Krenov Saw Horse

James Krenov passed away in September, 2009 at the age of 88. He was a Russian immigrant from Siberia who became a furniture maker, designer and teacher. He founded the College of the Redwoods at Fort Bragg, CA, a school for furniture making. His furniture designs are very distinctive in his minimalist use of material, delicate simple lines but structurally strong. Fine Wood Working Magazine featured in its December, 09 issue a sawhorse whose design was developed by Krenov. Its construction was written up and demonstrated by Anissa Kapsales - a lady wood worker . I was struck by its simplicity and delicate appearance that I decided to make one. It is one of my most rewarding projects and fun to make. Click picture for a larger image.

I constructed mine out of 1X4 (effectively 3/4 by 3 1/2 in.) oak bought from the local home center. Apparently this sawhorse design can be constructed in as many ways as there are woodworkers, for as long as one sticks to the basic structure. And it is like no other sawhorse you have ever seen or be familiar with.

I used pocket hole joinery where applicable...

slotted joinery for the top rail...

... bolt and barrel connector for the cross rail. This is a very strong mechanical fastener that allows for dis-assembly but it requires precision drilling of holes at the end of the rail pieces - three holes for each bolt connector assembly.

The sleek design gives it a delicate appearance but it is very stable and a pleasure to use. Both can be carried with one hand so moving it about is easy.

And what a small footprint for storage.

Perfect for temporary work table support.

This was a fun project!