Thread: Anthropometrics of a workbench

Try having a look at something like Australian Standards or the state Worksafe department might have some info on good design?

Dont swear at me, A good height for a workbench is 900mm from top surface to floor

Hi,

A post grad at the University of Melbourne won her case against the Uni for having set her equipment (which was used over a 3 year period) at the wrong height - causing back pain. It was argued by the Uni lawyers that there was no A.S. covering this subject but the prosectuters won and the girl got damages of nearly $300,000.

What? 330k for back pain???? I deserve millions for spinal fusion then?

I would love to be on one of those lawyers pays, but I would have to have my heart removed, so I will decide against it.

I would rather look at butterfly's landing on flowers in the sun with no money to my name.

A good height for flat filing is to have the workpiece surface at about elbow height. With allowance for vise jaws height, that can illuminate other choices. Unless you're extra tall or short, 900mm sounds about right; mebbe a tad less.

Joe

Height is only one of the factors. We might think some of the following is bleeding obvious dumbbum stuff, but it's amazing what users will do/make/tolerate/not think about

Width is a factor that does not normally bother amateurs but it can be important, not wide enough and stuff falls off, too wide and stuff accumulates in the middle and you have to climb onto the thing to get the stuff in the middle.

Stability. a wonky shakey bench means you might try to do things like try to stabilize it with your foot or behind.

Flush to the floors. Ever try standing up at at a sink that doesn't have the base tucked away just slightly underneath?

Swing or sliding cupboard door under bench vice - as soon as you place your piece in the vice dangling down the front of your cupboard the tool you need will be in that cupboard.

Vice placement (a big can of worms there)

Smoothness of surfaces - you want a skating rink or a sandpaper top?

Flatness/straightness of surface - not necessarily ergonomic but certaintly will affect blood pressure.

Space around the bench?

Lighting?

Distance from fridge?

Ability to survive an Axe attack when the stuff up fairy visits.

Hang-on it must be early fridayitis.

Anyway Unit, I hope you get some useful tips from what I've said.

Cheers

Okay heres a photo of my home work bench, hope it gives you some ideas. I set it up as an island style so that way I can work on it from any side. The only down side with having a decent size bench is you start to many projects and have them all on the go at once. The bench is 900 high 1200 wide and 3600 long. The top is craftwood with a layer of 3mm rubber for protection and stability of jpbs. Youll see the bolts on the bottom for bench stability and the wheels to allow me to move the whole unit,with one hand if needs be. I mount the vice across the corner of the bottom left, so that way I can access or cut from either side and also allows me to fit and stabilise large jobs. The pan brake or folder sits across the end for those jobs that reqquire bending and then I have a pipe bender bolted next to it with access across both sides. At the oppsoite end I have a large hand guillotine for cutting sheet steel. The under side of the bench I use like large storage compartments where you roll things into. Example the first compartment houses my welding work centre which you just roll out and start to weld with, the second compartment houses the cnc router and the last compartment houses my parts for restoring my old cars. Theres a couple of photos showing the first two sections rolled out from underneath.
Think outside the square and maximise space
Steve
PS ignore the date on the camera I didnt reset it after changing the batteries

There is no one simple answer unfortunately.

For planing, it has been a rule of thumb that the bench should be the height of the palm of your hand, Joe's comment on filing is also a good one - elbow height.

The reality is that it depends on what you are going to do most of, and compromise.

I am tall, have a back injury which causes a bit of havoc if I work standing and leaning over, and would therefore have my bench at a much higher level than most IF it was just used for planing.

It's actually quite low (at palm height more or less) but one of the compromises I made was that it had to be at the same height as my tablesaw so that it could be used as an infeed table. My tablesaw was way too low, so I have it on castors AND have inserted a two-inch spacer into the cabinet to elevate it to a height which means I don't have to lean to reach it (palm height more or less). All my benches are set at the one height by the way. This pops grinders, metal vices, linishes up at a bit below elbow height, which is quite comfy.

I don't plane things for long, but I do spend a bit of time sharpening, and fiddling at the bench which would entail staning and leaning over (bad for my back) so it's set up so I can do that seated on a stool all nice and comfy!

I know that doesn't help too much, but it's not too hard to establish a height, and build accordingly. If you are doing a "show" bench, it will always have value and could be sold if you want to change the height, or use packers or a saw till you get it right!

I'd like to hear what the outcome is for you though, and how you made your decision.

Cheers,

P

My family have a history of chronic back problems going back to my great grandfather. It's always annoyed me that kitchen benches are built so low for men to stand at. (Maybe that was the plan to keep women in their place). I cook so my back aches constantly when in the kitchen. When I put our new kitchen in I made the benches 100mm higher than standard. It's wonderful. No more backaches and even the ex-SWMBO likes it.
When I made my shed workbench I made it 100mm higher than normal. Same. No more backache. It suits me and I guess what I'm saying is that if we were all 1.65m tall then standard would be fine but we're not so one person's bench height is another's pain.
For a PERFECT bench height go down to the pub and stand at the bar.

Originally Posted by Shedhand

what I'm saying is that if we were all 1.65m tall then standard would be fine but we're not so one person's bench height is another's pain.

Great point Sheddie, remember that all the "classic" workbench dimensions come from a time when the average height was much much lower.

In the last twenty years we've seen kitchen benches increase by 50 to 70mm in height. The standard was 2'8" for a bathroom and 2'10" for a kitchen in the good old days, in fact if you look at old paintings you'll see people standing and working at table height.

For taller people, a metre high kitchen bench is very comfortable, but often this won't work for the "little woman" but the current 900 - 915 standard height is getting a bit on the low side for 2010 and beyond.

Cheers,

P

Here's an interesting mounting for an auxiliary vice. The fixed jaw is (more or less) in line with the bench top, so that the rest of a long workpiece can rest on the bench. Got the idea at a garage sale where the seller's jones is vices. Talk about specialization!

Joe

Joe,
Never seen that done before I take it the vice also swivels on the base. Can't quite see how its mounted, guessing some angle bolted to the timber behind?

Originally Posted by m2c1Iw

Joe,
Never seen that done before I take it the vice also swivels on the base. Can't quite see how its mounted, guessing some angle bolted to the timber behind?

The bench frame is all slotted angle normally used for miscellaneous electrical mounting; somewhat like Unistrut. The diagonal timber below the vise is attached to the face of the frame in a vertical plane. The base of the vise is attached to the timber in the usual way, except some of the fixings also fix the timber to the frame.

Joe

thanks for all ur replies people, much appreciated. I have welded me bench up at a standing height of 1000mm. It is 1400mm in lenght and 600mm in width. It is perfect for my heeight cos i was sick of using such low benches. So basically the ergonomics of a workebcnh is height and all the other jargon. thanks for ur help guys. Just some things i would like to find out about:

1. Lighting - wat is the rule about this?
2. Placemetn of the vice- where do u guys recommend i place m vice?

cheers