Thread: How high a workbench?

Chris' recommendation is as good as any. Another recommendation as a starting point, and the one I used, is to stand with your arms by your side then move your wrist so that your palm is parallel to the floor. This is the height. It will give you a mesurement about 50mm higher than Chris'. Good luck.

I built my last bench a little too high with the intention of cutting the legs down to a good height later. It stood 950mm high, I'm only 5'9". It still stands 950mm high. *shrugs*

I've moved to mostly hand tool work these days and it's never been a bother even though I know it's 150mm higher than it "should" be.

Have a look at the discusion here There is a link to a definitive article by Chris Swarz that you refer to above

regards,
Jill

Find a height you think you will be comfortable by whatever method you decide (wrist height, rotational mass ov Venus divided by the number of hair folicles in a parrott) and then add 50mm. That way if you find you like the extra height, you have it. If it is too high, instead of cutting the legs, lay down some foam floor tiles to make the floor softer for standing on/droping things onto and it will make you higher.

Cheers
Paul

According to my physio, most workbenches are too low.
I'm 5'10 in the old money, and mine is 920 - the height of the bone on the outside of my wrist when I stand with my hands by my side, which seems pretty good.

I am planning on making my work bench the same (or a cm or two lower) than the top of my table saw. In this way my work bench does not get in the way of feeding sheet goods over the table saw which is in the middle of the work shop.

I saw this tip on NYWS I think.

Thats about 870mm or something.

Originally Posted by waveink

OK, I've read a couple of the books and now I'm asking for real world opinions - in your experience how do I work out the ideal height for my new workbench? I'm not looking for exact measurements, since I'm 194cm (6ft 4" in the old money) it's going to be different from most of the vertically challenged world. I have been working on a combination of trestle tables, sawhorses, milk crates and my table saw for the past two years - so really haven't worked out a 'comfortable' height yet.

I am 6'1" and my bench is 955 mm high - it is at the skin fold on my wrist when I stand strait.

When I use hand tools I would prefer the bench a little higher, when using power tools then I would like it a little lower. Either its a good compromise or not right for anything... I mainly do assembly on a plywood door laid over saw horses, or on the floor.

When you discover the perfect solution, we will all want to know.

Cheers

Graeme

Just make it a height that feels comfortable to you. Look around at some tables etc and get the feel of them and make yours to the height of the one that best suits you.,

"Belly-button" height just about covers my comfort zone.

Just checked my bench height, it is 2' 10", coincidently that is the same height as the saw bench. I am 6' 1". And that is just a tad above family jewels height.
Jim

Originally Posted by powderpost

Just checked my bench height, it is 2' 10", coincidently that is the same height as the saw bench. I am 6' 1". And that is just a tad above family jewels height.
Jim

Thats 34" right? Which is I believe a standard table saw height. Thats about the height I am planning to build my work bench. I watched an old episode of NYWS where Norm built a work bench. I am thinking it might work well for me. Its simple joinery and meterials - 2x4 (I will use 45x90), plywood and masonite are exactly what the doctor ordered for this neophite wood worker.

Here is a article from someone else who liked it:
New Yankee Workbench

However I am thinking I will make it longer (2.4m long) and maybe a little deeper (80cm deep) and lose the tool tray, as I don't see the point. I have a normal Jet vice so might attached that instead of the bench screw. Otherwise the basic structure and materials are attractive.

Edit - Only thing is I am too cheap to purchase the plans, so I will be pausing and rewinding the video trying to reverse engineer the design as best I can. Unless anyone has a plan they want to send me

Cheers
Jason

Originally Posted by Bob38S

"Belly-button" height just about covers my comfort zone.

Yep, I think that would be about my ideal for hand tools. About 50mm higher than my wrist.

Cheers

Graeme

About the only critisism I have of a higher bench is that a hard day of hand thicknessing stock results in a very saw left tricep the next day. I understand a shorter bench should help this some what.

Well, maybe two, I tend not to make level saw cuts with a higher bench. I find myself laying out on both side of the peice and checking my lines while I cut, which isn't ideal. Until I thought about it I never considered this a problem, but having watched a few other people working recently I'm coming around to the shorter bench ideal. Wrist height sounds good at the moment.

Thanks guys. It seems there is still much debate, but I'm going to start around wrist height and work from there.

I know that a little higher is better for power tools so I have been 'pretending' to hand plane on my table saw (standard height about 860 mm) and also on my custom height kitchen benches (960 mm) and I think Goldilocks said it best ... one's too high, one's too low but in the middle will be juuust right!

Have the timber (Blackbutt) arriving today hopefully - a builder friend of mine says he has about 30 metres of 90x45 Blackbutt he just pulled out of the framework of a clients' DIY decking project that went wrong. He's pulling it all up and starting again. Think I should be able to get enough for a good laminated benchtop from this and if I'm real lucky the base too.

Will post some WIP soon.

Thanks again for the help fella's.