Thread: Need some urgent help...!!

I'm dragging my mind back here. Making the top from two inch thick material I think we set the top measurement back half an inch more than the bottom from the end and from the side. That gives a reasonable splay angle for the legs. You can set a sliding bevel from those cuts or put the legs in the cut-out and mark from there. The trick is to cut three legs and have the fourth one a bit over-size so you make sure the horse is level and then saw off the waste at the top.
Cheers,
Jim

Or you make it with the ends square, then put on floor. It will stand on inside edge. Then get a half inch block and put it next to the legs at the floor and draw a line around the legs (move block around the 4 sides of leg). If you cut this little end off it now sits properly on the floor. You can do the same thing for a wobbly table but just run a pencil around the leg so you don't cut too much off.

If she wants to she could get the kids to work out how far up the wall it should touch and how far out from the wall it should touch. tan of 15 = floor distance divided by height up wall.

Tan 15 is about .26. So 30 inches up the wall needs to come out about 7.5 inches from the wall.
And (30 x 30) + (7.5 * 7.5) = 956.
so wood needs to be sqrt(956) = 31 inches long

Thanks guys.
That's helped out heaps.
Seems strange that a girl with NO woodwork knowledge been thrown that...
And then to teach it...aah well.

thanks again fellas.

AL

PS: I'll have a couple of pergola questions 'down the track as well

Fly, just checked my figures and it works out at just over 14 degrees - pretty close to yours
Cheers,
Jim

I was trying to make it easier for the kids. The tab of 15 was .26 and I went with .25. Kids should be able to work out a quarter easy enough. And they did say 10-15 degrees.
And using a block on the sides at the top and the bottom should get then very close to what they want. As long as its usable. Dads will be happy if kids come home with a saw horse for them. Wasn't sure if it was a flat top saw horse or more like a trestle table leg with hinges, but whatever.

Hey Allen7, this video might give you a few good ideas for your saw horse build.

Woodworking videos, projects, tips, and entertainment: Woodworking for Mere Mortals:: Build a really simple pair of sawhorses

Originally Posted by _fly_

Or you make it with the ends square, then put on floor. It will stand on inside edge. Then get a half inch block and put it next to the legs at the floor and draw a line around the legs (move block around the 4 sides of leg). If you cut this little end off it now sits properly on the floor. You can do the same thing for a wobbly table but just run a pencil around the leg so you don't cut too much off.

If she wants to she could get the kids to work out how far up the wall it should touch and how far out from the wall it should touch. tan of 15 = floor distance divided by height up wall.

Tan 15 is about .26. So 30 inches up the wall needs to come out about 7.5 inches from the wall.
And (30 x 30) + (7.5 * 7.5) = 956.
so wood needs to be sqrt(956) = 31 inches long

Hooray for the Mathematicians!!!

Just for interest, the measurements I gave came from three generations back at least.
My wife's grandfather ran a building carpentry, cabinet making business and used saw horses as a trial for anyone looking for work.
He'd ask them to knock up a couple on the basis that you never have enough saw horses and it's a good test of basic skill and speed.
Cheers,
Jim

I found a design on the net, that works for me IE: very simple.

made from 70x35mm pine,.

top is 3 pieces of pine the same length top & bottom wide side up with the centre turned 90Deg , to from an I beam.
The legs are cut to the length you want (optional), and screwed to the top, the top edge of the leg sits under the top of the I beam and is screwed in place.

The bottom of the legs can then be trimmed , so they sit flat.

Very simple and they work well.

Jeff

Thanks guys,
I've passed all the info and vid links to the daughter. Very much appreciated was her response. I dare say I'll hear how it went at the end of the week. I'll let you know.

thanks again,

AL