NH,
Thank you for taking a look at my Mare and Colt system. I appreciate the feed back.
These sawhorses are primarily designed to be used in cutting timber-frames and possibly hewing. All of the pieces are made out of 6x8 pine. (I do have a team of Mares w/ Colts that are made out of reclaimed treated pine guard-rail posts, for use outside in the elements at the jobsite.)
I like to use 6x8s because:
~Of the added joinery needed to attach the colt and the dado for the tool tray.
~I can safely rest my boring machine on the deck (8 in. wide).
~A large framing square can hang off the side of the deck without tipping off and falling to the ground.
~The large tenons and shoulders of the legs give more rigidity without having to use diagonal bracing.
~The 6 in. thickness of the decks allow the hold-down clamps to fully engage.
~They are a good beginner's project to learn how to cut joinery...and then can be used as the work platform for future timber-framing projects.
~And I like Mares with big butts! (I own Percheron draft horses...no Shetlands in My barn!)
Each Mare that is made out of EWP is not very heavy. I can easily pick one up, let it hang over my right shoulder and climb a ladder to an upper level. (And I'm only 5'8" & 160 lbs.)
I hope this has shed some light on the thought process and the advantages to using the heavier timber type sawhorses.
Thanks,
Rooster
