A Pair of Benches for Handsawing

摘要

I came up with this rather unusual sawhorse after sawing into the leg of my standard version one too many times. To get the legs out of the way, I reduced the outward cant of the legs on one side to nearly vertical, leaving just enough angle for stability. I also added a beefy cross brace across the opposite legs to shift the center of gravity their way. As a result, these sawhorses, more properly called saw benches, are more stable than they look. The height of the bench top comes to my kneecap, which optimizes the working efficiency of a standard-size handsaw (see my article on handsaws in this issue of WoodenBoat, page 28). At the same time, that height allows me to use one knee as a hold-down.