How to Build a Modified Japanese Sawhorse for Woodworking (or the Base of a Conference Table)

Building a Modified Japanese Sawhorse - Conference Table
In this video, I am building a modified Japanese sawhorse for a conference table build. Earlier in the year I purchase a few table top (counter benches) made from Oak so I wanted to utilize them originally for a workbench for a shop build I was planning. Instead I converted the idea to a conference table for working on. The legs of the conference table are made from Japanese horses that are used for woodworking. However, I did a slight modification by adding an extra horizontal beam that was incoporated into the design as a foot rest or place for setting equipment such as printers or other things I need to store.
The horses are made from Japanese Cypress (Hinoki - 檜) which is a nice wood that has a lemony smell. The build took approximately 15 hours from beginning to end with filming. I used a variety of tools that include a jointer, planer, circular saw, Kakunomi (角のみ), Komisen Kakunomi (コミ栓角のみ), Japanese chisel (鑿), router, sander and hammer. I processed all the wood on the first day and then did the final sanding, finishing, and assembly on the second day.
The Japanese horse is a simple structure that can be made in a day and are very useful for any workshop. I plan on building more in the future as they are extremely easy to make and very sturdy for most work.
I hope you enjoy this video.
Videographers and Editing:
K. Yamashita / G. Leopardi
Equipment Used:
Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark iii (4k)
Sony ZV Log Camera (4k)
Apple iPhone 10 (4k)
Rode VideoMic NTG (Audio)
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[@chikaraito2007]

Hey, farmer Rikki here.　　I am learning from your video.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Hi Rikki-san, thank you for watching. I am glad you enjoyed the video.

[@landesnorm]

Leopardi-san, you showed us two important parts of Japanese carpentry: 1) respect for your tools-the sawhorse is a tool and deserves care and precision in its creation so that it will do it's job properly, and 2) the cultivation of the proper attitude so that you will do your best work. When you are working with wood you are also working with your spirit.

[@sirmixalot3332]

Appreciate your content and your delivery. Do what comes natural and let your personality show. Some may choose to critique in a negative manner but I think that is nonsense. They can make their own content to their preference. I for one believe in letting a skilled artisan, artist, craftsman express themselves in a manner that comes natural to them. It is authentic and need not conform to others criteria. Not everyone is a Thomas, thankfully! If every tree in a forest were identical there would be a lack of character and natural beauty. Your humble approach is refreshing and humility is a valuable strength. Thank you.

[@larryleopardi2682]

So clever and so versatile..you could use it in the carpenters shop and in your house for table legs...love it 😀

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thank you for watching!

[@joedance14]

Great job! Beautiful work! Love the Japanese style saw horses!

[@BiplovRai-pg3bs]

You are very fortunate to have such a beautiful shop and to be able to pursue your dream in Japan. It's my dream too , to be in Japan and experience all the woodworking and architectures.

[@HandToolsWoodworker]

Beautifully made. Thank you for sharing!

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thank you for the nice comment and thank you for watching.

[@borp6912]

They look so good! Great job

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@richardevon6410]

I really appreciate your graphics and translations. Who knew there were so many Japanese words for the many small tasks involved in milling and assembling? Your woodworking is beautiful. I have happily subscribed and hope to learn more from you.

[@chriskirkemo2522]

Thoroughly enjoy your work, attitude and presentation style. This channel is great!

[@Sigpilot97]

Sir, You’re videos are great. I’ve become very interested in Japanese woodworking and carpentry in the last year. I’ve been woodworking for 30 years as a hobby. I thoroughly enjoy your perspective on Japanese culture and craftsmanship. I hope you post more of daily life in Japan. I will visit the country some day and hope to get out of the cities and into the countryside areas.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thank you for watching! I appreciate your feedback. I hope to put out more videos in the near future.

[@trebledog]

Wow, really impressed with the corded tools, way above the average DIYs for $89. And that you used them instead of a table saw, which is great for on site work. Surprised you didn't use a corded planer. The tool that bored a square hole is amazing. Thanks for the videos.

[@michael.h.bradley1865]

great series and very informative. more please !!

[@Ron-FabandBuild]

Great job. Look very nice and should last a lifetime.

[@richardfife8192]

Good job mate!

[@abdelaziz0365]

Well done mate

[@johnisley4578]

Great work

[@williammackey7243]

Nice work!

[@YAHYA_SUMIGAR]

Mantap 👍👍👍

[@Riessu]

Really nice work ! ;)

[@user-dx3yo5zc1m]

Your videos, techniques and explanations are extremely enjoyable to watch. It is wonderful getting to see the various elements of the craft and you have a great gift that you clearly care much about. It would be great to see and learn more from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences, even if if does make me jealous!

[@miguelbalaguer7920]

Excellent 👏👏👏👏👍once again, very Humble way to describe what you are doing 🙏🏻

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thank you for your nice comments! We appreciate it a lot.

[@kurtkrause7151]

Thank's for sharing every step and show how much work goes into the simplest project!! Thanks. Cheers'.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Glad you liked it!

[@woodywood1951]

good job! I like it...

[@maxgrey435]

Admire your skills man!! Excellent workmanship!!

[@makosharksimmo8124]

nice build

[@jorgearenascortes7677]

Nice job...!!! I guess those work principles apply to a whole construction for a house...however I know there are multiple joints for varied applications... Thanks for sharing!!!

[@sal1964]

Nice job

[@myRefuge3710]

Nice

[@JadanDuffin127]

I just found your channel! Love seeing the joinery work! Youre doing a great job with the woodworking and the youtube channel! Domo arigato gozaimashita!

[@JedediahSmith342]

Will make my own this Summer can’t wait thanks ⛩️🎏🙏🏽

[@thecarpentrylife]

Have fun!

[@100hollands5]

Candle wax helps a lot to put the joints together. Keep it up cheers

[@fortifiedconstruction7488]

Nice workshop bro!

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thanks!

[@LabGecko]

0:24 Haha, nice! 0:37 Superb drawing skills!

[@joshglenn4135]

Great video! Would you possibly be able to do a video showing your drawings of joinery and how you go about creating those? It’s something I am currently struggling with.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thank you for watching. Maybe in future videos I will be able to do this and provide drawings to viewers.

[@msumungo]

A true machinist makes it in tight tolerances. A true carpenter makes it exactly. I am going to make 4 saw horses like this. On top of them I will install 1"x4" planks , sideways. That will be my plywood, plastics and aluminium sheet sawing station. No matter if those planks will get scratches from my circular saw blades. I have a lot of that going on right now, us Europeans are making private heated greenhouses everywhere.

[@EricNassau]

Super vidéo ; je regarderai cela pendant des heures… quels magnifiques outils; dommage que ce magasin soit si loin ….

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

I'm gonna have to make a couple of those, I like them much better than the American version of the warhorse.

[@axh4801]

Niceee

[@johndonahue4777]

These are nicer than the vee legged kind because you can scootch up to the top beam and get close to your work. The vee legs always block you and stand you off such that it becomes very awkward.

[@nickmolloy9563]

I would have a 30mm thick sacrificial top plate fixed with a komisen at the each end. You will feel pretty miserable if your cutting blades touch that cypress. Nice job. They look great and properly cared for will serve you for life. Is any coating going to be applied? Godspeed.

[@landesnorm]

Leopardi-san, Enjoyed the video very much. Did you spend time as an uchi-deshi for a daiku? Where did you learn your techniques? And will you please show us your techniques with Japanese hand tools? Thank you so much.

[@iskato914six]

very nice instructional video. appreciate the pace and explanation. can you tell me where you got your metal hammer, the one used to drive in the cherry pins. also, I'm curious about the shoes you're wearing. look comfortable. I'd like to find a pair. thanks from Canada!

[@LukePighetti]

What are those awesome framing squares called, and where can I buy one?

[@billlichirie14]

😁👍

[@HAMlLTON]

should have cut a slot in the sacrificial board as to not interfere with the tenon

[@WelshPigeon]

I like your Orange soft sledge hammer, do you know where I could get one, or the brand of it? Great video, really enjoyed it!

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thank you for watching. The hammer I was using is called a shockless hammer. Commonly used in Japanese carpentry for hammering joints together. I have a little bit of an odd colored one as most people use one with a black head and yellow fiberglass handle. You can find the one I ordered on Amazon Japan, but I do not know if it will ship to your country. If it is on Amazon, many times they will ship all over the world. www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00264OHAW/ref=sspa_dk_detail_6?pf_rd_p=86d545e6-51ff-428d-9903-b93b364247df&pd_rd_wg=77AQV&pf_rd_r=TKJVNPNDCP8TDMV6477M&pd_rd_w=mjgDW&pd_rd_r=8775d70a-8ba8-4429-98e7-b060ca370199&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFMNU8xOFZSV0tIOVEmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0NzEyMjFLNjNWQ1VON1IzRjEmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMlZGVTFMN09ZSFRFUSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

[@minimapletinytools9565]

Lovey our videos! So the komisen is neither tapered nor (the hole) offset like a draw bore joint is? Is this sufficient to keep the joints tight? I've always been confused about this.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Good question! I believe the standard offset is 3mm, however, at a 3mm offset it can damage and even crack the komisen. It is recommended to make an offset of 1.5mm between the mortise and the tenon where the offset causes the tenon to be pulled in tighter to the mortise. I probably didn't do this offset well in the video. The komisen is a straight square peg that is 15mm. This is a standard size in Japan. You will notice 15mm and 30mm a recurring measurement in all the work that Japanese carpenters do.

[@minimapletinytools9565]

@@thecarpentrylife thanks for the info! I'm building a set of saw horses like these such that someday I can use them to build a japanese timber framed tiny homee. Your videos have been super helpful!

[@hammilan8643]

What are the funky squares called I see people using as a fence for circular saws in your videos? they look somewhat better thought out than a speed square

[@thecarpentrylife]

These are 90 deg and/or 45 deg "marunoko guides" or circular saw guides. They come in a variety of sizes. The one I used was the 90 deg guide. You can find them on Amazon Japan and some sellers will ship internationally. The graduations on the guide are designed for Japanese scaling and will show centimeters and "shaku" units. Most carpenters use them for helping to make straight cross cuts. They are nice because they are designed to be low profile with an extended grip area so that your circular saw will not bump your hand as you push through.

[@hammilan8643]

@@thecarpentrylife thanks for the reply 👍 I'll be having a look into them. Keep it up man!

[@slow_build]

Hi, great videos thanks. Just wondering what the advantage is of using the komisen kakunomi over the regular kakunomi with a 15mm chisel?

[@thecarpentrylife]

Both would work fine. The Komisen Kakunomi is faster to align to the markings. Normally when using the Kakunomi the markings are always centered (most of the time). So there is little adjustments needed to align the tool. However, the Komisen holes are all over the place and at different distances from center. Using this tool just speeds up the process of alignment. When drilling 100s of holes you will notice the difference.

[@slow_build]

@@thecarpentrylife Thanks for the reply, that makes sense. I have a regular kakunomi. Sometimes it is difficult to drill a hole close to the end of a post. I guess the komisen would be better for that.

[@dougreid1951]

Lovely stuff - If you had been making horses, what height would you have used - in Britain a saw horse is usually about knee high.

[@Blackbird58]

Are your knees 20" high?-That's how tall both of my saw horses are.

[@philandrawis6232]

how about a nice coat of marine varnish to finalize your project

[@concddad]

Some of your lumber contains the pith of the tree, and the cracks along the grain that result from that. Will this cause any problems during construction or use of the sawhorses? I'm really curious because I'm thinking of making these horses out of lumber intended for posts, and that almost always contains the pith.

[@thecarpentrylife]

It will not affect your saw horses. I made these saw horses about 2.5 years ago and they still look great. The wood I used was Japanese Cypress and it was naturally air dried.

[@concddad]

@@thecarpentrylife thanks so much for writing back so fast! One thing I'm still wondering a bit about is if you have a smaller humidity swing where you are in Japan compared to in a house in the mid-atlantic of the US.

[@Bob_Adkins]

Some American carpenters make a pair of rickety sawhorses when they start a new job, and throw them in the dumpster when it's finished. Those workhorses would last 100 years of everyday use!

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

How hard was going from Imperial measurements to the Metric system? From what I understand, the Metric system once learned is much easier to use than Imperial measurements.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Metric is easier to use. It's less fractions. However, you have to also know the Shaku system. Which is close to the Imperial system.

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

@@thecarpentrylife I have never heard of that one. Is that what's on the square?

[@joschmoyo4532]

This type of trestle is not unique to Japan. In fact it was the preferred design in Northern Europe and Italy for many centuries. Everything from table tops to Harpsichords were supported on this exact same principle design. I have ten pairs of trestles. The smartest way to make them is just to use 4x2 stock for the top plate, legs and stretcher. Don't make the feet to thick, it's best if they are about 2.5 inches wide and only about 1.5 inches thick so that they flex like a leaf spring. This will avoid shock loads breaking the tenon . I prefer to double tenon and glue all the joint's unless you really need a knock down pair, in which case make a through tenon with wedges for the stretcher. Making trestles is a classic way to start an apprenticeship. Teaches you all the fundamentals. Don't make them thick and chunky though, it's not necessary and makes them a chore to lift and move. Poplar or any softwood is fine. Hardwoods are to heavy. I have supported up to three tons and more of framing timber on just one pair of trestles ! They are immensely strong and the best way to support anything your building because you have free access all around under and through. Don't skip the stretcher though because it make the trestles much more stable and strong and gives you a second place to load and work from as well as a step. You can't have to many pairs of trestles. We used to fight over them on the shop floor, lol. Pipe Organ builders do EVERYTHING on trestles. Forget those crappy diagonal legged ply wood things screwed together with ply wood plates, that's the worst kind of trestle. Oh and one more thing, make the legs and top plate the same width so you can clamp stuff to the sides. And make the top plate horns with at least 4 inches of projection. They are very handy for clamping and lifting. Love your square pegs but wobbly trestles make me nervous so I glue everything. I work my trestles very hard. The foot plate joint is the one that will fail if any. I prefer the mortise of the foot to fail rather than the tenon so I don't wedge it. I have a few spares made up for when they break. Cheers. Love the channel. Keep it up.

[@gertrudestrawberry]

This wisdom is appreciated and I'll be applying it this week. Thanks for leaving the comment.

[@joschmoyo4532]

@@gertrudestrawberry It was a pleasure knowing someone recognises good advice. There is one golden rule. All the joints must be through mortised and tenonend. Don't cheat using screws or nails or dowels. The trestle will fail if you do. Waist height is a good height. A little wider than high is good. Let me know how it went.

[@bwillan]

My aching knees and back, watching you work on the floor. Why wouldn't you use the small saw horses that you had hanging up on the back wall to work off of?

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thank you for watching. Sometimes I borrow space in the workshop where I work and I try not to disrupt other projects. So I often work on the ground or out of the way over the weekends to get my little side projects completed.

[@edmundooliver7584]

japanese are people of the soil that's why they sit on their heel's.

[@SanSan-lb9iv]

Just wondering, when doing carpentry in Japan. Do the noises of machinery and knocking of wood bother the Japanese neighbors? Do they complain? Asking course I am not from Japan.

[@thecarpentrylife]

It really depends. Our neighbors were super nice and they never complained.

[@SanSan-lb9iv]

Ah…. That’s nice! Which part of Japan are you located? Must be in the countryside I guess.

[@akiyajapan]

I'm no Japanese animal expert, but... I'm fairly certain that's no Japanese horse. On a serious note, thanks for the build 🙂

[@susanlooeezy]

Sheesh, you’re cute.

[@HAMlLTON]

half Japanese tom cruise

[@3dandyrandy3]

Tomodashi,, I thought you were in Japan and could speak some Japanese.. That saw is not Ryobi, it's Yobi.

[@KarlKarsnark]

"workhorse" = "sawhorse"

[@thomaskirkpatrick4031]

Can I give you just a little advice on making your videos, you don't need to talk about a process, then show the process, then talk about what you just did. You are wasting so much time in your videos repeating yourself. Just say it, then do it. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm very interested in Japanese carpentry, but your videos are very hard to watch. Please take this criticism in the way it was intended.

[@thecarpentrylife]

Thank you, Thomas. Yes, some of our early videos have some points you mentioned. We started super amateur at editing and still learning, but will try to make it simple and also informative. K

[@wickedcabinboy]

You put American house carpenters to shame. Half inch off here, a few degrees off there, no one will notice. It'll all be covered up by drywall or sheathing.