Type to search.

    Stackable sawhorses using 2x4s

    To build a 8 by 4 foot raised garden bed, I needed to keep the large wood planks off the ground to cut with a hand saw. I built two sawhorses from some extra Douglas Fir 2x4s I bought, following plans on Popular Mechanics which were a copy of plans from Jay's Custom Creations. The simple materials needed for these sawhorses are the biggest advantage they have, but they do stack nicely.

    These instructions make two sawhorses. It might be hard to follow how to build the sawhorses without an illustration -- the linked plans above have a few photos and renderings to follow.

    Materials

    The Douglas Fir came dirty and rough from Bruce Bauer Lumber & Supply, so I used some sandpaper to clean it up. I don't have a plane, workbench, or planer, and I wouldn't recommend sandpaper for the task.

    I didn't have 3" deck screws, so I used #8 2 3/4" cabinet screws to attach the legs and #9 2 1/4" deck screws for the I-beam. Try to find star drive screws, instead of Phillips, to prevent the driver from camming out.

    Equipment

    I don't have any woodworking power tools like a table saw or planer, so these are all hand tools, aside from the drill and driver. The countersinking drill bit is important to prevent the screws from splitting the wood, even when the screw is perpendicular to the grain of the wood.

    Cuts

    The cuts are pretty simple, but keep in mind the grain of the wood, as the screws will be going into the short side of the center I-beam piece.

    Assembly

    The top of the sawhorse is an I beam, where the top and bottom pieces of wood overhang the middle piece by 1 1/2" on each side, to provide a space for clamp pads. Use the cuts with the grain perpendicular to the long face for the middle piece of the I-beam. The measurements here are important, since they control the angle of the legs and therefore the stability of the sawhorses. I assembled the I-beams first, trying to find the aesthetically pleasing side of the wood for the top. Put three screws into the top I-beam to secure it before turning it over and doing the same for the bottom piece. It's easiest to secure the first screw before moving on to drilling and screwing the other two.

    With the I-beams assembled, the next step is to attach the legs. Each leg is attached to the I-beam at an angle, up against the top board. This was a little tricky to hold -- it might have been easier for me to clamp the legs while drilling the pilot holes. Again, fully screwing in the first screw will make it easier to position the rest of the screws. Each leg needs 4 screws, with two going into the middle of the I-beam and two others into the bottom board. Keep the screws perpendicular to the legs.