New heights for an old friend

The only thing more dependable than a shop-made sawhorse is an adjustable one.

One of the first projects I built during my formal educa­tion at Rosewood Studio in Perth, Ontario, was a pair of Krenov-style sawhorses. While I’m happy with their height for most projects in my shop, there are a few times I wish they had a bit more reach, height-wise.

Not so long ago, as I got lost in the local Ikea labyrinth, I noticed one of the bases for a utility table had a smart adjustable height sys­tem. Time to see if I could use the idea to make my silent partners even more useful.

Good Canadian maple

I milled up some hard maple and got to work. Each adjustable riser needs a top, four rails, four spacers and a pair of pegs. In keep­ing with the original design, all pieces are 3″ wide. The top is 1″ thick and 27″ long. The side rails are slimmed down to 1/2″ and are 12″ long. Since the spacers allow the assembly to straddle the sawhorse, we need these to be 1″ thick, however I milled mine at 1-1/16″ to give a bit more wiggle room. If you only have 1″ stock then a couple of pieces of veneer will work in a pinch. These are 1-1/4″ wide.

Getting to work

In order to keep the peg holes lined up, I drilled the rails in mat­ing pairs. Make sure to mark all pieces with a cabinetmaker’s triangle. Tape the pairs together, then mark a centre line. I drilled my holes from the top at 3-3/4″, 6-3/4″ and 9-3/4″, although the last holes are just for continuity rather than usability in my design. Drill these holes with a 1″ forstner bit to accommodate the 1″ dow­els that will be used for pegs.

Next, pre-drill the top spacers to the rails, then apply glue and drive in a pair of #8 × 1″ flathead screws from both sides. Offset each side so the screws don’t hit each other if you countersink them a bit too deep. Use the bottom spacer to keep the rails parallel.

After letting the glue cure a short time, drill countersunk holes for the 2-1/2″ flathead 1/4″-20 machine bolts. Lock these in with a washer and wing nut. Repeat for the other rail assembly.

Lining it up

It took a bit of head scratching to find the best method to attach the top to the rail assemblies. I started off making a mark 6″ in from both ends of the top. Next, I placed clamps so they could not shift left or right. I then measured to make sure they were centred across the width of the top and pre-drilled and countersunk for two #8 × 1-3/4″ flathead screws each. I removed the top, applied glue to the tops of the rails and drove in the screws from the top. To help in seating the top back into position, I drove the screws in until their points just poked through the bottom of the top.

Ready to use

If you need a bit more height than I do, you can definitely make the rails longer (within reason) and drill more holes. One of the best features of the Krenov-style sawhorse is that all the weight is carried down the legs, into the feet and onto the ground. This new modification continues that trend. I was worried that the new assembly might roll on the dowels, but it held its position nicely when in use. You could also create a sloped top by changing peg locations. It doesn’t take a lot of materials nor a long time to make. In fact, in an afternoon you could make a pair that will help you, too.