Continuing our series on sawhorse designs, here are folding sawhorse plans made from 2x4s with a 2×6 top. This folding sawhorse is strong, stable, and best of all it folds up to make it a little more portable while also saving room in smaller workshops. The 2×6 top provides a larger work surface than a 2×4, in case you ever need to clamp things to it.
Materials needed for two sawhorses:
- 1 – 2×6 @ 8′
- 2 – 2×4 @ 10′
- 2 – 2×4 @ 8′
- 8 – 3″ hinges
- 1 – 4′ x 4′ sheet of 1/2″ plywood
- Exterior wood glue
- 1 1/4″ exterior grade wood screws
Tools for building your folding sawhorse
- Miter saw or circular saw
- Drill / driver combo
- Quick-grip clamps are useful
Building your own folding sawhorse
The construction of a folding sawhorse is not very difficult, but it is slightly more complex than some of our other sawhorse plans.
- Start by cutting your plywood shelves at 33″ x 15 3/4″. Then cut out the corners for the two fixed legs. Also cut the two 1 1/2″ x 26″ cleat strips to attach to the non-hinged edge of your shelf. Glue this piece in place, and clamp until the glue sets.
- While that glue is drying, cut your pieces made from the 2x4s. You should be able to get three legs at 34″ long from each 10′ 2×4, and the fourth leg and the 33″ stretcher from each 8′ 2×4. Note that the ends of each leg should be cut at 15° off square.
- Next, cut your two 36″ pieces of 2×6 for the top boards.
- Using a framing square to ensure you are connecting them at 90°, use wood glue and exterior grade screws to attach the stretchers to what will be your fixed legs. The bottom of the stretchers should be about 7 1/2″ up from the bottom inside of each leg.
- Now attach your fixed legs to the 2×6 using exterior wood screws. There should be about 1 1/2″ of overhang on each side of the legs.
- Attach your folding legs to the 2×6 using the hinges, ensuring they are square and aligned to the fixed legs.
- Attach the hinges to your shelf, and set it in place on the open sawhorse. Mark the holes for the hinges on the folding legs, then pre-drill the holes and attach it.
There you go, your new folding sawhorse is complete. Time to get to work!
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This design is very sturdy and stable; however 36 inch height seems tall tor most of my jobs – I plan to scale down to 32 inch height on next set. Also may try 1x lumber to reduce carry weight – realizing I’d be sacrificing some of the strength. Overall the design is excellent.
Very nice. How high is the saw horse from the floor to top surface when opened?
if you cut the legs to 34″, and use a 2×6 for the top. The tops of these saw horses sit at just under 34″. You can obviously easily adjust this by making the legs longer or shorter as desired.