Sawhorses, Sawhorse Brackets and BORA Centipede Workstands

A pair of sawhorses turns any garage floor or job site into a place to cut. The right ones depend on three things: whether they stay put or ride in the truck, how much they have to hold, and whether you’re cutting boards or full sheets. WBC has a setup for each.

For full sheets: BORA Centipede

Cutting plywood or OSB on two sawhorses takes careful placement to keep the sheet from sagging and the offcut from dropping. A BORA Centipede makes it easier. It’s a collapsible stand that pulls open like an accordion into a wide frame. Lay a few 2x4s across the top as sacrificial supports, set the sheet on them, and set the saw’s blade just deep enough to cut through the sheet, so the blade nicks the 2x4s, never the stand. The sheet is supported on both sides of the cut.

• Centipede workstand, 48 x 96 inches: the full 4 x 8 sheet size.
• Centipede portable workstation, 24 x 48 x 30 inches: a smaller frame, rated to 2,500 pounds.

Both fold down small for the truck. For anyone breaking down sheet goods for a subfloor, a shed or cabinets, this is the one that makes the cuts easier.

Adjustable steel sawhorses

• BORA Workhorse XT: steel, adjusts from 30 to 34 inches in one-inch steps, and rated at 1,350 pounds per horse, 2,700 per pair. The top takes a sacrificial wood board, so your blade hits wood instead of steel, and the ends take 2x4s to link two horses into a workbench. The legs fold in a set order and the horses don’t latch together, so give yourself a minute the first time you fold them.
• Adjustable steel sawhorse, 1,300 pounds: a heavy-duty steel horse with adjustable height.

Both are sold one at a time; buy two for a pair. Adjustable legs are worth having when you switch between cutting, which wants the work around waist height, and assembly, which often wants it lower.

Folding sawhorses

When the garage is also where the truck parks, folding horses are the answer.

• Folding sawhorse sets, 27 inches wide and 22-1/2 inches wide.
• Galvanized folding steel sawhorse, 32-1/2 inches wide, sold one at a time. Galvanized steel holds up when it lives in the truck bed.

The width figure is the size across the horse, not how tall it stands.

Wood sawhorses

The 32-inch wood sawhorse is the classic. Sold one at a time, so buy two. A wood top can take a saw kerf or a stray screw without hurting anything, and that’s a big part of why carpenters still use them.

Building your own: 2x4 brackets

WBC’s steel sawhorse brackets, sold as a pair, take 2x4 legs and a 2x4 top. One pair builds one sawhorse, one bracket at each end. Cut the legs to whatever height you want, use a longer or shorter top for the span you need, and when they’re worn out, cut new 2x4s. Leg length isn’t the same as finished height, since the legs splay out and the top sits above them, so make one test leg before cutting all eight. A plywood brace between the legs makes the horse much steadier.

How tall?

Most sawhorses run 28 to 34 inches, and around 30 is a good starting point for cutting. Remember the work adds height: a 2x12 or a cabinet sitting on top raises your working surface. You want the cut at about waist height without bending over or lifting your arms.

How much weight?

Read the rating for what it says. A per-bracket number, a per-horse number and a per-pair number are three different things. And a load spread across the top is easier on a sawhorse than the same weight sitting in the middle. Sawhorses hold material; they’re not for standing on.

Out on the job

On a Montana job site in spring, snowmelt can keep the ground soft for weeks. Set sawhorse feet on a scrap of plywood so they don’t sink and rock while you’re cutting. And in the cold, plastic parts get brittle, so handle plastic feet and clips gently on a frozen morning.

The Pick

For sheet goods, the BORA Centipede 48 x 96. For an adjustable, heavy-duty pair that builds into a bench, two BORA Workhorse XTs. For a garage you need back, a folding set. For a classic shop pair, two 32-inch wood horses, or two pairs of steel brackets and your own 2x4s.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall should sawhorses be?

Most are 28 to 34 inches, and around 30 is a good start for cutting. Count the thickness of the work on top; the cut should land near waist height.

How much weight can sawhorses hold?

It depends on the horse and how the load sits. Check whether the rating is per horse or per pair, and remember weight in the middle is harder on them than weight spread across the top.

How many sawhorse brackets do I need?

Two brackets build one sawhorse, so WBC’s pair makes one horse. Buy two pairs for a set of two.

What’s a BORA Centipede?

A collapsible workstand that opens into a wide flat frame. It holds a full sheet of plywood for cutting and folds down small for transport.