workbench height

[Electric Comet]

currently mine is at 35 inches

but i am think of lowering it

one guy recommended the height of horizontal palms where your arms are straight down

that seems too low to me

[-MIKE-]

Yeah, waaaaay too low. A good starting point is your elbows. This is to allow a straight back when using planes and such, and still get your weight into it. I find I like benches at 36", minimum. You don't want to be working a long time with a bent back.

Palms level is desk height, not work bench.

[Just Wondering]

Personally, I like my bench top the same height as my table saw. But there is no rule, make it whatever is comfortable for you. If 35 inches seems too low to you, then it IS too low for you. It's your bench, not someone else's. To paraphrase Rick Nelson, you can't please everyone, so please yourself. Make it chin level, or kneecap level, if that's what you want.

"But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well. You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself." -

[Ed Pawlowski]

That may work for an assembly table for a cabinet, but not for normal work. Too lazy to run out t the shop right now to measure, but about the height of the tablesaw would work, give or take depsing on your height.

[Keith Nuttle]

Mine is the height of my table saw. It is on wheels so the saw and the work bench can be arranged into the formation that provides the best work flow for the job I am doing.

Being on wheels and the height of the table saw the bench can be an extension of the table itself. When I rip on the saw, the bench is placed on the out feed side of the saw and supports the pieces as they come off of the saw.

[Dr. Deb]

Because of back problems, I built my workbench about 37 1/2" high. That wo rked great for everything except planing. It took a trip to a Highland Har dware class to discover my bench was too high to plane effectively. My sol ution was to build a box, which slides under the bench when not in use, tha t gives me an effective workbench top of 34". Now, I can actually flatten boards on the work bench, rather than making them wedge shape.

[John McGaw]

I used the standard of "a fraction lower than the height of my table saw" which means 34". Since I'm working in a very tiny shop it is sometimes necessary for wood going across the saw to overlap the bench. I did the same thing for my router table's and chop saw's height. Both of these are roll-arounds but sometimes it is more convenient to leave them in place. In a pinch, with the router table's fence removed it can be rolled over to serve as an outfeed for the TS.

[Electric Comet]

this makes sense and i always try to make everything multi use in the shop

finally got around to measuring the footprint of everything and putting it into a cad file so i can rearrange the layout easily

[Just Wondering]

I killed two birds with one stone. I built an extension for my table saw about two feed beyond my fence bar, and mounted my router in it, so my table saw extension IS my router table.

[krw]

I do the same, though the table stays behind the operator. I use the table to break down panels but it helps when ripping, too.

[woodchucker]

I use the palm technique too. I do a lot of hand work. Planing, chiseling, hand sawing. When Handsawing the hand should not be above the elbow for certain cuts(dovetails especially).

For machine tool use, you can easily go higher, but not for hand tools. For dovetailing I made a riser bench so I can chop dovetails I like it, clamp it to the bench. I can sacrifice the top on that w/o feeling bad.

My bench is too heavy to lift, so I can't go up and down using risers under the legs, but I don't regret my decision as I have another bench

2.5 inches higher if I need it. I prefer the lower most of the time.

[Bill]

I spent several minutes, at least, deciding how high I wanted the workbench I was building to be. I decided on 40", exactly, AND, if I ever wanted it shorter I could always trim the legs. I suppose you could always extend the legs too, but that is not quite as simple.

[russellseaton1]

My oak workbench with vises is 38 inches high. As the prior person said, cutting the legs shorter is always possible. Or standing on a platform, piece of plywood.

[Electric Comet]

small shop dictates multiple purpose so i matched the bench to the table saw

so far so good

[Electric Comet]

i saw a bench that had hydraulic lifts which seemed to be over the top

with two benches you get the best of both worlds

[Ed Pawlowski]

Making a platform of 1 x 3 would be a lot easier on the feet than standing on concrete. Mats made for standing help too, of course.

[Keith Nuttle]

While they would work they would create a stumbling hazard.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Risk versus reward. Some people will trip over a splinter, others worked on platforms at a work station for years.

The reason i suggested 1 x 3 is you have a bit of flex on the slats that save your back while working.

[notbob]

Also, check yer shoes!

When I was a machinist --working on a cement floor-- I bought some high-dollar walking shoes to wear while working.

They were TOO soft! My foot was allowed to move in any direction, so they did. I began wearing some new steel-toe low-top oxfords w/ very thick soles. The difference was astonishing. The thick board-stiff soles didn't allow my foot to move anywhere but fore'n aft. It's precisely what my feet needed. (I'll also admit to being quite young)

nb

[russellseaton1]

I need to find some of those rubber, spongy mats. Those would be nice to stand on at the bench. Even wearing comfortable sneakers, those mats would be wonderful to stand on.