Micro Sawhorse
Sometimes you just need something to get what you're working on up off the ground a couple inches. This is the best, most adjustable, easiest solution I have come across yet. It takes 5 seconds to set up, gets your work about 4-6 inches off the ground, and is completely adjustable to fit your job.
Ingredients
Here's what you need:
- 2 (or more) spring clamps
- a "stick"
Spring clamps like these are available at every hardware store known to man, and any self-respecting, hardware-selling website. They cost anywhere from <$1 to >$5, depending on the brand and size you get. I use Bessey 2-inch spring clamps. Not because I'm attached to the brand; just because that's what my Lowes' carries.
For a stick, you need something thin enough to fit within the jaws of the clamp, and thick enough to maintain friction within the jaws of the clamp. To qualify the first part of the above statement: the larger diameter the stick is, the closer together the handles of the clamps will be, and therefore the narrower the base of the "sawhorse" will be.
I use a 1.5-inch dowel with my 2-inch clamps.
- 2 (or more) spring clamps
- a "stick"
Spring clamps like these are available at every hardware store known to man, and any self-respecting, hardware-selling website. They cost anywhere from <$1 to >$5, depending on the brand and size you get. I use Bessey 2-inch spring clamps. Not because I'm attached to the brand; just because that's what my Lowes' carries.
For a stick, you need something thin enough to fit within the jaws of the clamp, and thick enough to maintain friction within the jaws of the clamp. To qualify the first part of the above statement: the larger diameter the stick is, the closer together the handles of the clamps will be, and therefore the narrower the base of the "sawhorse" will be.
I use a 1.5-inch dowel with my 2-inch clamps.
Step 1
Okay, technically Step 1 should be to cut your stick to size, but a) I'm assuming you're smart enough to figure that out; and b) it doesn't really matter greatly what size the stick is. Either way, cutting the stick will by far be the most time-intensive part of setting up these sawhorses.
Now that you've got your stick the right length:
Step 1
Attach one clamp to the stick.
In some cases this will be sufficient to suit your needs, but in most cases you'll want to continue on to the next step.
Now that you've got your stick the right length:
Step 1
Attach one clamp to the stick.
In some cases this will be sufficient to suit your needs, but in most cases you'll want to continue on to the next step.
Step 2
Everybody still with me? Okay.
Step 2: Attach the other clamp to the stick.
Voila, you're done*. What you have now is officially a sawhorse.
* If your work is big enough that it requires a stick longer than about 18 inches, I would consider adding additional "feet" (i.e. clamps) around the middle, to avoid sagging. Fortunately, you're probably clever enough to figure out how and when to do this.
Step 2: Attach the other clamp to the stick.
Voila, you're done*. What you have now is officially a sawhorse.
* If your work is big enough that it requires a stick longer than about 18 inches, I would consider adding additional "feet" (i.e. clamps) around the middle, to avoid sagging. Fortunately, you're probably clever enough to figure out how and when to do this.
Examples
I said these were adjustable. The only way in which they are not adjustable is the height, unless you want to experiment with extending the length of the "legs". (Hmm... might have to look into this.)
See the pictures below for examples of the adjustable nature of this device.
See the pictures below for examples of the adjustable nature of this device.