Sawhorse template, compound angles

[Philip Davies]

I posted previously my template for marking out a saw horse. My carpentry teacher, the late Wally Faulkner, told us that the carpenters were allowed 15 minutes to make themselves a saw stool when they first arrived on site, and later, he showed us the template he used.


I had intended to show some pictures of the compound angles, but had no lumber at home until today, when I sneaked down to where I work, knowing that nobody was there!
So here I am using my own template, to compare it with Wally’s. I begin by marking out the edges.

The picture shows the shoulder below the top. You can see that I have jumped the gun, by also putting in the perpendicular.

Here I am striking the perpendicular on the edge.

To do this using my template, I have to separate each leg, flipping the setsquare over each time, whereas Wally’s is much more efficient.



Marking the faces next, and even Wally would have to separate the legs.


It is not necessary to mark the thickness of the top, shown here, since the horns will be cut flush when the legs have been nailed on.

Attachment 35521

Here’s a view of the ends


Now I am going to mark the length of the leg, twice the length of the stock on my template, the full length of Wally’s.
Attachment 35522Attachment 35523

Going to the top now, edge marked with 15degree bevel, face squared across. The width of the housing, measured “A”.

The depth of the housing in the top - “B” - is gauged as shown. The spur is pointing towards the top of the stool.



Please note that the “A” in these last two pictures should not be there. That is a mistake, which arose from using 2” x 2”. “A” is a face measurement, “B” is on the edge.

2 saw cuts per leg before assembly


Afraid I can’t show a finished article, since there was only enough 2x 2 for one and a half legs, and only a foot for the top. Maybe there’s a good YouTube demo.

In the time I have taken to write this, Wally could have made saw horses for a crew of 8 or more. But he WAS a carpenter. I am (was) an English teacher, and no good at that either, in disguise.