Bracket Sawhorses

Cut list

Board layout. Each row is one board, cut left to right, with the remainder hatched. Dark lines are saw cuts, about ⅛″ wide.

Build it

1. 
   01

   Cut the pieces

   Every cut is square. These pieces make a pair of sawhorses:

   • A Legs, eight at 29½″
   • B Top rails, two at 36″

   Check the chart that came with your brackets first. Leg length depends on the bracket and on how tall you want the horses: with these brackets and a 2x4 top rail, 29½″ legs make a 30″ sawhorse.

   Watch outCut all eight legs to exactly the same length: set up a stop block and cut them in a row. Uneven legs make a horse rock.
2. 
   02

   Put the brackets on the top rail

   Slide a bracket onto each end of a top rail (B), standing on edge, so the bracket's outside edge is 3″ in from the end of the rail. Drive the screws that came with the brackets through each side into the rail, or 1¼″ wood screws if yours came without.

3. 
   03

   Add the legs

   Push a leg (A) all the way into each of the four sockets, tapping it home with a hammer. Drive two screws through each socket into its leg.

   Stand the horse up on a flat floor. It should sit on all four feet without rocking. If it rocks, the legs aren't fully seated: tap the short one in further.

4. 
   04

   Build the second sawhorse

   Build the second sawhorse the same way from the other top rail (B), four legs (A) and pair of brackets. Set the two side by side and check that the rails are level with each other.

5. 
   05

   Put them to work

   Knock the sharp edges off the rails with sandpaper. No finish is needed.

   Lay two 2x4s across the rails to hold a sheet of plywood while you cut it, or set a door or a sheet of plywood on top for a work table.

   TipMost brackets let you knock the legs out for storage. When a rail gets chewed up by saw cuts, swap in a new 2x4.