I am going to have an overflow of boats in the shop for a spell, and had already built a new pair of sawhorses with 37” leg spans with eventual double decking in mind. Double-deckered on braces does make them heavy but they are incredibly sturdy; I just keep a pair of lightweight single deckers for carry about weight tasks.
The bottom crossbar slot on those double deckers necessitates sliding the hull in and out, and some protective padding on the 2x4 helps prevent sliding scratches. To that end some scraps of exercise flooring contact cemented to the lower crossbar, heat gunned and clamped as usual.
P2200001 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
P2200002 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Same for the inside edges of the legs, truly scrap exercise foam; the edges come puzzle pieced and the first thing I do with a six-pack of that foam is cut off the edges, so I have large squares of foam, then join the cut puzzle edges together to make long narrow foam strips.
P2220004 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
That’s the remaining supply after using pieces to pad the sides of the sawhorse legs. I’ve used gobs of those puzzle edge strips to pad other sawhorse racks, friend’s trailer crossbars and etc. A six pack of exercise foam produces 20+ puzzle edge strips. Handy stuff.
P2220005 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
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Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Even on the outside double deckers, pressure treated 2x4’s, so heavy as hell. Most often used as an outside washing station, occasionally as boat overflow storage, occasionally as scaffolding.
P2230033 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
The last touch, the new pair of double deckers needs minicell cradles. That bottom slot works very well for decked canoes or kayaks stored right side up, but I like having a bit of cradling support. OK, I often drag those double deckers around the shop to make room here or there with boats left in place; the cradles prevent the hulls from walking or wanking too cockeyed on the lower crossbars.
A couple of scrap minicell wedges (Thanks Paul) cup a decked hull securely on that crossbar.
P2220011 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
I need to install cradles on the new double decker, but that shop floor storage rack will, at least temporarily, be holding an open canoe, right side up for ease of sliding entry & egress.
I slid that canoe in place on the bottom crossbar and marked the best wedge locations and angles. I can always adjust the sawhorse distance to best accommodate the bottom boat. Top stored boats usually canoes, gunwales down during storage.
That’ll do to cup one stem.
P2230028 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Same at the other end and additional boat storage was finished.
P2230034 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
In the nick of time, a desirable rarity followed me home earlier in the week.