Saw Horses

Murray Timber Framing LLC

(206) 849-7164____(206) 770-6204 (fax)

info@murraytimber.com

Seattle, Washington

The right tools and set up always make a job go smoother and be more enjoyable.

Taking a little time to set up your work area at the start of a task pays off in time savings, improved quality, better safety, reduced effort and reduced frustration. "Setting up" is often not done all at the start of a project but a little along the way as needed for each task as it comes up. It is tempting to not take the time to set up for each task, thinking it is a waste of time, but setting up almost always pays off.

Temporary saw horses are great for site work.: They can be made big and strong.; If the ground is irregular it is easy to level them.; They are build out of materials on hand (i.e. brace stock and timber cut offs).; They don't need to taken home.
For a shop with a floor it is nice to have smaller, permanent saw horses. Fine Home Building magazine (July 1996; #103) has a good article on permanent saw horses.


Saw horses made out of cinder blocks and brace stock. They are big, strong, stable, quick and easy to build. If cinder blocks are not available timber cut offs can be used as they are produced.	It works well to use brace stock for saw horses. As the other bigger pieces get finished and moved off the saw horses the brace stock is freed up to be cut into braces.

A big advantage to building temporary saw horses out of pieces of the frame is that you don't have to take them with you. They get used up in the end. Also if the ground is uneven it is easy to level them.	A rather beefy set of horses. Strong but rather big and heavy.

A timber framer made these saw horses.	This is a nice design; easy to make, strong and light.

A few other ideas.

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