Firewood sawhorses - a new take on the classic device for sawing firewood

Making your own sawhorse for sawing wood

A chainsaw makes the hard work of preparing firewood much easier. When using it, productivity increases many times over. Without a chainsaw, large and damp logs make the cutting task even more difficult.

Goat designs

The classic sawhorse design allows you to use a chainsaw when sawing logs. In this case, a significant problem arises - clamping of the cutting part of the saw at the end of the cut.

The part of the log that protrudes from the side beyond the edge of the sawhorse can be sawed off without difficulty. When cutting occurs between the posts, clamping is inevitable.

In order to avoid this, the log must be rotated. Such exhausting, unproductive work takes a lot of effort and time, and in the absence of assistants it becomes the main difficulty in collecting firewood.

Some designers have developed and patented devices that prevent clamping of the cutting part of the saw.

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Goats for cutting firewood with chain saws

But still, when we are dealing with large volumes of firewood, torturing ourselves by manually sawing logs is a wasteful activity in terms of time and physical costs. Gasoline and electric chainsaws speed up the process tenfold and reduce physical labor.

But traditional sawhorses are not suitable for working with them, due to the high risk of injury and tool breakage when clamping the saw bar in a cut. Of course, you can only saw logs that exceed the dimensions of the log, but you will not achieve rational cutting of the logs. Therefore, other devices were invented to work with such saws, which, by tradition, retained their old name, although they bear little resemblance to their grandfathers.

The simplest sawhorses for working with a chainsaw have a similar design.

Heavy stable base and a pair of horns for fixing the log. What else is needed? Sawing takes place outside the dimensions of the structure, and the log is held in it by the foot. Productivity is low, but such goats are quite functional.

For sawing thin logs, the most suitable, in our opinion, are sawhorses of a similar design:

Their only drawback is that the logs of the bottom row are not sawn, but for large volumes this design flaw will not be fundamental. And you choose the dimensions of such trestles depending on the length of the firebox of your stove, the length of the bar and the power of your saw. Their undoubted advantage is quick disassembly, which makes it possible to simplify and speed up the removal of lumber.

A similar design of a trestle, but with the ability to saw bundles of logs to the end, due to the presence of transverse supports that provide a gap between the woodpile and the base of the trestle, is shown in this video, but the lack of the ability to quickly disassemble to a certain extent neutralizes this advantage.

Although you can turn it over on the end side, however, with a little more effort.

For thicker logs, a similar design is suitable, but with them secured in a sawing container, which will prevent the logs from pinching the saw.

And the size of lumps obtained in such goats can be minimal.

Not the most successful, as it seems to us, but a quite workable version of the device for sawing not very thick logs is shown in this photo:

The most valuable thing in such a trestle design is the stop template, which allows you to maintain the ideal height of the chocks, which is extremely important for small-sized stoves

Making a goat for sawing logs with a two-handed saw on your own

The height of the sawhorse is of great importance for the convenience of sawing logs with a two-handed saw. It’s not for nothing that such a saw is called “friendship,” hinting both at the most famous chainsaw in our country and at the friendly joint work of two sawmills.

It is recognized that the optimal height of the trestle with this method of sawing is 0.9-1.1 m. At such a height, when it is not necessary to bend and squat significantly, the muscles of the back and legs do not become overstrained and do not hurt the next day.

If the height of the goat is abnormal, the work of collecting firewood turns into an unattractive activity, and the back and knee joints of workers are subjected to excessive stress and cause pathological changes in them.

Make sawhorses

Making sawhorses for working with a hand saw

Since conventional hand saws are usually used for cutting small-sized firewood, sawhorses can be made in their standard size. When using them, the owner will make a machine that is convenient and lightweight in size, which at the same time will be quite durable.

To do this you will need the following material:

A beam whose dimensions are 10*10 cm in cross section. This will be enough for cutting wood on a medium-sized sawhorse. The beam should be 1-1.3 m long.
The goat's legs can be made smaller in section. All you need to do is take a beam 5*5 cm and 1 m long. There should be 4 legs.
It will also be important to install the “horns”; here you can take the same timber, but it must be 37 cm long. You will need two timbers for assembly.
Sometimes reinforcement under the legs of the structure may also be required. To do this, use a wooden beam with a cross-section of 1 inch. Ideally, you need to use 4 such supports, but you can get by with two.
Simple wood screws are best suited as fastening elements; their width will be 4.5 cm and length 10 cm. In order for the fastening to be reliable, you will need from 30 to 40 pieces.
To protect the timber from rotting, you will need to coat the finished structure with varnish or protective paint. You will also need to buy stain for additional processing.

This list is relevant if you want to make the entire structure yourself from scratch. But those who have owned a plot of land for a long time probably have other materials that can replace some of the components of the list.

In order to begin installation work, you will need the following tools:

To cut and level the timber, you will need a regular wood saw.
To ensure that your home-made machine is level and does not wobble during use, you should use a construction angle.
To mark the material, a simple pencil is enough.
It is best to screw in self-tapping screws using a Phillips screwdriver or screwdriver.
When attaching the “horns” you will need a hammer to drive in nails.
A measuring tape will be required at the measuring stage.
Chisel.
To cover the finished structure with a protective layer, you will need varnish/paint and a paint brush with a bristle width of 4-5 cm.

Once you have selected all the necessary material to create a sawhorse for sawing wood, you can proceed to assembly. It is best to start work by processing the timber. We mark the cuts on it, there should be 6 of them on each side. The total number of grooves for attaching legs and horns is 12.

Each of them should have a depth of about 3 cm, this will be enough for secure fastening. When sawing, make sure that the grooves are 3 mm smaller than the legs - this will allow you to quickly secure the beams. After the main part of the work is completed, you can proceed to installing fasteners. The components will be well secured using self-tapping screws.

Next, you should install a fastening amplifier, which will provide not only stability and strength, but also make the place for work reliable, and also eliminate the possibility of the legs diverging. To install, you should saw off the bottom part so that you can install additional fastening parts. When the assembly is complete, you can proceed to applying a layer of protection in the form of stain. Once the sawhorses are dry, they can be used.

We make sawhorses for working with two-handed tools

Using a regular sawhorse with a two-handed saw or similar tool may result in unsafe situations, such as the machine tipping over. This may occur due to loosening due to alternating shearing when sawing. For this reason, you should worry about safety and installing a strong structure.

It is important that this project is X-shaped and the material must be strong and thick (at least 10 cm thick in cross-section). In addition, there should be a metal tie on the bars.

Since making such sawhorses for cutting wood with your own hands is already more difficult due to the special requirements for stability, the width of the lower support of the racks should be much larger than the tire of the upper part. A good strength indicator can be achieved by additionally tying the crosspieces for support using a wooden tie.

To do this, it will be enough to take a simple board of short length. If you follow all the above tips, you will be able to make a strong machine for sawing firewood with your own hands. Dimensions and proportions can be left unchanged.

Mobile trestles made of wood

By design, conventional trestles are quite large and bulky, which complicates transportation. But you can make a lightweight version with your own hands, which will be in the form of a folding machine and will be easy to carry. Typically, the manufacture of such structures requires significant costs and more assembly time.

For folding structures you will need the following materials:

Small but durable wooden beams, small in diameter. You will need at least 4 of them.
In this case, it is best to use a metal pipe for warping, the length of which will be from 1 to 3 meters.
Due to the fact that the design is folding, you will need a limiter (for this you can use a strong rope, a thin chain, a cable or a good belt).
To connect the components, you will need a wood drill. Choose the most durable specimen.

In order to avoid unnecessary costs and reduce the likelihood of breakdown when making a sawhorse for cutting firewood, the assembly process was thought out, which in itself is very simple. We start with the bars. You can make them yourself from 5 cm boards. When everything is ready, you need to put marks on the cut points where the legs will be installed in the future. After everything is drilled, you need to run the base into the bar under the pipe and put the legs in their places. Next, we make a limiter for the racks, which will prevent the legs from moving apart.

Here it is important to be extremely careful and choose the same length for both sides, which will allow the sawhorses to open from 360 to 450 degrees. So, you will get a structure that will be easy to assemble and disassemble, and can be stored in small spaces.

Metal goats

The main advantage of metal sawing machines is their high strength, stability and long service life.

Since this device will be made by hand, you will need the following materials and tools:

As a base, it would be best to use a profile pipe or a corner, which will be 5 cm in size, and you need 5 of these.
A small wooden beam, the length of which will be up to 10 cm and 5 * 5 cm in cross-section.
The main tool is a hacksaw or electric grinder.
Since you will need planning before starting work, you can use a regular tape measure or a construction tape measure as a measuring device.
Chalk.
The fastening system will be assembled from bolts, or welded using a welding machine to the legs and stand.

Before you start assembling, you should have a completed sketch in hand. After you determine the dimensions, you should prepare the base beams, on which the places for welding the legs and horns should be marked.

Next, we take measurements and cut off the remaining parts. If you want to make a mobile goat, then make the connections collapsible, this is possible by using bolts. If you want to make a stationary machine, then simply welding the component parts to each other is enough. And finally, we attach a wooden beam to the longitudinal base for the entire length - this will help to avoid contact between the saw and the metal.

Basic requirements for goats

When making goats with your own hands, it is important to remember that the main thing in their design is stability and strength.

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Strength is necessary in order to withstand the significant weight of the logs being cut, as well as the constantly changing, structure-shaking forces applied by those involved in sawing firewood.

For this reason, square beams of at least 10 x 10 cm should be used in a cross-shaped trestle base.

The following describes how to make a goat for sawing wood. Required materials:

Wooden beams with a cross section of 10 x 10 cm and a length of 110 cm. They are used to make the base of the trestle. Smooth, dried, not thick logs are also suitable.
4 wooden beams with a cross-section of 5 x 5 cm, length 110 cm. They are intended for the “legs” of the structure.
2 beams in section 5 x 5 cm, length 35 cm. They are intended for the upper parts of the structure.
2 wooden beams with a section of 5 x 5 cm, 110 cm long for fastening the “legs”.
Bioprotection agent for processing structural parts.

12 cuts should be made on the main beam, from which 6 grooves 2.5 cm deep are then cut out for the upper (“horns”) and lower (“legs”) parts of the structure.

Please note that the width of the grooves must be made approximately 2 mm less than the width of the beams. With this method, the beams will be compressed by the walls of the cut, and the entire structure will gain additional strength.

Using a chisel and a hammer, grooves are made into which sections of beams for 4 “legs” and 2 “horns” are driven and fixed with screws.

The ends of the beams that serve as “legs” are cut off at the required angle so that the entire structure is stable. This completes the work of assembling the base.

Other goat options

The most widely used for sawing single thick logs with chain saws are various sawhorse designs with fixation of the rear part of the log.

These are the ones that are produced most industrially, besides the cruciform ones.

Their designs are so simple that they do not need detailed descriptions; everything can be seen in the photo. Such sawhorses for sawing firewood can be made by any home craftsman who is more or less able to hold a tool in his hands. The main thing here is the ability to balance the dimensions of the support platform with the size and weight of the logs being cut. It may not have a rectangular shape, or even be completely replaced by stops. I liked this goat design for its simplicity and minimalism.

Or this option, designed for very thick, but not long logs:

And finally, we will present a wooden structure that is very successful for home production, which is also guaranteed to ensure that the saw does not jam due to the small width between the saw stops at the cutting site.

In such sawhorses, the log is laid with equal overhang on the sides for stability, and is sawn in the middle. Next, do the same with the resulting pieces.

In all cases, when making a trestle yourself, you choose the height individually, so that, first of all, it is convenient for you.

Dear readers, if you have any questions, please ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)

Do-it-yourself sawhorses for cutting wood? Easily! Good owners make sure in advance that they have enough firewood in stock for the winter. To prepare them, you must have an indispensable tool for all owners of private houses - a sawhorse for sawing firewood.

This is a fairly simple design that everyone should have in their dacha to make it convenient to process, prepare firewood and saw metal strips or wooden boards with millimeter precision.

Making goats with your own hands is quite simple, and even someone who does not have any special skills can handle it.

Kinds

To make a classic version of such cutting equipment, you will need any of the following materials:

Despite the fact that the design itself is simple, sawing sawhorses can be classified as machines. For this reason, during production, certain conventions must be observed, one of which is the presence of a drawing or plan according to which the assembly will be carried out. When planning, it is worth signing all the dimensions; this also applies to even the smallest details.

Criterias of choice

The main thing to pay attention to when assembling is the dimensions. This will be affected by:. All the time spent on work will depend on what sizes are chosen.

The best option is to make the machine with a height of 0.9 to 1.1 m. Thus, the person who will work will not bend his back too much, and his arms will be positioned horizontally. It will be easy to work and the load on your back will be reduced

All the time spent on work will depend on what sizes are chosen. The best option is to make the machine with a height of 0.9 to 1.1 m. Thus, the person who will work will not bend his back too much, and his arms will be positioned horizontally. It will be easy to work and the strain on your back will be reduced.

Features of using tools when working on sawhorses

If you plan to process wood with a regular two-handed saw, then you will definitely need a reliable support for the second one. For this reason, when planning, take care of the presence of such elements. An affordable option is to create a support from timber, which will give you the advantage of installing a support anywhere. When using a power tool like a chainsaw, make sure there is a sturdy surface on the sawhorse.

Goats for sawing firewood with a chainsaw have their own characteristics, since there are differences in operating rules that affect the safety of the worker. In this case, you will need to take care in advance of a place for free hanging of the material that will be sawn. This way you can avoid the tool getting caught in the sawn blade.

Leg binding

The bars are attached to both sides of the bottom of the trestle supports. These details will not allow the “legs” to move apart. To increase the stability of the structure, cross beams are used, which are also fastened with screws.

The protruding ends of the beams are sawed off at the required distance, flush with the surface of the “legs”. After impregnation with biological protection agents, the goats are ready to perform their function.

Goat design options

The traditional material for goats is wood. However, there are trestle structures made of metal. When deciding what to make a goat for sawing wood from, you should proceed from the following.

A metal structure has less weight, and its service life is longer than a wooden one. The initial components for such trestles are metal rectangular profiles with a minimum side size of 5 cm.

To be able to disassemble the trestle, their design should include bolted rather than welded connections. After disassembling, the sawhorses will not take up much space in storage areas.

It should be noted that the goats must have significant weight. Otherwise, they will not be stable enough when sawing logs. It is also necessary to make the structure taking into account the height of the sawyer.

When manufacturing metal trestles, profile sections are fastened at an angle of 45°. The three resulting parts in the shape of an oblique cross are fastened for rigidity with the same metal profiles diagonally and horizontally.

If you have difficulties choosing a material and design, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with photos of firewood sawhorses posted on the Internet.

The article you just read showed quite convincingly that making goats on your own is not difficult.

When making a goat, you will not need scarce, expensive tools and materials. The main task in their creation is stability, strength and ease of use.

Gantry layout for working with a conventional saw

Since a conventional hand saw is mainly used for sawing small-sized firewood, the sawhorse dimensions can be standard. Using them, the owner will make a convenient tool for working with wood, which will be small in size and light, but at the same time durable. To do this you need to take the following material:

The beam measures 10x10 cm in section. This is quite enough for sawing medium-sized firewood on sawhorses. The length of the beam is 1-1.2 m. The legs of the goat can have smaller cross-sectional dimensions. It will be enough to take a beam of 5x5 cm and a length of 1 meter

Number of legs – 4 pieces. An important part of the “goat” for firewood is the “horns”. Here you can use a beam with the same characteristics, only 36 cm long

Quantity required for assembly: 2 units. Various options for installing wood-burning sawhorses

In some cases, it will be necessary to reinforce the legs of the structure. To do this, you need a wooden beam with a cross-section of 1 inch. Ideally, you will need 4 such supports, but if you wish, you can get by with two. Ordinary wood screws 45 mm wide and 100 mm long are best suited as fastening elements. To reliably strengthen the entire structure, you will need from 30 to 40 pieces. To protect the timber from which the goats are made from rotting, you will need special protective paint or varnish. You also need to purchase a stain.

This list is relevant for those who want to assemble the entire structure from scratch with their own hands. Of course, those owners of their own land plots who have residual material from past economic work can replace any of the components with something available.

To install the trestle yourself, you will need the following set of construction tools:

One of the design schemes for sawing sawhorses

To cut and level the timber, you need a regular hacksaw.
To ensure that do-it-yourself trestles have even shapes and do not wobble during operation, it is necessary to use a construction corner.
To make marks on the material when planning, you need to have a regular pencil.
It is best to tighten screws using a screwdriver or a Phillips screwdriver.
A hammer for hammering nails when fastening the “horns”.
Chisel.
A measuring tape that will be used to take all measurements.
To coat the finished structure with varnish or paint, a paint brush measuring 4-5 cm is best.

After selecting the required material, you can proceed to assembling the goats. It is best to start work by processing the timber for the base. It is necessary to mark future cuts on it, of which there should be 6 on each side. There should be a total of 12 grooves for attaching legs and horns.

Example of mounting trestle stands

Each of them has a depth of 2.5 cm, which will be enough to securely fasten the structure. When sawing, it is worth making sure that the grooves are 2-3 mm smaller than the legs, which will allow the beams to be tightly secured. After the main part of the trestle has been processed and installed on the legs, you can proceed to the installation of fasteners. Using self-tapping screws, all components are securely fastened.

Next, it is necessary to install fastening reinforcements, which will provide not only additional stability and strength to the trestle, but will also secure the workplace by eliminating the possibility of the legs of the structure diverging. To install them, you need to saw off the bottom part of each leg so that you can install an additional fastener. After completing the assembly of the structure with your own hands, you can proceed to applying a protective layer of coating. Usually stain is used for processing. Once completely dry, the firewood trestles will be ready for use.