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That job site in Phoenix last July changed how I set up my saw horses

I was working on a deck rebuild in Phoenix back in July and it hit 114 that afternoon. My saw horses kept sinking into the hot asphalt every time I set them up, throwing my cuts off by almost a quarter inch. Took me three tries to figure out I needed to use 2x4 blocks under the feet to spread the weight. Now I carry four cut pieces of plywood in my truck just for that. Anyone else run into problems with their setup when the ground gets soft?
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2 Comments
terryallen
Ngl that's a solid fix with the plywood but I gotta ask - have you ever tried using those old rubber stall mats from a feed store? A buddy of mine swears by them for hot asphalt because they don't slide around like wood does. The 2x4 blocks work but they can still shift if you're running a saw that vibrates hard. Also did you check if the saw horses were actually level on the plywood after the asphalt softened underneath? Because sometimes the whole setup just tilts into a pothole anyway. Tbh I've just started working at 5am in Phoenix summers to beat the heat and the soft ground problem.
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john_singh
Yeah @terryallen makes a good point about the stall mats, those things grip way better than wood.
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