why do I have to learn the hard way??

[Michael J Evans]

I recently started my Nicholson / sellers style bench build... In some previous posts of mine someone recommended building some sturdy saw horses prior to building and from reading Sellers blog, he seems to recommend shop built horses For sturdiness.

Well anyways wish I had took some advice. I have a nasty habit of hearing advice but not really listening to it or maybe that goes the other way around?? Was planing horizontally when my horsey broke it's legs .
Luckily the top didn't fall on my toes.

Thought maybe someone might get a chuckle outta this. Guess it gives me a good excuse to build a couple.

sawhorse backview.jpg

won't let me upload the pic from the front for some reason.

[Jim Koepke]

Some of us only learn by learning how not to do something.

DAMHIKT!

jtk

[Malcolm Schweizer]

You're going to have to shoot that horse now.

[Patrick Walsh]

Malcolm that is funny!

[Chris Fournier]

I was using sawhorses when a piece that had many hours into it crashed to the ground - my fault. Finished the project and built my second bench with tool storage so that I could actually work on my bench. I have used this bench for almost 20 years now, best investment of time in a long time. We all learn the hard way, some of us harder than others. Carry on!

[Michael J Evans]

You're going to have to shoot that horse now.

Lol, I agree. You can't tell from the pic but at the top of the horse the leg is bent at like 70*
No rehabbing this one

[Malcolm Schweizer]

We retain more of what we learn the hard way than we do the things we learn the easy way.

[David Eisenhauer]

Oops. Looks like that horse won't make the trip. Stick with wood. You are not the Lone Ranger.

[Michael J Evans]

I have do have a question regarding how to mark out the angle of the dado on the top of the new horse that the leg will sit into?

I know it's not rocket science and I could build i-beam style easier , but I like the look where the top is dadoed.

I assume measure in the top face more than the bottom. But not sure how to do that math to figure out a certain angle?

[Marty Gulseth]

I resemble that remark...

[William Fretwell]

You can do what the Romans did, draw it full size on the floor and just fold paper to get the angle. Take your folded paper to set up the cut or measure it.
I make saw horses for people with masts, sets of three, somewhat specialised but very strong with no wobble. Masts can be very heavy.
Saw Horse (Sea Horse for Ships Mast).jpg
The compound angles are fun, well I thought so

[John C Cox]

I mean who doesn't want to spend $100 and another 20 hours making one use sawhorses that require a forklift to move around.

You roll the dice. It's probably ok most of the time.

What actually happened to make it collapse. It's not like it was sitting there quietly in the middle of the night and crash.

[William Fretwell]

Mine are made of cedar as they live outside, surprisingly light, easy to move. Six hours to make three and $45 of material each.
They are much more than OK all of the time!

[Jim Koepke]

I have do have a question regarding how to mark out the angle of the dado on the top of the new horse that the leg will sit into?

I know it's not rocket science and I could build i-beam style easier , but I like the look where the top is dadoed.

I assume measure in the top face more than the bottom. But not sure how to do that math to figure out a certain angle?

It is actually easier than having to do the math.

Here is my build project on one of these:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-Table-Project

The materials were a not expensive.

On my saw benches all the angles are the same. The laps on the legs, the dado in the top and the splay of the legs are all set to 5, 10 or 15º depending on what the particular use.

The angled dado in the top is set by marking the end of the top to the angle and then transferring it along the top.

The tricky part is marking the legs. One has to remember which way each leg splays. Also remember once the laps on the legs are cut to set them on the work to find the distance to set them in from the top's end. The legs should be under the top, not beyond.

jtk

[Michael J Evans]

What actually happened to make it collapse. It's not like it was sitting there quietly in the middle of the night and crash.

Well you see, when a man of steel (myself)
Pushes with all his might against crappie sheet metal sawhorse somethings gotta give.

What really happened was the legs popped of the little button that holds them in place, then the next time I pushed they got dinged and over extended and bent in on themselves.