Workbench height..... help please.

[WoodAddict]

It's a silly question I know, but what's considered the "perfect" height? I was thinking of kitchen worktop height but as I'm building from scratch I thought I'd ask for ideas.

Do you go a little lower than normal so you can lean over your projects on the bench when you need too or a little higher maybe to save your back?

Any general ideas?

Thanks
Paul

 

[woodsworth]

your going to get all sorts of answers to this one. Everyone is a different height and do different kind of work. Think of it this way if you put something on the workbench how high is it now? 36 inches becomes 40 inches high with just four inches of work thickness. If your routing something how hard is it to see what your doing if you are working at 36 inches without stooping down to have a look?

How detailed is your work? One of my workbenches is 40 inches high or there abouts but i do some very detailed work close up. Then i have a couple at 36 inches or close to, and some trestles at 28 inches. I've also noticed that when routing smaller is better as well as higher. The further you have to reach the less steady you become so it is better that you can walk right around the work unobstructed.

I have bought several books on workbenches and read them with great detail but still haven't found the perfect bench. Just seen a whole bunch of nice benches that are perfect for the creator of the bench.

 

[woodbloke]

This was asked very recently...inside leg measurement plus 75mm.

No pic of Claudia though this time :wink: :lol: - Rob

 

[WoodAddict]

I did a quick search but couldn't see anything specific.

Thanks for that!
Paul

 

[Woody Alan]

Paul

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/work ... 38474.html

Alan

 

[WoodAddict]

Paul

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/work ... 38474.html

Alan

I obviously didn't look very hard did I

Thanks for that, I've just had a read through. All good information 8)

Paul

 

[WellsWood]

David Savage had this to say recently on the subject:

"To work out the height you want stand upright then bend your arm at the elbow with your arm hanging down vertically. Beneath the point of your elbow place the thumb of your left hand, now extend your fingers as far away from your thumb as you can. This point, the point pointed to by your longest finger is the height of your bench top. Most benches we find are way too low. This height is perfect for planing and will protect your back, in most general work. On rare occasions you may need to get over the top of the job for vertical paring in which case people keep a small hop up, a low box 3-4 inches tucked away under the bench. When they need to get up a little higher pull the hop up and out and stand on that."

 

[Losos]

David Savage had this to say recently on the subject:

"To work out the height you want stand upright then bend your arm at the elbow with your arm hanging down vertically. Beneath the point of your elbow place the thumb of your left hand, now extend your fingers as far away from your thumb as you can. This point, the point pointed to by your longest finger is the height of your bench top. Most benches we find are way too low. This height is perfect for planing and will protect your back, in most general work. On rare occasions you may need to get over the top of the job for vertical paring in which case people keep a small hop up, a low box 3-4 inches tucked away under the bench. When they need to get up a little higher pull the hop up and out and stand on that."

This the classic 'tried & tested' method of working out the height and it worked for me.

'tho I will admit that there are sometimes a need for a 'specialist' bench and the height of that may well be different.

 

[WoodAddict]

I've just had a measure-up!

Using the inside leg + 75mm method it came out 31"
Using the "hand-span under opposite elbow" method it came out at 36"

Just looking at the heights in front of me with the tape 36" looks good. I think I'll go for that and the "hop-up" idea.

Thanks chaps!
Paul

 

[Richard T]

The old and trusted (and now censored) rule of thumb is "Arseh*le high".
It's a personal thing; bespoke to the worker.

 

[adzeman]

Hi Paul, I have built a few benches over the years, each time I have moved.
Setting the height is like saying how long is a piece of string. I have stood with a plane in a comfortable planing position and asked someone to measure from the sole to the floor.
For my current bench I decided to make it the same height of my current table saw which is 870 mm 34.25" in old money and when I replaced it last year (a different make) it was the same height.
I built two assembly bench/cupboards the same height which are positioned on the opposite side to the bench and 24" apart (central to the door into the workshop) When I cut sheet material on the table saw I have good support either side. When I cross cut timber I fasten the door open using a trestle with a 4" x 2" bearer as support. A future project is to make a stable door with the bottom door 870mm high and do away
with the trestle.
I have four Stanley plastic folding trestles which sit neatly under the overhang of the Bench/cupboard tops at their ends. This was luck rather than good management but a good bonus. Using the traditional method of bent elbow to thumb forefinger in my case is 880 mm.
Regards.

 

[Steve-Sash]

The only advice I would give, is if it interferes with any of your machines height. I had this problem that my work bench was higher than my spindle moulder so had to pull my moulder out five or six inches every time I ran some wood. I know it's only minor but still a ball ache none the less.....

 

[Steve-Sash]

The only advice I would give, is if it interferes with any of your machines height. I had this problem that my work bench was higher than my spindle moulder so had to pull my moulder out five or six inches every time I ran some wood. I know it's only minor but still a ball ache none the less.....

 

[Streepips]

Steve Sash makes a very valid point:
Machine table height dictates almost all worksurface heights in my shop.
this means that they act as workpiece supports, backoff tables and even assembly tables when large pieces are stretched across between 2 or 3 of them.
This started in my previous workshop where space was more limited and made the space available much more usable.
I have yet to build my own "big" workbench. Although I have most of the timber I will need. the wall I intend to site it against is at the moment a roller shutter door. This will be a dwarf brick/block wall with and 8` X 4`
window above, at about 10" above the bench height. The window will be north facing so no direct sunlight apart from above and behind from the clear roof panels.
There are 8 roof panels each 1m x 2 m so plenty of natural light.
I have a copy of the workbench book by Scott Landis and there is much food for thought in there about workbench building.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

David Savage had this to say recently on the subject:

You'll find you'll end up at the same height within an inch or two if you simply use the sticky out bone at the very top of the leg where it goes into the socket of the hip, and I tend to agree with David's comments for that height being about right for most work. Slainte.

 

[ondablade]

David Schwarz of Woodworking magazine (he's usually a good source) suggests after experimentation over quite a few years and benches that he likes best that the height is such that it's level with the start of your little finger (the bottom of the V where it joins your palm) when standing with your arms relaxed at your sides. This works out at 34 inches (864mm) for him - he's quite tall.

He says that a high bench can be nice for machine work (e.g. for routing where you want the workpiece close to your eyes without too much bending), but that at that you will struggle to bear down enough on a plane, and will find it tiring.

On the other hand he suggests that if using wooden block planes which are high a lot that a 32 inch or so height may be better as their extra height lifts your hands more than other types.

My current set up is at around 900mm, and is definitely a bit high - even at my 6ft 1 1/2in - but i have ape arms. The advice to match or stay a bit below machine table heights makes a lot of sense to me too as i found the hard way until i raised my Robland.

Wells' 'hop up' sounds like the plan too, thank you for that as i'm soon starting my bench.

ian

 

[adzeman]

Just a couple of pics of my bench set up

Space is a bit tight so everything has to have its place.
Regards