Replies

1. 
   BG | Sep 12, 2003 11:21pm | #1

   Dave,

   This topic has been discussed a few times here....with no definitive conclusions reached.  Some say to stand up straight, stick out your thumb and measure to the ground..that it..the height of the bench.  Others say 33-34 inches or tablesaw height to serve as an outfeed table...but most agree whatever is comfortable works for them.  Personally, I like to be able to get my weight over the plane with a relatively stiff front arm. 

2. 
   WayneL5 | Sep 13, 2003 01:12am | #2

   A good height for a work bench is for your elbows to be bent about 90° when you are working on the intended operation.

   So, for example, if you are planing, and the board is 8" high (off the top of the bench) then the top of the bench would be 8" below where your elbow would be when you are standing.  If you usually build chairs, say, then the bench would be about 17" below your elbow, because the seat of a chair is about 17" high.

   It varies for the amount of detail, too.  Generally for detailed work (like carving) you'd want to err on the close side, for grunt work (hammering) on the low side.

3. 
   RANGERP75R | Sep 13, 2003 03:29am | #3

   Dave

      If you mostly use hand planes, hold one in an imaginary position as if you were actually planing. Thrust if forward as you actually would with stock, paying attention to balance and what you feel gives you a controlled, power-ful forward thrust. Have someone measure up to the bottom of the plane with a tape or folding rule. Deduct 3/4" or 1" for stock height and you just may have your answer for your particular needs.

      Mine is 33" plus 1" stock height and 1/2" for the rubber mat that surrounds the bench. That gives me 34 1/2" top height to get my best results with a hand plane. Seems to work for the chisels, etc. also.

      I didn't read this anywhere, just how I came up with my ideal height.

   Evening...

   sarge..jt

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Sep 13, 2003 03:37am | #4

      Opps.... Meant to say my ideal height is 35". Deduct 1" stock height and add back 1/2" as I am standing 1/2" higher than the floor that the bench sits on. That gives me 34 1/2".

      I'm tired I guess. Going to the shop. ha..ha..

   sarge..jt

2. 
   ian | Sep 14, 2003 02:10pm | #7

   Sarge

   last time this topic came up a poster had a suggestion for how to accomodate people of radicaly different height using the same shop.  In essence, the solution was to build to a height suitable for the taller person and then provide a platform for the smaller person to stand on when using the power tool or bench. 

   Given your experience building benches and fitting out your shop, if you could have ONLY ONE bench how would it be if you built a bench at a suitable height for detail work (say 44" high) and then used a 10" high platform to reduce the effective height to 34" when you need to put the whole body into planing.  A 5" high platform would give you an effective height of 39" for other tasks.   Using this technique Dave could in effect have a bench with an infinitely height.

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Sep 15, 2003 09:20pm | #8

   ian

      This is an excellent idea, especially if one could only have one bench. It's definitely something I have never thought of or considered. I have a pretty large asembly table that sits at 36". I have another low-boy assembly that stands at 20". Two benchs (4' extentions of the chop saw that have cabinets under-neath at 38") that I also use for higher work and a bench that stands in at 32" for sitting work. The low-boy and shorter bench are behind the main shop in the wood-rack room. (Base-ment)

      The only negative I can think of is someone that has a fear of heights. Then again, they could wear an emergency chute till they became accustomed to it. ha..ha..

   Regards...

   sarge..jt

4. 
   dirtstirrer | Sep 13, 2003 05:38am | #5

   Dave,

   Sounds like a tall bench to me.  I'm 6'4" and I just built mine to 37".  I've got a 1" thick mat, and I like the full 37" when I'm doing precise chisel work, but the 36" seems to feel more "right" for running a plane.  I've got a cramped shop sort of, so I had to raise my table saw to bench height.  Turns out I really like it a little higher.  I asked this very question of these fellow knotheads about a year ago, and the consencious seemed to be inconclusive.  If you haven't read Scott Landis's "Workbench Book", I recommend it.  I don't think anybody in the book is over 6", but still great info.

   Steve

5. 
   robkelly1 | Sep 14, 2003 03:50am | #6

   I'm 5'8" and have built about a dozen benches (for myself) in the last 45 years. As I move around the country I don't ship the bench(es) since they are built in and tied to the floor and the wall. I finally settled on 39.5" as most comfortable for me and my back. After reading your post, I measured my bench vis-a-vis my body and found that if I let my arm hang straight down, and then bend my elbow so my forearm is parallel to the floor, the forearm will lie exactly on the bench top. The ergonomic benefits of this relationship are that I don't have to bend my back to work on objects on the bench, but I can still put the weight of my upper body into something like paring, scraping, planing, etc.