Saw Horses used for assembly stands

Some years ago I needed a good way to support steel bars that were to be welded, collared, etc.. to make gates and railings. Things needed to be really flat for several reasons, which, I'm sure are obvious to most of you. I used some saw horses that I have had in my shop for years, but it was hard to keep them from moving since the floor was not perfectly flat. Also, as I moved around the area with my helmet on, I'd occassionally kick a leg and knock the whole thing out of alignment. To get things perfectly level, I had to constantly be shimming the components, by as little as 25 thou here and there to make up for all the variables. I chose to make some adjustable 3-Legged saw horses which solved the uneven floor problem and eliminated the need for shims. By uneven, I mean uneven by only a sixteenth of an inch or so in 4 feet. My mentor Bob Walsh, from Pepin Wisconsin also showed me how to make and use "winding sticks" to make certain that both beams of the saw horses were parallel (in the same plane).

Here's where you can learn more about it:

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Pete Stanaitis

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Reply to
spaco
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Hey Pete,

Thanks for that. Good idea. I don't see how this will keep anyone from "tripping" over a leg, but for many of the jobs I do they are a good idea just the same.

It took me quite a ways into the details to realize that the term "winding" is not as in "to wind" like fishing reel, but as "wind" like in a breeze. This is one of the planes of wood distortion as in wind, warp, and woof although many other words are synonymous.

Thanks again.

Brian Laws>Some years ago I needed a good way to support steel bars that were to be

Reply to
Brian Lawson

Very nice! Saved for building.

Of course...after welding..we only have to worry about bending out all the warpages.

Gunner

Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

Reply to
Gunner Asch

When assembling my wings, I just put a blob of Bondo under the legs and leveled them. It breaks loose easily when you are done.

Reply to
cavelamb

I used planks held in B&D Workmates to weld scaffold frames on a rutted and sloping driveway. With the tops of both planks level and parallel the frames built on them were flat even though one plank was half a foot lower than the other.

jsw

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Reply to
RoyJ

That sounds like a good idea, too. I already have 2 B&D workmates, so that would be easy for me to do.

Pete Stanaitis

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Jim Wilk>

Reply to
spaco

Good point. I still can trip over the legs, but since there are only three legs, the things still don't wobble. And, since these steel horses are quite a bit heavier than their wooden counterparts, they tend to stay still better. Lastly, since there are only three legs, you have a 25% better chance of missing a leg with a toe. This may not be a problem for many of you, but I have wear a size 14

1/2 shoe, and, when I'm really into what I'm doing, I don't pay enough attention to where my feet are.

Pete Stanaitis

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Brian Laws> Hey Pete,

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Reply to
spaco

Yes, very interesting and useful.

I can see how the vertical leg is attached, but can't quite make out how you attached the two back legs. Care to elaborate?

Paul

Reply to
KD7HB

Sorry, Paul. Although I hadn't meant this to be an actual construction article, I knew in the back of my mind that I could have done better. So I have added the detail that I think you will need.

Go to the same place: >>

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Yes, very interesting and useful.

Reply to
spaco

That is what is needed. Looks like the back legs could just be pinned with a cotter or something to keep the pin in place. Probably a little more surdy with a through bolt.

Paul

Reply to
KD7HB

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