Homemade Saw Horse

[basswood]

Ron and NYC, Thanks for the compliment.

Here are a few photos of some of the setups these horses can be used for portable shop, adjustable padded work supports, stand-alone miter saw stand:

[attachimg=#][attachimg=#][attachimg=#]

 

[basswood]

Here is some fun news, my sawhorse received a Core77 design award (runner-up):

http://www.core77.com/blog/core77_design_awards/core77_design_awards_2014_the_best_diy_designs_of_the_year_27402.asp

Working on a kickstarter now to get these into production.

Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions, thanks for the interest here! Brian

 

[waho6o9]

Congratulations on the Tri-Horse System award!

Very good.  [smile]

 

[peter halle]

Congratulations!  I had forgotten about these.  Time to order the plans.

Peter

 

[basswood]

Thanks Waho and Peter,

Of course the designs keep evolving. I recently added dog holes 6" o.c. to the top of the rails. This could be done on any 2x horse rails, not just with my horses.

 

[basswood]

I'll add the plans link here, if that is okay with the moderators. Not trying to be too forward about selling here. FWIW the plan sales so far have mostly just covered the cost of producing them and making them available (not that I mind making money). Hopefully this post puts most of the useful info about them in one place:

http://www.basswoodmodular.com/category-s/1477.htm

The plans are a 12 page pdf. and allow for building 4, 6, and 8' long horses in heights from 30-36" and in both 3 and 4-legged models, depending on what might work for you. I have made both short and and long horses in 3 and 4 legged versions for my work. If you decide to build them let me know and we can brainstorm what will work for you.

There are some, tips, drawings and photos of how to use and accessorize them included, but no accessory plans are available at this time. I am still tweaking some of those designs, but if you have questions, just ask.

The video also helps and the thread on LumberJocks has some additional info. We can add to the discussion here as well.



http://lumberjocks.com/projects/96307

Another note: Honestly these are pretty labor intensive to build, but the first one can be used as a full sized template once made, which helps.

 

[basswood]

Hello again,

You for your interest in these TriHorses. Many people all over the world (18 countries and counting) are now building their own version of these from the plans.

If you are someone who wants to have these, but would rather spend your time on woodworking rather than sawhorse building, we have launched a Kickstarter campaign to get these into production. If you would like to support the TriHorse design please check it out here and back us if you can and/or share this:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/trihorse/trihorse-sawhorse-and-workstation-production-run

Thank you so much! Brian

 

[basswood]

This is an add on that works with my TriHorse system. I designed and built a portable hybrid work bench, that is a hollow torsion box design with dog holes and integral side and tail vises. It works similar to a real woodworking bench, mounts on TriHorses and it doubles as a miter saw wing or table saw out feed, etc. This is the sort of accessory I would like to offer plans for and eventually add to our line of manufactured goods for sale. I am getting ahead of myself here, but this the future I imagine for this business, so stay tuned!

Let me know if you would like to see how I built this work bench. It is a bit of a cross between MFT and traditional work bench. I prefer a bench with a few less holes than MFT's and with the vises built in, less holes works fine.

 

[Tinker]

This is an add on that works with my TriHorse system. I designed and built a portable hybrid work bench, that is a hollow torsion box design with dog holes and integral side and tail vises. It works similar to a real woodworking bench, mounts on TriHorses and it doubles as a miter saw wing or table saw out feed, etc. This is the sort of accessory I would like to offer plans for and eventually add to our line of manufactured goods for sale. I am getting ahead of myself here, but this the future I imagine for this business, so stay tuned!

Let me know if you would like to see how I built this work bench. It is a bit of a cross between MFT and traditional work bench. I prefer a bench with a few less holes than MFT's and with the vises built in, less holes works fine.

It just gets better and better.
I agree about not so many holes. 
I have spent some time trying to find if there are other angles to be found in the MFT tops, other than 90º and 45º.  I was unable to work out without using odd sized dogs which ended up with many complications.  Too many starting points and too many odd sized dogs.
Maybe you could work out a couple of extra holes so commonly used angles other he 45 & 90 are quickly possible.

After sending a previous reply, I went out to my barn to see if I still had one or two of my old 3 legged setups kicking around.  Since i have not had use for them in 25 or 30 years, i am sure they all got used for fire wood.  Another use for them when they get al broken and splintered.  Splintering was the biggest problem when used for masonry.  plywood edges don't stand up so great with such battering from course materials and even coarser weather.  Your design I am sure will stand the test of time for use as site workbenches and even for use in shops of any size.
Tinker

 

[basswood]

Hi [member=550]Tinker[/member]

I built this prototype bench with hardwood edges (maple), the field is a birch ply. For heavy use the bottom of the table has another set of dog holes, so long dogs can resister in both the bench top and bottom. With double dog holes it's pretty secure, even though lightweight. Clamped to these heavy horses gives the setup enough mass to work pretty well as a bench.

For odd angles and varying the set up for irregular shapes, etc., I have a cam-action, three-sided dog I use. Here is a photo of the bench with my TriDogs. These make the dog holes, that are on 4" centers, work like they are on 1" centers. The edges of the 3-sided dogs are 3", 2" and 1" from the dog holes. You dial in the desirable distance and it saves effort spinning the vise tight. Can also pivot to hold irregular angles or odd-shaped objects:[attachimg=1]

 

[Tinker]

@ basswood: How much trial & error went into those cam dogs?

 

[basswood]

I played around with the design of several occasions. I also use these TriDogs to raise and lower my miter saw on the horses and if working on a hillside, can level the saw with them, even if the horse is at a pitch.

The version I use for miter saw support and positioning has offsets of 1/2", 1" and 1-1/2". The holes on the horses are on 2" centers, but I can adjust my saw in 1/2" increments. It is as if you had 3/4" holes on 1/2" centers, which is not possible.

The miter saw dogs have one cam fixed and one floater that spins on the dowel as an axle.[attachimg=1]

 

[basswood]

This shows the TriDogs used for vertical height adjustment, plugged into the rail. For tool-free changes in the height of the miter saw, just rotate the dogs:[attachimg=1]

 

[basswood]

My miter saw is attached to a box with a slot in the middle so it can just drop onto the horse rail and rest on the dogs (this is shown in the video):[attachimg=1]

 

[basswood]

Here is the carnage that started my work bench project, some of you surely know where this is going...

[attachimg=1]

 

[basswood]

So this photo shows how I repurposed the parts of the hand-screw clamps to create bench vises inside this work table:

 

[basswood]

The wooden hand screw clamps provided the threaded rod and nut already seated in a wood block, and handles, which I cut down, drilled for dowels and then I reused the ends of the handles I had cut on the ends of the dowels... using all parts of the animal, you might say.

This changed the way the hand screw handles into traditional, sliding vise handles.[attachimg=1]

 

[Guess Developments]

What ever happened to Basswood??  I have been looking for the plans for months with no luck?!

 

[mickmock]

The link to the plans no longer works - are they available somewhere else? I am in UK so not possible to buy the premade version.

 

[squall_line]

[member=77283]mickmock[/member] , the plans have been moved to his Etsy store:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/925883960/tri-horse-work-station-plans