I never seem to have as many sawhorses on the job as I need. And when I do have enough sawhorses and I’ve got to pack them up for the next job, they take up an awful lot of room. The simple horse shown in the drawing has solved both problems for me.
The crossbar is a 4×4, with 1-in.-dia. holes drilled 2 in. deep into the bar. I center the holes 4 in. from the ends of the crossbar. Then I lay the crossbar on the ground where I want the horse, and I pound a 3-ft, or 4-ft. steel stake into the ground in line with each hole in the crossbar. The stake should extend at least 1 ft. into the ground. Then I set the 4×4 onto the stakes and check to see if the crossbar is level. A few adjustment taps on the stakes, and I have a quick sawhorse that is both sturdy and easy to set up on uneven terrain. And these sawhorses stack nicely in the back of my truck.
—Stephen E. House, Grass Valley, CA
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #95
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This would require round stakes. Flat stakes would work, I guess, with different hole setup.