Each shop makes them the size they need and or want, and then they are used until they figure out that this size is too big or too small and then another set is made.

If you have a set that works for you, that's great.

It is also great practice to make the mortise and tenon joints and prefect your skills....

[Engineer]

Three years ago when my timber frame was started, the guys helping me built three sets of horses out of rough-sawn lumber.  Not timbers, but rough 2x6 and 2x4.  They have spent most of the time since then out in the weather and they are still pretty solid.  Each horse is about 36" high and 5' long and I have have had well in excess of a ton of weight on each pair.  I can move them around by hand OK but I prefer to pick them up and move them with my tractor.  They are all screwed together with deck screws and reinforced with Timberlok lag screws.

[Dave Shepard]

I (almost) finished* my first set of ponies today. I'll get pics on Monday. All I've got to do is make some pegs. It seems that the bottoms of the feet will need to be pared flat, or even a little concave, as timbers do not dry square. I think these will be my boring ponies. I may make a set about 4" taller for chiseling/layout. They aren't any heavier really than the hemlock and plywood horses I made for measuring the frame, but are much sturdier, even without the pegs.





*Mooseherder take note. ;)

[Mooseherder]

 :D
Good job Dave.  I need to start some new projects also.  How's the saying go?
"Begin, the rest is easy".
I ain't feeling it. :D

[Gorbster]

Jim, can you send me the PDF you have of your timber framing sawhorses?

Steve Gorby, sgorby@columbus.rr.com

I bought some tools from you last year before going to Heartwood school, and I met you there last year.  Thanks.

[t f flippo]

WoodenBoat magazine Mar/Apr 2013 #231 has a good insert on sawhorses.
I think the suppliment is free on their website.

Enjoyed the posts,thanks to All.

[OlJarhead]

Now you've gone and done it!!!

I've been looking for something else to build (as if I needed that) for peeling logs and working on beams etc at the cabin and the idea of having something I can also use as a work bench is, well, something I like!

So, when I go test the mill I'll have to mill up some 6x6 beams I guess! lol

And I'll prolly have to buy more tools (oh darn!)

[Dave Shepard]

I made a little progress on my horses later in 2010, but not much. :D There's actually a funny story that goes with those horses. In February of 2010 I started restoring the first of two Dutch barns. I never got around to finishing the ponies, I just used the nailed together ones I mentioned earlier for almost all of the work. I did build a Dutch trestle during the second restoration. Anyway, I had almost completed the first restoration in late October of 2010, and had an entire gable laid out in the shop to scribe in some repairs, and we were having a meeting with the owner of the barn. My boss was there, the owner, his architect, and Jack Sobon, who did all of the design work and drawings for both barns. The owner asked me what my previous timber framing experience was, a question I hoped he wasn't going to ask.  :D I told him how everyone on the internet told me I should try a pair of ponies to see how I like framing, and pointed to the one assembled, but not pegged pony, and the pile of unfinished pony parts. He asked why I didn't finish, and I said I got interrupted to restore his barn. I guess I like timber framing.

[S.Hyland]

I'm in the heavy horse category, at least in the shop. These horses are 9' wide, with 6x8 maple on top, larch 6x6 elsewhere. They are rock solid! I've had 3000 lbs of W Oak on them, and there is enough room on them to work 5 or 6 timbers at once with room to flip them. 

 
I had to get a shot from the bottom, the top was full o' beams!

[The Creative Hand]

I made a pair of saw horses out of ash that was cut in my neighbor's yard. I appreciate all that people posted on this thread to get my ideas going. I'm good at making things overly complicated so instead of just a normal mortise and tenon (and also because the top piece was smaller than I would have liked), I made the top joint a shouldered bridal joint and the bottom mortise and tenons with shoulders as well. I also didn't start with square stock, so that made the joinery more complicated. This was my first timber framing project, and I think it turned out pretty well, considering. Here are a couple pictures. I still need to trim the pegs and finish up the detailing but I wanted to use them to plane the white oak bench top I am making.



  

 

[Brian_Weekley]

Welcome to the forum.  That's quite the slab of white oak!  Nice looking ponies too.  They should hold it!

[Dave Shepard]

Welcome to the Forum! Do you have a forklift to move those things? ;D

[LewAz]

http://macmullin.net/wp/timber-saw-horse/ We are in the process of building these. Awesome trestle horses

[Brad_bb]

I've been working with another framer lately.  I'm preparing for a big project where we need to set up a lot of timbers to work on.  I've made cribbing ponies in the past, but he said the problem with cribbing ponies is that you are always stepping over the cribbing timber and can get to be a pain in the butt.  On the other hand, free standing heavy timber horses are just that - heavy, plus they take a lot of time to make if cutting mortise and tenon.  So he gave me the following picture of saw horses he uses at his shop and I determined the angles from the pictures.  These are a lot easier to build from 2X material, lighter to move around, strong, and allow freedom walking around timbers. I found a guy with 60 used 2X8's from something that was torn down.  I de-nailed, re-sawed, planed, and am just finishing 28 saw horses.  He used actual 3"x6" stock for he backs.  I glued up two pieces of the 2X material and ended up about 2.75 inches thick after planing.


  

 

[Brad_bb]

These sawhorses have been awesome.  Best I've ever used.  Best combination of strength to weight.  I can load them up with oak timbers and no problems.  Not bad from reclaimed 2x material.  Using a compound mitre saw made the compound cuts for the legs go quite fast.  We have used these horses for two frame raisings and kept them onsite as the regular framers use them alot too.  Rolled a lot of hardwood timbers on them too - de-nailing reclaimed timbers.



 

[Czech_Made]

Saved the pictures, thanks for sharing.

I've been working with another framer lately.  I'm preparing for a big project where we need to set up a lot of timbers to work on.  I've made cribbing ponies in the past, but he said the problem with cribbing ponies is that you are always stepping over the cribbing timber and can get to be a pain in the butt.  On the other hand, free standing heavy timber horses are just that - heavy, plus they take a lot of time to make if cutting mortise and tenon.  So he gave me the following picture of saw horses he uses at his shop and I determined the angles from the pictures.  These are a lot easier to build from 2X material, lighter to move around, strong, and allow freedom walking around timbers. I found a guy with 60 used 2X8's from something that was torn down.  I de-nailed, re-sawed, planed, and am just finishing 28 saw horses.  He used actual 3"x6" stock for he backs.  I glued up two pieces of the 2X material and ended up about 2.75 inches thick after planing.


  

 

[swmn]

I have one of the design Brad_bb shared far enough built to think I am going to like these.  I still need the end aprons on this one, but I intend to carve those up this morning.  

Rather than bang out 20 or 30 of them like Brad did I took this as an opportunity to make some guides and chisel out some mortises.  

I have found 4x6 at my place is too big for any of my vises and too small to work on without clamping somehow to something.  I have just about outgrown my inexpensive Asian holdfasts and plan to upgrade to a pair from Crucible tool when I have a big enough pile of shekels.

 



Yup, not bad.  Once I figured out the short leg of my 14-76-90 triangle was 0.374" I did the layout on the second one at 3/8" kerf, pare, done.    Now all I to do is complete a pair.



 

 

[Brad_bb]

It looks like you're making it a lot harder than it needs to be.  Or are you doing that on purpose?  To make my version all you need is a mitre saw, and a table saw.  To make the 20 degree angle on the back to mount the legs, you just set your table saw blade at 20° and 2 inches high and run the back through on each side.  I'm assuming that and you were just being fancy?

Same thing on the cross tie for the legs.  Just cut the top at 14° on the table saw and you're done.

I see the compound angle on your legs isn't done yet.  That is why the mitre saw is so fast.  You can pop out the legs and cross ties super fast.  The first time I made these horses I borrowed a friends dewalt compound sliding mitre saw and stand.  I whipped out the parts in no time and then went and bought my own saw.

[swmn]

Actually Brad I work with hand tools in my shop to let off steam from the high pressure job that pays the bills.  I don't even own a table saw.

I am leaving the legs with the points on them since I am going to use these outside on relatively soft ground, I want the feet to sink in and hold still.

If I was making thirty of these, absolutely I would run a table saw and a miter saw and get it over with.  Tonight I get to go home from work and chop some more mortises while the cares of the day drift away with each mallet blow.

Thanks for the design idea, I have wanted saw horses that could take holdfasts for several months; I really like the first one.

[Brad_bb]

I never thought of making the backs thicker like that to hold a holdfast.  That might be good for cutting braces- to hold them in place.  Before I just used a clamp to clamp the brace to the horse.  I have 4 nice blacksmith made hold fasts.

[swmn]

I never thought of making the backs thicker like that to hold a holdfast.  That might be good for cutting braces- to hold them in place.  Before I just used a clamp to clamp the brace to the horse.  I have 4 nice blacksmith made hold fasts.

Yup.  Ought to be handy for braces too.  I was specifically thinking of 4x6 timbers for Sobon shed rafters since I can get them from a local saw mill, but 4x4 braces ought to do fine under holdfasts as well.  I am, ummm, not amused with the life expectancy of big box home store F clamps.
I thought your back would be thick enough to hold a holdfast, and it is.  
I made a doohickey out of plywood tonight with mine too.  When our house was built one of the bath tub drains runs not beside or between but actually through a floor joist.  Leaning on the sawhorse is the old water damaged patch (our floors are held up by the 2x10 "equivalent" I- joists), on the horse is the new one I banged out with circular and jigsaw without ever having to reclamp.  I just got it lined up so all the pencil lines were off the horse back, whackamole, and cut.


 

[btulloh]

 I have 4 nice blacksmith made hold fasts.

I'm envious. I need to find a blacksmith to make a couple for me. My storebought hold fasts just don't have the right mojo. 

[swmn]

I'm envious. I need to find a blacksmith to make a couple for me. My storebought hold fasts just don't have the right mojo.

Mine didn't when new either.  One thing I did was make circumferential grooves in the shafts by holding 60 grit sandpaper in my fist, wrapped around the shaft, while twisting.  Not spiral grooves.  Circumferential.  Twist, relax, shift, tighten, twist.  If it helps a little do it some more.  Mine look pretty rough, but they work now.

[btulloh]

My main problem is the arms are too rigid. Not enough spring. I thing it's a problem with the material more than the shape. I could probably cut a few grooves with an angle grinder but I'd just like a couple that were made right to begin with. Lee Valley has some that probably work well. Something about having some made by a blacksmith is attractive though.