The simple Saw Horse (Sawhorse?)

Step 4 Laying out the cuts for the top rail.

Now that we have a design and the materials, its time to start laying out the cuts. There are a many  different ways of cutting the top, which one you choose is entirely up to you. I will show you three different ways of laying out the cuts and joinery on the top rail. Which you choose is entirely up to you, and which tools you have access to.

What we are after is a way to angle the legs so they splay outward and make the sawhorse more stable. So we need to cut an angle off of the sides of the top rail, but only the first 6 inches or so. Now we could cut an angle along the entire edge of the top rail, but it would make clamping things to the edge of the top rail impossible in the future. So for the first two methods we are just going to angle the 6 inches of top rail at each end.

Step one measure 6 inches in from the end of the top rail and make a mark all the way across the top rail.

Step two take you angled block (jig) and mark the end of the top rail with the 15 degree angle starting from the bottom outside corner of the top rail (viewed from the end) and draw a line from the top of the top rail to the bottom.

Step three, connect the line on the end of the top rail to the mark you made in step one.

Step four A, if you are going to cut the angles for the legs with a handsaw draw an additional line from the top of the top rail to the bottom at the 6 inch mark.

Step four B . If you are using a jig saw or a band saw extend the line that you just drew past the 6 inch mark and curve it out to the edge of the top rail. You can do this either freehand or by tracing something circular.

Now repeat this process for the other 3 corners of the top rail.