# How would you shopize this Ikea saw horse?



## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Assume you were given a pair of these.

They are lightweight, compact dimension, and could be hung up or stored fairly simply and be very handy in finishing or staging project parts, say.

However, this joinery would never hold up in a shop. I'm just curious what you'd want to reinforce and exactly how you'd go about it.

Let's say that we don't want to alter height or splay or the length of the top member, and we'd like easily to be able to hang them up without using a stool.

Ready? Go!

Kindly,

Lee


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I think I'd take them apart and epoxy everything together before tightening down. Another thought if you just wanted to set them in the corner would be to move the center stretcher to one pair of legs and add another on the opposite side. Then you could cut down the top of the other so they could nest together, halving the floor space two of them would take up.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

I like the "Key features" ... they only list one: "Solid wood is a durable natural material."

I think I would look for an opportunity to 're-gift' them.


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## TerryFerguson (Feb 5, 2011)

I'm with the Dane on this one and build some simple folding ones.
If that doesn't fly for you, use a ceiling mounted pulley, a cleat, and some rope(s) pull them up out of the way.
Just my $0.02 worth.


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## greg48 (Nov 7, 2010)

If you wished to hang them up somewhere out of the way, it would be nice if they folded up. I don't see that happening with this design. However, let me show you what I found some time ago at a large orange box store. I bought one and duplicated the design using 2×4 and 1×4 lumber (dry).










They measure 29" wide and stand 27" tall. Two butt hinges, a length of light weight chain to keep the legs from splaying, and some 1 1/4" #8 FH screws is all the hardware used. As you can see, they fold up (4 beneath the wing of my saw) and are mostly out of the way.



















That's my 2 bits and worth all of that.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

I think the would be prett strong for holding projects -

I would change the attachment of the stretcher.
I assume it is just a wood screw, or perhaps a threaded insert in the stretcher - with one screw throuht the leg.

To strengthen it - I would change to these - so the can pull tight and be better anchored in the leg.










Then I would have two screws at the top of each leg, to make it less likely to rack


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## higtron (Jan 26, 2011)

I would build a set of horses myself, it always cracks me up when woodworkers buy horses. I'm a union carpenter have been one for a lot of years, apprentices make a set of horses as their first project when they go to school. Horses that you buy are never as solid and, sturdy as a properly constructed pair if you are looking for some low profile horses that don't take up much shop space build a set of sturdy knock down horses out of a sheet of 3/4" plywood


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I made my saw horses with a wide top platform. The legs splay in two directions for a very stable platform. A pair of these will support an enormous weight.
The Ikea horses were not designed to be used as saw horses, but as legs for a temporary table. They are not suitable for shop use. For the amount of modification needed, you would be better off building from scratch.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

These look like a pretty simple design Lee


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## Racer2007 (Jan 13, 2011)

I would explain to the person who gave them to me why to not buy any wood items from Ikea and then give to someone else of put them in the Fireplace.


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## basswood (Dec 18, 2013)

I am all for building your own. Not necessarily according to anyone's plans exactly.

Look at what is out there and the plans and ideas posted here already, and customize them for your purposes. These are the horses I designed and built this past year. Sturdy enough for serious shop work and they knock down flat. Here is the LJ project post about them: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/96307


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

Lee, you asked what to do with the ones you showed us. When checking them out at the link you provided, these items are not sawhorses, and are not represented to be. They are marketed as a set of table legs. On the Ikea site, after you go to the link you gave us, you can find the whole table set up here
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S89002010/

I think the answer is to make a lightweight table - a little desk, for example. As others have said, work on more useful sawhorses as a separate project. You could make sketches of the saw horses while sitting at the little Ikea-based table.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

I have never used or seen the ikea ones in the flesh, so to speak .However from what I can see here, from the pics they lok a little bit flimsy sorry just my observations. Which as you know is generally not a quality desirable in sawhorses.
I suppose you could beef them up a bit but.I would *in that case* rather just go ahead and make my own, or buy a decent set of metal ones. MY 2.25 cents LOL .Alistair have safe fun.


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

I'm with Gerry-"theDane" I'd look for an opportunity to make them someone else's problem/project!!!
Mike


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

As already pointed out these are *NOT Intended to be Saw Horses.* They are *Table Legs * and are Labeled as such.

They are intended to be used for one of many tops. This top (with those Legs Sold Separately) sells for $65.99.


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## TravisH (Feb 6, 2013)

Hmm tricky question as most didn't even try to answer the actual question. I am disappointed however because the thread has gone way to long without the usual… buy used on craigslist catch all answer.

Lee I wouldn't do anything with them, use them as is and wait to see when they need fixing. If you are just using them for "table legs" for a finishing table or similar might last as long as you want them to as is.


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Thank you Travis. It was a hypothetical question intended to spur thinking about stress points and failure prevention and retrofitting wood parts to an existing wood structure. I think you're the only one who understood my intent, which may not have been clearly enough stated.

Kindly,

Lee


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

Ha, well, now wait - all in fun, but, I think I disagree. 
The question was: "...what you'd want to reinforce and exactly how you'd go about it. …"

And the most common theme in the answers was that almost everyone would build a proper sawhorse right over these table legs, and not try to confuse them with saw horse duty. Meanwhile, Travis also did not reply, really, because he just said to do nothing and use as is - which still didn't directly answer your question.

it seems that you asked a trick question, andy got a few trick answers in response!

.


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

What Jim said x's 2.

PLUS: "the thread has gone way to long without the usual… buy used on craigslist catch all answer."

I guess he's looking at different Posts than what I've seen. I've yet to see this "catch all" answer, other than some members asking for advise, usually for purchasing a Power Tool. most notably a Table Saw.


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