Almost every builder who is faced with the issue of constructing a building for any purpose has wondered how to make construction trestles with his own hands. Without them, it will be quite difficult to carry out the mentioned manipulations. The structure can be rented, but it is quite expensive, which is especially true in the case that involves construction over a long period of time.
Preparation for work
If you will make construction trestles with your own hands, then you must first prepare all the materials and tools. Among the first is a pipe, the diameter of which can be 1.5 or 2 inches. The final parameter depends on the expected loads. You will need a pipe with a diameter of 1 and 1.5 inches, the figure will depend on the parameter of the pipe, which was described above. From the blanks it is necessary to make horizontal jumpers that will connect the racks. Another pipe with a diameter of 0.5 inches will be needed to make the hooks into which horizontally oriented jumpers are installed. The pins will be a round rod, the diameter of which is 14 millimeters. This workpiece must be welded onto a horizontal jumper on both sides.
If you make construction trestles with your own hands, then in addition to the elements described above, you will need an adjustment mechanism that will help level out surface unevenness. To form it you need to purchase four bolts and nuts. Bolts should be selected according to diameter, the minimum of which should be 20 millimeters. A nut should be welded into the lower part of the racks into which the screw is installed.
Manufacturing technology
When making construction trestles with your own hands, it is necessary to begin work on forming the pin structure from the racks. In this case, everything is quite simple; at the bottom of these elements you need to weld nuts for the bolts. A pipe is welded into the upper part. It will need to be used to install the section of the next tier. On the sides of the pipe, top and bottom, at a distance of 200 millimeters from the edges, you need to weld tubes, the length of which is 100 millimeters. There should be four of them at the top and bottom. The result should be a cross, which will allow, by connecting the racks with jumpers, to form a rectangular structure. The racks of the upper tiers will differ from similar elements below in the absence of nuts. In this case, the pipe must remain free.
If you are making scaffolding, at the next stage you will need to weld pins along the edges of the horizontal long and short jumpers, then bending them at a right angle. It is important to equip the structure with a rack, which must have components made of thick boards. Their width should be equivalent to 0.5 meters. During the assembly process, the rack is laid on horizontally located short lintels.
Carrying out the assembly
When making scaffolding from metal, the next step will be assembly. To do this, the master is recommended to enlist the help of another person. One of them will have to hold two posts, while the other will have to insert jumpers into them. With the help of short elements you will be able to assemble two sidewalls. Each of the craftsmen, holding one side, begins to insert long jumpers. Once these blanks are in place, you can level everything by laying ladders on them. Before making construction trestles, you should familiarize yourself with the technology. At the next stage, it assumes the possibility of installing subsequent tiers, and you need to use the method described above.
Features of manufacturing wooden scaffolding
If you decide to make trestles from wood, then the step between the racks can be equal to the limit of 2 to 2.5 meters. As for the width of the flooring, it should be equivalent to one meter. You should not make the structure too high; the maximum height limit is 6 meters. To carry out the work, it is necessary to prepare boards 50 millimeters thick. As for their width, this figure should not appear less than 100 millimeters. You can replace such blanks with a square beam of 10 cm. The racks and stops can be based on round timber. Spacers and barriers are typically made from boards that are 30 millimeters or more thick.
Conclusion
If you want to make folding construction trestles, which were discussed above, then they can be used for many years. This cannot be said about wooden structures, which require treatment with certain substances that provide the material with special qualities. Wood lasts less and is not as stable in the finished structure. Among other things, wooden wheels must be installed on special scaffolds that prevent interaction of lumber with the ground. A drawing of construction trestles will allow you to carry out the work without errors. You can borrow it from the article or draw it yourself, depending on the dimensions of the future building. After all, how convenient it will be to carry out construction work will depend on this.
One of the most necessary and useful tools for builders is construction scaffolding, commonly known as “construction sawhorses.” You can make such construction devices yourself with the necessary tools, such as a hacksaw, a square for measuring angles, a tape measure, a hammer and nails. In the article you can see the step-by-step assembly of wooden scaffolding.
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1. The most practical wood for assembling scaffolding is pine, as it is easy to process and less susceptible to rotting than other types of wood. To make scaffolding, we need a board 30 mm thick and at least 50 mm wide. |
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2. In order to assemble the scaffolding, we need a work table. |
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3. If you purchased a wide board, then cut it lengthwise into the bars we need, but for this we will need a circular saw. |
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4. Usually there are certain standards for construction scaffolding, which are adjusted to the height of the person who works with them. For example, if a person is 1.8 meters tall, we will need scaffolding with a height of 0.8 to 0.9 meters. As human growth decreases or vice versa, make appropriate scaffolding for yourself, based on the above formula. |
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5. In order for the scaffolding to be stable during its operation, it is necessary to make the correct angular cuts of the legs. The cut is made on that side of the bar, which has a thickness of 30 mm. From one edge of the block we make an angular marking of 65 degrees (see photo). For the scaffolding we will need four legs. |
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6. In order to fasten the legs of the scaffold we will need a transverse bar approximately 1 to 1.2 meters long. Make two marks from different ends of the crossbar at a distance of 25 centimeters from the edge of the block, this is in order to know where we will attach the legs of the scaffold. We make marks on the wide side of the block. |
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7. Place the cross beam with its wide side on the surface of the work table, then install the leg along the marking, with the sawed end on the cross beam (see photo). |
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8. Install the legs, securing them with nails to the cross beam. The legs are installed on one side of the crossbar and on the other (see photo). |
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9. In order to prevent the legs from moving in different directions when using the scaffolding, we will need a block that will hold the legs together. Attach the block to the legs, and make a mark on the block, using a marker, on the inside of the positioning legs. The block between the legs should be located 20 centimeters from the top of the cross bar. |
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10. Next, make corner cuts at the connecting bars, according to the previously made marks. Connect the legs with bars using nails. |
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11.For a more stable position of the scaffolding we will need two diagonal struts. The length of the spacer is 46 centimeters. Make two corner cuts on each block at an angle of 45 degrees. |
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12. Now connect the diagonal brace between the crossbar and the connecting bar of the legs, using nails. |
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13.Now that the wooden goats are ready, check them for stability. If one leg of some scaffolding turns out to be longer than the others, then cut it with a hacksaw, equalizing the height with all the others. For construction work we will need two ready-made scaffolding. |
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14. After the scaffolding is ready for work, lay a pre-prepared shield on top of it, on which you will stand while performing this or that work. |
The shield on which you will stand can be made of various types of materials, from boards knocked together, plywood of at least 20 mm, chipboard, etc. You cannot use shields with a slippery surface, such as plastic, metal, glass, etc. how can you get injured by slipping on such a shield.
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One of the most useful tools for preparing firewood are devices in the form of...
Reading time ≈ 4 minutes
The folding firewood trestle is a convenient and compact stand. It makes sawing logs and thick boards easy. The folding stand does not take up much space and can be stored in a shed or garage. To manufacture the structure, you will need to prepare high-quality timber and boards. Assembling the stand takes about 2 hours.
Necessary materials
Assembling a wooden goat for sawing firewood with your own hands is not difficult. But it is recommended to use durable materials in the work. To maximize the service life of the structure, you should pre-treat the wood with an antiseptic. This will protect the materials from moisture and prevent them from being damaged by harmful insects.
A wooden sawhorse for sawing firewood is made with parameters of 1×1 m. This size of the product is sufficient for sawing both large logs and small stumps. Before starting work, the contractor will need to prepare the following materials and auxiliary products:
- timber: 6 units with a length of 1 meter;
- board: 4 units with a length of 1 meter and a width of approximately 7-8 cm;
- M8 bolts: 3 pieces;
- nuts and washers: 3 pieces each;
- wood screws: 24 pieces.
Using these materials and consumables, you can assemble a compact folding goat that will have increased stability. Additionally, to carry out the work you will need a screwdriver and a wood saw.
Step-by-step instructions for making sawhorses
The work of making sawhorses for sawing wood begins with preparing holes for the bolts. To do this, you need to place two supports on top of each other (side ribs) and drill holes at a mark of 70 cm from the bottom edge.
You need to connect the first pair of legs, tighten the bolt, install the washer and nut.
Repeat the procedure for two more support pairs. Further work is carried out according to the following scheme:
1. Using a jigsaw, the board prepared for fastening the legs is sawn. If the boards were prepared according to the specified parameters (with a width of 7-8 cm), they do not need to be sawed.
2. On a pair of boards located on one side of the trestle, two vertical holes should be drilled at a distance of 67 mm from each edge (see drawing of the trestle). Additionally, holes are drilled on one side at a distance of 245 mm.
3. On the second pair of boards, you need to prepare the following pairs of vertical holes: at a distance of 22 mm from the edge on both sides, at a distance of 335 mm from one edge.
4. Prepared boards, pre-divided into pairs, are screwed to the legs: the bottom ones at a distance of 80 mm from the edge, the top ones at a distance of 535 mm from the edge (see diagram of the wooden trestle). The indicated indents are measured to the extreme bottom line of the board.
When screwing in pairs, it is important to ensure that the indentations match. Shifting the fixing points for the left and right crossbars prevents them from being screwed to one beam, which increases the strength of the structure.
Features of storage and operation of goats
When carrying out work according to these instructions, it is recommended to additionally use the attached drawings, photos and video materials. They will help you easily make durable sawhorses. The finished structure can withstand a lot of weight, but it is important to store it in normal conditions: a dry room. Constant exposure to moisture or humid air will cause materials to deteriorate.
It is especially important to consider the rules for using the workpiece. It is not recommended to overload it with heavy logs. Folding sawhorses are suitable for sawing firewood with a chainsaw and a hand saw. The reliable design will become indispensable in a summer cottage or in a private house. With its help, you can easily and quickly prepare firewood, logs for lighting a stove or home fireplace.
Video of making a goat for sawing firewood with your own hands
When cutting a board placed on this device, you do not have to hold the sawn part with your hand as it falls on the floor. Homemade carpentry trestles conveniently fold for storage, and when in working condition they take a stable position, providing two points of support for workpieces.
The design in question does not have complex carpentry joints, and the process of making a pair of such devices with your own hands takes several hours. Folding sawhorses are easy to transport in a car; they are convenient for sawing long boards or sheets of plywood.
Preparing parts for carpentry sawhorses
Inexpensive pine boards 20–40 mm thick are suitable for work. It is not at all necessary to select ideal lumber; wood with minor defects is quite suitable. To fasten the parts of the carpentry trestles you will need screws, and to connect the sliding halves you will need four hinges.
When determining dimensions, pay attention to the height of the structure, based on ease of use. For a craftsman with a height of about 180 cm, a support height of 80–85 cm is suitable. To avoid mistakes, measure your table or workbench at which you are sawing. The width of the trestles is one meter to ensure the stability of the device in working position.
Mark and cut all boards to length, making sure to maintain right angles when cutting. Plan the workpieces on all sides. Some parts will require additional preparation.
Sand the surfaces and round the edges of the top rails to reduce the likelihood of the wood chipping during use.
For the same purpose, treat the lower ends of the legs. First, remove the chamfers with a plane.
Then sand the ends with sandpaper.
Assembling homemade goats with your own hands
Assemble each section of the sawhorse separately. Prepare a countersink with a drill to make pilot holes for screws and recesses for caps.
Immediately mark on the legs the location of the lower crossbars, placed at a distance of 150 mm from the end of the workpiece.
Start assembly from any top corner. Align the ends of the workpieces at right angles using a mounting square to connect the parts, drill holes and tighten the screws.
If the workshop does not have screws of suitable length, you can use smaller hardware. You just need to strengthen the connection with wood glue and tighten the screws on both sides.
Now lay out the parts on a flat surface, align them according to the marks and fasten the boards together, checking the perpendicularity of the joints.
Place a spacer on the assembled frame and draw cutting lines for the corners.
Cut off the excess pieces with a hacksaw and install the diagonal board in place.
Assemble the other half of the sawhorses in a similar manner.
Connect both parts with loops. The latter will be easy to install if wicket-type products are used. You will have to select recesses in the crossbars for the door hinges using a hand router or chisel.
The size of the notch should allow the hinge knuckle to rotate freely and not touch the wood.
When installing hinged hinges, remember that the wings need to be placed “discordantly” so that the pins point in different directions.
Screw the loop halves onto the long crossbars.
Select a thin strip that matches the height of your fist.
Place the short section of sawhorses on top.
Drill pilot holes and tighten the screws.
Ready-made trestles can already be used for their intended purpose, paired with a workbench of the same height.
Make yourself a second folding sawhorse and use it to cut lumber up to six meters long. You can store folding structures on nails driven into the wall, but it is better to make simple shelves that will additionally be used for small things.
In any workshop there will always be scraps of chipboard suitable for this homemade product, and the fastening of such a hanging shelf is easy to make from corners.
It is clear that in specialized stores you can choose sawhorses for every taste, but the cost of high-quality models is steep. And the implementation of our project will require less than 20 meters of boards, taking into account trimming of cracked ends. The end result will be to equip your workshop with a couple of useful assistants.
I took the design of the construction trestles out of my head, simply estimating the height at which the roof of the future barn would be located and how I could drag a 6-meter 100x100 mm beam there alone. It turned out that for comfortable work, given my height, the working platform of the construction trestles should be at a level of approximately 2 meters.
In addition to the size, I really wanted to make them as light as possible, since I had to move them alone, so for the material I took a 50x50 mm block and an inch board for the work site.
Detailed photography was not taken during the construction of this simple structure, but I think that the photos below will be quite enough for understanding. As a result, we should end up with goats that look something like this.
So, everything in order.
To begin with, the photo below shows the main dimensions of the trestle structure. The drawing didn't turn out very well, but the main thing is that everything is visible.
I made these construction trestles not according to a drawing, but according to the location, so the main dimensions are given for reference (approximate), they can of course be changed to your own.
Assembling the gantry structure
First I decided to make two pairs of “legs” - supports. To do this, I sawed off four bars to size (2 meters each) and to make it easier to cut the grooves (not to get confused with the corners of the cuts) for the steps, I nailed the supports of the future trestles to the floor joists of the barn. I nailed it, of course, I said this strongly, you just need to fix them with nails driven in not to the very top, so that later these nails can be easily pulled out.
I nailed the bars, observing the size between them: at the top (0.7 meters) and the size at the bottom (it turned out to be 1.02 meters), after which I marked and made cuts for the steps. I tried to make the size between the steps maximum (to reduce the number of steps and weight, respectively), but so as not to pull my knee to my chin while climbing there, the result was a step of 30 cm.
I made shallow cuts, about 1 cm. There is no need to weaken the structure too much!
I picked out the excess wood with a chisel. Of course, you don’t have to make cuts, but I like it when everything looks aesthetically pleasing.
Try to make the size of the cut a couple of millimeters narrower than the width of the step block, so that they fit tightly into the grooves and do not dangle.
Be sure to round off the sharp corner of the block, where the foot will be placed, with a plane. You can see it in the photo below.
After all the steps are screwed on, we remove this “pair of legs” from the holding nails and install a fixing cross-beam-brace from inside this ladder for reliability. I simply measured it in place, sawed it off and screwed it on with self-tapping screws.
With the second pair of supports, everything is much simpler - I installed two transverse steps and secured them with the same fixing slope as the first pair of legs, only in the opposite direction.
On the outer sides of the “legs” at the top, where the platform will be attached, we make cuts for the side bars of the platform.
We make a working platform
To do this, we will need two bars (1.65 m) and inch boards sawn to fit the width of the platform (70 cm each). We assemble the platform shield by fixing the boards to the bars with self-tapping screws.
Important! Leave a small gap of 5-10 mm between the boards so that there is somewhere for rainwater to drain.
Putting the construction sawhorses together
Now all that remains is to put the three parts together. It will be more convenient to carry out these works “on the side”.
We insert the upper ends of the “ladder legs” into the cuts of the platform bars and fix them for now with one self-tapping screw on each side so that they can “dangle”, as it were, changing the angle.
We carry out the same operation with the second pair of “legs”.
Well, now you can put the still unfinished sawhorses into working position. By spreading or bringing together the support bars, we change the degree of their inclination and achieve a stable position of the goats on the ground.
To secure the result, you should immediately install a spacer-limiter between the support with steps and the second pair of “legs” so that they do not move apart.
Now you can tighten one more screw in the places where the working platform is attached to the supports, and also install another side brace-clamp. We saw off the excess protruding ends of the brace bar.
Now the construction trestles should be placed on their sides and the ends of the bars that rest on the ground should be cut off at the desired angle to the ground.
You can also attach small railings, this is optional. It’s somehow more comfortable for me to feel support, albeit weak!
That’s it, the structure is ready and finally it needs to be treated with fire protection.
The construction trestles made in this way have been serving me for three years now. With their direct participation, I built not only a barn, but also a house made of timber, which I will definitely write about when I have free time. They can easily withstand the weight of two people even fumbling around there.
So they passed the test with an “excellent” rating, although they were, of course, a bit heavy - it’s not easy to move them alone, even though the wood has dried out over time.
To move on loose soil or sand, you can place pieces of linoleum under the legs, as in the photo below.
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