Workbench Height - At the Wrist. Good Idea? FAQ

I'll take on most things but for some reason gas scares me.

I don't see an 1-1/2" laminated maple top there.

But if you want splinters... ;-)

Ditto. Electricity is simple. I don't much like plumbing (too much breaks - water corrodes everything) but I will if forced to. I won't touch gas.

Soon after I bought my house I had the brother of somebody SWMBO worked with put in a new furnace for me. Sort of discounted side-job that had to be done on a Saturday morning.

The furnace had it's own shut-off, but they needed to re-pipe something before that shut-off, so they asked me to shut-off the main valve inside the house. I shut it off, but it turns out that the furnace was piped *before* what we thought was the main shut-off. The only way to shut-off the gas to the furnace was to shut it off at the meter, call the gas company to turn it back on to test the furnace, etc. We didn't have time for all that.

After we opened all the doors to get some air moving, they put together a short piece of pipe with a shut-off on it. They unscrewed the live pipe where they needed to (hissss) and quickly screwed in the pipe with the shut-off.

It smelled pretty bad but they got it done and moved on with rest of the job. Dumb, I know.

Remember, this is a "test bench". If she uses it as a workbench, I'll build her a nice one. If I stop over and find that she using it to fold laundry, that'll save me some work.

I'll bring my trim router so she can round over the edges. ;-)

Going to stick my nose where it may not appreciated (again). Quick, easy and usually inexpensive solution for the top, whether it's a table or a workbench, is a solid core door. I have picked them up for $25 or less, and at 1.75" thick, and ~3' x ~7' footprint, it makes for a decent size top. Suggest you make sure it is not mineral filled fire door, as they are not only extremely heavy, do not drill well for dogs or fasteners. Good luck!

Appreciated. I looked at solid core doors at a salvage place the other day. $30-$35 where I was.

I'd still need something for the bottom shelf.

For the 2' x 4' bench I'm going with, a half sheet of 3/4" for the top and half sheet of 1/2" for the lower shelf came to just under $50. No waste, no cutting to size. I'm adding an extra cross support for both the top and bottom just for a little more rigidity of those surfaces. They were cut from the waste of the 2 x 4 framing members anyway.

On 1/26/2021 2:19 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote: > I've been doing some reading about the proper workbench height. A lot > of sources say that for "general work" the proper height is right at the wrist > level of the user. Adjustments are made from there for specific types of > work. >

I don't know about all of that. I like a desk height for sitting work (I don't care for working on a bar stool) and higher for standing work. That being said height is also a function of what I am working on. Overhauling a big block V8 is better done on a low bench, but mostly I just use my engine stand for that.

I suspect he answer is going to be similar to, "What's the best height for an anvil?" For old school smiths who did everything most liked knuckle height. More modern smiths seem to prefer wrist height. I've been known to use the flat on my bench vise for smaller parts for delicate metal beating because its much higher and easier for light work. For a power hammer it might be much different than for hand hammering even with similar size work. It depends.

I have a couple of benches made from solid core doors, with either MDF or melamine on top as a sacrificial surface. I put ash (I have a bunch) edging on the door to keep the top from sliding and make it easy to replace.

Solid core doors are getting harder to find and aren't $25 anymore. At least around here they're more like $100. The other thing I worry about is dogs into the door. Since it's essentially MDF in the middle, how much force can it take and will the holes stay round? I haven't tried drilling the holes yet but it's a concern.

Good idea but maybe a hollow core door with a slab of MDF on top.

... irrelevant link snipped...

That is what *you* think I need. That is not what I need nor want. Not even close.

Why do you have such a fascination with tables?

Good grief. Drop the table idea. It's just plain dumb.

I've already cut all the parts for the workbench. It just needs to be transported and screwed together.

After about an hour of bonding time with my daughter, we will have taken this...

Exterior solid core that I have picked up are either stave core or OSB. Have not come across MDF core, unless I misunderstood your response. CL has been my source for solid core doors. If you have a ReStore nearby, doors you might get lucky. Timing is everything

When solid core doors were available in the old days, they were lumbercore (i.e. glued-up hardwood) with a veneer. That glued-up hardwood was heavy and expensive, and durable. The glue, though, is poor (I have such a door, the veneer skin has started to peel).

Wood doors nowadays are OK for doors, but MDF? ...not for benches. Liquid nails and 2x4s is good enough for utility workspace, and much better than something that can't take a hammer blow or stand still while I use a plastic bench-hook miter box to cut a stick to length. How could you ever attach good legs to MDF?

I think Brian is right, it's OSB core.

You don't attach legs to the door, you attach the door to the legs. The door forms a solid, *flat*, surface. It's really not structural. Even laminated wood isn't a structural component of a bench, perhaps other than stiffening. The key is that it has to be flat.

I don't use door benches for hammering (I have laminated benches such as I gave links to yesterday), rather for cutting and assembly (two separate benches). I would have used one for an outfeed table too, but couldn't find any more doors.

In the spirit of "not even remotely applying to your situation" ;)

Roy & the Schwarz offer a height alternative with the Low Roman workbench:

A short treatise:

A Sculptors Version of the Low Roman Workbench

J. Clarke snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I heard the explosion. From where I was sitting, it sounded like a door being shut hard. Fire trucks from all over started making their way up the hill to a place about 1 1/2 miles away. We didn't know what was going on, but firetrucks rarely frequent our road and almost never more than 1 at a time.

Their house was in pieces. Their cars were burnt. They had been thrown out of the house by the explosion and were lucky to be alive. Their son, who was normally home that time of night, was out working late. Chances are good he would have been killed by the explosion. It's a miracle the parents weren't.

Four and a half years ago, a gas leak destroyed a house, cars, and almost destroyed a family. Is it any wonder that gas scares me as well?

Puckdropper

Used to think that way, but more concerned about working with electricity. At least plumbing/gas gives a hint that there's a problem, either visibly with water or smell with gas. Joints can be tested with soapy solution as well (or as my neighbor does, old school master plumber, with a match)...NOT my recommendation btw... Not that it should be taken lightly, (as you have stated, the results can be devastating), so if you are concerned about doing, or being able to do, any work yourself safely or correctly, should def consider leaving it to the pros... Climbing down from soapbox...

Any thing can be handled WITH THE PROPER SAFETY PRACTICES. It is when you neglect those practices that accidents happen.

In the winter when doing a lot of work on my table saw, I turn off all spark producing devices, as dust like volatile liquids can explode with an ignition source and the right concentration. With saw dust the chances of explosion are extremely low. But the chances of one house blowing up from a gas leak are extremely low.