If conventional sawhorses are awkward for the jobs you do around the house, Tim Carter’s carpenter’s bench offers a compact, low work platform with an integrated shelf and handhold. The project uses one 2×12, a small sheet of 3/4-inch plywood or OSB, and screws. Carter’s plan is intended for tasks such as painting, tool staging, and supporting a large miter saw, while remaining small enough to move and store more easily than a full workbench.
The design comes from Carter’s experience with benches made by carpenter Chuck Sallee. It is a practical project specification, not a tested product: the article gives no rated load capacity or independent performance testing. Build and use it as a work surface for tasks you can safely control, and follow the climbing warning in the safety section.
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What Tim Carter’s bench is designed to do
This bench is a short, rigid-looking platform assembled from dimensional lumber and sheet goods. Two side legs support a top, upper and lower stabilizer braces tie the legs together, and a shelf spans the lower portion. A cut-through handhold in the top makes the unit easier to carry. Carter says the idea was inspired by benches built by carpenter Chuck Sallee and that suitable scrap generated during a construction project can reduce the amount of new material required.
Carter describes the bench as a multipurpose alternative to sawhorses rather than a universal replacement. His examples include a painting platform, a tool bench and a support for a large miter saw. Those are examples from his article, not a published load test. The useful question is whether one low, single-piece platform suits your particular task better than a pair of separate supports.
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Finished dimensions and cut list
Use these dimensions as the controlling measurements for the project. The finished top is 14 3/4 inches wide, 32 inches long and 24 inches above the floor.
| Part | Material | Cut size or specification | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legs | 2×12 lumber | 11 1/4 inches wide by 23 1/4 inches long | 2 |
| Top | 3/4-inch plywood or OSB | 14 3/4 by 32 inches | 1 |
| Upper stabilizer braces | 3/4-inch plywood or OSB | 3 by 30 inches | 2 |
| Lower stabilizer braces | 3/4-inch plywood or OSB | 3 by 30 inches | 2 |
| Shelf | 3/4-inch plywood or OSB | 11 1/4 by 27 inches | 1 |
| Handhold opening | Top panel | 2 by 4 inches, cut through the top | 1 |
The 11 1/4-inch leg width is the typical finished width of a nominal 2×12. Confirm the actual board width before laying out cuts, because the top and shelf dimensions are intended to meet the stated leg width.
Materials and tools
Materials
- One four-foot length of 2×12 lumber for the two legs.
- One four-foot by three-foot piece of 3/4-inch plywood or OSB for the top, braces and shelf.
- 2.5-inch galvanized coarse-thread screws.
Carter presents plywood and OSB as alternatives. The article does not establish a strength or service-life ranking between them. Choose the panel you already have in suitable condition, or the surface and edge finish you prefer.
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Tools listed for the project
- Circular saw
- Drill with a 1/2-inch spade bit
- Jigsaw
- Level
- Framing square
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Screwdriver
- Router, optional, for a more finished edge
How to build the bench
1. Lay out the cuts
Mark the two 23 1/4-inch-long leg pieces on the 2×12. Mark the sheet-good parts before cutting: a 14 3/4-by-32-inch top, two 3-by-30-inch upper and lower braces, and an 11 1/4-by-27-inch shelf. Carter advises arranging plywood cuts so the longest dimension runs parallel with the panel grain. He says grain direction is less critical when laying out OSB.
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Use the framing square to keep lines true and the tape measure to check every repeated dimension before cutting. The source describes this as a quick project, but that is Carter’s characterization rather than a guaranteed build time; the actual time depends on your material, tools and experience.
2. Cut and shape the legs
Cut two pieces of 2×12, each 11 1/4 inches wide and 23 1/4 inches long. At the bottom of each leg, cut the V-shaped notch shown in Carter’s plan so that only a two-inch portion of the 2×12 contacts the ground at each corner. The notch is part of the design’s leg profile; reproduce the layout carefully on both pieces so the legs match.
3. Cut the sheet goods
Cut the top, shelf and four braces to the dimensions in the table. Keep the top panel identified separately so it is not confused with the 11 1/4-by-27-inch shelf. If you are using plywood, keep the longest cut direction parallel with the grain as Carter recommends. If you use OSB, follow the same dimensions even though the article says the layout is less critical.
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Stand the legs in their intended orientation and attach the upper braces at the outside corners. The tops of the braces should be flush with the tops of the legs. Use the 2.5-inch galvanized coarse-thread screws specified for the project. Carter’s assembly sequence calls for at least three screws into each leg and two screws into each top brace when the top is fastened; keep the fasteners positioned so they do not break out through an edge.
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5. Install the lower braces
Attach the lower braces with their bottoms four inches above the bottoms of the legs. Measure that four-inch offset on both legs before driving screws so the braces remain level with one another. The level and framing square listed in the tool list help check this alignment while the parts are held in position.
6. Fit the shelf
Slide the 11 1/4-by-27-inch shelf into the lower frame and screw it in place. The shelf is both a storage surface and a member of the assembled frame, so make sure it is fully seated against the braces before fastening. Check that its edges do not interfere with the leg notches or the floor contact points.
7. Fasten the top
Place the 14 3/4-by-32-inch top on the assembled frame with a one-inch overhang on all four sides. Measure the overhang at each corner, then drive the specified screws through the top into the braces and legs. Carter suggests at least three screws into each leg and two into each top brace for securing the top.
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Lay out a 2-by-4-inch opening through the top. Drill the opening’s corners with the 1/2-inch spade bit, then use the jigsaw to remove the material between the holes and complete the handhold. Smooth the cut edges; Carter lists a router as an optional way to give exposed edges a more finished profile.
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Choosing plywood or OSB
Either 3/4-inch plywood or OSB satisfies Carter’s material list, and the required sheet is only four feet by three feet. Plywood may be the more attractive choice when the bench will remain visible or when you want a cleaner edge treatment. OSB can be convenient when it is already available from another construction task. Those are practical selection criteria, not a performance test: the article does not compare the two panels for load capacity, moisture resistance or durability in this bench.
Whichever panel you choose, reject pieces with damage that would prevent a brace, shelf or top from lying flat. Lay out plywood with the longest dimensions parallel to the grain, as Carter directs, and verify every part against the cut list before assembly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Jobs this bench can handle
Painting platform
The low top can hold paint, brushes and a workpiece while you work at a seated or low standing height. Its shelf provides a second location for tools or supplies, keeping the top clearer than a single plank support.
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Carter describes the bench as a tool caddy as well as a work platform. The handhold lets you carry the assembled unit to another room or work area, while the shelf gives you a place to stage tools between operations.
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Support for a large miter saw
The article gives a large miter saw as another example. Treat that as Carter’s use case, not as a rated equipment stand. Before placing any saw on it, confirm that the saw’s footprint is fully supported, the surface is level for the intended cut and the bench cannot shift in the work area. The source supplies no maximum equipment weight or independent stability test.
Safety limits you should not ignore
Carter explicitly warns that the bench can tip when someone stands on it and shifts weight or changes their center of gravity. His wording is a practical account of an unstable climbing situation, not a recommendation to use the bench as a step stool. Use a stable step ladder for reaching work above shoulder height. Do not treat the bench as a ladder substitute, temporary scaffold or elevated platform for a person.
No load capacity is stated in the article, and no independent validation is provided. Do not assign your own numerical limit from the dimensions or from Carter’s qualitative statement that his benches are “far stronger than traditional saw horses.” That sentence is his claim, not a measured comparison. Keep people off the bench and limit equipment and materials to loads you can safely control for the specific task.
Before use, look over the screw heads, braces, shelf, top and leg contact points. If a part has split, loosened or shifted, take the bench out of service until the fault is corrected. The level and square used during construction can help you verify that the frame remains aligned, but alignment is not a substitute for a load rating.
Bench or conventional sawhorses?
Carter wrote, “Saw horses are okay for certain tasks but I only use them as a last resort.” His preference explains the project, but it does not establish that this bench is better for every job. Choose according to the workpiece, the space available and whether one platform or two separate supports is more useful.
| Consideration | Carpenter’s bench | Conventional sawhorses |
|---|---|---|
| Work surface | One 14 3/4-by-32-inch top with a built-in lower shelf | Usually used as separate supports for a board, panel or temporary top |
| Portability | One assembled unit with a cut-through handhold | Separate units can be carried individually |
| Storage | Stores as a single 24-inch-high frame | Pair can be nested or folded only if the particular sawhorse design allows it |
| Best fit | Painting, tool staging and the specific miter-saw support example described by Carter | Tasks needing two spaced supports or a longer adjustable span |
| Safety evidence | No stated load capacity or independent test; not for standing | Capacity and stability depend on the particular model |
The table is a task-planning guide, not a universal ranking. A pair of sawhorses may be the better choice when a long panel needs supports at both ends, while this bench may be more convenient when you want a compact station with a shelf.
Build checks before putting it to work
- Confirm both legs are 23 1/4 inches long and cut from the full 11 1/4-inch width of the 2×12.
- Check that the V notches leave the intended two-inch ground-contact portions at each corner.
- Verify the upper braces are flush with the leg tops.
- Measure four inches from the leg bottoms to the bottoms of the lower braces.
- Confirm the shelf is 11 1/4 by 27 inches and fully seated before fastening.
- Measure a one-inch top overhang on every side.
- Count the fasteners used to secure the top: Carter suggests at least three into each leg and two into each top brace.
- Make sure the 2-by-4-inch handhold is completely cut through and its edges are comfortable to grip.
What the original article does—and does not—establish
Tim Carter’s project page, “A Saw Horse Substitute – Tim’s Carpenter’s Bench”, is the source for the dimensions, material list, assembly order, use examples and warning quoted here. The accessible page does not state an exact publication date. It also does not provide a numerical capacity, laboratory test, code approval or standardized comparison with commercial sawhorses. Build the bench for the dimensions and tasks described, but make your own site-specific judgment about workspace, equipment and safe handling.
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