William Sampson, will.sampson@ccimedia.net
Portable steel folding sawhorse can clamp lumber, sheet goods, and tools for a stable work station.
The Rockwell Jawhorse Sheetmaster is a versatile portable workholding and support device with a built-in clamping system.
Most of the saw horses I’ve used over the years were cobbled together from construction offcuts. The new Rockwell Jawhorse Sheetmaster RK9002is a horse of a different color. This sophisticated folding portable sawhorse does a lot more than just prop your work.
What it is
Rockwell’s original Jawhorse was a clever folding sawhorse that incorporated a clamping feature to add versatility. The new Sheetmaster incarnation is set up to not only clamp lumber but also it has clamping capacity up to 49 inches to handle standard sheet goods.
Constructed mostly from steel, the Jawhorse rests on three folding legs with stirrup-like feet that provide a strong and stable platform even on uneven ground. A fourth stirrup is the foot-operated clamping actuator. The whole thing folds up to a package less than 3 feet long and weighing a little over 50 pounds.
How it works
It takes just a few seconds to unfold the Jawhorse and set it up. No tools are required. To clamp lumber or similar items, slide open the padded clamping jaw and insert your workpiece. Press on the foot lever to close the jaws, then press the lock button and press the foot lever one more time. According to Rockwell, the clamp develops a metric ton of clamping force.
With jaw capacity of 49 inches, the Sheetmaster will handle most standard sheet stock. The clamp is activated by a stirrup-like foot lever.
For sheet goods, you slide the clamping bar off and turn it around for maximum capacity. Lay your plywood or other sheet stock between the jaws and then clamp just as with the lumber. If you need more support for big pieces there is an outrigger support accessory available.
Once you are done working, you can fold up the tool as fast as you opened it. You can either carry it fully folded or use the third leg as a handle and roll it on the two built-in wheels. Those wheels work fine on solid flat surfaces like concrete, but not so well on uneven terrain such as dirt or gravel.
More uses
Besides the obvious sawhorse uses of supporting, cutting and machining stock at a job site, you will likely discover other uses for the Jawhorse. The clamping mechanism will easily secure miter saws for an instant work station. You can use the unit as a third hand to hold things like doors for installation or props to support elevated work.
The Jawhorse Sheetmaster costs about $220, which might seem like a lot for a sawhorse, but when you consider this is an entire portable professional grade workholding system, it is well worth it. For more information about the Jawhorse and other Rockwell tools, visit www.rockwelltools.com.
Updated: Jun 25, 2012
This article appeared in CabinetMakerFDM, February 2012. ©Copyright 2013, All Rights Reserved.