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The Centipede Sawhorse: A Good Design for the Wrong Application?
I was against this thing from the start, because I cannot stand badly-acted infomercials where someone pretends they cannot manipulate a simple device. But before I say any more, check this thing out:
While I am drawn to things that fold up small and then expand, my kneejerk reaction was: No way is this thing suitable for a workbench. First off there's no shelf (as with a plastic sawhorse) on which to lay your circular saw between cuts, and you cannot do that thing where you raise the blade and rest the circ saw on the floor beneath the material (as with wooden sawhorses), because the crossmembers of this Centipede Sawhorse take up all the space.
My second thought was, the design is not actually space-saving; while the legs fold up to a nice, compact size, the design is dependent upon a large surface, like a 4×8 sheet, resting atop the multiple supports to create stability. And if you have to haul a 4×8 sheet around anyway, two plastic sawhorses don't take up much additional space.
Looking past my kneejerk, I feel this expanding design has merit for something—but I can't figure out what. You can't beat the small-to-large ratio of the device, and it's easy to see it provides more even support across a 4×8 surface than two sawhorses would. And I wonder if all of those metal rods would absorb and mitigate the vibration from a power tool. So I ask you: Am I being too harsh on this thing? Would you ever consider using this as a workbench? And are there any applications you can think of where this kind of base would be more useful than the conventional alternatives?
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The major downside I see with this is, wouldn't it require a level surface to work...that can be a challenge on job sites. Also when you're inside the house and there are braces running everywhere on the floor...simple saw horses are easier to maneuver. Finally I'd be worried about sawing through the plastic connectors on the top of this thing.
The shelf on saw horses isn't too important. I've always just put the saw on the ground or on top of the wood between cuts.
I think by designing products like these they're solving problems that don't really exist. Best of luck to them but not sure it's that interesting of a product for this application.
Thanks for your mostly supportive comments thus far. We agree with the general response that while our introductory video may have come across to some as a bit cheesy, its no reason to dismiss the product... I think we've all been frustrated with traditional sawhorses in the past and love 'em or hate 'em, we never expected to replace them. As many of you pointed out, the Centipede certainly has its uses.
As to its durability, check out the picture on the campaign page of the Centipede Tool team on top of the 2' x 4' DIY unit. That is over 500 pounds of man on the prototype unit. The plywood showed more signs of stress than the unit did and the whole set up was on top of uneven loose gravel. It may not be a real-world application, but I think it bodes well for the sturdiness of the unit.
As to the campaign target goal and whether or not we'll be going into production: This has been our biggest error with this campaign - far bigger than the cheesy video intro. We've long since worked out a deal with the factory to fund the tooling and amortize it over the first several production runs. We initiated the campaign in an attempt to fund the tooling without the extra cost per unit, but by no means is this campaign truly on the critical path to this product coming to market. All backers of our campaign will have their orders filled, regardless of whether or not our funding target is met...
A big thanks to hipstomp for initiating this discussion on Core77. While personally hesitant on the Centipede's utility, we're delighted that he has given us this opportunity to hear his feedback. We look forward to getting this product out into the real world where it will prove itself and appreciate the chance to be a part of discussions like this until then.
If I were traveling by pickup truck to job sites, where I'd be working on sheet goods, or where I'd be setting up a temporary worktable for serious repeat work (like at the end of the video), I'd dig having this thing. That said, I think he also can find a good market for a beefed-up version as staging support, as Andrew said above.
Overall, I really like the idea of having such a mobile and stable workbench. For only $120 I'm willing to give it a shot. However, with only 28 days left and 93% yet to raise with their crowdfunding campaign, I'm not sure this thing is going to make it into production.
My most pressing concern is how the product handles on uneven ground. If the ground is not perfectly flat or level, will there be loss of stability in the middle sections?
Don't get me wrong, I do see a lot of merit in the design, but with traditional sawhorses and workstands, there is a greater ability to compensate and adjust to different ground conditions. With this, it looks like the whole unit must move as one.
I think the design definitely has the potential to be an excellent work support system, but it's the type of product that really has to be proven in a variety of environments and not just a level pad of concrete.
Its flimsy construction for a heavy duty application wouldnt last long in a real work environment. It looks to me that the designers had this cool mechanism and tried to re-purpose it for an application that didnt need fixing.
The only people that would buy this are people like the guy at the beginning of the video, that have no idea what theyre doing.
Idea for a post or series of posts: Sawhorses and workbenches, through the ages and across the continents. (I'm sure you can think of a better title, but you get the idea.)
But I have to agree with you, this has some serious shortcomings compared to a conventional sawhorse.
One of the big downsides for me is the inability to clamp the surface sheet and the working piece down to the sawhorse. I do this sometimes when I need a lot of stability, and I fear that if I tried making cuts like that on this thing, it would wiggle around on me a bit...
One thought is that it could be used to prevent those akward circular saw cuts of plywood all by your lonesome. It gives many points to give support on both sides of the cuts and has great gaps to never cut a support. I would however suggest adding a replaceable extension plastic cap on the joints for those accidental cuts you always get on the saw horse. (added revenue stream) or have an option for wood blocks.
http://www.skyline.com/files/swf/mirageclassicplusadvantage/mirage_classic_plus_advantage.html
And we've just recently moved beyond expanding frames to inflatable architectural exhibitry:
http://skylinewindscape.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq0_g1gtB30
And personally I like this design and the use case.
What you named as your primary counter-arguments are secondary use-cases, if you ask me.
Yeah it's "nice" to put the circular handsaw somewhere after using it...and it's okay to be able to put it in between the legs of the sawhorse. But it was never the best solution in the first place.
Personally I prefer storing the tools in their carrying-boxes, which sometimes even are stackable and by that can reach regular work height.
I never liked to put the saw underneath what was working on, as the cable was always disturbing or was then in my way when I put another piece of wood on it.
And actually if you want to move the support...you should remove the tools as well. For your own safety and to not ruin the tools by mistake. Don't want to know how many times someone went to get the wood came back just to notice that the one sawhorse is a few centimeters to far apart to provide support...holding the wood in both hands and trying to move the sawhorse on the uneven ground with his feet...
The usecase you describe is one that actually shouldn't exist.
And as it's not promoted primarily as a fully functioning workbench replacement, which it clearly can not be. I see absolutely no problem.
It can be an emergency workbench, though. Such as everything else you can rest some wood on to get some kind of table.
The only thing that would bug me is that there are 110 joints in the pro version...which all have to be lubricated from time to time. Can clock with saw dust and other stuff lying around during constructing. And then it won't unfold that easily anymore.
And personally I like this design and the use case.
What you named as your primary counter-arguments are secondary use-cases, if you ask me.
Yeah it's "nice" to put the circular handsaw somewhere after using it...and it's okay to be able to put it in between the legs of the sawhorse. But it was never the best solution in the first place.
Personally I prefer storing the tools in their carrying-boxes, which sometimes even are stackable and by that can reach regular work height.
I never liked to put the saw underneath what was working on, as the cable was always disturbing or was then in my way when I put another piece of wood on it.
And actually if you want to move the support...you should remove the tools as well. For your own safety and to not ruin the tools by mistake. Don't want to know how many times someone went to get the wood came back just to notice that the one sawhorse is a few centimeters to far apart to provide support...holding the wood in both hands and trying to move the sawhorse on the uneven ground with his feet...
The usecase you describe is one that actually shouldn't exist.
And as it's not promoted primarily as a fully functioning workbench replacement, which it clearly can not be. I see absolutely no problem.
It can be an emergency workbench, though. Such as everything else you can rest some wood on to get some kind of table.
The only thing that would bug me is that there are 110 joints in the pro version...which all have to be lubricated from time to time. Can clock with saw dust and other stuff lying around during constructing. And then it won't unfold that easily anymore.
http://www.grandinroad.com/basic-inflatable-ez-bed/154795
I can't see this having much use as a saw horse, period. They might have better luck marketing this as a temporary/portable table where seating is not required (food service, exhibition, trade show display etc.), although the EZ Up Instant Table is exactly this already, and looks a heck of a lot sturdier.