Height adjustable workbench

[tulogngham]

Thank you all folks for replying. Your collective wisdom has convince me not to bother with height adjustable. Too troublesome and too time consuming to make something which in hindsight I'll use once to set the height.

So I've always have the intention of incorporating both the table saw and router table into the work bench or at least the same height so that I could use the bench as an out-feed table. I have the dust extractor hooked into the machines and very much like the idea of NOT having to move and reconnect things.

The next question is what is the ideal height..?

A quick search on youtube has lead to this..


I'm mainly a machine/tool person but I think the minute I install a decent vice.. I might end up in being a hand tools person..

 

[sunnybob]

I have the bandsaw, router table and mitre saw all on the same level along one wall. Thats because none of mine adjust or move. Its a very rare day the bandsaw blade or the router fence gets in the way.

 

[sunnybob]

I've just checked mine against that video, and my main workbench is at wrist height, so he's got that right for planing and chiseling.
BUT, when it comes to any drawing or marking out on flat wood, youre going to get a backache fast. Just look at the way he's stooped over after years at that bench.
My router table is 90 cm square and I use that for planning and assembling, and that comes to half way up my forarm.

 

[Rich C]

Never mind the workbenches, that stop motion intro is very impressive.

 

[thomashenry]

I'm 6 ft 2" (1.8 in new money) and reasonably slim. My working height would be useless for any one less than 5 ft 10" or even some one of the same height with a wide waistline. My son is 2 metres tall. My bench is too low for him.

I made my bench to my height 10 years ago. I've never had to move it up or down by a 1/16"
Dont waste time and money when you could be making something good.

1.88 more like 1.9

 

[sunnybob]

I'm modest with it.

 

[AndyT]

I'm late to the party, but my take on it is this: get yourself a thickish plank of some sort about the same length as your bench.

1. If the bench is too low, put the plank on top of it to make it higher.

2. If the bench is too high, put the plank on the floor in front of the bench and stand on it, so the bench is lower.

If neither 1 nor 2 applies, use the plank to make something useful!

 

[sunnybob]

K.I.S.S.

 

[Just4Fun]

2. If the bench is too high, put the plank on the floor in front of the bench and stand on it, so the bench is lower.

Funny you should say that. One of my benches is too high for me and I stand on a couple of planks. That is just a temporary solution though. I can't have been doing this for more than 5 or 7 years. I will lower the bench sometime. Honest.

 

[pe2dave]

Bit off topic, what height is a Festool MFT, their site says 90cm, is that the worktop height please - any owners?
Is that an convenient height for you /MFT height?

 

[sunnybob]

Standard kitchen worktops are 900 mm high. Go and do some miming in the kitchen and ask the mrs if she can guess whether its a film or a book.

 

[Distinterior]

Bit off topic, what height is a Festool MFT, their site says 90cm, is that the worktop height please - any owners?
Is that an convenient height for you /MFT height?

The Festool MFT is 900mm tall to the upper surface of the HDF.

I find it works well for most of the time,..... but I do have another height adjustable work bench that is made from an old Hospital bed. It has the ability to raise & lower by means of a Hydraulic ram & foot pedal. When positioned, the wheels lift off the floor and its rock solid.....The whole thing must weigh 100/120kg.!!

Its very useful for cabinet assembly, ....having the ability to raise & lower its height and roll it around...depending on the size of the cabinets.

 

[tulogngham]

Gosh.. that hospital bed is great idea.. where did you manage to get one of them ? Good’old eBay ?

 

[Ttrees]

If you like that, have a look at some old barbers chairs aswell.

 

[Distinterior]

Gosh.. that hospital bed is great idea.. where did you manage to get one of them ? Good’old eBay ?

It was very kindly given to me by a Client of mine after I had done a job for him. He used to work for the company that made them i believe, before he retired.
He had 2 of them, this was the smaller of the 2. He had adapted this one to use as a motorcycle lift.

I fitted the 40mm laminate worktop top on it but I am likely to replace it with a slighty bigger CNC machined MFT type top.