Collapsable Saw Bench?

[Steve Mathews]

Moving forward with my goal of using more hand tools, particularly hand saws, I would like to build a saw bench. A collapsable version is preferred so it can be stored easily. The one Rob Cosman built and featured in one of his videos looks good. Any other designs I have not seen?

[David Carroll]

I haven't seen Rob Cosman's, but my background was theater stagecraft, and there is a common type of sawhorse used there that is made from two identical frames each with a top rail, two stiles (legs) and a stretcher. In theater, the frames are 1 x 3 pine (typically) joined with gussets, they call them corner blocks and keystones. The frames are hinged together at the top rail (so the hinge barrel is not proud of the top rails). There is a cross-stretcher hinged to the stretcher on each frame. The cross-stretcher is cut in half and the halves are hinged together so that when the saw horse is opened this cross stretcher drops down and holds the whole thing rigid. They are remarkably strong, and very quick to build.

When I needed sawhorses I made up a pair of these. I did make some changes, I used southern yellow pine instead of white pine, for strength. I also made them shorter and narrower for easy sawing. Instead of the gussets I used mortice and tenons joints everywhere. When closed, these are about 2-inches wide. (3/4-inch for each frame, plus whatever the hinge barrel is). Each sawhorse does use 5 hinges, (six if it is wide and you want 3 connecting the top rails) so that is a consideration, but I save hinges off of anything that has them that I might be getting rid of.

Stanley markets a collapsible sawhorse made of plastic that uses this exact principle.

I'll take a picture when I get home tonight, if I can figure out how to post it here I will. But hopefully the description gives you the idea. Maybe Cosman's version is this? I first saw them in the late 1970's at eh North Carolina School for the Arts. So it's nothing new.

DC

[steven c newman]

Could always buy a B&D Workmate....

[Steve Mathews]

The B&D Workmate doesn't seem to function the same as the saw bench I have in mind, particularly the one made by Rob Cosman. Below is a link to his video describing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lbjWrvntNc

[Cameron Wood]

For folding, Rob Cosman's is pretty great.

Here's mine- 18" high, a bit over 4' long. Doesn't fold but it lives outside.

Workmate is too tall unless you're over 7'.

Here's a design that I like- from FWW. I think the idea was to make a pair. From an existing antique piece. I would make it a little shorter.

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[steven c newman]

Have used my Type 2 Workmate for quite a few years....even had to replace the top! But, then again, I do not have to put a knee onto it, just to hold a board while I saw on it...the top can CLAMP a board in place for me...Have also hauled my Stanley No. 2246 mitrebox outside, and and secured it to the top of the WorkMate. As the front porch deck needed railings cut.

When done for the day....mine folds flat. Makes it easy to store in my shed in the back yard...

Gotten to the point, that I don't want to use a knee as a clamp.

[Richard Coers]

A design like a shaving horse will work nicely. I made my shaving horse with tapered mortises and tapered tenons on the legs. Get done with it and I tap out the legs. Big plus is that you don't have to watch YouTube, nor name drop the person you copied.

[Jim Koepke]

I wanted some tall saw horses for use with my bandsaw. They also needed to be knock down horses since they would take up a lot of space.

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The bottom of the second horse's leg can be seen at the lower right.

This made it a lot easier to feed this 3X10X7' piece of hemlock fir through the saw.

The legs are bolted on and can be installed or removed in under a minute. There are inserts in the top piece for the bolts. Removable braces could be added to the legs if desired but were not needed for what these two do.

jtk

[mike stenson]

I'm lost. Are we discussing saw benches, or saw horses?

[Ben Ellenberger]

If you are looking for something to saw on that is also easy to store, the Krenov-style saw horses work pretty well. They don’t take up much space.

[Jim Koepke]

I'm lost. Are we discussing saw benches, or saw horses?

They are pretty much all the same or similar things:

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It can be a saw bench, a saw table or a saw horse unless of course it is a bucking horse.

jtk

[mike stenson]

They are pretty much all the same or similar things:

499439

It can be a saw bench, a saw table or a saw horse unless of course it is a bucking horse.

jtk

I've never heard of something at knee height referred to as a horse. Those have, IME, always been higher and always more convenient with power tools since you can't clamp with your knee.

[steven c newman]

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Workmate, Type 2...with the new top...
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And the old top, soon to be in that fire pit...
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And the saw that trimmed the ends...

[Cameron Wood]

I've never heard of something at knee height referred to as a horse. Those have, IME, always been higher and always more convenient with power tools since you can't clamp with your knee.

How about ankle height?

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[steven c newman]

Makes my back hurt, just looking at that.....

[David Carroll]

I'm lost. Are we discussing saw benches, or saw horses?

I think at this point, we are discussing both. I brought up folding sawhorses early on. I've never seen the advantage to a saw bench really. In my opinion two low saw horses are a better choice, particularly if your shop is small, like mine. If you think about it, two saw horses with a board spanning across (that you intend to cut) is basically what a bench is. So, it's much the same thing, only the top board of the 'bench' is what you intend to cut.

Sorry if I was the one that knocked the thread off course.

DC