Aside from creating decorative woodwork, you can try working on a highly practical and functional project. A sawhorse type of wooden road barricade, for example, can be used anytime, anywhere. Thus, your woodwork project won’t gather dust in your garage.
Because traffic can be tricky to handle at times, barricades are needed to block a street, or redirect routes. In some cases, the barricade is used as a plank for cutting or sawing lumber, thus the name “sawhorse”.
While wooden traffic barricades can be bought, making them gives you more freedom to customize according to your needs. They can be painted in bright neon colors, or they can be made collapsible for convenience, better portability, and storage. Compared to other barricades, a wooden one is cheaper, lighter, and more durable.
This DIY traffic barricade woodworking plan will surely help you effortlessly make your own barricade. The tools needed are also available in your home or in your local hardware store. Before you begin sawing off the plywood and lumber, wear gloves and glasses for extra protection.
Tools:
- Square
- 3/4″ plywood
- Two-by-fours
- Circular saw
- Hammer
- 16 penny nails
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Sandpaper
Steps:
For the pattern, draw a T on a 3/4″ plywood. Use a square for this. The top bar should be 24″ wide and 6″ in height. The leg, on the other hand, should be 6″ inches wide and 30″ high.
Next, draw a triangular shape connecting the corners of the T’s top and legs. The corners should be square-shaped and 6″ wide. Draw a rectangle about 1 ½ x 3 and 5/8″ on each top ends. Make sure the wide sides are parallel to the top ends.
Draw another rectangle, this time its narrow end parallel to the leg’s ends. Once you have perfected the measurements in the pattern, saw off the shape. Use a circular saw for this.
Use a jigsaw to cut out the rectangles. There should be 2 rectangles, and 3 pieces of 2×4 lumber for every barrier. The lumber must be 48″ long.
Cut out notches about 3/4×2″ at each end of the lumber; the 3/4″ side gives way to one long edge, while the notch is placed an inch from the end. Cut out notches of the same size for each board.
With a hammer and nails, fit and attach the ends of the lumber through the rectangles. See to it that the notches are down and locked in place.
Note that if you want a collapsible barricade, you might want to skip the nails and simply fit the ends together. Suppose you can still disassemble the barrier, smoothen out any rough ends with a sandpaper, and paint the barrier with any color of your choice. Two coats of semigloss latex paint will do. Leave the barricade out to dry.
Additional tip: Use a roller when painting to evenly coat each side. Usually barricades are painted yellow or orange, but gray also works. You can even add neon stripes on an otherwise neutral-colored barricade.
Please Share This Article 🙂
