April 20, 2018

Sturdiest Stacking Sawhorses Ever

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Stacking Sawhorses. You just need seven 2×4’s.

There are about one million different ways to make a sawhorse. I’ve designed and built about four types myself! But each time I build a pair and start using them, I discover things that need improvement.

Here’s why I like this design: it’s simple to build, but elegant. It’s sturdy, but fairly lightweight. The only lumber needed to build the pair are seven 2×4’s. And best of all, they stack easily.

A single sawhorse provides support for cutting boards. You can clamp the work piece to the top for even more support.

For a bigger work surface, drop a plywood board across two sawhorses.

Sawhorses have also become very popular in office and live/work spaces as cool inexpensive makeshift desks. In this case, I suggest building the stacking sawhorses and take the time to sand them down nice and smooth and either paint, stain, or finish them. A double thickness of ¾” plywood will be perfect for a desktop and I would screw it onto the sawhorses.

Building the stacking sawhorses

First, cut out all eight legs. Four will have 22.5° bevels on each end, and four will have 22.5° bevels on one end and 45° bevels on the opposite ends.